Flight plans are documents that are filed by pilots with the Aviation Authority prior to departure. It has basic information pertaining to the aircraft,number of passengers on board, its destination, and points along the way that can be used in case of bad weather. A sample flight plan is above you can click on to get a better view of it. This document is required at all IFR airports in the U.S., IFR stands for "Instrument Flight Rules". These set of rules pertains to using the aircrafts instruments and air traffic control to tell where you are, your altitude,speed, etc..There is also VFR which is "Visual Flight Rules" and as it explains you use your vision instead of the instruments onboard.
All major carrier airlines use flight plans especially at bigger airports. Its actually a good idea to fill one out and fly via IFR even if your flying a single engine Cessna. Reason being is if you go off radar for any reason they can track your last known flight plan and trace you. Its truely a smarter idea because you never know what may happen.
Of course smaller airports don't require IFR and most fly VFR. The choice is yours however your flight school will explain this more in detail with you.
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Flight plans
Flight Simulators
You have probably played the game in Microsoft's version. However the simulator we are talking about is the one used by both pilots in commercial airliners use and astronauts to train in.
Pilots are trained in all sorts of weather and different mechanical and electrical failures that may arise in to be aware and know how to react to the situation.
All pilots have to be ready for the unforeseen. You never know what may happen or when so this is the biggest reason for a simulator. They are also used in schools to teach future pilots how to fly and get themselves familiarized with the controls and movement the aircraft would make in the air.
In some schools even Microsoft Flight Simulator is used to learn for the first time potential pilots. So you may want to look into buying yourself a copy of you don't already have one. The latest version Microsoft has is Flight Simulator X Deluxe Edition. You get the entire experience right from the comfort of your own home. Push backs, watching the ground crew work, talking with air traffic, and other traffic in the sky. Of course the game does require you to have at least 15gb of disk space, Windows XP or Vista with 512 mb, (256mb for XP but more is better) and at least a 1 ghz processor to run. I suggest using a top notch computer to avoid freeze ups while you are flying or even worse while you are trying to land. Nevertheless the program is perfect for learning to fly if you can't afford like most of us a real actual simulator like NASA uses.
Cessna
The Cessna 172 is the most popular, most manufactured small light weight aircraft ever built. This aircraft is also widely used in teaching future pilots to fly. When you too decide to learn to fly this will probably be the airplane you will to end up flying.
The aircraft is a four seat passenger single engine high wing airplane. The first production models where delivered in 1956 and are still being made up to today 2007.
Even up to some of your airline pilots today that work for the major airline carriers have flown in a Cessna to start out their careers in aviation as well. It is the perfect plane to take your friends and family for a sight seeing tour or to travel to another state.
A few known facts about the 172 is that its cruising speed is between 105-125 knots depending on the engine and vintage. The older Cessnas had a 145 horsepower engine and later airplanes had a 180 horsepower engine. However the 150-160 horsepower are more common with a service ceiling of 15,100 feet.
It is also an easy aircraft to learn how to fly in which makes it ideal for schools to use in teaching their own students.
Becoming a pilot
Becoming a pilot is not as hard as one might think it is. There are just a few requirements needed in order to hold a pilots license. The basic requirements are you must be 16 years old, Understand the English language, and pass a medical examination.
Of course there are different types of pilots in the field ranging from individuals who just fly for the fun of it to airline pilots who get paid to do what they love to do. If your goal is to become an airline pilot you too can become one only it will take you time to get there. Even those students that go to school to become airline pilots all start by flying the majority of the time in a Cessna. The aircraft used is a single engine one to get the student familiarized with the aircraft , its controls, the feel for flying, and not to mention you have to learn how to crawl before you can walk.
As far as being an airline pilot the major carriers do tend to hire those with military backgrounds first due to the nature of them already having a number of years experience in the air and the strict guidelines they have gone through in becoming pilots in the military. However this is something that should not discourage you if you have no military background yourself, there are many companies out there that actually do hire a lot of graduates from the major flight academies.
Starting out as an airline pilot you will most likely be put as a reserve pilot. As a reserve pilot you will be basically paged when your services are needed and they can call you at anytime. However after putting in your time will land you a position and get a line. A line is a scheduled flight that you will be flying for the rest of your career pretty much.
Becoming an airline pilot can prove itself to be a stressful climb to the top but it can be accomplished with commitment and the reward is great at the end if this is something that you have always wanted to do.
There are many excellent schools out there with a few great ones like Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. This school teaches more then just becoming a pilot. They also have other areas of interest in the aviation industry you may be interested in pursuing you can check them out. There is also Delta Connections Academy,another fine school of aviation.
The trick is to keep your options open, there are many schools out there but before deciding to become a pilot you can take a test flight. Basically you pay a small fee like $30 and see if you are going to like flying.
The two schools that I mentioned have to deal with airplanes. Helicopter enthusiast I am looking into some schools for my next post so stay tuned on that.
