Written by: Ema Rapaic<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April of 2022, Iris Liotta flew a Cirrus SR20 G7\u2014an advanced general aviation aircraft\u2014 on her own for the first time. Although the solo itself was quite brief, consisting of one lap in the air before landing, Iris experienced a sense of liberation unlike ever before. Experiencing apprehension only at the thought of not measuring up to the proctor’s standards, Iris felt more secure in the air, marking that solo experience as a pivotal moment that built the foundation for her future career aspirations. Now, as a senior at Ponte Vedra High School, Iris hopes to become a commercial pilot that traverses the globe, setting her sights on applying to Embry-Riddle, Purdue, and Auburn for their aviation programs this year. To further her growth as a pilot while simultaneously holding onto that sense of freedom she initially felt, Iris is working towards attaining her private piloting license at Modern Aero Aviation\u2014a flight training center in St. Augustine\u2014to master and sharpen her capabilities as an aircraft pilot. Logging more than 200 flying hours, Iris has gained the vital knowledge and experience necessary to pass her upcoming piloting exam and officially earn her license, while noting no terrifying or horrific moments while flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one suspects how much effort and rigorous practice goes into attaining a private pilot license. Student pilots such as Iris must possess an extensive knowledge of aerodynamics, physics, and engineering concepts to properly handle their aircraft. From jet engines to hydraulics, flyers must comprehend what influences lift and drag<\/a> and how to manipulate those forces to their advantage. Particularly, pilots have to<\/a> be aware of concepts and phenomena such as density altitude which <\/a>determines how the aircraft will perform at<\/a> on the ground. For instance, a density altitude of 2,000 refers to the plane’s performance as if it were 2,000 feet in the air, lowering performance while increasing takeoff distance. Additionally, pitch controls speed while power controls altitude, impacting the maneuvering and operation of the aircraft itself. These concepts and the efforts to learn them can often be exhausting since new pilots have to<\/a> spend weeks studying aircraft systems, preflight\/postflight procedures, and performance and limitations of their aircraft. According to Iris, she spends six hours per day studying, utilizing the Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide<\/em>, a comprehensive study tool that exceeds 400 pages, to understand pilot qualifications, weather, and scenario-based training that is necessary to pass her exam. Not to mention, the cost of attaining a private piloting license can be immense. Encompassing instructor lessons, equipment, and the renting of the aircraft itself, the cost of that license can exceed $27,700 according to the Modern Aero Aviation rates. Fortunately, Iris and her family own a Cirrus SR20 G7 and possess<\/a> fractional ownership of a Cirrus Vision Jet SF50, diminishing some of the costs<\/a> associated with attaining her license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, it\u2019s necessary for students interested<\/a> in pursuing a career in the aviation field to attain their private piloting license. In the case of Iris, she has gained measurable success in the field and operates aircrafts<\/a> with ease. The effort pilots in-training put into this venture is often understated despite how remarkable the sheer amount of knowledge they have to possess is. Keeping that in mind, students who want to follow the lead of Iris Liotta should consider the implications of attaining a piloting license, determining its worth with respect to their socioeconomic circumstances and future career endeavors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Written by: Ema Rapaic In April of 2022, Iris Liotta flew a Cirrus SR20 G7\u2014an advanced general aviation aircraft\u2014 on her own for the first time. Although the solo itself was quite brief, consisting of one lap in the air…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,1],"tags":[916,138],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8754"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8754"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8762,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8754\/revisions\/8762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pvhstiburon.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}