When did you start feeling like a pilot?
Posted by AnnualRich1492@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 94 comments
Currently finishing up IR and working towards CPL. I still don’t feel like a pilot and feel weird saying anything other than I’m in flight school if someone asks. When did you start feeling like a pilot and saying you are one? After CPL, CFI, first job?
Vee-One-Rotate@reddit
When someone starts paying you to fly an airplane.
iheartrms@reddit
After the first time I announced to the whole bar that I'm a pilot and all of the women followed me to my hotel room.
Askacfi23@reddit
I was also humble about it since I had great and high expectations mentors. I did cfi for 1500, flew turbo props, regionals, and my first time feeling like a pilot was my first flight on the 777, saying “heavy” after my call sign. It might be too far stretched lol
BostonPilot99@reddit
When my instructor in navy flight school stopped hitting me on the back of the helmet with the pocket check list after every landing.
TxAggieMike@reddit
Go look at the DFW bravo and take note of the north side in terms of altitudes and lateral boundary.
One day during early student solo cross country, I am returning from the NE at 2,500 MSL headed sorta toward TKI with my destination being DTO. My plan was over top of TKI and then straight west to DTO.
Center told me to contact Approach.
Approach acknowledged my check in and said ”…remain clear of the Bravo.”
Wanna guess what I did?
Impressive-Tip-903@reddit
When I didn't have to ask anyone for permission to fly somewhere.
TxAggieMike@reddit
On my solo cross country flight.
ItzDarc@reddit
This is the answer for me. That xc was the pilot maker for me.
Professional_Read413@reddit
I was super nervous before, my CFI said "you're a good pilot you'll be good"
I was like wait what?
Definitely made it sink in that i was PIC.
draggingmytail@reddit
This.
I remember finishing my climb, trimming out the plane and being able to relax and just going “holy shit… I’m flying a plane.”
I still get that feeling every time I fly.
Wasatcher@reddit
Relax? You better those next frequencies dialed in and do your cruise checklist buddy. Ain't no relaxin' allowed.
-Your friendly reddit CFI
draggingmytail@reddit
My hand never left the throttle the entire time, I swear!
FlyingArtilleryman@reddit
Best feeling is on a smooth day where you get plane trimmed out and it feels like autopilot
iamtherussianspy@reddit
You see, that's why makes it relaxing and special - lack of a CFI next to you.
Mispelled-This@reddit
I am in this picture and I like it.
TxAggieMike@reddit
That describes me.
theeyeholeman1@reddit
I'm a widebody FO at a legacy and people still ask me when I'll get to be the "pilot" instead of "just the co-pilot".
gratefulflyer@reddit
When I made my first no-go decision to fly even though I really didn’t want to.
Flanked77@reddit
I was on a cross country back home with my wife and the clouds came in. My airport was overcast 1500 when it was forecasted to be VFR on arrival. Got a pop up IFR clearance and shot the approach through IMC. That’s when I really felt like a pilot.
zombiedog54@reddit
Are you sure your cut out for this? Have you never heard the joke about how to find the pilot in a room full of people? Answer: Don't worry, he will tell everyone he's a pilot!
AborgTheMachine@reddit
There have been a number of times that I really started to internalize that feeling of "I'm a pilot"
blizzue@reddit
Hey man I’m a legacy captain and my dad still asks when I’ll be a real pilot.
In my career so far the best feeling is seeing kids that absolutely light up when they see me. It makes you feel like a rockstar and we totally don’t deserve it. But it’s pretty fun making their day by saying hi or asking them to come up to the cockpit.
TjJeepin@reddit
Is/was your dad a pilot?
blizzue@reddit
Nope
derdubb@reddit
Maybe explain to your dad what legacy captain means in that case. 😂
I would say you qualify as a real pilot sir.
blizzue@reddit
His dad worked for my legacy for 34 years. So he knows.
Quentin_Jammer@reddit
Currently a regional FO. I’ll let you know when I feel like a real pilot.
PhilRubdiez@reddit
Probably around the time my parents stop saying “when you’re a real pilot”. Doesn’t matter I’ve made about thirty other pilots.
