Another 'I want to get a PPL' thread...

jasonb

Hi all...

I've always been interested in flying, did a few lessons ( maybe 4/5 ) back in the early '90s in Weston and did an Intro flight about 2 years ago that I got as a present.

Anyhow, I've decided it's time to get off my ass and look into getting a PPL. It's going to be a slow route for me ( due to money / time ) so it'll be more like 1-3 lessons a month ( money depending ) rather than going to the US etc.

I live in Kildare, so Weston is probably the closest for me. However, I've been looking at SkyTrace and the NFC's websites, trying to get a sense of which to go with. One of the differences I saw ( and maybe it's not important ) is that the NFC uses Cessna 150s and 172s, while SkyTrace uses Robins and Pipers. So I'm wondering if it'd be better to have a PPL using say a Cessna 172, or using a Piper or Robin. Or is it all the same really?

My basic plan right now is get some money together, do a couple of lessons and the medical ( just to make sure there's nothing wrong with me before I put more money into it ) and then do as many lessons as I can each month. Realistically though it's going to be probably 3 years before I'm near the PPL, and possibly longer ( once again depending on money and also on my skill level )!

Anyhow, if anyone has any advice, particularly about which Flight School they might recommend, and if the type of plane offered by each School should be a deciding factor, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

J.

pclancy

Cessnas and Pipers are much the same inside really, some things like carb heat, throttle, mix and trim are in different positions but once you get your ppl you can easily get rated in each different type of aircraft that you want to hire. Checklists and walkarounds are much the same. The instrumentation and controls will be similar between all small types as regards what you need to know for PPL level. I find Piper Tomahawks a lot more roomy then Cessna 150s as i'm quite tall but theres not much between them as regards handling or performance.

You'll notice the difference in power allright when you jump into a 17/82 or a Cherokee after only flying a 152 etc, its like getting into a sportscar!

ronnie3585

jasonb wrote: »

So I'm wondering if it'd be better to have a PPL using say a Cessna 172, or using a Piper or Robin. Or is it all the same really?

I wouldn't say they're all the same. There is quite a difference between high wing/low wing in terms of visibility and landing technique. Personally, I prefer a 172 over a PA28 simply because I did all my PPL training in a Cessna. However, I'd prefer a Robin or a Cirrus over a Cessna - the Robin DR400 is especially nice to fly but it has oleo-pneumatic mains so it's isn't the best for students. The sprung steel undercarriage of the Cessnas can take a mighty hammering.

Ultimately, it's a personal choice. If you get the chance, do a few hours in a high wing and a low wing and see which you prefer.

If you do go for Cessnas I'd agree with what pclancy has said about the 150/152 being a tight fit if you're any way tall. I'm about 6'3 and there isn't much room in a 152. It's not uncomfortable, but there is oodles more space in a 172.

You mentioned that you don't yet have your medical. I would advise you to get your medical ASAP. It will be a complete wast of your time and money if you do a few hours now and find that your medical stops you down the road.

As a general piece of advice I would say get all the books you can get your hands on and devour them! It's a very expensive place to learn at 1,000ft. You can learn a hell of a lot on the ground which will give you more time in the air to concentrate on the things that have to be learned by feel alone.

Good luck!

jmayo

pclancy wrote: »

Cessnas and Pipers are much the same inside really, some things like carb heat, throttle, mix and trim are in different positions but once you get your ppl you can easily get rated in each different type of aircraft that you want to hire. Checklists and walkarounds are much the same. The instrumentation and controls will be similar between all small types as regards what you need to know for PPL level. I find Piper Tomahawks a lot more roomy then Cessna 150s as i'm quite tall but theres not much between them as regards handling or performance.

You'll notice the difference in power allright when you jump into a 17/82 or a Cherokee after only flying a 152 etc, its like getting into a sportscar!

