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

Moderator: AndyR

By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1869180
If an ATO submits a course, which includes mandatory groundschool, and that gets approved, then to complete the course at that ATO there is mandatory ground school. So its that ATO that has gold plated the regs rather than the CAA. Your choice is to complete the course at that ATO, or go elsewhere.
By Forfoxake
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1869181
I do not recall much PPL (A) Classroom ground school except optional for a RT licence.

However, when trained for a Microlight Instructor's rating, there was lots of ground school plus a big emphasis on giving Students a thorough pre and post flight briefing, which often included theoretical information too.

I would not learn at any school that does not deliver comprehensive briefings after and particularly before each lesson!
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1872412
Cessna571 wrote:The thing I find most worrying is “we’ll get you through in the minimum hours”. Who wants to be through in the minimum hours? I’d prefer, “we’ll train you so you don’t kill yourself or your loved ones, in however many hours that takes you”. For the OP, that is very rarely 45, and it being 45 is not much of an achievement to be honest.


^^^What he said ^^^

Everybody is different. And I would say that the frequency of lessons and the time you devote to the learning process will be the over-riding factor in the number of hours and time you take to get your licence - if you have a basic aptitude & hand-eye coordination etc...

Its supposed to be an enjoyable activity, so does it matter if its 45 hrs or 60 hrs as long as you are enjoying yourself?

Regards, SD..
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By lobstaboy
#1878165
Harry.Brown wrote:You learn to fly on the ground, don’t make the mistake of only finding that out when your in the ground.


This is very true.
It's really disappointing when students fail to do any reading in preparation for the next flying lesson and don't pay attention to the briefings.
The flying bit needs to be along the lines of,"see it does do what the book said and what we talked about on the ground." Still, it's their money...
(Yes I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much)
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1878301
JAFO wrote:Perhaps you had the wrong heroes.


I spent much of a Waddington air show chatting with Ken Wallis in times where no public were coming up to talk to him. I also spent time chatting with Neville Duke at Popham, Eric Winkle Brown at a couple of places and I met Bob Hoover at Sun'n'Fun. I met and chatted with Bill Goldfinch, the designer of the Colditz glider, at Old Sarum on a number of occasions. I was also friendly in latter years with the slightly lesser known Air Commodore Charles Clarke who was at Stalag Luft III at the time of the Great Escape and was one of the driving forces for the Bomber Command memorial. I persuaded him to join Project Propeller! Oh yes, and I was a volunteer at Brooklands Museum, working with Norman "Spud" Boorer, who worked with Barnes Wallis.

I have to say, all of them were absolutely wonderful gentlemen, and very happy to chat to me. They all had fascinating stories to tell and were happy to tell them. I'm sure I've probably missed one or two, but meeting and knowing the gentlemen above was a privilege.
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