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Flying New Guy

Pilot Institute

Follow along as student pilot Jason (the Flying New Guy) gets his Private Certificate.

Every week, CFIs Greg and Tom will do a mock checkride with him based on a specific topic.

If you're a student pilot who wants to prepare for the checkride, or you've already passed and want to stay current - this podcast is for you!

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  • 21 episodes
  • Avg 34 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • September 2 · 21 min

    My CFI Is More Worried About My Radio Than My Flying

    Jason has five hours of flight time. In this video, CFI Tom grades his taxiing, radio calls, and his first shot at all three ground reference maneuvers. Free private pilot study sheet download 👉 https://bit.ly/free-study-sheet-1069

  • August 13 · 28 min

    He Trained Only in a Simulator. Then We Gave Him a Real Airplane

    Jason spent months training in a flight simulator. Today, he flies a real airplane for the first time. CFI Tom takes Jason through his entire first lesson in the Diamond DA40: taxiing with differential braking, the before-takeoff checklist, a constant speed prop runup, his first takeoff, straight and level flight, turns, climbs, and descents, then a go-around demo and the first landing. The debrief verdict? He already flies like a 10-hour pilot. Download the free Private Pilot Study Sheet 👉 https://bit.ly/free-study-sheet-1038

  • August 11 · 34 min

    The Cheapest Way to Start Your Flight Training

    Jason completed an entire private pilot maneuver curriculum in a full-motion VR simulator before ever setting foot in an airplane. In this episode, he shares what worked, what surprised him, and whether sim-first training can make your flight training cheaper and faster. Next up: the real airplane - subscribe so you don't miss it. Free private pilot study sheet 👉 ⁠https://bit.ly/free-study-sheet-0935 True Course Simulations (TCS): https://tcsims.com/

  • May 4 · 44 min

    PPL Checkride Prep: VFR Cross-Country Planning

    Download the free VOR app used in this video: https://bit.ly/free-vor-app-0712 In this episode, Jason takes on his first full VFR cross-country plan, Prescott to Winslow in the Diamond, and Greg puts him through the kind of grilling you'd get from a checkride examiner. Seven hours of planning broken down step by step! We cover the regs, fuel requirements, weather sources, route selection, checkpoint picking, performance math, true course versus magnetic course, wind correction angles, top of descent timing, and how to stay ahead of the airplane in the cockpit.

  • January 12 · 23 min

    PPL Checkride Prep: Navigation Part 2 | How Does a VOR Work?

    Welcome to part two of our episode covering navigation! Today, Greg and Jason will discuss VORs, GPS, HSI vs. CDI, filing flight plans, and much more! Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dJrlah3ZKMI?si=EipSyU5d_MFlfq8F

  • Dec 19, 2025 · 18 min

    PPL Checkride Prep: Navigation Part 1

    Today, we're going to dive into navigation, including everything you need to know, including time zones, winds, ground navigation, VFR regulations, magnetic deviation/variation, and much more! Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5sxDDQfilYc?si=r6e-4jT6F8WpYLia

  • Aug 18, 2025 · 17 min

    We Took an Actual FAA Written Exam

    For the past few months, Jason’s been working hard toward his private pilot certificate. And he just reached his first big milestone - the FAA written test. To talk about what it was like - and how he got ready for the big day - Jason’s here with us in the studio. Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Q5Z4FkPt3Ls

  • Aug 4, 2025 · 41 min

    Airspace & Charts Made Easy | PPL Checkride Prep

    Check out Private Pilot Made Easy: https://bit.ly/private-pilot-made-easy-0557 On today’s episode, we’ll break down VFR weather minimums, show you how to identify each class of airspace on your sectional, and decode the most important chart symbols.

  • Jun 25, 2025 · 51 min

    PPL Checkride Prep: Mastering Airport Ops

    Download the FREE checkride study sheet here 👉 https://bit.ly/free-private-pilot-study-sheet-0399 Today, we’re going to be talking about something that every pilot deals with on every single flight: airport operations.

  • Apr 20, 2025 · 16 min

    PPL Checkride Prep: Weather Reports

    Join student pilot Jason and CFI Greg as they tackle how to decode weather reports. If you prefer to see the weather reports Jason and Greg are talking about, watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n-OO3jfBWvc

  • Mar 28, 2025 · 31 min

    PPL Checkride Prep: Mastering Weather

    Weather is a big topic of conversation for pilots, but some don’t take their knowledge of it seriously enough. In this episode, Greg and student pilot Jason tackle one of the largest contributors to aviation accidents: weather. Check out the class Jason is using to get his license: https://bit.ly/private-pilot-made-easy-0373 Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BTMLP9lOQz8

  • Mar 17, 2025 · 36 min

    How to Make Better Decisions as a Pilot

    As pilots, we make critical decisions every day. Without a proper way to make those decisions, we might as well flip a coin. In this video, we'll cover the Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) frameworks you can use to make better decisions as a pilot. Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6pmuprjAscg

  • Feb 19, 2025 · 54 min

    Medical Information You NEED to Know as a Pilot

    Student pilot Jason is in the hot seat again! Knowing how your body works is vital to becoming a pilot. In this episode, we explore life-saving knowledge about aeromedical factors. Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrL-kk93AQ8

  • Dec 24, 2024 · 48 min

    Can You Name These Flying Laws?

    In this mock checkride oral, you will learn the most important regulations you need to memorize. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OeQy9iZrmHc

  • Oct 23, 2024 · 24 min

    Weight and Balance Explained

    In this mock checkride oral, you will learn how CG works, why it's important, and much more. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCHsgj8EP68

  • Aug 8, 2024 · 20 min

    How Does Lift Work?

    In this mock checkride oral, you will learn how induced drag works, what ground effect is, why flaps exist, and much more. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NCHsgj8EP68

  • Jun 29, 2024 · 40 min

    What’s the Difference between Pressure and Density Altitude?

    These are the questions DPEs love to ask. In this episode we'll explore instruments, covering everything from types of airspeed to altimeter errors. Think you can answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vIK2woFEpps?si=kYrJsAe_J9mMW1-1

  • Jun 29, 2024 · 34 min

    How Does a Prop Governor Work? Aircraft Systems: Part 1

    In this episode we'll explore aircraft systems, starting with the heart of an airplane: its engine. Can you answer Greg's questions? Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NLT2GzgGWGQ?si=7YvKwghGH6pVhlo3

  • Jun 29, 2024 · 58 min

    What is an MEL?

    In this episode we'll discuss various topics, from right-of-way rules to the age-old debate of CX3 vs. E6B. Prefer video? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TR8EnJUYrlw?si=M_TwU-QHg1BKBfam

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes