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

Moderator: AndyR

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By AndyR
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1901631
We would all like to know about and join in celebrating noteworthy milestones along the path of your aviation career - whether that be private or commercial. This thread allows all those steps to be cast into internet eternity forever more.

Please post achievements in this student forum or PM me or @andyr me in any post to attract my attention and I will update this thread in the most timely fashion possible. If I miss something do let me know.

Entries on this thread are not restricted to ab initio training! We learn from all sorts of events and we all learn from each other - so please share...

Of course, we expect to hear about anyone gaining an additional rating, differences training, qualification ... come join the wall (and indeed, hall :)) of fame.

The 2021 thread was sadly rather reduced due to the impact of Covid, but hopefully 2022 can improve on that and maybe take up some of the slack?

The challenge is there for all of us to get out there and get up there.

Let's hope for a record year of First Solos, Qualifying Cross Countrys, PPL Skill Tests, not to mention aerobatics, tailwheel, Instructor Ratings and Examiner privileges gained as well as the odd heavy metal type ratings :)

And anything else memorable and noteworthy :thumleft:

Categories from previous years:

PRE FIRST LICENCE

PPL theory exams passed

20 Feb ericgreveson
19 June dgahlawat
8 Aug RobW
19 Aug Milty
26 Aug ChrisN

First Solo :salut:

1 March ericgreveson 8)
18 March ATVK
20 March dgahlawat 8)
4 May HenryYandell :D
30 May T6Harvard :thumleft:
10 Sept pipvac
12 Sept spjwebster

First Solo Nav

4 Feb Milty :thumleft:
2 Apr RobW
27 Apr ericgreveson
28 Apr DrewPA28
30 Apr dgahlawat
21 May Strato Tramp

First Solo Landaway

8 Apr Milty
21 May dgahlawat

Qualifying Cross Country

28 Apr Flying Boot (NPPL)
2 May ericgreveson
11 Jun dgahlawat
13 Jun Milty
3 July DrewPA28
9 July ATVK
11 July RobW
14 July bladerunner911

PPL Skills Test Pass :mrgreen: 8)

16 Apr andynxn
11 Jun ericgreveson
16 July dgahlawat
23 July Nero
4 August ATVK
4 August DrewPA28
7 August bladerunner911
24 August RobW
26 Aug IWF
30 Aug Milty

NPPL Skill Test Pass :mrgreen: 8)

5 July Flying Boot


POST FIRST LICENCE

Night rating

18 November ericgreveson

IR (R)

26 Mar Rhys Chandler
11 June StuartW

IR (A)

21 May Capt Edmund SE IR(A)

CPL

ATPL Theory

Aerobatic rating

Tailwheel differences

19 April Reptile Smile
21 Sept ericgreveson

Retractable undercarriage differences

11 Sept StuartW

Constant speed prop differences

27 Aug ericgreveson
11 Sept StuartW

Single Engine Electric

11 Feb akg1486

MEP

29 Mar Genghis
13 July Mr.Meerkat

ME IR

14 July Mr.Meerkat

CRI

Instructor Rating (FI)A

27 May Welsh Richy
18 Oct Danny

Examiner Rating

Differences training

Type ratings
Milty liked this
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By AndyR
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1901634
Apologies that it has taken until the end of February to get this one up!

Looking forward to recording many of your successes on here over the next 10 months.

Any that I have missed so far this year, please do let me know :thumleft:
By Stewarta32934
#1904073
I’m about to embark on the PPL journey.
Had 6 lessons in 2010 but gave up. Now able to give it another go since I had another trial lesson.
Want to get this for recreation only. Always loved all things aviation and now want to get inside it instead of watching the sky :D
UncleT, Milty, ericgreveson and 2 others liked this
By TheSnap
#1904784
Hello!

I too am at the start of my PPL training. 3 hours done so far, so not even scratched the surface really. That said, I’ve got nearly 20 hours booked in at my flight school between now and June so here’s hoping I make some good progress over the next few months. I’ve already been let down by the weather twice this month so we’ll see how many of those 20 hours I can actually get off the ground! Fingers crossed though.

I have been reading quite extensively over the last few weeks to grow my knowledge. I found the Skyway Code a good way to break into the basics without being bogged down in the vast detail of the training books straight away. I’m now reading the APM Book 2 which makes much more sense having already read the Skyway Code. So any other budding pilots, maybe give this a try to ease yourself in? Worked for me anyway.

On another note, I’ve read a few threads on this forum already which I’ve found really useful, especially around the PPL exams and learning/reference materials.

Thanks :)
ericgreveson, T6Harvard, Iceman and 1 others liked this
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By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1904805
@Stewarta32934 and @TheSnap , may I suggest you consider starting your own thread on the Students forum, so you can post your lesson reports, ask questions etc?

A few of us post our progress / highs and lows, and there are some very helpful 'old hands' who help to keep us on the straight and narrow :mrgreen:

I've loved reading other students' write ups, and sharing in their successes.
StratoTramp liked this
By RobW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1906400
Hi All,

I have not posted much this year as a constant run of bad luck with weather and a couple of nasty colds have conspired against me and I have only had a few hours so far.

I did manage to finally get my first Solo Nav in on Saturday!

It was all pretty straight forward and over in 40 minutes, just a trip to the Norfolk coast and back. Thankfully the visibility was good enough that the airfield was pretty much in sight for the whole trip but feels like another big milestone reached!

Just need to spend a bit more time revising for the Nav exam and then Ill be looking forward to going a little further out, Im really looking forward to my first landaway!

Till then its back to rhumb lines and the whizz wheel...

Cheers,

Rob.
bladerunner911, Milty, T6Harvard and 3 others liked this
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By Milty
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1907035
It's not on the list but I'm claiming first solo land away this morning. Glos to Halfpenny Green (Wolverhampton). No drama's, all teeth and wheels intact. Permasmile is starting to get a bit painful now :D :D :D :D :D
User avatar
By AndyR
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1907140
Milty wrote:It's not on the list but I'm claiming first solo land away this morning. Glos to Halfpenny Green (Wolverhampton). No drama's, all teeth and wheels intact. Permasmile is starting to get a bit painful now :D :D :D :D :D


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