Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By foxmoth
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845846
Rather than boring holes in the sky going A-B how about a tailwheel endorsement or aeros course which will teach you far more about aircraft handling!
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By Grelly
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845848
Set yourself a challenge.

For example, to visit every airfield within 50 miles (perhaps limited to those with a landing fee less than ...)

Or learn something new (e.g. tail dragger, aerobatics, night, ...)

Or log time in (say) 20 different aircraft?

Edit: Ah, Foxmoth had a similar suggestion.
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By AndyR
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845852
I got checked out on a PA28R and went to France.

I did my night rating.

I bought a share in a Cessna 152 and flew down to Italy, Corsica and France.

I did my IR(R).

I flew as many different aircraft as I could.

I did a couple of formation flying courses.

I learned to fly aerobatics.

I had a lot of fun :D
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By kanga
#1845882
If you haven't yet, join LAA (national and at least one of Gloster, Bristol or Wiltshire Struts), and go to their fly-ins. Within Struts, offer and eagerly accept shared trips (shared aircraft, or 'loose formation'). Also offer extra 'pair of hands' for builders/repairers/'fettlers'; this can be very instructive about the actual innards of your and others' aircraft. You might also hear about an interesting 'share' available on an otherwise inaudible grapevine.

Fly in to Rally. First time might be easier with a 'buddy', if only to share workload (lookout, navigation, radio), preferably but not necessarily someone who's done it before.

Obviously, Staverton (again, I assume) for a JAM visit :wink:
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By rohmer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1845884
Good advice from Kanga. Join an LAA Strut - a good community will maintain your enthusiasm and a sense of purpose that can easily evaporate, and a group share in a permit aircraft will give you economical flying and hours-building for future aspirations.
By DavidC
#1845893
Plenty of great advice above.

I too learnt at Kemble about 10 years ago, then flew lots with several flying buddies from whom I learnt a lot. Doubled my experience for my money and meant I could fly further.

Skegness sounds like a good match for an East Coast airfield with camping options. It is based in a caravan/campsite.

Scillies can be a lovely day out or weekend away. I’d add Blackpool, Lee on Solent, Shoreham,Bolt Head, Compton Abbas to the list above and these are plenty others of interest a bit further afield depending on your interests.

Consider the WINGS scheme to give a little structure to your “hour building” and ongoing personal development as a private pilot.

Try different aspects and see what you enjoy most - there is plenty of choice.
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By akg1486
#1845955
As many have said, the "risk" for many new PPL-holders is that they get stuck in the local area after all the mandatory sightseeing flights with friends have been done. If you have commercial aspirations, I doubt that's going to be an issue.

I think the list in the first post are good examples of things to do. Getting a flying buddy or, better, a bunch of them to do outings together (when permitted) is the top advice anyone can give: it helps you grow out of your comfort zone. When your in the LHS you are responsible, but having someone next to you to help you is not only allowed but a great idea.

If you'll be flying with non-pilots, such as a signficiant other, choose destinations that you'll both enjoy. The flight then becomes not only a flight but also a means to an end. Visit places that you otherwise couldn't in the same time frame, be it a daytrip or a weekend away. Subject to travel restrictions and aircraft availability, a flying holiday in Europe is an eye-opener to the possibilities of General Aviation: the sky is literally the limit. You might want to try a day trip to Le Touquet first, but you should really venture further: France, the low countries and Germany are great countries to fly in, even though the airspace in, in particular, Belgium looks difficult at first glance.

If you're a Skydemon user, look at the airfield reviews, They often give you info not only about the airfield but about food, hotels, sights, etc.

You also might want to expand your flying in different ways: areobatics, tail wheel, precision landings... There's no end to the possibilities, it all depends on what you like. And you probably won't know until you've tried, so book a trial lesson when you feel ready.
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By RisePilot
#1846003
akg1486 wrote: after all the mandatory sightseeing flights with friends have been done.


It is odd that we are well into the second page of posts before anyone mentions flying with friends and even then it is done in a dismissive manner.

