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

Moderator: AndyR

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By Funflyer
#481704
dunny wrote:Very good Leiafee

I have always though that the other good learning aid would be a straightforward crib sheet of the main flying manouvers and I always meant to get around to doing it.

It could also cover the main mnemonics that people use - it wouldnt be perfect but it would be a good aid.

D


Pooleys do a very similar book to this, takes you through each manouver page by page and in line with the standard training schedule.
By briantinkler
#522010
Hi leiafee.
Just been reading your compilation, what inspiration! I have just got the flying bug following some time sitting at my computer flight sim dreaming. Now taken the next step and took a trial lesson wonderful experience (thanks Blackpool flight academy), now you have convinced me that obtaining a PPL is possible. Thanks now looking for a school more local if now back to Blackpool.
Once again Thanks.
By olimango
#526972
Hi leiafee, the document you put together is great. I have completed just over 6 hours and am loving my lessons, but it's great to hear from someone who's completed everything and has their licence. Great stuff! :D
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#527056
Nice to know it's acheivable by "normal people" isn't it!

One of the reasons this forum was such a help along the way.
By olimango
#527061
It's a great help to be able to chat to others who are/have been in the same situations. Your document suggested that you flew a couple of hours a month, how many hours do you fly now that you're qualified and what would you say a realistic hourly cost for hiring etc is...(if you can give a rough hourly cost of course!)
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#527304
Well I made a bit of a leap of faith really and bought into a share about two weeks [b]before [/b]passing my GFT! (Thanks to a member on here actually!)

I was desperate not to become one of those "drop out" statistics who never make it to the first renewal and knew that if there was a little aeroplane sitting waiting for me the financial urges would favour flying (to "get my money's worth") rather than not flying.

It's worked in that sense extremely well.

It hasn't though really worked out substantially cheaper than renting once I add on the loan I took out, to the monthly fixed costs I'm still left with a couple of hours worth of flying money per month.

[size=9:468346dccc]If you want hard numbers we pay £50 a month fixed, £20 per hour to the kitty and I work on a rough guess of £30 an hour fuel. . Then I have to add in the £150 payback on the loan I get to take the share in the first place.

So if fly one hour a month it's £250 per hour (ouch )

2 Hours = £150 each (300 total)

4 hours = £100 each (400 total)[/size:468346dccc]

Those numbers depress me written down butv the big advantage is that if I fly with other members of the group I can halve the cost in one stroke by doing the "you fly there I'll fly back" stuff.

That applies equally to renting of course if you can find a flying partner.

So basically I'm flying a similar number of times, spending a similar amount of money but going further. The occasional longer trip (e.g Ireland this summer) or big bill still wipes me out for the rest of the pay-month, and even without them I'm still usually on the beans-on-toast and veg-under-soup for the last few days before payday more or less every month. But as it was when I was learning the payback is still wonderfully worth it!
Last edited by leiafee on Tue Jan 08, 2008 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By olimango
#527314
Fantastic stuff, great to hear that you bought into a share. I know it's early doors for me, but I can't help but look to see what the options are....gives me something to aim for in the future too.

Sounds like you get some good hours in each month.

Please don't go into details if you'd rather not, but how much would someone be looking at to buy a share in a plane. I appreciate that it depends on the number of 'owners' and the initial cost of the plane.

Also, how does it work with booking it out? If you were to fly to France or Ireland, do you book it up in advance or have allocated time slots? Also, how does it work with you being over there, in terms of do you tend to have a limited time to have the plane over there before you head back (can you go for long weekends etc??)

Sorry for all the questions, but being able to ask someone who actually has experience is a massive help.
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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#527617
Best thing is to flick through the shares ads in the magzaine to get a flavour of what's available in your area. My 1/8th share in a PA38 was £2500, which is probably on the cheapish end of things.

We use a web-based booking system where you basically click on the slots you want to book. It can be hours, or half days or whole days or blockbookings.

We've got a good mix of people though, and a mix of shift workers and 9-5ers like me, so there's not too much of a desperate scramble for the weekends, which is nice.

Group rules vary about block bookings, we don't really specify other than "don't take the proverbial!" and we have a rule about not booking more than a month in advance.

I've never had any trouble with availabilty. I've been away overnight on occasions and someone else went for few days hopping through France.

I'd probably avoid any share that had excessively restrictive rules on overnight trips -- not having to dash back for the next booking is one of the joys of a share -- it's part of the point!
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By Colonel Blink
#530009
Olimango:

Although the Colonel is advancing in years and receding in hairline, he qualified a mere 18 months ago, and flies a club PA28. He is also quite regimental in the keeping of financial records, as the rupees are very dear to him....

Total cost (unsubsidised) since qualification has worked out at £108.80/hr (8,916 rupees/hr). This includes club membership and couple of those small bits of equipment required for comfortable flight (tigerskin underpants, a rack for the jolly old blunderbuss etc).

The above has been partially subsidised by cost-contributing passengers within the bounds allowed by the CAA, meaning that the Colonel has only needed to drag £92.22/hr (7,557 rupees/hr) out of the pocket of his plus fours.

The Colonel is currently juggling Club 1 month currency rules with the weather with the personal financial position with flying hours. However this position should improve slightly in the New Year to allow him to shout 'Clear that bally prop what?, Arf Arf!' through the DV window a whole twice a month.
By MattD
#530222
[quote='Night Hawk']It was a great read however are you in the way of maybe looking to make a guide for the CRP-1 and route planning??? just a thought

NH[/quote]

[url]http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=16855&highlight=whizz[/url]
By wozza
#555369
Cheers mate!!
All the questions i have been asking myself have been answered.
Mostly MONEY,What School?,MONEY! What School.
Everything in there is really helpful.
Thanks again.
By aviatordom
#587983
Thankyou very much!

Although i haven't even actually started to learn to fly yet i found the guide very interesting and full of tips!

thanks!
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