They say hindsight is 20/20, but I'd like to discuss a few things I wish I knew before I started my pilot license training.

As a new student pilot, I didn't really know what to expect. How long until I solo? What are the most important things to study? How will I know if I'm a better (or worse) than average student?

Some of these questions don't have easy answers. In fact, probably all of those questions are difficult to answer. But I do want to share with you a few things I wish I knew before starting my pilot training; hopefully this will help you, new pilot student!

1. You probably won't solo before 10 hours, and you probably will solo before 30 hours.

Most pilots end up solo'ing somewhere around 15-20 hours. That's not a promise, but it's about what you can expect. If you are anxious for your solo, make sure you have your IACRA stuff and your medical done well in advance, or else you may end up ready to solo, but not able to do so for the sake of clerical details.

2. Weather can cancel half or more of your scheduled lessons.

If you don't plan for this ahead of time, you may end up frustrated. Double what you think you should plan, especially if you live in a place that often has IFR conditions. For me, my training is taking place largely in the summer in the southeastern United States. This means afternoon storms and wind, and morning fog.

3. Study your airplane.

The better you know your airplane, the more comfortable you will be throughout training. I started in a 152 and moved to a 172. I wouldn't recommend this, because I got comfortable with the 152, and now I'm having to translate a lot of information to the 172. It's not a huge jump, but in the process of getting ready for a checkride, the gap is big enough to matter. Stick with one airplane if you can.

Learning your airplane means knowing as much as you can about the airplane. The way it feels. Who last worked on the engine. When it was painted. Its history - has it had bird strikes? Any engine failures? What's the sweet spot for the oil? Does the front wheel shimmy? Is there a particular RPM that feels rougher than other settings? Are the flaps particularly more effective at a specific setting? Can you slip your plane with flaps in? What are the V-speeds? What equipment is installed in the plane? Has any of the equipment failed recently, and if so, why? These are the kinds of things you need to know about your plane. In the same way that you learn the quirks of your home when you are a homeowner, you should learn the quirks of your plane.

4. Knowing how to do something is not enough; you must also practice.

I can tell you the procedure for short-field landing step by step without missing a beat. But when it comes to actually executing the procedure, it takes far more than simply knowing the details. You must practice. To feel the plane and recognize when you are high, or low, or fast, or slow - even in the simplest case, practice is necessary. But in reality, you will be facing much more than procedure. The only way to learn is to get in the plane, and practice.

Ultimately, remember that you can't control everything about your flight lessons. If you're like me, that can be frustrating because you're used to being able to take things at your own pace. Learn to be patient. Safety requires patience. Learning requires patience.

The lessons will be over before you know it! Take it all in stride, and enjoy the ride.

What lessons do you wish you learned before you started your lessons? Let me know in the comments!

And remember, every flight is a lesson!