It is first time I have heard a 172 or a cherokee compared to a sports car

jasonb

Excellent replies, thanks! I'm actually 6'1", so maybe the Cessna 150 might be a bit small for me. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I also have rather large feet, so the bigger the plane the more chance I have of being comfortable.

I guess my main question about there being a better type of plane was that I was worried about doing the PPL in an 'older' plane when maybe a newer more modern plane would be the way to go. I know that the NFC gives you a choice of the 150s or 170s ( the 170s being more expensive ) but I don't know which planes Skytrace use for lessons and whether you can pick which one you want, and what the price difference is. It's a long way down the road but what's involved in getting rated in different aircraft?

Yep, I'll be looking at the medical after an hour or two. I don't want to spend €120 on the medical first in case I then try an hour and for some strange reason I'm not as hooked on it as I think I will be ( though to be fair I can't see that happening ). So I reckon doing maybe 2-3 hours and then my medical makes the most sense. And I'll be reading lots of books, I've done a lot of virtual flying too over the years and I want to get every advantage I can ( hence asking questions here even before I book a lesson! ).

J.

wittymoniker

jasonb wrote: »

Excellent replies, thanks! I'm actually 6'1", so maybe the Cessna 150 might be a bit small for me. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I also have rather large feet, so the bigger the plane the more chance I have of being comfortable.



i'm close to 6'4'' with size 13s and have hundreds of trouble free 150/2 hours, you'll be doing well to find a better training aircraft.

pclancy

Well sportscar like compared to their smaller tomahawak/150 siblings. When you're used to bumbling up to circuit height at 800ftpm a tomahawk, a cherokee feels like a sportscar

fugs

jasonb wrote: »

It's a long way down the road but what's involved in getting rated in different aircraft?

J.

You're certainly making the right inroads to this particularly expensive waste of time. If only I hadn't done so years back, I might have a lot more money now
As the old joke goes: "You only need two things to fly; Airspeed and money."

To answer the question you asked: There is not a lot involved in getting different type ratings for different types but that, I think, is not what you meant to ask. There are only a handful (13) of aircraft ratings (JAR-FCL1&2) from Single Engine Piston (Land) through Multi Engine Turboprop (Sea) and on through Multi Engine Turbo-Jet (Land).
(LASORS Section F Page5)

To answer the question I think you meant to ask: To get 'rated' on a PA28 after doing your licence on a C152 or DA40 or any other SEPL, is simply a matter of getting 'checked out' to show that you are safe to fly and that the owner (usually a flying club/school) is happy to let you take it. Generally, 30mins is quite adequate for this as it is not terribly difficult to spot the difference between someone who is rusty but competent, and someone who is simply not a safe pilot.
The next step, which can still be, and usually is, within a certain Class (such as SEP), is differences training. This pertains to
• Variable Pitch (VP) Propellers
• Retractable Undercarriage
• Turbo/Super-charged Engines
• Cabin Pressurisation
• Tail-Wheel
and has come/may come to include the modern 'glass cockpits'.

It is all getting a bit much, in my opinion, but as the other old truism goes: "flying is easy, it is just terribly unforgiving of mistakes."

I hope this informs a little and doesn't condescend to anyone's intelligence, I tend to go a little overboard on explaination as I remember only too well how bewildering it was when I started and how blasted difficult it was to find where to look for the right information.

jasonb

Thanks for that reply, it makes a lot of sense actually and already shows how little I know ( e.g. the whole concept of 'rating' etc. ).

You're right, what I meant was what would be involved in flying a Cessna 172 after doing my PPL in a Robin ( for example ) and you've answered that perfectly.

I've heard some good things about Clubs v Schools ( especially in terms of price ) so I'm going to look into that a bit more. Realistically I won't have the time / money to start this for a couple of months, so that gives me time to drive people mad with questions instead!

Thanks to everyone for their helpful replies, I'm already learning...

J.

jasonb

I'll bump my own thread here!

