Discussion
Hi all, i’m Interested in studying my PPL. I’ve done lots of forum reading here and the flyer forum and now have 2 taster lessons booked.
The reason for this is with 2 different flight schools. I wanted to see which I preferred better.
They are a few weeks away now. Is there anything that I could start reading to get myself familiar in between?
Any words of wisdom?
Thank you.
The reason for this is with 2 different flight schools. I wanted to see which I preferred better.
They are a few weeks away now. Is there anything that I could start reading to get myself familiar in between?
Any words of wisdom?
Thank you.
I would aim to enjoy the experience rather that be focussing on the whys and how's of aviation.
Maybe read up on what the control inputs actually do outside the aircraft - i.e. to turn left you don't just kick the rudder!
And if you are unaware check out 360 degree compass cardinals and heading.
But enjoy it - you'll be hooked!
Maybe read up on what the control inputs actually do outside the aircraft - i.e. to turn left you don't just kick the rudder!
And if you are unaware check out 360 degree compass cardinals and heading.
But enjoy it - you'll be hooked!
As above. Just enjoy it. Nothing you read between now and then is going to make a huge difference to the process. Trial lessons tend to be primary and secondary effects of controls, and straight and level flight. Nothing too taxing.
Do you know which aircraft types you will be flying?
Do you know which aircraft types you will be flying?
LimaDelta said:
As above. Just enjoy it. Nothing you read between now and then is going to make a huge difference to the process. Trial lessons tend to be primary and secondary effects of controls, and straight and level flight. Nothing too taxing.
Do you know which aircraft types you will be flying?
Not the first but the 2nd will be a cessena 152 Do you know which aircraft types you will be flying?
sc0tt said:
Not the first but the 2nd will be a cessena 152
I like the 152. My training was split between a Pa-38, 152 and Robin HR200.Bear in mind it will probably be older than any car you've ever owned (massive assumption, I know), and probably a bit tatty to look at, as training aircraft tend to be 'heavily used'. Don't let that put you off though, they are tough little things build for ham-fisted students.
sc0tt said:
Not the first but the 2nd will be a cessena 152
I learned to fly in a 152. Great little aircraft - little being the operative word. They are quite snug, you'll definitely be getting friendly with your instructor 
Nice to have a high wing too, great for sightseeing.
Enjoy and have fun.
48k said:
sc0tt said:
Not the first but the 2nd will be a cessena 152
I learned to fly in a 152. Great little aircraft - little being the operative word. They are quite snug, you'll definitely be getting friendly with your instructor Nice to have a high wing too, great for sightseeing.
Enjoy and have fun.
sc0tt said:
48k said:
sc0tt said:
Not the first but the 2nd will be a cessena 152
I learned to fly in a 152. Great little aircraft - little being the operative word. They are quite snug, you'll definitely be getting friendly with your instructor Nice to have a high wing too, great for sightseeing.
Enjoy and have fun.
Dr Jekyll said:
sc0tt said:
48k said:
sc0tt said:
Not the first but the 2nd will be a cessena 152
I learned to fly in a 152. Great little aircraft - little being the operative word. They are quite snug, you'll definitely be getting friendly with your instructor Nice to have a high wing too, great for sightseeing.
Enjoy and have fun.
El stovey said:
If you push forwards on the controls the sheep get bigger.
If you keep pushing harder the sheep turn a slightly fuzzy red, and then the horizon appears again, inverted. Well, not in a 152, granted. NB - taking navigation and orientation cues from farm animals is problematic - I remember an aerobatic competition in Waterford, where the delightfully Irish briefing was that the centre of the competition box was "the field with all the cows in it". I got to fly at milking time - so no cows.Lots of good advice above for the OP. My input would be that, if you can, book three lessons a week and expect at least one of them to be cancelled due to the weather, especially at first. Regardless, try ad keep the tempo of your training as high as you can.
If the airfield is local to you, obtain an airband radio and listen in to the circuit traffic. It'll be crackly repetitive gibberish to start with (particularly if you can only hear one side of the conversation), but you'll soon start to pick out the relevant nuggets of information being relayed.
Find out from your school which set of textbooks they recommend - generally either Thom or AFE. Nothing wrong with getting them second hand but with the caveat that some things can change, so look for recent editions.
