Morning all,
I have just started the long and winding road that leads to the JAR PPL, which is fantastic except for the fact that I work…. and I live in the sunny UK (!). As you can imagine this means that the frequency of lessons is as high as England’s circket wins!
For those of you that have done, or are doing the PPL, how many have thought “*’?@ it!, I’ll have to take holiday and do it full time” and, if not, how can I get round this frustrating problem!!!!??
P.s. Trevor Thom, or not Trevor Thom?
By: lozhowlett - 4th August 2003 at 17:29
hi warrior
I am 11 hours into my PPL, and have done my air law exam.
Trev tohm is good for learning around the subject, but the PPL confuser is god when it comes to passing the exams!
I also work but find an after noon a week and some overtime normally let me fly at least once a week, and sundays are normally slow fr some reason at my airfield!
good luck, any more qu’s just ask
loz
By: Warrior - 22nd July 2003 at 08:47
Thanks MINIDOH.
Believe me, if I could get the hours in before the summer ends, I would. As I said, work and the weather often conspire against us…
By the way, has anyone got any tips as to what kit I should have? Currently I’ve got books 1 and 2 (Flying Training and Air Law) as well as a log book, but many other budding pilots in the School seem to have all the gear. What should Flightstore be expecting me to relieve them of…….?!!!
By: MINIDOH - 22nd July 2003 at 02:40
Hi Warrior.
I am 16 so obviously am still training, and i should be flying solo and week now.
The weather here as you have mentioned can be terrible, but at the moment its summer! Get all the hours you can in throughout the summer, and try and get the PPL in a relaxed manner. You dont want to rush things (sounds like the Grolsch advert doesnt it!), but you dont want to leave it and then start again. Keep a rythum (dont know how to spell that word!), and it will be ok.
Good luck!
By: MSE - 21st July 2003 at 15:24
i Did my JAR PPL in a relaxed manner over 3 months and my american FAA PPL in 3 weeks, whether or not doing an intensive course or not is up to the individuals abilities – It probably helps that i did it when i was 19 and starting my commercial at 21
By: YakRider - 21st July 2003 at 14:42
When I learned to fly it took just over a year, aiming to fly at least once a week.
Realistically, you will lose a few days, but where many people do get held up is waiting for decent days to do their Qualifying Cross Country (even in the summer time when hazy days can be very frustrating), and it is at that stage that having days off in the week can be helpful.
I started flying when I was 44, so it probably took me longer than someone younger, as I found the ground school a bit quite hard going. The last exams I had done were back in 1976!
For me the lesson or two a week, and doing the exams at my own speed, rather than as a concentrated effort, allowed everything to sink in.
Personally, I think doing everything in a couple of weeks in the States would be too much, too soon. I know that when I learned to drive in the TA, we did our tests in about a week. I had a driving licence, but really wasn’t a proper driver. And flying is so much more complex in what you have to learn, practice and remember.
Certainly over the past year I have been able to fly three times a month or more, and I think we only lost one day to the weather – but I am able to fly in the week sometimes as well as weekends.
Good luck with your PPL. It is hard work, but worth every minute.
YR
By: MSE - 21st July 2003 at 11:53
i did my first solo in max cross wind of the ac i was in – not perscribed tech. but certainly teaches you what you need to know
By: Warrior - 21st July 2003 at 11:08
Cheers, Mike.
I agree with the time needed to consolidate knowledge. A week seems to be enough time to really get to grips with the previous lesson’s knowledge and before you know it, it’s the weekend again!
One instructor gave me good advice – when you’ve not got a lesson, come down to the airfield and sit in an aircraft that’s not flying to go through the drills – it doesn’t cost you anything and you get hands on experience. It DOES depend on how far you live from the airfield though – you’re right!!
I think I’ve got those crosswinds to look forward to…….!
By: Mike NZ - 21st July 2003 at 01:50
I started flying three months ago and had similar concerns. My instructors recommended not doing a concentrated course as it does not aid long term retention of skills. I have booked lessons every weekend and found that flying once a week gives me enough time to think over the previous weeks lesson but isn’t so long that it makes me forget what I’ve learnt. Flying less than once a week I have found difficult, a couple of times I’ve lost lessons due to bad weather and coming back after two weeks its surprising what you forget. I guess it all comes down to how long you want to take to do the lesson, and how close you live to the airfield! Best of luck, I am loving every minute of it (except last weekends crosswind landing!!!)
By: MSE - 18th July 2003 at 00:37
Most days are flying days at some time, but to be as flexible as possible is the key, giving say 2 weeks solid around a lesson every week.
2 golden rules when you pass – if in doubt dont and dont push on in the hope it will all get better weather wise, air on the side of caution and dont let caution go to the wind (bad pun)
Then do an IMC!
Not trevor
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July 17, 2003 at 9:31 am