As I'm looking into Clubs versus Schools, I got to thinking about Tarmac airfields and Grass airfields. Is there any advantages / disadvantages to training for your PPL on either? For example, I'd imagine ( but I may be wrong ) that some grass airfields might be closed due to heavy rain whereas the tarmac ones would be open, therefore reducing potential flying time ( especially during the winter months ).

Any thoughts? Thanks!

J.

fugs

jasonb wrote: »

I'll bump my own thread here!

As I'm looking into Clubs versus Schools, I got to thinking about Tarmac airfields and Grass airfields. Is there any advantages / disadvantages to training for your PPL on either? For example, I'd imagine ( but I may be wrong ) that some grass airfields might be closed due to heavy rain whereas the tarmac ones would be open, therefore reducing potential flying time ( especially during the winter months ).

Any thoughts? Thanks!

J.

Good grass fields only get rained out in the very heaviest of downpours.
I don't know myself about Birr, Abbeyshrule, Kilkenny et al. But any time I've visited any of the above after rain they were just fine. Quite possibly the opportunities for flying could be limited by poor surface conditions.
Flying from grass is much easier. You just need a little discipline on the brakes so as not to go skidding down along and/or off the side of the runway if it's damp. It is quite unbelieveable just how much more forgiving a surface grass is for landings though.
For that reason I'd recommend tarmac for the sake of getting used to making landings, not arrivals
Another side to tarmac fields is that they're usually busier places and so you come to use your R/T a lot more and a lot more precisely than at a field where you are the only traffic all day.

Just a few thoughts.

jasonb

Thanks once again Fugs, you've been very helpful to me here!

Actually, after posting I'd thought of the RT side of it as well. I don't know if either issue ( slightly more chance of field being closed / slightly less practice with RT ) would be enough to counter-balance the savings with going with a club though, as there are big savings there! But it's good to at least be aware of what the differences might be. The easier to land issue would actually suit me in the shorter term, but in the longer term I'd want to get experience with tarmac landings too.

Once I get to the Student Pilot level and I'm doing solos, I'm guessing there's nothing to stop me from doing some hours with a different school / club, just to get used to different conditions etc. I'd presume I'd have to do a couple of dual hours with the new school just so they're happy with me using their plane? I'm not saying I'd definitely do that, I'm just checking it's an option in case I feel like I'm missing out on some aspect ( like tarmac landings for example ).

J.

fugs

The hard surface landings are a good education, but if you can pull off smooth landings on grass then you can pull off good landings on tarmac. I did about 50h on tarmac on an unsprung type nine or ten years ago for the bulk of my flight training and it did teach me smooth landings. But I've been flying off grass most of the time since and don't have any problems when hitting the hard stuff (tarmac, not whiskey).

I wouldn't worry about it, I think you are right to let the practical considerations inform your decision here. Plane/instructor availability and reliability are very important, unless you have unlimited reserves of time, which I doubt you do.

Then there is the major obstacle of cost. A little difference in €/h can mean a very real saving over the course of the training. If you got €180 dropped to €150 you'd be saving in excess of €1500 by the end of it.

jasonb

Yep, cost is huge, and there's definitely a big saving to be made by going with a Club, even including Membership / Joining Fees. You're right, I don't have unlimited time, but I do have limited money, so I'd only be looking at about 3 flights a month anyhow, so hopefully Plane Availability shouldn't be too much of an issue. It'd be different if I was looking to fly every week etc.

I know I'm a planner and part of me just wants to get into a plane, but this is a big undertaking and any mistakes I can avoid I will!

J.

tracker-man

jasonb wrote: »

Yep, cost is huge, and there's definitely a big saving to be made by going with a Club, even including Membership / Joining Fees. You're right, I don't have unlimited time, but I do have limited money, so I'd only be looking at about 3 flights a month anyhow, so hopefully Plane Availability shouldn't be too much of an issue. It'd be different if I was looking to fly every week etc.