Wasatcher@reddit
"When are you going to be a commercial pilot?" :'(
ma33a@reddit
I still get asked when I am going to fly the big ones.
I currently fly a 777......
hakisbak@reddit
They don't believe you when you tell them that you do??
phucursofa@reddit
Why are you always in another city? Well grandma…
TjJeepin@reddit
Asked by who?
ma33a@reddit
Family.
TjJeepin@reddit
Are any of your family pilots?
Wasatcher@reddit
Not a 747 or A380. It's not big... /s
PhilRubdiez@reddit
😔🍺😮💨
TjJeepin@reddit
Are/were your parents pilots?
PhilRubdiez@reddit
Grandpa was a naval aviator in WWII. Didn’t fly after, so no.
JSTootell@reddit
I fly my own plane once or twice a week.
I get imposter syndrome every time I key up "taking runway 24, downwind departure..."
Ok_Yam_5591@reddit
Just got my Instrument Rating I’d say officially now
Mobe-E-Duck@reddit
I’ve been a professional pilot for around 4 years now and I still wonder if I’m about to break the law every time I cross a hold short line.
phucursofa@reddit
First time ATC asked me to slow to 170 I said oh. So it depends. You’ve earned it in my eyes but did you earn it in yours?
cherrymitten@reddit
When I started complaining about the company and drinking black airplane coffee…. That’s when I knew
Wes_WM@reddit
I felt like a pilot after instrument, honestly. Feels much more mission driven. Now I didn’t feel COMFORTABLE until sometime close to the end of CFI training.
Schwalbe262Guy@reddit
I’ll let you know
ShaemusOdonnelly@reddit
Both my civilian and military examiner told me "Now you're one of us" after my final checkrides (we did CPL, ME and IR in one go for both) and while I felt good, I didn't really feel that I was actually a pilot at that point. I'll tell you when it finally happens.
TheArtisticPC@reddit
When I was put on medical disability. I’m like, wow, I’ve almost had the full experience! Just waiting on divorce 3 now.
But for real, what Aggie and many others said. Though, that feeling was cracked up to 11 when I landed a jet for the first time. It was even off of a circling approach! Felt gangster.
PilotC150@reddit
As soon as I passed my PPL checkride. When I could go to the airport and hop in a plane alone or with a friend and go somewhere without needing permission, that was the trigger.
ResponsibilityOld164@reddit
exactly
allowableearth@reddit
After my second alimony payment
ananajakq@reddit
15 years in to my career lol
Beautiful_Exchange_3@reddit
How long have you been flying? You really need to go fly solo as much as possible. For me the glider rating really helped. soaring taught me to be a much better pilot. You will 100% feel like a pilot in a sailplane.
Keep pushing yourself to fly to new airports and in more challenging conditions. Don’t say no to bumpy weather.
Flight school, and getting your ratings is just teaching you the basics.
If you can afford it buy your own airplane. It gives you a whole new perspective on safety and opens a lot of opportunities for building hours and experience.
AnnualRich1492@reddit (OP)
I have around 175 hrs and about a year and a half.
Select_Respond_8627@reddit
The first time I complained about pilot pay.
Double-Reflection838@reddit
The first time I felt like a real pilot was when I signed up to take tailwheel lessons. I rented a 172 from the local airport, flew down to the airport where the tailwheel aircraft was, took my lesson, then flew back home.
slacker130@reddit
When I got my first giant watch.
No-Brilliant9659@reddit
Multiple times.
First solo XC, first flight after PPL, first IR flight plan flight, after hitting multiple PO 180’s in a row in preparation for commercial, whenever I instruct someone with less knowledge than me.
There are also many times I second guess myself, like yesterday when I put in the wrong ground frequency to an airport I’ve flown to many times. I called up and wondered why they didn’t respond. Five seconds of silence later I scrambled and fixed my mistake. Doh
Squawnk@reddit
The day I took my older brother flying. I had finished PPL and was working on my instrument when he came up to visit from the lower 48, I told him I wanted to take him to this restaurant that was ~2.5 hours away by car. I hadn't told him I had learned to fly so he was quite shocked when I drove him to my flight school, walked in, picked up the tin for the plane I booked, and we hopped in the plane and flew up to Talkeetna for a burger.