Flying with family, friends, clients, acquaintances can be both fun and drastically cut your cost of flying if cost sharing. Note, that though historically, the rule was pro-rata cost share, but is now just noted as “pilot contribution”. Below is a link with information:

https://www.caa.co.uk/General-aviation/Aircraft-ownership-and-maintenance/Cost-sharing-flights/

Being a helicopter pilot, it is a very different scene than the UK fixed-wing community. For myself and most private helicopter pilots is a rarity that anyone else in the aircraft has a pilot’s licence. I’m more of a proponent of learning to be self-sufficient and trusting in your own abilities. Gradually step up the types of flights you do and intermittently do some advanced training with an instructor – this should be fun and enjoyable, not a chore.
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By akg1486
#1846014
RisePilot wrote:
akg1486 wrote: after all the mandatory sightseeing flights with friends have been done.


It is odd that we are well into the second page of posts before anyone mentions flying with friends and even then it is done in a dismissive manner.

My own experience, and that of many fellow pilots, is that you get a lot of questions from friends during training: When can we go flying? Can we fly over my house? Once the training is over with and we get our PPL, our friends and co-workers are lining up. However, once that initial flight in the local area--that the pax really enjoy--it's common that they decline further invitations.

I'm not dismissing the idea of flying with friends and family, I even pointed out that to do so you need to come up with flights that have something else to offer than just the flight itself: you need a nice destination worth visiting in its own rights.

People and their friends are different, but in my experience the best way to find someone to fly with on a regular basis is either a spouse/partner (with or without children) or a fellow pilot.

Nowadays, the majority of my non-pilot pax (pre-Covid, that is) is colleagues. In particular colleagues visiting from other countries: a great experience for them. But usually it's one flight (that I pay for completely) and that's it.
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By RisePilot
#1846021
I've got a several hundred hours of cost-share flying - maybe the prospect of flying in a helicopter is more of a draw.

During the early years of my flying, this was big part of my flying. Note that R44's hire at around £375/hr plus VAT (£450/hr) and even when you are the owner are still at around £250/hr. Going out with 2 or 3 mates made for much better economics and they were thrilled with the opportunity and cost.
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By akg1486
#1846034
RisePilot wrote:I've got a several hundred hours of cost-share flying - maybe the prospect of flying in a helicopter is more of a draw.

[...] 2 or 3 mates made for much better economics and they were thrilled with the opportunity and cost.

Good for you! :thumleft: My non-pilot friends are much less inclined. :(
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1846043
There are loads of flyins being advertised: https://www.flyer.co.uk/category/events/

Why not a trip to Northern Ireland when things open up ( http://www.enniskillen-airport.co.uk/Home_Page.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtownards_Airport ) then cross the border to the stunning Donegal International Airport https://donegalairport.ie/ ? If you're thinking of doing commercial, then that extra experience of filling in extra paperwork and planning the water crossings is useful (and you don't need to worry about the language).
Lots of Scottish tour possibilities, with airfields on lots of Islands.
By Ibra
#1846156
Get tailwheel & join LAA, buy into a share of single or two seater PtF and fly the heck out of it for your own fun and building hours, also find nice 4 seater to rent and that you can take for one day or 2 days, go to all places within 2h with your friends & family, also keep some regular places when you are lazy to think about a destination or short of time and budget (Duxford, Old Warden, LeeOnSolent, Bembridge, Clacton), maybe get an IMCR rating when you feel you have been too much in the wild, there is no clear path after just enjoy every hour of it !
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By SteakAndAle
#1846243
I'm also the holder of a very wet PPL (not even that - I'm watching for the postman this week!)

Planning all the trips I'd like to do, mostly with the missus who is very keen.

1) Getting around at the destination: given that airfields are often a little isolated, and don't come with free cars like in the US, would be nice to have an alternative to lots of taxis especially on day trips. Currently planning to get a pair of cheap folding bikes that will fit in baggage compartment or back seats. Anyone have any other ideas?

2) Flying IMC with passengers: I'm aiming to do my IR(R) soon to give more flexibility on longer trips, as well as for the safety aspect. I wouldn't deliberately plan a long leg in the soup, but obviously it could happen. How do you find passengers deal with this - do they find it disconcerting/unpleasant?