I know I'm a planner and part of me just wants to get into a plane, but this is a big undertaking and any mistakes I can avoid I will!

J.

You are without doubt a planner!! But thats no harm... So i guess throwing in the issue of having runway lighting and atc opening times in the mix might help
Where i fly we have tarmac runway and full lighting. Many club members take advantage of this and fly regularly at night.
With regard to atc opening times they can be awkward where i fly. And its sometimes tough to work around them. Eg not opening till 11 or 12 on a sunday. Then closing for 40 mins or so at 3pm.
This isn't a problem in places like birr etc
As said above the availability of aircraft and instructors is paramount!
Interested in more than just the lessons? Clubs have loads of social events during the year, compared to that of schools where it can be strictly flying, pay and leave.

yaeger

Clubs all the way dude !

Either join one now, or train in a school and then join one with additional cost of familiarisation flights...

As for Grass or tarmac or high wing v low wing aircraft, at the end of the day with your ppl you will proficient enough to tackle anything within reason, so in my opinion your decideing factors should be cost and location...club or school. Go for club and you will reduce cost and seriously increase the fun part of flying and really expereince general aviation flying in ireland.

If a Dub

Clubs within reach.... Leinsteraeroclub / Airport flying club / Dublin flyers / Flightwise
Schools within reach... NFC / Skytrace

No doubt others can add more and include prices and a/c types for you.

fugs

Well, who would've thunk it? The IAA has some useful area on their website
Here's a list of registered training facilities in Ireland:
http://www.iaa.ie/index.jsp?p=143&n=196

As for the comments made by tracker and yeager, I couldn't agree more. I did my training at a field with a 5000' lighted runway, PAPIs, NDB and... no controller. Only a/g radio. It was an ideal training environment.

I don't know if I've mentioned Kilkenny club as a possibility before, but I've heard some good things about them. I've never flown with them, but have always had a good reception whenever I've flown in there. I used to hear good things about Abbeyshrule and so I sent a friend of mine there for a sort of 'extended introductory'. Their reports back to me at this point are underwhelming. Could be the instructor just had an 'off day' or two.
If I wanted to get a PPL(M) I'd certainly give them a shot before writing them off.

jasonb

Once again, thanks for all your replies, you're very good to a Newbie...

So basically cost / availability of aircraft and instructors are the most important factors for training, and other factors like aircraft type, airfield type, ATC etc. aren't as important. With that in mind, a club seems to be the way to go, the savings I'd make going with a club could easily pay for a few hours at a bigger airfield to get experience of tarmac / ATC etc. with money left over.

I've contacted a few places via email and one club has been very helpful with their replies, so I'm gonna arrange an assessment flight with them so they can suss me out and I can suss them out! All going well I'll go with them, if it doesn't work out for some reason I will have at least logged some time in the air.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and advice, I'm sure I'll think of more questions!

J.

fugs

jasonb wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and advice, I'm sure I'll think of more questions!

J.

I'm sure I speak for more than just myself when I say that it'll be great to hear how things progress.

jasonb

Well, I just thought I'd give a little update, as I'm buzzing from today's lesson.

I did my 4th hour today, after 2 Intro flights with two different schools I chose one and have done two 'official' lessons so far. Had a great lesson today, did slow flight with and without flaps and a couple of stalls. I got lucky with the weather ( before it turned bad ) and it all went great, I just seemed to get what the instructor was saying and the aircraft did just what I wanted it to!

So I'm buzzing now, and counting the days 'til my next lesson ( I hope to do one every two weeks ). The next lesson is more Stalls and I can't wait. Just wish I could fly more frequently!

