Goals once qualified.....

[A le Ron]

I've asked myself this question many times and still have no real answer.

I've always wanted to learn to fly which is why I took it up (that and no wife, kids or many friends in the local area mean I have the money/time to do it at the moment), but what I do when I have the licence is still a mystery.

I'm still in the stages of "do it until I can no longer be bothered/can't afford it", but I have a strange feeling that I won't get bored of it any time soon

Short term goals will be to find interesting ways to fly (I'm guessing flying round your local area every time would get boring after a while)

Longer term, my Dad has an apartment in Calpe (near Alacante in Spain) so I guess one goal would be to get to the point where I could fly myself there, that would take a lot of experience though (and maybe beyond my budget).

The other possibility would be to look at becoming an FI but I have no idea how much time/effort and money that would take. I have found that doing your hobby for a living can take the shine off it so maybe that isn't such a good idea after all.

More likely lots of budget than lots of experience!

[Lottie]

Interestingly many of the comments above echo what I've been told about concentrating on one type and consolidating what I've learnt. Ultimately for me flying is something I do for fun so there's no rush.

I passed my skills test in Feb (last year now!) and spent a few hours solo flying simple routes and then did a few passenger flights. I took "advantage" of the olympic airspace and had a lesson then (as the club was within the zone) as well as my own flight. I was also never very happy with my forced landings (I seem to have a mental block where I get stuck trying to spot the perfect field!) so I had a further couple of hours practising them and trying out different techniques - I have changed what I do slightly and now feel much happier.

I too had wanted to do the tailwheel conversion but couldnt and then decided to upgrade from a 152 to a 172. Having been checked out in the 172 I am now doing the "advanced" PPL - which is cool because I spend time with my instructor doing things I'd like to practice and then also the extended "syllabus" - we've done a landaway at the club's "standard" alternate and so far flights practicing gliding and simulating problems with the aircraft (loss of instruments, jammed controls etc). All of which I've really enjoyed. Next up is some more instrument flying I think and also some more landaways

The IMC is next (before the deadline) and for the time being I've decided to focus on getting to know just one plane well - though I too had spotted the cambridge aero tailwheel lessons!

[Paul_Sengupta]

The IMC is next (before the deadline)

What deadline?

[Genghis the Engineer]

I too had wanted to do the tailwheel conversion but couldnt and then decided to upgrade from a 152 to a 172. Having been checked out in the 172 I am now doing the "advanced" PPL - which is cool because I spend time with my instructor doing things I'd like to practice and then also the extended "syllabus" - we've done a landaway at the club's "standard" alternate and so far flights practicing gliding and simulating problems with the aircraft (loss of instruments, jammed controls etc). All of which I've really enjoyed. Next up is some more instrument flying I think and also some more landaways

All of which you can do on your own, without paying for an instructor, and without their becoming a crutch to stop you developing your own command experience. There is of-course, no such thing as an advanced PPL either.

(That said, there's no reason not to do this sort of flying with an instructor to develop your skills, but it shouldn't be the majority of your flying, in my opinion.)

G

[riverrock]

The IMC is next (before the deadline)

What deadline?

You can only add an IMC rating (AKA IR(r) ) to a Part FCL licence up till 8th April 2014 according to http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2330/Revised% ... %20_v3.pdf

After that you would get an IMC Rating on a separate national licence which would only be valid for Annex II Aircraft, or alternatively you could get an Enroute IR on your Part-FCL licence, which would allow you to use airways but not to take off / land / use instrument approaches (ie its the other half of the IR from the IMC Rating - all the things that an IMC rating doesn't allow you to do).

Hopefully things will change before then - but I believe that's how it currently stands.

[Lottie]

All of which you can do on your own

True.

without paying for an instructor

Again true. I suspect though that I may not have tried as much new stuff given my low hours. In the scheme of things an instructor is not much more expensive.

and without their becoming a crutch to stop you developing your own command experience

Interesting point, hadn't thought of it that way.

There is of-course, no such thing as an advanced PPL either.

Indeed hence the quotes.

[Iolanthe]

With reference to the Chippy debate (sounds like something in the House of Commons!) I'll let you know when/if it happens. I am sure that side of the discussion will then go on (and probably start a new thread!)

With reference to paying of instructors to help out once qualified...the ideal solution is to make friends with your FI so then annual club checks and "extra" tuition will be part of a flight where there are two pilot friends just up enjoying the thrill of flying!

[Floobie]

Things I'd like to do in no particular order:

Lunch in Le Touquet
Night Qualification (Or Rating or whatever!!)
Instrument Rating
Fly to the Private Strip a quarter of a mile from the back of my Mum's House in Suffolk
Take flying the growing list of friends I have promised to take flying with me when I pass.
Build up some hours flying in America (probably Arizona) - start working towards CPL
Fly my Dad down to his place in the Algarve from UK(ambitious this one I know!)
Join in some fly ins.
Probably get familiar flying the PA28 as have just been in the Cessna 152

All of this of course if the bank allows it!

[Keef]

Where's mum's house in Suffolk?

[riverrock]

With reference to the Chippy debate (sounds like something in the House of Commons!) I'll let you know when/if it happens. I am sure that side of the discussion will then go on (and probably start a new thread!)

With reference to paying of instructors to help out once qualified...the ideal solution is to make friends with your FI so then annual club checks and "extra" tuition will be part of a flight where there are two pilot friends just up enjoying the thrill of flying!

Or marry his daughter...
Um - on second thoughts - thats probably been the much more expensive option

[Rob P]

And for Iolanthe it would have to be a civil partnership anyway

[Floobie]

Where's mum's house in Suffolk?

Newman's Green near Acton and Sudbury. A farmer has a grass strip there where he lands his Cessna 172. Had a look at it over Christmas and decided it was definitely doable (with a bit more practice).

[Keef]

That looks a nice strip, but it's fairly short for a C172/PA28. A perfect taildragger place!

[Iolanthe]

And for Iolanthe it would have to be a civil partnership anyway

As far as that side of life goes Rob, you may rest assured that I am quite normal!!!!!!!

Well chaps, i'm going to be in purdah for a couple of days now as I have Comms written on Thursday.....

..then i'll be thinking about the RT practical Talking to our CFI today, he suggested when ready, FI and I fly a landaway to Sibsons, as the guy there is quite nice apparently...or theres Leicester or Nottingham City... Any preferences any one? I so far have one vote for Sibsons....

I

[Rob P]

Sibson is good. (It's singular)

Rob P