Let's go flying...!
Discussion
All going well with a medical, I am starting a PPL course at my local-ish- flying school with view to go for commercial eventually (one step at a time though).
Photos from a couple of lessons:
Plenty of opportunities at work for advice and help. 3 other people in my department are doing commercial (various stages).
For now I've been doing individual lessons at various schools. 99% decided on the one I'm going to complete with.
Photos from a couple of lessons:
Plenty of opportunities at work for advice and help. 3 other people in my department are doing commercial (various stages).
For now I've been doing individual lessons at various schools. 99% decided on the one I'm going to complete with.
Looks like you’ve got the bug - congrats! I started with the air cadets at school, then had a few lessons at uni just for fun. It cemented that I wanted to do it for a living and 26 years later here I am retired military pilot now flying commercially (offshore helicopters).
I wish you the best of luck with your ppl and your onwards commercial qualifications. It’s hard work getting to a bum on a seat paid flying job, but really anyone (honestly!) can do it if they want it and dedicate themselves to that task. My best friend went from a handful of GCSEs and a succession of dead end jobs in his 20s to the LHS of a 777/787 with a major carrier - all through grit and dedicating himself to something for the first time in his life.
Only bit of advice I’d give is to get Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 and a decent joystick to help you even practicing circuits or later on IFR procedures. It’s absolutely amazing now what you can do with it and given how expensive flying is, you’d certainly save time in the air by practising checks/procedures in your own sim on the ground. And most importantly - have fun and enjoy the view
I wish you the best of luck with your ppl and your onwards commercial qualifications. It’s hard work getting to a bum on a seat paid flying job, but really anyone (honestly!) can do it if they want it and dedicate themselves to that task. My best friend went from a handful of GCSEs and a succession of dead end jobs in his 20s to the LHS of a 777/787 with a major carrier - all through grit and dedicating himself to something for the first time in his life.
Only bit of advice I’d give is to get Microsoft Flight Sim 2020 and a decent joystick to help you even practicing circuits or later on IFR procedures. It’s absolutely amazing now what you can do with it and given how expensive flying is, you’d certainly save time in the air by practising checks/procedures in your own sim on the ground. And most importantly - have fun and enjoy the view
Best of luck, you are being trained at one of the best training schools at Perth. I wish I had got the bug earlier and followed the route you are doing.
Too old by the time I had accrued 750 hours P1 flying para aircraft which gave you access to commercial pilots licence after you passed the written exams, no longer available now.
Too old by the time I had accrued 750 hours P1 flying para aircraft which gave you access to commercial pilots licence after you passed the written exams, no longer available now.
Good decision. Even if it remains a hobby and you never go commercial it is still a great way to spend your time (and money!). I've had some awesome experiences with the family over the years with my PPL.
Gratuitous pictures below...
That last one is a 500ft coastal transit by President Macron's summer house.
Seconded about the sim time, I still use X-plane in VR for practicing IFR, scans, emergencies etc, the beauty of it is that unless you end up flying something very unusual, you can find the exact aircraft for the sim, so controls and instrument layouts are the same as real life.
Gratuitous pictures below...
That last one is a 500ft coastal transit by President Macron's summer house.
Seconded about the sim time, I still use X-plane in VR for practicing IFR, scans, emergencies etc, the beauty of it is that unless you end up flying something very unusual, you can find the exact aircraft for the sim, so controls and instrument layouts are the same as real life.
Best of luck with it, I’m sure you’ll really enjoy it. I did my RAF flying scholarship at Perth Scone in 1993 on a Cessna 150 Aerobat so have very fond memories of the place!
Still flying professionally now and (despite some pretty major ups and downs) it’s great and I wouldn’t do anything else.
Still flying professionally now and (despite some pretty major ups and downs) it’s great and I wouldn’t do anything else.
As expected with starting in the autumn period, after about 4 cancelled lessons due to the weather I decided to travel up on Monday under the premise that there was a 50/50 chance of going ahead with the lesson. Weather due to improve later.
First lesson did go ahead after small wait on weather and change in instructors. I was now doing the lesson with the CFI. I liked the fast pace he worked through the lesson. After power checks were done on the ground it was "you have control" for almost everything else. He only took controls when there was traffic and landing in the gusty winds or to show something. First lesson was showing what each of the controls do and the secondary effects of the controls. For example, he set the aircraft up for slow flight with full flaps and told me to release them all at once. It was like having the floor removed from beneath. Then trimming for level flight at different speeds and others. We covered a fair bit, so much that I didn't take a single photo. Second lesson was with another instructor. I arrived and found work colleagues were also going flying at the same time as me. No pressure then. Pace was more relaxed this time; he would show something and then hand control over to try myself. Great weather for a trip round the coast.
And Jim, I don't think I'll be flying you to Cyprus anytime soon. How many times has your driving sent me to sleep though?
First lesson did go ahead after small wait on weather and change in instructors. I was now doing the lesson with the CFI. I liked the fast pace he worked through the lesson. After power checks were done on the ground it was "you have control" for almost everything else. He only took controls when there was traffic and landing in the gusty winds or to show something. First lesson was showing what each of the controls do and the secondary effects of the controls. For example, he set the aircraft up for slow flight with full flaps and told me to release them all at once. It was like having the floor removed from beneath. Then trimming for level flight at different speeds and others. We covered a fair bit, so much that I didn't take a single photo. Second lesson was with another instructor. I arrived and found work colleagues were also going flying at the same time as me. No pressure then. Pace was more relaxed this time; he would show something and then hand control over to try myself. Great weather for a trip round the coast.
And Jim, I don't think I'll be flying you to Cyprus anytime soon. How many times has your driving sent me to sleep though?
Edited by smallpaul on Saturday 5th November 14:20
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff