Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

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By cotterpot
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1566759
Crash one wrote:I think a night rating is a good idea.
Not because you will fly in darkness but to keep you legal if you are late, or somehow need to land after official daylight hours.



Only if your airfield has lights - and is open.
Cleanfeed liked this
#1566802
cotterpot wrote:
Crash one wrote:I think a night rating is a good idea.
Not because you will fly in darkness but to keep you legal if you are late, or somehow need to land after official daylight hours.



Only if your airfield has lights - and is open.


You may be correct but if I were inbound after official daylight to my unlicensed grass strip with no lights I could be legal whilst still airborne until I touch the ground? Am I now taxiing legally as the airfield is still open and unlicensed? And who cares? :D
Cleanfeed liked this
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By Cleanfeed
#1567028
Thanks for all of your replies on this, so much great advice. I'm going to start compiling a list of airfields I'd like to visit and routes I'm interested in, working my way slowly through that list. I think training-wise the night rating is something I'd be keen to do maybe later next summer.

I've been trialling Sky Demon and I have to say I like it so far but I feel it does a lot more that I still need to sit and figure out so I can use it confidently.
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By Melanie Moxon
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1567054
I have had my PPL(A) for nearly a year and half now and at the start of this year found myself wondering where to and what next. I ended up moving from Humberside international to Full Sutton, it was one hell of a change going from a big airport to a small grass strip but it was a change for the better. I swapped the rental C172 for a Slingsby T67M and haven't looked back, I get more flying for the same money and a better aircraft to boot, it’s a lovely thing to fly. If you are looking at getting into a Syndicate I urge you (if you don't need four seats) to look at different aircraft types outside of the usual C172/PA-28. It doesn't have to be a fancy CofA machine look at LAA permit types, the £50 /hr operating costs of a Jodel mean you can get far more flying for your money and I am told they are lovely aircraft to fly too.

I did my night rating in March this year but haven't flown at night since, my planned trips scuppered by the weather and then moving to a grass strip, which is lit but the majority shareholder doesn't like people using the aircraft at night because though the runway is lit the taxy ways aren't which means I haven't actually used it yet.

Also have you considered aerobatics? I have just started playing around with them and after the initial shock to the system on the first flight I am now dealing with it pretty well.

I plan to do the IR(R) in the near future.
#1567061
My first ever lesson was from Humberside around 5 years ago! I'm definitely interested in going the share route. Like most my flying is entirely dependent on finances and it seems with the right share I could do quite a bit more, also I want to go on trips with the plane eventually so I feel a share is much more viable. I'm definitely open to LAA permit shares!

Maybe I'll hang fire on the night rating for now then since it seems a lot of people are saying the same thing, they're not really using it. IR(R) is something I'd love to do but again comes down to finances, I'm not sure whether to enjoy the licence for a bit before I go down the road of taking up more lessons! Aerobatics is also something definitely on my to-do list, maybe next summer I'll look into trying that.
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By akg1486
#1567317
Cleanfeed wrote:I think training-wise the night rating is something I'd be keen to do maybe later next summer.

I think you'll find it's not dark enough in the summer. :D

Cleanfeed wrote:I've been trialling Sky Demon and I have to say I like it so far but I feel it does a lot more that I still need to sit and figure out so I can use it confidently.

Planning mode can be practiced on the ground, no problem. To get a feel for the features in the air, you need to practice in the air. Go as a passenger, preferably with someone familiar with SD, and use it in the air: Can you replan a route? Insert a new waypoint? Delete a waypoint? Do a quick distance measurement? Can you find approach plates (if installed)? Find the ATS frequencies in a particular area? Can you find the PLOG while flying? Can you set up an approach? There's lots one can do.

Good luck!
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1567323
akg1486 wrote:
Cleanfeed wrote:I think training-wise the night rating is something I'd be keen to do maybe later next summer.

I think you'll find it's not dark enough in the summer. :D


This far south it does actually get dark for a few hours overnight in the summer!
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By akg1486
#1567325
Paul_Sengupta wrote:
akg1486 wrote:
Cleanfeed wrote:I think training-wise the night rating is something I'd be keen to do maybe later next summer.

I think you'll find it's not dark enough in the summer. :D


This far south it does actually get dark for a few hours overnight in the summer!

Really? I know that it's darker than where I am, but didn't think it was dark enough. AIUI, the darkness definition has changed. When I got my rating, it was dark when you couldn't see an object 8 km away that you can see when it's light. That's more than a little dark.

In any case: I stand corrected. :D
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1567333
"Night" here in the UK is from 30 mins after sunset to 30 mins before sunrise. Well, there's that 6 degrees below the horizon thing but it's near as dammit in the south of England.

The sunrise/sunset times for Guildford are here:

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/guildford?month=6&year=2017

June 21st has sunrise at 04:46 and sunset at 21:21. Therefore you could night fly from 21:51 to 04:16. Actually, it lists "Civil twilight" as 03:59 and 22:08 so still a bit of time to fly!

And the OP said "late summer"...SR/SS times for the 1st September are 06:15 - 19:47.

Night was more complicated when I flew in Sweden, but helpfully the LFV published a table of night flying times for the year.