CAA Safety Evenings - Worth it?

[charlie crocodile]

As per the title, currently 5 hours into my PPL and whilst browsing the CAA I found the schedule for the safety evenings http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=224&pagetype=69

Is it worth me going to one so early in my course or would I be a bit out of my depth? I notice that they'll sign logbooks, so I imagine these are quite important?

[leiafee]

You'll find plenty to interest and inform you I'd have thought.

Good range of topics and not pitched at any sort of super technical level.

(And the last one I went to have small pressies for the most and least expeerience people there so you might be in with a chance of a goodie going so soon )

[Paul_Sengupta]

There's always the question, "What harm can it do?" If the answer is "none at all" then go! There's nothing stopping you from going to another one in the future.

[charlie crocodile]

Thanks for the replies, I'll go to the Southend one in two weeks.

[Keef]

I've been to a couple, and would always recommend it. Apart from learning some good stuff, you'll meet a lot of people it's good to know.

The old saw is: it's the people who don't go to Safety Evenings who really, really need to.

[Iolanthe]

Many thanks for posting that Charlie, I may go to the Nottingham one - always worth getting a green endorsement in ones logbook!

I have hosted the GASCo Flt Safety Sems before in my previous job as the Uxbridge Bunker Curator. That was before I was a Student pilot of course, but the sems always seemed interesting from the bits I saw...and hte delegates were great guys

[Genghis the Engineer]

Many thanks for posting that Charlie, I may go to the Nottingham one - always worth getting a green endorsement in ones logbook!

I have hosted the GASCo Flt Safety Sems before in my previous job as the Uxbridge Bunker Curator. That was before I was a Student pilot of course, but the sems always seemed interesting from the bits I saw...and hte delegates were great guys

Historically I think that the GASCo events have generally been much more genuinely useful and less of a box-ticking and preaching exercise than the CAA ones can sometimes be.

G

[brand1068]

Hmm sounds interesting - East Midlands looks closest...

[NickA]

I'm intending to go to the one at Andrewsfield on 25th Jan. As others have said, it is worth going along if only to chat about flying with other pilots in deepest winter time. [edit: Apparently, and a propos Genghis's comment, the CAA Evenings are now run by GASCO. See http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=224&pagetype=69. ]

[Iolanthe]

Hi all,
I've had a chat with my FI as to whether these are worth going to, and his reply was yes absolutely, for all levels of pilot, so i'm definately going to the Nottingham Airport one as is he!

[A le Ron]

I've been to a couple. My first reaction was "I'd never do something that stupid". Then, a moment later, the next story was about somebody doing something I often do. The bloke next to me said "I'd never do something that stupid". The fact is, we become complacent. The safety evenings are brilliant for dealing with that, as well as giving out lots of new information to make flying safer/more fun. I'll certainly be going to another next time there's one in this neck of the woods!

[charlie crocodile]

Just got back from the one at Southend, I can highly recommend attending one. I even managed to win a book - Clearer Horizons - for having the lowest number of hours at 5 and a half (the half is very important don't you know?)

Went through having a good lookout with video clips of people who didn't, why you should check everything before flight with a clip of a paraglider and his carabina not closed. Admittedly I'm reading about safety and lookouts in PPL book 1 but it's always good to have them explained.

Also, isn't Southend rather cliquey?!

[weirdfish]

Cliquey? Well that depends on where you go, some clubs are better than others at Southend, but you need to belong to the good one to understand.

Also, damn it, I was intending to go to that event tonight but forgot all about it.

[charlie crocodile]

Forgot to mention that Skydemon was also promoted by the speaker, and recommended that people take a look. Was surprised to see the amount of people who owned a copy of it too, I'd say about half the room put their hands up, around 20-25.

[Iolanthe]

I even managed to win a book - Clearer Horizons - for having the lowest number of hours at 5 and a half

Wonder if i'll win anthying at Nottingham in a couple of weeks for having the highest student hours at 80...and still more to come....?! I'm looking forward to it (sad or what! )

that Skydemon was also promoted by the speaker, and recommended that people take a look

I use skydemon lite to check notams and help plan navexes - its free! Don't know what the full version has that this doesn't, but i find it adequate for my needs.