How to impress your CFI in 10 easy steps

Want to know how to impress your CFI within seconds of walking into the club? This is how!

We'll keep this short and sweet and make it a checklist. Links for tools are listed below:

1. Know your 91.103 preflight actions and have them ready to brief

   1. NOTAMS

   2. Weather - 1800wxbrief.com

   3. Known ATC Delays - NASstatus.faa.gov

   4. Runways - Lengths, widths, and composition

   5. Alternates - where are we going if we can't make it to our destination or back home?

   6. Fuel - Know your POH, see below

   7. Takeoff and Landing distances - POH

2. Know your climb performance, route, cruise performance, and descent

   1. If we're going cross country - have the plan ready on a paper planner and chart

   2. if we are planning on doing maneuvers - on a paper planner and chart: plan a route to a "release point" such as a visual waypoint at the practice area. Calculate desired fuel for maneuvers, and plan a "reentry waypoint" from which you can navigate back home.

3. Have your fuel planned

   1. Unusable fuel

   2. Legal minimums

   3. Fuel calculations for your route or maneuvers

   4. Personal Mins

4. Weight and Balance calculated

   1. Remember the equation Weight x Arm = Moment

   2. CG = total moment/total weight

5. Know your V speeds and what they mean

6. Know your Emergency Procedures (Bold Face)

7. Be ready to brief your maneuvers. Use these as a guide:

   1. Airplane Flying Handbook -

      1. Purpose of the maneuver

      2. How to fly the maneuver

      3. Sketch the maneuver

      4. Common errors

   2. Airman Certification Standard

      1. Parameters (plus or minus 100ft, etc)

      2. Knowledge

8. Your weak areas

   1. Test yourself daily to identify your weak areas and be ready to ask questions

9. Required documents

   1. Aircraft - ARROW

   2. Pilot - PMPL (photo ID, medical, pilot certificate, logbook)

10. Know your aircraft's next inspections

    1. AVIATES acronym

       1. Airworthiness directives

       2. VOR - 30 days for IFR

       3. Inspections - Annual/100hr

       4. Altimeter -24 months

       5. Transponder - 24 months

       6. ELT- 12 months

Remember! Aviation isn't inherently dangerous, but it is unforgiving! Sweat the small stuff. Show up prepared! Impress your CFI!

Through Readiness and Discipline we are the masters of our fate!

Here are some tools and products that can help:

Seattle Sectional (Chart): https://amzn.to/3xvRNgk

Flight planner pad: https://amzn.to/4cKVizJ

Plotter: https://amzn.to/4alX2hn

E6B: https://amzn.to/4anEE7H 

Kneeboard: https://amzn.to/3PHdKzw

Shop: https://www.emeraldsquadronaviation.com/shop-ESA

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