Learn 2 Fly 4 Less
(214) 918-2432

Bringing the joy of piloting an aircraft to the rest of us

Learn 2 Fly 4 Less
(214) 918-2432

PRIVATE & SPORT PILOTS

Stay proficient for less!
As a certificated Private or Sport Pilot, you have a lot of responsibilities to yourself and to anyone who flies with you. Of these responsibilities, the most important are those related to safety.
 
One of the most vital aspects of the safety spectrum is that of keeping “current” and maintaining your proficiency as a pilot. Most pilots agree that the minimum FAA currency requirements are just that--a bare minimum necessary to maximize safety. It’s one thing to be able to perform three takeoffs and landings on a periodic basis in the best of conditions, but the best pilots are those who are prepared to handle whatever becomes necessary when conditions are less than ideal.
 
At Learn2Fly4Less, we are obviously committed to helping people learn to fly as safely and as cost efficiently as possible. We are also committed to helping pilots at any level of expertise keep those skills sharp as quickly and cost efficiently as possible. We want to help pilots go far beyond the minimum legal requirements by helping them practice pattern work, landing preparation, and all sorts of takeoffs and landings in weather conditions they can control quickly and easily. In the same amount of time it takes to fly in the pattern for three takeoffs and landings in a plane, you can practice twice as many landings and approaches in our simulators in any type of weather environment you choose. 

Practice difficult and emergency maneuvers

Not long after I got my license, I remember wanting to practice crosswind landings, but I worried about putting myself and the airplane I was renting in a situation that could become less than ideal. Most of the time I didn't do it because I didn’t want to risk an accident in attempting to avoid one. It seemed like quite the Catch 22.
 
I would have loved to have been able to practice more challenging maneuvers from the safety of a climate-controlled flight simulator. Here at my convenient and comfortable shop, I can push myself to the brink of my abilities with no risk, and I can do it on a still, sunny day or on a day when the weather is so bad the airlines aren’t even flying.
 
I believe you can never over-prepare yourself for an engine-out scenario.  Obviously this is an extremely rare situation the vast majority of us will never have to experience, but knowing exactly what to do if it happens can make a huge difference.  Of course, during your training for your certificate, your instructor simulated an engine-out scenario so you could perform the necessary steps quickly and efficiently to have a safe emergency landing. At that point, the instructor brought the engine back to life and you climbed back up to a normal altitude.
 
In our simulators, you can practice that scenario you faced many times with your instructor, except now you can actually perform that emergency landing. That last 400 to 500 feet is the most important and the most unforgiving, and you rarely get a chance to practice that part in an actual airplane. I practice an engine-out scenario at least once a week in all different types of situations. Using our simulators' incredibly accurate and clear terrain imaging software, I also practice it at a low altitude while taking off from my home airport on all runways so I know the best places to land if I lose my engine on takeoff.  I'm also able to go back and "watch" my landing from all different angles to evaluate it so I can improve on it the next time.  Knowing I can find a safe place to land even in an emergency situation close to my home airport gives me a huge level of confidence.

Rehearse your cross country flights beforehand

Another way I’m able to maximize safety is to “rehearse” a flight in the days prior to the planned departure. Using our simulators' terrain imaging software, I can “fly” into and all around my destination airport to get a good feel for the lay of the land. If I have time, I will actually plan and execute the entire trip on the simulator. I can easily split this rehearsal process into multiple sessions by pausing and saving my flight when I need to go do something else and resuming it later when I have more time. Then when I have a plane with passengers, I’m considerably more relaxed and confident. I have a much better chance of finding the airport without delay, and I have a good feel for the types of landmarks and airspace peculiarities I will encounter on the trip. It's fun to rehearse the flight, and it makes the actual flight a lot more fun as well! Your passengers will be impressed with your ability to find things (like an airport) so easily in an area where you’ve never actually flown before.
 
I would love to show you how you can do all these things to increase your proficiency and confidence at your convenience for a fraction of the cost of renting an airplane.