J.

fugs

That's fantastic! Congratulations on a good start.
You know, the sensation of stalling causes unsavoury reactions in a lot (I think it might be as much as a few percent) of pilots, so you should be encouraged by this.
I hope you have fun with spin training, if you can get your instructor to do more than just incipient spins with you. If I'm not mistaken there is no longer a requirement to do fully developed spins for ppl.
Anyway, congrats again and I hope you're able to maintain the regularity with it.

donkey balls

fugs wrote: »

That's fantastic! Congratulations on a good start.
You know, the sensation of stalling causes unsavoury reactions in a lot (I think it might be as much as a few percent) of pilots, so you should be encouraged by this.
I hope you have fun with spin training, if you can get your instructor to do more than just incipient spins with you. If I'm not mistaken there is no longer a requirement to do fully developed spins for ppl.
Anyway, congrats again and I hope you're able to maintain the regularity with it.

thats one of the best parts its like being on the magic carpet that they had in funderland years ago.
also the steep turns is good fun

pclancy

I was expecting a stall to feel pretty scarey but there's very little feeling of neg g in a pa-38

diverdriver

There shouldn't really be much or any negative g with a stall, unless it's particularly accelerated. It's just a slight nose drop in the average light trainer. Stalling is a straightforward exercise and shouldn't be scary to the student.

In relation to stalls and spins, when I was training to be an Instructor, it was emphasised that you should avoid building up stalls as a big dramatic dangerous exercise. That scares students who are coming across stuff like that for the first time. Apparently more than a few students walk away after stalls or when introduced to forced landings. Don't even mention spins. The idea is to build confidence in the early stages of training so when the more interesting stuff comes along it won't scare them off.

Also we were told not to shout or get annoyed at PPL students when they try to kill you. It puts them off and destroys confidence. On the other hand those going for higher ratings are fair game short of hitting them:P

jasonb

donkey balls wrote: »

also the steep turns is good fun

Couldn't agree more. I did a couple of 60 degree turns and then the instructor did some 90 degree turns just to show me. Great fun!

J.

diverdriver

I sincerely hope not. A 90 degree turn would produce 4 - 6 g and could exceed the limits of the aircraft not to mention induce a stall, spin.:eek: Check your books . I suspect it was a simple transitory steep bank without a turn. They're easy enough to do but if you attempt to turn while banked at 90 degrees you'll rip the wings off or stall out in most light trainers.

pclancy

Its hard not imagine a stall to feel like a sudden drop off a cliff though. I had read so much about them and watched videos beforehand that I had built up a serious expectation that it was going to scare me.

I do have a constant worry in my head that the aircraft i'm flying is 25 years old and has been stalled and spun many, many times before. I guess thats why keeping within the limits of what its certified to do means it should never have been exposed to stresses beyond what's safe. Just have to trust that its maintenance checks have been done properly.

Was talking to a aerobatic pilot friend the other day who mentioned the aerobat that he'd done his rating in having constant problems with the door flying open mid bank or the glovebox emptying its contents on his face It had been crashed and rebuilt several times so wasnt the best in any way. I must try find a photo of it...

jasonb

Just thought I'd do another little update on my thread...

Lesson 6 today and after going over a couple of slow flights / stalls we came back in to Weston and did a couple of circuits, my first!

I was pretty nervous I have to say, and the first stop and go turned into a go around as I wasn't quite lined up right. The next one I did better but not a lot better and the final one was a full stop landing, lined up better but the landing was a little hard.

There seems to be a lot to keep an eye on and remember compared to just going out west and doing one thing after the other. I was trying very hard to get used to judging things from looking outside, not at the instruments, as I need to get used to that. I also really need to work on Rudder more and Ailerons less!

Anyhow, the next one's just before Christmas and it'll be Circuits only ( as I imagine the next several hours will be ) so hopefully I'll improve with practice. Any tips gratefully accepted!

J.

yaeger

I guess just know whats to be covered for next lesson and be prepared and then on the day............Simple really ! RELAX and enjoy it and you will learn lots more... all the best.

brophya2007

jasonb wrote: »

Just thought I'd do another little update on my thread...

