Welcome New Private Pilot (PPL) Students

NOTE:  If you are here, chances are you were sent here by me — and you are already, or are thinking about becoming, my student!  If not, this information could be beneficial to any new Student Pilot, so feel free to read on, but keep that in mind!

Stefan Germer
CFI/CFII/MEI - AGI/IGI

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS

Hello, and welcome!  My name is Stefan, and I am excited to be your primary Flight Instructor and look forward to working (and flying!) with you.  This is a portal on my own personal aviation website that I have created that will hopefully help you out a lot starting off.  Maybe even bookmark this page to make it easy to reference.  And please, don’t hesitate to send me a message if you have any questions about any of this at all!  It’s a lot getting started and flight training as a new student pilot can feel like you’re drinking from a fire-hose!

Included below are ‘Shopping List’ items and things that you will need upon first getting started, ideally if not before our first meeting then certainly immediately thereafter, as well as downloads and links to resources you will find helpful and to things you will use in our time training and flying together.  While some of this will be an initial investment, it is critical to you starting your journey and becoming not just a safe pilot, but a smart one.

Our first meeting typically involves me getting to know your goals and setting you up with a game plan, and making sure you know how to get started with everything.  We will review your required documents, take care of TSA requirements, and more so please come to your first lesson with your passport/birth certificate and drivers license. We will apply for a both your student pilot certificate if you don’t yet have one and arrange to get your medical — also if you don’t already have one.  I’ll introduce you to the Syllabus/TCO (Training Course Outline), and of course you’ll get to know me a little better as well.

If you don’t yet have an iPad, I greatly suggest getting one as it will be a vital tool that you use throughout your flight training and certainly in the cockpit once you are licensed.  The iPad is recommended as it will be a tool for your EFB (electronic flight bag) which you may learn to use in the airplane, for local and cross country flying, books and documents organization, and more… though starting out and for most of your Private Pilot training we will use traditional paper charts and references in unison with the technology to develop a solid foundation that will lead to understanding and using the EFB more effectively.

Getting your pilot license includes three distinct phases and training segments.  Throughout the course of your training there will be:

  1. App-based self study, primarily geared towards taking the Written Exam
  2. In-person ground lessons, geared at prepping for flights and proficiency for the Oral Exam
  3. Flight lessons in the airplane, geared at combining and fine-tuning skills for proficiency to take the Practical Exam

The three ‘phases’ of Private Pilot or goals to achieve the overall outcome of you becoming a incensed pilot, are:

  1. The solo prep phase is complete after you have been endorsed and found proficient to complete your first solo flight
  2. The cross-country phase, both with an instructor and solo
  3. Checkride prep, combining everything you have learned and making sure you are a well-rounded and safe/competent pilot

NOTE:  I recommend completing the app-based ground study and generally aim for students to take their written exam by the end of the second phase, going into the third, though it may be done sooner.  This way we can focus on the upcoming checkride (oral and practical text).

I cannot stress enough — all three (self study ground via the app / ground lessons with instructor / flight lessons with instructor) are imperative to succeeding in your training, and I encourage you to be proactive in all segments to be able to continue to move forward in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible!

Welcome to the world of aviation, and I’m excited to fly with you!

— Stefan

SHOPPING LIST

ESSENTIAL MUST-HAVES

  • Logbook (should have prior to first flight!)
  • E6B Manual Flight Computer
  • Rotating Chart Plotter
  • Aviation Headset
  • Sunglasses (non-polarized is very important)
  • Kneeboard
  • Paper pad for kneeboard
  • Decent pens for writing in airplane
  • View limiting device / 'foggles'
  • iPad - not needed initially, but I would highly suggest this starting off.  Used for flying, organizing digital books (which will save you money), other flight-related documents, and for use of the ground school app
  • … lastly, a flight bag to put it all into!

REQUIRED HARD-COPY RESOURCES (buy via the sites mentioned above)

  • 2025 FAR/AIM
  • Chart Supplement
  • Aeronautical VFR Sectional Chart

HARD COPY or DIGITAL COPY (digital are free and included with apps mentioned below)

  • Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
  • Airplane Flying Handbook
  • Aviation Weather Handbook
  • Private Pilot Airplane - ACS (Airmen Certification Standards)
  • Aeronautical Chart Users Guide

GROUND SCHOOL APPS (ask me for personalized recommendations):

ELECTRONIC FLIGHT BAG: