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

Moderator: AndyR

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By Wicksay
#1689566
Hi T1M80,

A very belated WooHoo at last!! That must have been quite something. I constantly see myself flying, as a career, visiting friends and family and purely for pleasure. But I've not yet been to another airfield with my instructor let alone on my own lol. Oh the challenges ahead... excited trepidation. :D

I am next flying from Headcorn Thur after from 3pm (if my instructor returns from his own personal holiday flight to Jersey... I'm not at all envious lol!) and booked in for Fri 3rd and Sat 4th, both 3pm. Hope to meet up soon. Lee
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By Wicksay
#1689574
Spitfire Formation Flying!
PPL Summary Today: Total 13.8 Hrs, 0.3 Solo, 0.5 Instr, 48 T/L's, 3A/C, £2.9k

After a month away from flying I was back in the left hand seat of G-BNFV on Sat. I can honestly say it felt like i'd flown the day before. It probably helped that I flew the circuit several times in my head while riding the motorbike to the Headcorn, about an hour away from home. :D

I booked a double lesson but but knew the second one would only be 45min. We discussed flying the solo consolidation flight but I said no. The airfield was very busy with the Parachute plane and jumpers and the Spitfires flying photo shoot circuits not to mention the plethora of students and day trippers. Also I assumed my months absence would need some attention. So off we set for some refresher circuits on 010 with a 5/10 kt cross wind.

After 4 near perfect touch n goes my instructor said we'll land this one and you can go solo again, much to my surprise! I called downwind, turned base, cross the railway line and turned final. Nicely established on the approach, called final and then suddenly the Photo plane and the Spitfire pulled out onto the runway to depart! I was at approx 500ft when both the instructor and I said .. "Oh so I guess we're going around then!". He was pretty miffed by the lack of airmanship but it was the highlight of my day. As I was going around parallel to the runway I'm looking out at the Spitfire taking off next to me and flying in what I'd like to think was a formation. Oh what a thrill!! I wasn't disappointed about not flying the Solo! :P

Just a perfect day!
By t1m80
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1689649
That's definitely the joy of Headcorn. Love to have a go in the T6 they have there - I'm dropping enough hints so maybe next year's birthday prezzie.

I'm flying Thursday too, down to Lydd late morning and then back up to Rochester in the afternoon. Hopefully I won't bump into you :shock:

Weather might put paid to that though as rain is currently forecast. Back out again Saturday to hopefully do the same thing solo.

All being well, I'll pop down on 4th so let me know if it gets binned for some reason!
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By Wicksay
#1690951
My next flying is booked for week commencing 6th May when I aim to complete all the remainder of my circuit work including solo consolidation circuits. Then I can start on Navigation.

So Mon eve 6th is my next lesson.



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#1692085
t1m80 wrote:Ok, that might work.
And so it did. A real treat to meet up with a kindred spirit and not only in terms of flying.

Well another amazing afternoon/evening flying.

Circuits followed by solo circuits followed by varied circuits. My solo circuits included a forced go around by a microlight making no radio calls and appearing from nowhere on my final!

All in a days flying...Image

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By t1m80
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692551
Indeed it did! Was great fo finally catch up with you and glad the flying went well, dead jelous as I was supposed to go up on Wednesday, but we all know what happened Wednesday. 'Til next time....keep the updates coming.
#1692857
Lessons Learnt & PPL Update

PPL Summary Today: Total 15.5 Hrs, 0.8 Solo, 0.5 Instrument, 58 T/L's, 3A/C, £3.7k
Recent Purchase: Bose A20 Headphones 2nd Hand.
Next Lessons: Precautionary Search & Landing & more solo circuits

Lessons Learned so far;

1. Don't take the negotiations with the wife as a done deal - its ongoing!

2. Air vents are good and bad. Chap stick can aid thirst when mouth drys out on a go-around

3. The sign in front of the left hand seat that says lock your seat adjuster isnt very helpful 300ft into the climb when the seat slips back and I inadvertently pull on the stick! Check list and signs tell a story of past hazards and accidents - they are more than they seem!

4. If my brain does something in reverse once, pull the throttle to add power, its likely to do it for something else, push the stick to decrease airspeed. The best computer on board needs the occasional reboot. Awareness of how i'm thinking and why I might be getting things a little backwards is very important.