As regards to choice of school - my advice is to find a flying club, rather than just a school. You'll likely be a member of the club for much, much longer than you'll be a student at the school, and a good club will be a great support after you qualify.
From a slightly different angle, I had a lesson a few years ago with an open mind as to whether to do a PPL or not. In the end I never did anything beyond the first lesson for a few different reasons, but mainly because it didn't really thrill or excite me. It was fun, and something different, but for some reason wasn't quite what I expected, and I couldn't justify spending £7k on a PPL, then ongoing funds to keep the licence up to date for something which I didn't love.
eharding said:
If you keep pushing harder the sheep turn a slightly fuzzy red, and then the horizon appears again, inverted. Well, not in a 152, granted. NB - taking navigation and orientation cues from farm animals is problematic - I remember an aerobatic competition in Waterford, where the delightfully Irish briefing was that the centre of the competition box was "the field with all the cows in it". I got to fly at milking time - so no cows.
Lots of good advice above for the OP. My input would be that, if you can, book three lessons a week and expect at least one of them to be cancelled due to the weather, especially at first. Regardless, try ad keep the tempo of your training as high as you can.
If the airfield is local to you, obtain an airband radio and listen in to the circuit traffic. It'll be crackly repetitive gibberish to start with (particularly if you can only hear one side of the conversation), but you'll soon start to pick out the relevant nuggets of information being relayed.
Find out from your school which set of textbooks they recommend - generally either Thom or AFE. Nothing wrong with getting them second hand but with the caveat that some things can change, so look for recent editions.
As regards to choice of school - my advice is to find a flying club, rather than just a school. You'll likely be a member of the club for much, much longer than you'll be a student at the school, and a good club will be a great support after you qualify.
I did a few hours in an aerobat, recovering from very unusual attitudes, straight after my PPL. Great fun, but you need a robust stomach.Lots of good advice above for the OP. My input would be that, if you can, book three lessons a week and expect at least one of them to be cancelled due to the weather, especially at first. Regardless, try ad keep the tempo of your training as high as you can.
If the airfield is local to you, obtain an airband radio and listen in to the circuit traffic. It'll be crackly repetitive gibberish to start with (particularly if you can only hear one side of the conversation), but you'll soon start to pick out the relevant nuggets of information being relayed.
Find out from your school which set of textbooks they recommend - generally either Thom or AFE. Nothing wrong with getting them second hand but with the caveat that some things can change, so look for recent editions.
As regards to choice of school - my advice is to find a flying club, rather than just a school. You'll likely be a member of the club for much, much longer than you'll be a student at the school, and a good club will be a great support after you qualify.
And I always chose the 150 over the 152, for the 40° barn door flaps.
Condi said:
From a slightly different angle, I had a lesson a few years ago with an open mind as to whether to do a PPL or not. In the end I never did anything beyond the first lesson for a few different reasons, but mainly because it didn't really thrill or excite me. It was fun, and something different, but for some reason wasn't quite what I expected, and I couldn't justify spending £7k on a PPL, then ongoing funds to keep the licence up to date for something which I didn't love.
You need to consider it in the same way as learning to drive. Nobody gets excited about driving a BSM Ford Fiesta, it's just a necessary part of the process. Once qualified there are all kinds of interesting types of aircraft and flying.But you are right, you need to love it, otherwise there is little point.
sc0tt said:
Thank you for all your input guys. Looking forward to it. Funds will only allow a couple of hours a month should I go ahead past the next few lessons.
If the bug bites and you want to go ahead and do the course but can only do a couple of hours a month make sure you go somewhere where you can have the same instructor each time otherwise you'll burn time simply through lack of continuity with the instuctor.Also bear in mind that the great British weather has a habit of putting the kybosh on flying schedules and if you are only having two lessons a month anyway there's a risk you could go a month with no flying at all if the weather is bad on those two days (and bad doesn't have to mean nasty storms - some summer days can be so hazy that the vis is not flyable for a stude). If you can have lessons on weekdays that would open up more possibilities as weekends are busy for obvious reasons.
Finaly 2p's worth - hit the books as soon as you can and get the exams passed (starting with Air Law as most schools insist on it before they will let you go solo). I really enjoyed the flying aspect of the PPL but hated the book work. So much so that I completed all of the flying syllabus but never bothered doing all of the written exams so I couldn't apply for my licence which is something I really regret.
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