Lesson 6 today and after going over a couple of slow flights / stalls we came back in to Weston and did a couple of circuits, my first!

I was pretty nervous I have to say, and the first stop and go turned into a go around as I wasn't quite lined up right. The next one I did better but not a lot better and the final one was a full stop landing, lined up better but the landing was a little hard.

There seems to be a lot to keep an eye on and remember compared to just going out west and doing one thing after the other. I was trying very hard to get used to judging things from looking outside, not at the instruments, as I need to get used to that. I also really need to work on Rudder more and Ailerons less!

Anyhow, the next one's just before Christmas and it'll be Circuits only ( as I imagine the next several hours will be ) so hopefully I'll improve with practice. Any tips gratefully accepted!

J.

Hi Jasonb,

Where are you doing these lessons?

A

jasonb

You're right Yaeger, it's about being prepared and relaxing. I'll do circuits on the Flight Sim, learn my checklists off by heart and see how I get on.

Brophya2007, I'm doing them in Weston...

J.

pclancy

Flightsim is so handy for lesson preperation and going over procedures. I put a lot of practice into my circuits and even though I had a month gap between lessons, my instructor commented that I had improved a good bit over the time away.

John_Mc

pclancy wrote: »

Flightsim is so handy for lesson preperation and going over procedures. I put a lot of practice into my circuits and even though I had a month gap between lessons, my instructor commented that I had improved a good bit over the time away.

Yeah big time, I do the same using the Caranedo 152 and its remarkable how close it is the real thing. Except for the handling, which isnt really a factor.

Would highly recommend it

InTheTrees

+1 on Flightsim

The best/cheapest way to learn about VOR's...

jasonb

I thought I'd drag this old thread out of the mothballs instead of starting a new one.

After a lesson on Saturday I've now got 5 hours of circuits under my belt. Just when I was feeling confident about circuits and landings ( and even beginning to get the hang of the Flare ) I had my first crosswind circuits on Saturday, and did a couple of Glide Approaches.

So I was all over the place again. It took me a good while to even begin to get the knack of crabbing on approach, but then my flares where all over the place again as I was focusing so much on the rudder / ailerons! The Glide approach just scared me to be honest, so many things different to normal ( being so close to the run on downwind / base, having no other option but to basically point the nose down if you start losing speed ) and it all happens so quickly, really got rid of any confidence I had in the circuits!

That said, I know I need to learn both ( crosswinds and glide approaches ) and I'll keep using FSX to try to help me with them. One thing I have learned, using Vatsim is already really helping me with my radio work.

Last year I set myself a target of having done my first solo by the end of May. I've two months to go, I'll hopefully hit my target but I felt a lot more confident about it before Saturday!

J.

airvan

That said, I know I need to learn both ( crosswinds and glide approaches ) and I'll keep using FSX to try to help me with them.

I suggest you don't do that. FSX is all well and good for a lot of things. But it won't help you much with stuff like that. Let your Instructor teach you those properly. Anything you think you learn on the game might have to be unlearnt in real life. Don't expect to be an expert immediately. Crosswind landings and glide approaches take time to master. Don't worry you'll get plenty of practice at them.

FSX has it's uses but the more time you get in real aircraft the more you realise it's merely a game. It could be quite useful if you had an Instructor sitting beside as you practice. On your own you can 'learn' something that is potentially dangerous in real life.

pclancy

Yep, it doesnt simulate crosswinds well because the real world wind is just so much more random. FSX is great for practicisng procedures, navigation and basic flying techniques but the real hard refined stuff must be done in the air.

One thing that scared the crap out of me was fishtailing. I was about 500ft and about 60kts in a Tomahawk one day, can't remember the wind speed or direction but just as I got to about 150ft the tail began to swing from side to side and was hard not to over correct with the rudder. Instructor said to ride it out and continue the approach but i'd never experienced it before in my life and chose to go around as it hadnt stopped by 50-100ft. FSX also cant simulate the gut feeling you get to abort a landing when things just don't "feel" right.

