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

Moderator: AndyR

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By Rob P
#1686292
To sum up, and here is the truth of GA

Without an instrument qualification you go daytime flying on nice days, visit attractive places (and Lydd), maybe fly some aeros, meet up with flying friends, spend a lot of time in portakabins peering hopefully at the sky.

With a night rating you either base yourself somewhere that has lighting and no exorbitant out-of-hours charge, or each autumn you move the aircraft to revalidate at a lighted airfield and maybe manage one flight or two that are actually transport by taking off from your home base at dusk and stopping overnight elsewhere.

With an instrument qualification you either base yourself at somewhere that has all the requisite equipment for instrument approaches, or you simply use it for blasting through a low cloud layer into the lovely sunshine above if you are headed for an instrument equipped field or there's a forecast that your destination will be VFR and you feel lucky.

It's still the most fun thing you can possibly do.

Rob P
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By Rob P
#1686298
Miscellaneous wrote:
Subject to freezing levels and/or having a suitably equipped aircraft. :wink: :D


And using a whizz wheel, chart, stopwatch and sextant :lol:

Rob P
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By Nero
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687149
Well... Forecast isn't looking great for tomorrow

PROB40 TEMPO 0700/0710 4000 -DZ BR BKN003
BECMG 0710/0712 9999 SCT014

Lesson is from 9am to 11am BST

Maybe one day I'll get to do my first lesson....

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By FlightDek
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687379
Don't worry - it will happen. When I did my night rating 3 years ago my first lesson was booked in November. After 13 cancellations the first lesson finally took place on 22 Feb :shock:

Dek
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By Nero
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687390
FlightDek wrote:Don't worry - it will happen. When I did my night rating 3 years ago my first lesson was booked in November. After 13 cancellations the first lesson finally took place on 22 Feb :shock:

Dek
Holy moly! Seriously??

It's very frustrating but can't be helped by anyone of course... Just so keen to get started. The weather is particularly rubbish for an April this year!

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By cadoganpier
#1687762
Hi Nero
I've just got my PPL ( in fact it turned up last week) and despite the fact I did all my lessons during the week it still took my 13 months, the wait between my QXC and the actual test was 3 months!. If you can only fly at weekends it will be a long haul, all I would say is book everything in advance that you can and as you get a bit more experience maybe do two lessons a day with a break. As one of the earlier posters said get your exams and medical done as soon as possible, with our weather the last thing you want is good conditions and not being able to progress. I'm currently doing my IR(R) as I have a vain hope of using an aircraft as an actual means of getting from A 2 B. I need to get to La Rochelle fairly often which is a total pig by car (12 hours door to door for me) but 2 1/2 by Cessna 182 so if I can make that trip just once I will feel justified ( this is a good example of man maths in extremis). Have fun.
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By Nero
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687766
cadoganpier wrote:Hi Nero
I've just got my PPL ( in fact it turned up last week) and despite the fact I did all my lessons during the week it still took my 13 months, the wait between my QXC and the actual test was 3 months!. If you can only fly at weekends it will be a long haul, all I would say is book everything in advance that you can and as you get a bit more experience maybe do two lessons a day with a break. As one of the earlier posters said get your exams and medical done as soon as possible, with our weather the last thing you want is good conditions and not being able to progress. I'm currently doing my IR(R) as I have a vain hope of using an aircraft as an actual means of getting from A 2 B. I need to get to La Rochelle fairly often which is a total pig by car (12 hours door to door for me) but 2 1/2 by Cessna 182 so if I can make that trip just once I will feel justified ( this is a good example of man maths in extremis). Have fun.
Hey

Congratulations on passing and I think your reason for trying to use it practicality is totally justified!

My school wouldn't let me book two lessons for one day as I'm too new but definitely something for later on

I'm also not against weekday lessons. I could certainly work something out with work. The issue would be that it'd be with a different instructor.

I have around 6 hrs of flying booked in with the same guy but he doesn't work weekdays. Is it a big issue to have a maximum two instructors? Vast majority would be with the weekend guy and odd few with a weekday instructor. Thoughts?

The bookings only go up to June so I've booked as much as I can in full knowledge some will be cancelled by outside problems.

This Sunday looks like the usual cloud and sun for April so fingers crossed it isn't heavy. Its also at 1pm rather than my usual 9am so hopefully any fog will be gone by then!

