FLYER Forums

Quick update - All training records and exam results have been recovered by the liquidators and passed on to my new school. I should now be able to send off my licence application next month when I'm back in the UK.

Fantastic news.

And congratulations for passing in less than 50 hours.

I am currently at the early stages of my training. But realistically expect around 60 hours. If less I'll be happy.

In that time I'll be working and saving to pay both for training and also for some flying after! I have grand (probably unrealistic plans) to take my partner to France for a weekend. And maybe after that my favourite city in Europe Amsterdam! Is it realistic - probably not, is it good motivation? Absolutely!

So kudos to you sir. I hope you make the best use of your PPL and enjoy every minute of it.

It is realistic.
I went to Le Touquet this summer, about 18 months after passing (Some do it earlier than that).

If my wife would fly with me, we’d definitely go to France for the weekend.

sammym wrote:I am currently at the early stages of my training.... I have grand (probably unrealistic plans) to take my partner to France for a weekend.

Not at all unrealistic.

When I first flew cross channel, I had agonised for ages, planned for ages more, finally asked for some advice from 2Donkeys, who basically told me to get on with it, which I did, and discovered that he was right in that all the things that seem ultra-scary really aren't.

Obviously you need to allow for the fact that the laws of Physics are of course different in France, so flying is a thousand times more difficult, and you need to be a cross between Chuck Yeager, Chesley Sullenberger and the Baron von Richthoven to stand even the faintest chance of not crashing before you even get to Cap Gris Nez, but other than that, it's much easier than you think.

But do plan.

Don't want to derail this chaps post. But I'm now three hours in to training.

Currently it's a real struggle to keep the plane going in the right direction and the height stable. I'm going along and suddenly it's 10 degrees wrong and my height is 100ft out. Also, my taxiing is not as smooth and nice as the instructors at the moment.

So I think my dreams of little jollies to France is a long way off. However, I'm not giving up and will keep going at it. It's both fun and frustrating at the same time! Flew over the England football team today whilst they were training - which was cool and surreal at the same time.

sammym wrote:Currently it's a real struggle to keep the plane going in the right direction and the height stable. I'm going along and suddenly it's 10 degrees wrong and my height is 100ft out. Also, my taxiing is not as smooth and nice as the instructors at the moment.

At three hours in, it would be more surprising if this wasn't the case.

If you're catching it at +/- 10 degrees and +/- 100 feet at this stage, I'd say you're doing well. But don't beat yourself up if you have ups and downs.

I hit a bad patch when I started learning to navigate - the workload went up enough to make everything I thought I'd learned go completely out of the window. I couldn't fly straight, or level, I couldn't land any more, I forgot the checks, it was terrible, and for what seemed like weeks and weeks (it was actually about three hours), I was almost in despair as I was convinced that I simply wasn't going to be able to cope.

But then things clicked, the workload became manageable, and it all felt possible again.

The same thing happened when I learned instrument flying, but I was ready for it the second time, and just gritted my teeth and got on with it.

sammym wrote:Currently it's a real struggle to keep the plane going in the right direction and the height stable.

Instructor: "Ok, let's fly straight and level."
Student: "Which one do you want first?"

Hey, at least it shows you're looking out of the window and not staring at the instruments.

sammym wrote:Currently it's a real struggle to keep the plane going in the right direction and the height stable. I'm going along and suddenly it's 10 degrees wrong and my height is 100ft out. Also, my taxiing is not as smooth and nice as the instructors at the moment.

I think it took me 4 hours at least not to taxi like a drunken sailor and then another 2 lessons to be able to break in a way that the plane didn't directly veered full left or right and stayed in a relative straight line.

Too right - never give up. Just finished training myself and it has been a long road!

WELL DONE!!
I have only the money / finance problem for flying...
so you are motivating i will never give up to continue. thanks

Just goes to show, never give up never giving up;)

Another update...

A magnificent effort, that pilot.

Great result: Welcome to the world of the empty wallet and other cliches.

Keep an eye open for fly-ins and look out for the flyer lanyard.

Perhaps boss man has a supply somewhere: could be incorporated in the three freebee issues of Flyer as a gesture I guess,

Peter

Sweet!! Congratulations!