Ken812

Im at a similar stage to where you were at about 3 months ago, just finished my 4th hour and have started the circuits. Have another lesson this saturday so im sure il be fairly worn out after an hour of circuits

Ken

jasonb

That's good advice about FSX, I have come to realise myself that it's good for some things and not that good at all for others. Not being able to 'feel' the aircraft, and not having great viz out the 'windows' ( especially during a glide approach which happens so quickly ) are two of the obvious disadvantages.

That said, I was able to use FSX last night to at least remind myself of what to do / keep an eye on during a glide approach ( i.e. doing the downwind closer to the runway, when to cut the power, keeping the pitch down to keep the best glide speed of 78kts, using the flaps to increase the rate of descent etc. ). At least when I go back to my next lesson I'll remember things like that, because I've reminded myself of them by using FSX. That will hopefully help me concentrate on the actual flying and feel of the aircraft.

I'll do the same with crosswinds ( you can set specific wind strength and direction in FSX to get a decent crosswind ), just to remind myself how to do opposite rudder / aileron. So, I suppose I'm using FSX to at least get the basic procedure for a manoeuvre memorised, one less thing to learn while I'm in the aircraft itself!

Fishtailing doesn't sound like a lot of fun, I definitely would have gone for a go-around there too. What exactly causes fishtailing?

Ken, yep, circuits are busy alright! But I've definitely noticed that after a couple of lessons they're not as busy as they used to be. Especially on the downwind, I'm so used to doing the checks / RT now that I find myself with half a min to just relax a bit ( and double-check everything ) whereas before I was just trying to get through everything before turning onto base. Where are you doing the lessons and in what type of aircraft?

J.

pclancy

I cant define it exactly other then a feeling that someone was mashing left then right rudder repeatedly and the tail was being pushed side to side rather then yawing side to side . I'm sure the mountain and sea wind flows at Wellington are what helped it happen

Another thing that FSX has nicely drummed into me is Carb Heat! Every lesson I kept forgetting to turn on carb heat when slowing below 2000rpm, now I instinctively press H in the sim or flip the lever in the tomahawk

jasonb

Yeah, FSX is great for helping you learn checklists and little things like that. Mainly because you can fly so often for free that it just becomes a habit to you!

J.

Ken812

jason, yeh i wouldnt mind 30 seconds to relax, hopefully il get into a good routine during this flight. Good idea using FSX aswell for going through the checklists, il give that a go. Im flying a PA-28 out at weston.

ken

jasonb

Hi Ken,

Sounds like you're flying the same aircraft as I am, EI-SKW?

If you have FSX, get a Piper Warrior 2 aircraft for it. It's ideal for learning checklists and getting used to all the buttons and controls etc. I use this one :

http://www.justflight.com/product.asp?pid=88

and I'm very happy with it, apart from the fact that I can't always see the RPM needle when I'm flying! But it's excellent having the same control panel in front of you on your PC as you have in front of you when you're in the air...

J.

Ken812

SKW is the very one
Yeh i have FSX and downloaded a couple warriors a while back, but they werent much use, probably because they were freeware. The warrior flying club worth buying?

ken

jasonb

I'm very happy with the Warrior in that link, like I said the only issue I have with it is that sometimes the yoke covers the RPM dial when in Virtual Cockpit mode. But it's excellent for getting used to all the controls and memorising your checklists etc., and it just makes your Sim Flying so much better if you're in the same aircraft as in real life. As others have said here, FSX doesn't help in areas like actual flying and the 'feel' of the aircraft, but it's a great help in other areas.