Jrygonzo278@reddit
After my first emergency, had electrical fault flying home from avx, landed at the airport with lost comms and a barely running electrical. Small interview at parking spot at ksna with the Faa. Never heard of it again. Felt like I truly had to pilot the plane.
jawshoeaw@reddit
Well done
ApplicationConcepts@reddit
I'm 30 years into this or so, 20 or so professionally. It's one big Dunning-Kruger graph... Stay humble, keep learning; the confidence will come. The most accomplished aviators I have ever met are all slow to even mention they are pilots.
T206V70R@reddit
Great question. It was when I realized all flights, no matter the ultimate destination, were actually a series of legs to be planned and flown. Northern California to Oshkosh, Wisconsin? Start with Wendover, Nevada. Next, Wendover to Casper, Wyoming. Repeat and soon you had flown a thousand miles at 150 knots. Smiling all the way. Then you knew you could fly anywhere.
Texican84@reddit
I am at 300-ish hours and still don't feel like a full-fledged pilot at times. Every time I go on a long cross-country solo or land the tail wheel off airport, I recognize my abilities, and it brings a smile to my face, but more often than not, I wonder how the hell they let me fly these things lol. I am considering getting my Sea Plane rating next. Never stop learning.
grain_farmer@reddit
I still do not feel like a pilot
gbacon@reddit
After passing my private checkride, I flew myself to JKA, about 2.5 hours away and my longest XC at that point. Tying down the humble 172 in the salt air, I felt like a real pilot.
Fun_Supermarket1235@reddit
When people in the terminal ask me if I’m the pilot I just say no, I’m the co-pilot but he will be here soon
TheGacAttack@reddit
There have been three distinct "I'm a freakin PILOT" moments for me:
The IR, for me, was a huge feeling of validation and freedom. You're able to fully integrate into the NAS at that point, and that's a great feeling-- especially when you use it! Exercising those privileges while in the furtherance of your personal life strongly solidified the "pilot" identity in me.
Mispelled-This@reddit
Yeah, for me it was the IR. Not the checkride, but the first time I navigated weather and shot an approach (the first one I logged solo!) was when I finally felt like I’d arrived.
CluelessPilot1971@reddit
When I observed my first primary student, someone who flew with me almost all of their dual received hours, become a pilot I can be proud of.
Alexthelightnerd@reddit
Honestly, I think the first time I took off and landed on my own without the instructor touching the controls. So, like, my first or second flight as a formal student? At that point I was clearly flying the plane - I'm a pilot!
There were certainly other moments; first solo a little bit, but the instructor was right there on the ground and I never left the pattern so it didn't feel very significant. First solo cross country was a big one and the first time I felt truly free in an aircraft and that everything that happened was going to be entirely on me. After that passing my check ride and my first solo flight as a PPL were milestones as well.
Sharp_Experience_104@reddit
Still getting there at 180 hours. It doesn’t help that my wife often says, “I don’t worry as much when you go up if you have a pilot with you.”
Ahem.
BigBlackHungGuy@reddit
When I got the bill for my first annual.
muchoqueso26@reddit
Around 3000 hours.
fallingfaster345@reddit
Any day now I hope.
LaloMcNombres@reddit
Probably not until I launched into 500’ OVC with a student, at 0500 and still dark, with a whole whopping 3.5 hours of actual.
Imaginary_Amoeba3461@reddit
My first XC after PPL with 2 friends made me feel like a pilot.
My first takeoff on IOE at the regional made me feel like a professional pilot.(I was a CFI previously which didn’t feel that way imo)
fgflyer@reddit
The first time I flew an instrument approach by myself down to minimums in actual IMC, and I caught the approach lights out of the marine layer, that was my “holy shit I feel like a real pilot” moment.
Tmdngs@reddit
When I remembered atomatoflames i was like omg im such a pilot
RealP4@reddit
Solo cross country for sure
s2soviet@reddit
I don’t think I ever will, but I’ll forever stay learning from the real ones.
Gabriel_Owners@reddit
It was the first time I used an airplane to go somewhere and doing something outside of a training environment.
