[andynxn]

Congratulations Fellsteruk a big achievement indeed.

[Fellsteruk]

@TopCat Couldn’t agree more if I was to describe myself with one word it would be “ inexperienced” and whilst I am excited I do feel the weight of that fear of now being all on my own, no instructor to help me so the learning and more importantly I guess the quality of my decision making will now start to develop and improve.

My instructor who’s been flying and teaching for about 30 years I’d always thought “he’s seen everything” but on a Couple of occasions and only a couple I’d noted him saying “not seen or been told that before” really made me realize you never stop learning and the value of learning from other pilots.

I ordered some really good sick bags today from Amazon so I’m getting myself ready for my first passenger

[TopCat]

@TopCat Couldn’t agree more if I was to describe myself with one word it would be “ inexperienced”

I totally know you know that. Everything you've written has an honesty about it that gives me no cause for concern.

and whilst I am excited I do feel the weight of that fear of now being all on my own, no instructor to help me

Good. But it's a good weight, right?

so the learning and more importantly I guess the quality of my decision making will now start to develop and improve.

It will. I suggest you go back to basics for your first few post-licence-issue flights. Go out to the local area, in good weather, and practise the things you were tested on. You'll find they're easier, and a lot more enjoyable. And only yourself to nag you when you don't do it quite right.

I ordered some really good sick bags today from Amazon so I’m getting myself ready for my first passenger

Mm. I'd leave taking pax for a little while. Half a dozen flights at least. Passengers add a whole new dimension of workload that you can only imagine right now. When you do take someone, make sure it's someone that will sit quiet if you need them to.

[Fellsteruk]

Good advice on PAX, thanks. I suspect my license will take 10/14 days given what I’ve been told from others who have recently go through the process. In that time I hope to get a good few little solo flights in the local area maybe a couple land always at sleap as it’s only 20mins away and never been.

Pax only when I feel confident but the first will be my better half she wants to come but does get travel sick and if I ask her to do something I know she’ll listen so I think she’ll be a good first one to take up

[T6Harvard]

@Fellsteruk if she can take Sturgeron, over the counter travel sickness pills, I find they are the best. I'm quite bad on boats if I can't see the horizon

[Fellsteruk]

@Fellsteruk if she can take Sturgeron, over the counter travel sickness pills, I find they are the best. I'm quite bad on boats if I can't see the horizon

Thanks I’ll look that up and get her to try them. I made her take some travel sickness tablets on a 2nd leg to the Maldives having been unwell but not vomited on the way to Dubai, said it was my fault as I overdid the free aftershave in the toilet lol. Not sure what they were called as it wall Arabic the chemist know it was for travel sickness but in. Fairness could have been anything I guess...

Needless to say on the 2nd leg she filled a couple bags, apparently the tablets made her sick:( so glad I never booked the sea plane as she’d have been finished, once had the joy of being very close to someone who vomited constantly for about 40mins on a seaplane with no air con, no windows just two very dodgy fans to blow the smell about.

My other half get travel sick in the car “my driving apparently” I went to NewYork with her and her twin sister on a Little break thankfully I had the isle as they both got sick on the flight at similar times. I couldn’t believe my bad luck stuck with two travel sick people for seven hours In a tin can.

Apparently was the sandwich that did it... mine was fine though.

[TopCat]

Needless to say on the 2nd leg she filled a couple bags

It's when your flying instructor (pre-PPL) starts chucking up next to you, in an unfamiliar aircraft, in an unfamiliar area, in an unfamiliar country, that you discover how you really didn't want that to happen.

Words you don't want your instructor to use:

"I guess I shouldn't have reheated that Chinese last night".

True story. 28.5.92, C152, N757UT out of Grand Rapids, MI. Instructor name redacted.

Two months before my QXC. So not a complete newbie, but even so...

[T6Harvard]

Eeuw!!

2 x Stugeron, about 2 hours before travel. Absolutely no drowsiness or other side effects. And make sure she eats something (preferably not too sweet) before you go, as you know that really helps.

Good luck

[Cessna571]

belated congratulations

[Crash one]

Many congratulations Captain Self! Sounds like you’ve got your head screwed on correctly

[Charles Hunt]

Many congratulations.

One piece of good advice I read was only to do one new thing at a time. i.e. fly a new route, take a passenger, fly a different type of a/c, fly in less than perfect conditions.

Don't go to a new airfield, hire a different type of a/c, load it up with three mates aiming for an unfamiliar destination and set off into the gloom......

[Fellsteruk]

Good advice!!

[t1m80]

Well done Fellsteruk! I felt exactly the same as you - I wasn't even convinced I wanted to ever get in a plane again! I had my test in an unfamiliar plane and at an unfamiliar airfield. Got close to a bust too, and went to the wrong place on my diversion (place with a similar sounding name). By the time we were back to the airfield I'd definitely had enough. The gauges might as well not have been there, they didn't mean anything anymore. Had an hours drive back to my flying school before I found out I'd passed. I actually cried I was so traumatised. And i also had that 'I'm not worthy' thing going on in my head.

It took me 3 weeks to pluck up enough courage to go hire a plane. But I did it and I'm glad I did. I'm only a dozen hours post PPL now but it all becomes 'normalised' quite quickly. I'm out looking for challenges now rather, gradually trying to get more experience but not too much too soon - just as Charles has suggested. Had a crack a the 'fly in less than perfect conditions today - bands of cloud early this morning making maintaining VFR pretty tricky and I even ended up aborting the last half of the mission. I now know what that looks and feels like so it won't be so much of a shock next time; I'll probably also call the abort earlier next time too

I thought I'd miss the learning aspect of training but it's a whole new game now learning to apply the training I've had. Lovin' it.

Be sure to post a similar analysis of your next flight, it was a great read!

[Fellsteruk]

I wasn't even convinced I wanted to ever get in a plane again! !

I can defo relate to that... I’ve forced myself and I have a couple hours tomorrow if the weather allows, plan A is a little loop taking in Snowden but I don’t think the cloud level will allow that, Plan B visit Sleap for first time, Plan C go see blackpool tower via Liverpool city of I get a crossing approved

[t1m80]

Fab, hope the wether holds out for you. Have a great flight!