:)


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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687772
cadoganpier wrote:I'm currently doing my IR(R) as I have a vain hope of using an aircraft as an actual means of getting from A 2 B. I need to get to La Rochelle fairly often ...

An IR(R) is a fine qualification, and will stand you in good stead for gaining future instrument qualifications, but you do know that it’s not valid outside of the UK, don’t you?
#1687775
Nero wrote:
cadoganpier wrote:Hi Nero
I've just got my PPL ( in fact it turned up last week) and despite the fact I did all my lessons during the week it still took my 13 months, the wait between my QXC and the actual test was 3 months!. If you can only fly at weekends it will be a long haul, all I would say is book everything in advance that you can and as you get a bit more experience maybe do two lessons a day with a break. As one of the earlier posters said get your exams and medical done as soon as possible, with our weather the last thing you want is good conditions and not being able to progress. I'm currently doing my IR(R) as I have a vain hope of using an aircraft as an actual means of getting from A 2 B. I need to get to La Rochelle fairly often which is a total pig by car (12 hours door to door for me) but 2 1/2 by Cessna 182 so if I can make that trip just once I will feel justified ( this is a good example of man maths in extremis). Have fun.
Hey

Congratulations on passing and I think your reason for trying to use it practicality is totally justified!

My school wouldn't let me book two lessons for one day as I'm too new but definitely something for later on

I'm also not against weekday lessons. I could certainly work something out with work. The issue would be that it'd be with a different instructor.



I have around 6 hrs of flying booked in with the same guy but he doesn't work weekdays. Is it a big issue to have a maximum two instructors? Vast majority would be with the weekend guy and odd few with a weekday instructor. Thoughts?

The bookings only go up to June so I've booked as much as I can in full knowledge some will be cancelled by outside problems.

This Sunday looks like the usual cloud and sun for April so fingers crossed it isn't heavy. Its also at 1pm rather than my usual 9am so hopefully any fog will be gone by then!

:)


Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


I had three instructors but mainly one for the last 15 hours or so. I think it's more important that you click with the instructors you have, two or three good friendly ones that have read your notes are better than one you don't see eye to eye with( I was lucky all mine were great).
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By Nero
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687779
cadoganpier wrote:
Nero wrote:
cadoganpier wrote:Hi Nero
I've just got my PPL ( in fact it turned up last week) and despite the fact I did all my lessons during the week it still took my 13 months, the wait between my QXC and the actual test was 3 months!. If you can only fly at weekends it will be a long haul, all I would say is book everything in advance that you can and as you get a bit more experience maybe do two lessons a day with a break. As one of the earlier posters said get your exams and medical done as soon as possible, with our weather the last thing you want is good conditions and not being able to progress. I'm currently doing my IR(R) as I have a vain hope of using an aircraft as an actual means of getting from A 2 B. I need to get to La Rochelle fairly often which is a total pig by car (12 hours door to door for me) but 2 1/2 by Cessna 182 so if I can make that trip just once I will feel justified ( this is a good example of man maths in extremis). Have fun.
Hey

Congratulations on passing and I think your reason for trying to use it practicality is totally justified!

My school wouldn't let me book two lessons for one day as I'm too new but definitely something for later on

I'm also not against weekday lessons. I could certainly work something out with work. The issue would be that it'd be with a different instructor.



I have around 6 hrs of flying booked in with the same guy but he doesn't work weekdays. Is it a big issue to have a maximum two instructors? Vast majority would be with the weekend guy and odd few with a weekday instructor. Thoughts?

The bookings only go up to June so I've booked as much as I can in full knowledge some will be cancelled by outside problems.

This Sunday looks like the usual cloud and sun for April so fingers crossed it isn't heavy. Its also at 1pm rather than my usual 9am so hopefully any fog will be gone by then!

:)


Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


I had three instructors but mainly one for the last 15 hours or so. I think it's more important that you click with the instructors you have, two or three good friendly ones that have read your notes are better than one you don't see eye to eye with( I was lucky all mine were great).
That's also good anecdotal experience. Very useful for me, thank you!

And you're right, it could all change if I don't click with the one I am signed up to now.

I've also identified the IR(R) as almost a requirement given our changeable weather. What's the version that would cover Europe too? Just the heavy 55 hr one?

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By FlightDek
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1687787
I keep hearing that the Basic IR is on the way from EASA. Not sure when this might see the day of light but I think it is proposed to be a more accessible IR for GA pilots.
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