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

Moderator: AndyR

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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876705
Welcome .

It’s always good to hear of a new recruit to this fantastic hobby we share and love.

I look forward to hearing your progress. I have posted elsewhere on the forum a million times before so won’t repeat it but the weather in the UK is not always rubbish in winter!!

Opinions vary as to your planned rate of progress through training - it’s a factor of the three ‘Ws’ …..: weather , wallet and wife/warlock., :lol:

Re the QFE thing : you will use it all the time during your training so get used to knob twiddling, however, later in your career ( foreign touring , instrument rating ) you will begin to fly on QNH /FL only .

Oh and don’t put off your medical too long. :wink:

Edit to appease a member of the female persuasion. :shock:
Last edited by PeteSpencer on Sun Oct 17, 2021 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876706
PeteSpencer wrote:Re the QFE thing : you will use it all the time during your training so get used to knob twiddling, however, later in your career ( foreign touring , instrument rating ) you will begin to fly on QNH /FL only .


Which begs the question why is it used so much in Training? It cant be because of the CPL/ATPL schools, because these pilots probably wont ever use QFE again. Is it purely to make circuit training "easier"?
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By Rob P
#1876726
skydriller wrote:Is it purely to make circuit training "easier"?


Possibly, then again it could well be RAF influence.

Rob P
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876728
It came as quite a surprise when crossing our local MATZ with another forumite last Thursday to be given a transit 'not below xxxx height, Shawbury QFE yyyy'.

First time I've heard them use QFE for years, and we wondered whether it was just for the benefit of an early trainee, as the poor chap sounded terrified.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876729
One thing we don't emphasise enough is that controllers are there to provide a service to pilots we ask for what we want and expect it to be provided unless that's difficult or impossible for some reason....
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876730
PeteSpencer wrote:Welcome .

It’s always good to hear of a new recruit to this fantastic hobby we share and love.
Snip
Opinions vary as to your planned rate of progress through training - it’s a factor of the three ‘Ws’ …..: weather , wallet and wife, :lol:
Snip
Oh and don’t put off your medical too long. :wink:


Sorry to spoil the alliteration but other life partners are available :wink:
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By Rob P
#1876731
GrahamB wrote:First time I've heard them use QFE for years, and we wondered whether it was just for the benefit of an early trainee, as the poor chap sounded terrified.


Standard RAF practice, particularly Shawbury where the poor sods fly eggbeaters and scarcely get more than twenty feet off the ground :lol:

Rob P
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876732
johnm wrote:One thing we don't emphasise enough is that controllers are there to provide a service to pilots we ask for what we want and expect it to be provided unless that's difficult or impossible for some reason....

I'm not sure whether this was in response to me, and if it was, why you believe we didn't get what was requested. :?: :)
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876733
Rob P wrote:
GrahamB wrote:First time I've heard them use QFE for years, and we wondered whether it was just for the benefit of an early trainee, as the poor chap sounded terrified.


Standard RAF practice, particularly Shawbury where the poor sods fly eggbeaters and scarcely get more than twenty feet off the ground :lol:


But that's my point - being based twenty miles away I've been exchanging pleasantries with Shawbury on a regular basis for nearly thirty years, and I can't remember the last time I was requested to set QFE. The eggbeaters are not always low, I do see them up at the dizzying heights of 3000' from time to time.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876734
GrahamB wrote:I'm not sure whether this was in response to me, and if it was, why you believe we didn't get what was requested. :?: :)


No, it was just picking up on the "terrified" remark.....
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876743
johnm wrote:
GrahamB wrote:I'm not sure whether this was in response to me, and if it was, why you believe we didn't get what was requested. :?: :)


No, it was just picking up on the "terrified" remark.....

Knowing I’m in the cockpit can provoke that response by those on the ground.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876746
Rob P wrote:
skydriller wrote:Is it purely to make circuit training "easier"?


Possibly, then again it could well be RAF influence.

Rob P

Nail on head:

In the 90s a local exRAF instructor now sadly deceased from a nearby airfield that I no longer frequent used to do my IMCr revalidations and instructor hour.

QNH for departure and transit to local ILS equipped airport:

QFE for ILS approach then insisted on change to QNH on the missed approach, usually knob twiddling while still on the climb out!

Then off for some unusual attitudes and just prior to a RAF MATZ transit more ruddy twiddling to QFE and straight back to QNH as we popped out the other side of the MATZ.

Then back to home airfield for bad weather circuit (cue knob twiddle to QFE), off again for practiceEFATO (QNH en route) then QFE ( base airfield derived) when suitable practice field located.

EFATO complete, it was QNH on the climb away and recovery back to base .

Then on joining the circuit to land it was- yep, you guessed..............

I could knob twiddle for England in those early days :wink: :lol:
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By abiopete
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876808
skydriller wrote:May I just make a wee practical suggestion?
As you are embarking upon your training heading into winter, book twice as many days for flying lessons as you want to fly, because possibly (probably) half will be cancelled due weather.


Yes been told that, got 3 booked for next month and soon as December comes free on the booking system i'll be filling it up! :D
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By abiopete
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1876809
T6Harvard wrote:You'll be fine with QFE and QNH. It soon comes as second nature.

QFieldElevation - set that to get height above your air-Field.
QNotHere - set that as height above mean sea level (there's no sea at Barton :mrgreen: ).

NB - When learning anything with an alternative you only actually have to remember one of them because the other is just 'the other', IYSWIM.

Air Law is good to get early on. It's soooo dry and has sooo many hard facts to remember if you can do that by grim determination, I expect you will find the other subjects more engaging :D

Looking forward to hearing about your next lesson.


It was QNE throwing me, nailed it now :thumleft:
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By Spence94
#1876821
I've also just started learning at Barton!
I'm learning in the 2 seaters which seem to be a bit more popular than the 4 seaters so I'm struggling for availability a little bit but managed to book out days in November so hopefully the weather will be nice!
good luck in your training :)
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