Went solo today!

Author
Discussion

HoHoHo

14,979 posts

249 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
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Well done clap

I'd love to have the time to learn to fly, perhaps one day.

I'm going to find out the name of the pilot who landed the A380 I was on today from Dubai, Christ did he thump it down, it felt like we bounced at least twice and perhaps you could offer some advice about a soft landing!

pilotpaul

95 posts

220 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
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Well done ! Mine was 13 years ago and I can still remember (almost) every second of that first circuit of Denham.

Good luck with the rest of the PPL.

PP
biggrin

driverrob

4,687 posts

202 months

Wednesday 16th April 2014
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Great stuff. It must be a wonderful feeling.

My wife has just bought me my first flying lesson - as my 68th birthday present. Wish me luck.

crisisjez

9,209 posts

204 months

Thursday 17th April 2014
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Well done, its weird to look across and see the other yoke moving isn't it smile

Keep it up, you have a lot of 12 and 13 coming up.





(Or am I showing my age and it's all changed)

Mr Noble

Original Poster:

6,535 posts

232 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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^^ No Sir - I still have some 12 and 13 left. Mostly now done. On to 14 and 15 tomorrow morning.

Don't really understand why 13,13 and 14 are soooo long. It'd be better to have more chapters, so you feel like you're making progress faster!!


CharlieCrocodile

1,186 posts

152 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Skills test passed smile

Siko

1,976 posts

241 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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CharlieCrocodile said:
Skills test passed smile
Nice one smile

Sticks.

8,706 posts

250 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Well done both smile Is your skills test the last thing to do Charlie? I seem to remember reading for some it's done in a different order.

CharlieCrocodile

1,186 posts

152 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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It is the last thing for me, I did my practical RT earlier in the year and all my written exams last year. Fortunately I only did 7 and managed to get the last one done before the rule change.

Bit of solo time first and then onto my IMC rating followed by the night rating in November.

I was speaking to my FI today as he's turned into more of a friend than anything, he was telling me that he was in a PA-28 many years ago flying from Scotland to Stansted (when they accepted GA) and it started to get dark, switched on the cockpit lights - nothing, it had been in for maintenance but they earthed it wrong. He had to fly the last 45 mins with the compass as the only visible instrument. He set the revs as appropriate and could only tell if he was climbing or descending by the sound of the revs increasing/decreasing. Stansted managed to give him vectors and talk him down. Towards the end of the flight he almost gave up as he was physically & emotionally drained.

After hearing that I decided that he's the only FI I ever want to teach me.

speedtwelve

3,510 posts

272 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Well done on the skills test Charlie. Good call on the IF and night courses, they might save your life one day.

Aerobatics ticket next though, surely! The most fun you can have with your clothes on. You know you want to. smile

IforB

9,840 posts

228 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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CharlieCrocodile said:
It is the last thing for me, I did my practical RT earlier in the year and all my written exams last year. Fortunately I only did 7 and managed to get the last one done before the rule change.

Bit of solo time first and then onto my IMC rating followed by the night rating in November.

I was speaking to my FI today as he's turned into more of a friend than anything, he was telling me that he was in a PA-28 many years ago flying from Scotland to Stansted (when they accepted GA) and it started to get dark, switched on the cockpit lights - nothing, it had been in for maintenance but they earthed it wrong. He had to fly the last 45 mins with the compass as the only visible instrument. He set the revs as appropriate and could only tell if he was climbing or descending by the sound of the revs increasing/decreasing. Stansted managed to give him vectors and talk him down. Towards the end of the flight he almost gave up as he was physically & emotionally drained.

After hearing that I decided that he's the only FI I ever want to teach me.
Sorry for the thread derailment, but two things I'd be kicking your FI's a*se for if he worked for me after that scenario are:

1) Not checking the cockpit lights before setting out on a flight where you are likely to need them.

2) Not having a torch (with charged battery) with him.

I'm sure he learnt from that and would never make such basic errors again and is a far better pilot for it, so good on him for admitting it and using it to illustrate how we all do silly things, but that was pretty dumb.

Fortunately, I've never made a mistake in my career*, especially not a stupid one**, so I'm very comfortable in saying that someone else is daft.






* This may be a complete lie...
**This IS a complete lie...

Edited by IforB on Saturday 19th April 00:25

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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IforB said:
2) Not having a torch
.

This.

CharlieCrocodile

1,186 posts

152 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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IforB said:
Sorry for the thread derailment, but two things I'd be kicking your FI's a*se for if he worked for me after that scenario are:

1) Not checking the cockpit lights before setting out on a flight where you are likely to need them.

2) Not having a torch (with charged battery) with him.

I'm sure he learnt from that and would never make such basic errors again and is a far better pilot for it, so good on him for admitting it and using it to illustrate how we all do silly things, but that was pretty dumb.

Fortunately, I've never made a mistake in my career*, especially not a stupid one**, so I'm very comfortable in saying that someone else is daft.






* This may be a complete lie...
**This IS a complete lie...

Edited by IforB on Saturday 19th April 00:25
Totally agree, it's one of those mistakes you'll never make again.