5. Take positive decisions. What's that microlight doing there on my solo final approach!! He didn't radio, he's approx 500ft, must be doing a low overhead pass... isn't he? Damn, that's a steep approach Student-FV going around :-)

6. Other aircraft in the circuit... or not. Why's the one in front extending his climb to 1000ft then turning crosswind and still saying he's in the circuit? Do I turn crosswind at 500ft (the circuit pattern) or follow him round? Now he's extended downwind and radioed 'to-land'. If I was a shopping trolley in the isle I'd cut him up, but alas I'm No.2 in the circuit and for MY safety I need to keep him in front of me at a safe distance or as my instructor says, assume everyone up here is an idiot ;-)

7. Excited to try new headphones. Wow they are great, very comfortable and clear as anything. The ANR works really.... oh, whats that popping noise. Batteries... I forgot to buy new ones and put them in and keep new ones in the case. School boy... etc.

8. Glasses, I have bi-focals, the whole glass I can see out of for distance and over the top or under the bottom for checklists and pressure settings. Its a phaff and one I've put up with until now. So I need to bite the bullet and get mine updated and to switch to vari-focals. After all I bought the headphones. What's more important, seeing or hearing... both I'd suggest.

9. Check the credit card before your next lesson. Very embarrassing being told to clean the fleet if I can't pay up!

10. Lessons may get cancelled due to weather or mechanical issues or instructor unavailable. But leaving my wallet at a wake in the week and getting a puncture in my motorbike tyre are just downright careless. Lesson preparations start days in advance!

That's All for Now Folks!

StudentPilotWickasy
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By cockney steve
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692962
Well, Mr. Wicksay, you're really racing ahead.! Judging by all the chatter across the various other forums, you'll find you're a shoo-in for an airline job.
Maturity and life-experience seem to count for a lot, as it's a big responsibility to be let loose with a load of pax in a multi-million pound metal tube. There is, currently, a shortage of pilots and it looks as though you'll easily reach your target.

Judging by how quickly you've progressed, may I suggest you perhaps get a share in a LAA Permit aircraft. The regulatory regime is just so much more relaxed that the costs will tumble. As a biker, I make the assumption that a bit of spannering comes naturally, so again, Permit allows you to do it yourself. AIUI, you are allowed to take lessons in a Permit machine, so it is possible that you could actually buy your own aircraft now and continue your training and hours- building on it.

Currently a forum member is advertising a load of books, nav. instruments and "stuff" look in the "sales" area of the forum!

Thanks for the posts, I watch your progress from "zero to hero" with interest :thumright:
#1692975
Thanks for the encouragement Cockney_Steve. Can you share a link to the aforementioned 'other forums' I'd be interested in reading what they are saying.

Looks like I'm at about the right stage to join the LAA and start making enquiries about permit aircraft, their maintenance courses (I learnt about spanners as a teenager stripping and rebuilding Spitfires, the Triumph kind!), aircraft shares and ownership). Funding this little adventure is a whole other, minor innconvenience, story!

I wonder where v1 is...

On wards and UP wards.







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By JAFO
#1692995
cockney steve wrote:AIUI, you are allowed to take lessons in a Permit machine, so it is possible that you could actually buy your own aircraft now and continue your training and hours- building on it.


AIUI, at present, you can only hire a permit aircraft for training post PPL - that could change but at the moment I don't believe it's possible. That's different if you're an owner/part-owner.
#1695544
Monday I flew part 1 of PFL or is is PSL whichever it was great fun. I know an odd thing to say practicing a forced landing, but I enjoyed the systemisied approach and the actual flying required to nail your field. Part 2 is booked in for Sunday.

I also passed my meteorology exam!

A sombre week though and my own personal thoughts and respect go out the brave crew that lost their lives in Dubai and the friends and families they've left behind. RIP you Magnificent Men.


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By t1m80
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1695718
Best landing I've ever done was a glide approach to land after practice engine out on downwind. t wasn't fluke either as I did it again the following lesson. I'm still not sure why that should be the case, perhaps its because I didn't have to think about throttle and just concentrated on the attitude and airspeed. I but I still haven't had a better landing yet!
Danny liked this
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