350smooth@reddit
Studying for CFI.
SnarfsParf@reddit
During my first solo XC after I passed my PPL. I go through stages of “holy crap how did they let me get this far” for each license/rating, but I’m told that it’s part of the deal for most people. Working on CFI and I’m questioning every bit of knowledge I thought I knew up until now.
Mk5onair@reddit
For me it was multi training
deltajvliet@reddit
Had two big hurdles to jump. First was airsickness, which lasted for 3 years flying twice a week. Second was cross countries, which I broke through after several rough months (my brain needed 4 hours to meticulously flight plan which didn't work well with 5 am showtimes, plus some not-great instruction leading up to it). Repetitive exposure (especially as a CFI) and self-study (for XC) ultimately fixed both. Once my brain could dismiss those, I felt much better.
Tl;dr After getting over the hangups that introduced self-doubt
P.S. Don't let imposter syndrome get the better of you. If you're ultimately passing check rides and not repeating mistakes, because mistakes will be made, you're doing well.
adventuresofh@reddit
I can think of 3 defining moments for me. I have about 800 hours and am currently a vfr-only pilot (I’m going to get my act together later this year and do CPL, and then I suppose I’ll need to start thinking about IFR)
One was the day I soloed the Stinson. I had a couple hundred hours and 40 in type and had been in a several months long battle with both my co-owner and our insurance company (who didn’t want to name me on the policy until I met open pilot requirements) It was such a frustrating experience and was really affecting my confidence as a pilot. That’s still one of my favorite flights I’ve taken!
One was the first multi-day out of state cross country I took. I flew just over 1000 miles in a long weekend, with 4 new airports, first time flying in Idaho/really dealing with density altitude, parachute activity over the airport, took a friend for her first ever airplane ride and we went camping in northern Idaho for 2 days. This was a huge confidence booster for me.
One was when I had a full electrical failure in my airplane (my generator decided to no longer generate). I was more annoyed than anything, and it was a non-issue (day VFR, returning home from a trip) But that was the first time I had to handle an in flight problem.
And it’s not necessarily that I didn’t feel like a pilot before. My first solo and solo XC were of course exciting moments, but to me they were just part of the process and didn’t really register as “I’m a pilot now.” It wasn’t until I got out and got some real world experience that I really started to feel like a pilot.
RevolutionaryWear952@reddit
Passing my 121 ride. Not that I didn’t feel like a pilot before because I had some really cool flights and opportunities but it was like years of hard work prepared me for that moment and passing it was true validation.
YourSpanishMomTaco@reddit
When I hit 100hrs PIC. Something about it just made me lose the imposter syndrome.
Cadet_Cape@reddit
When I sold flight training at a flight school I always sold flight training saying, "Getting your PPL makes you a pilot but getting your instrument rating makes you feel like a pilot." That might be true for some people but I didn't really feel like a true "pilot" until I got my first type rating and began actually flying the aircraft, navigating weather, doing performance and flying on a very regular, professional basis.
However, before this. While I was still a CFI. I decided to do 2 very long cross countries in an Arrow to get some time in the IFR system after training so many students. If you asked me several years ago that would be the moment I felt like a pilot but I didn't know what I didn't know. Once I got that first type, started flying in the flight levels, and getting really proficient and flying a lot I realized how much I didn't know then and still have so much to learn.
I also feel like a pilot when I hear a passenger say how smooth that landing was. Thats always nice.
FlowerGeneral2576@reddit
Sometimes I still don’t.
Antique-Kitchen-1896@reddit
What does feeling like a pilot feels like? Does feeling have anything to do with it? I personally think no. That bit of paper saying you are a pilot is all you need.
CSRAFlightCoach@reddit
My first solo, when I could log PIC time, my instructor told me I was officially a pilot. My first solo cross country is when I felt it for real though.
You never stop learning and improving though. There isn’t a specific certificate or aircraft you have flown that suddenly makes you a pilot. You already are. Be proud of that.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Currently finishing up IR and working towards CPL. I still don’t feel like a pilot and feel weird saying anything other than I’m in flight school if someone asks. When did you start feeling like a pilot and saying you are one? After CPL, CFI, first job?
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