I only know of one other Warrior package, by Aussim. They seem to have gone out of business ( or at least their domain is gone ) but I think it can be bought here :

http://secure.simmarket.com/aussim-piper-warrior-v2.0.phtml

To be honest I went with Just Flight 'cos it got better reviews, and I could see that the Aussim Warrior has the windows wrong ( the two biggest side windows are too big ). Getting the size of the windows wrong might not be much of a deal, but it does make me wonder what else they've got wrong, you know?

Anyhow, I went with the Just Flight one and it's really helped me get to know my way around the cockpit of SKW!

J.

jasonb

Once again I thought I'd use this thread rather than starting a new one.

After a decent enough lesson yesterday I've now been put forward by my Instructor for my Check Out - 1st Solo. So basically next Wednesday I get to fly with the Chief Instructor and if he's happy with what I'm doing then I get to do a couple of Solo Circuits!

Of course, the nerves have already started. I've noticed that if there's anything new or different during a flight, it can play on my mind and then I'm not as relaxed and confident. For example, flying with an Instructor I've never flown with before ( and in a 'test' setting ) will definitely have me nervous!

Also, if the winds / conditions mean I have to do, say, a Left Hand Circuit on Runway 07 ( in EIWT ) I'll be a little more anxious, as that's the circuits I'm least used to ( and the HP site is right in the way of glide approaches ).

Anyhow, any tips / advice from those of you who've done their solos would be much appreciated, thanks!

J.

John_Mc

jasonb wrote: »

Once again I thought I'd use this thread rather than starting a new one.

After a decent enough lesson yesterday I've now been put forward by my Instructor for my Check Out - 1st Solo. So basically next Wednesday I get to fly with the Chief Instructor and if he's happy with what I'm doing then I get to do a couple of Solo Circuits!

Of course, the nerves have already started. I've noticed that if there's anything new or different during a flight, it can play on my mind and then I'm not as relaxed and confident. For example, flying with an Instructor I've never flown with before ( and in a 'test' setting ) will definitely have me nervous!

Also, if the winds / conditions mean I have to do, say, a Left Hand Circuit on Runway 07 ( in EIWT ) I'll be a little more anxious, as that's the circuits I'm least used to ( and the HP site is right in the way of glide approaches ).

Anyhow, any tips / advice from those of you who've done their solos would be much appreciated, thanks!

J.

The last lesson I did was out in Weston with the chief instructor who was checking me out to go solo. I did well enough that he let me actually do it but be prepared for the unexpected. He'll throw situations at you to see if you're capable of handling them by yourself.

Always be ready to go around, and remember, full power wait for positive rate and THEN start bringing up the flaps incrementally. Always be looking out for potential landing spots in case you lose your engine, he will ask you at some point.

There's nothing to worry about though, I'm sure you're well able if your instructor thinks you are. Don't panic - that's the one thing that will make the chief instructor think you're not ready.

Good lucky with it and let us know how you get on

jasonb

Thanks for your reply!

Yep, be prepared for anything is good advice. I got some practice with go arounds yesterday. Found myself too high once or twice while practising glides and made the decision to go around instead of trying to force it. The way I see it, I should have made sure I wasn't too high in the first place, but once I realised I was, at least I made the right decision to go around!

Not panicking is the key, hopefully I won't get too anxious and I'll just do what I've been doing for the last few months ( well, I'll do the good stuff! ).

J.

John_Mc

Yeah he's really only making sure you can make the right decisions.

One of the surprises he gave me was when we were doing touch and goes on 25, I did an alright landing and was about 100ft above and about half way down the runway when he suddenly goes: "You've lost your engine, what are you going to do?!". I'm pretty sure he pulled the throttle and carb at the same time. So I'd to make a decision quickly to land on the runway again... it was pretty strange seeing that short a runway at that height and with that much pitch down!

jasonb

Will he just grab the throttle like that or does he warn you first be telling you that he has control of the throttle?

In that case I'm guessing you got the flaps on and went for a landing? I suppose it's basically a 'problem after take off with runway remaining' but it's easy to forget that each touch and go is a landing and then a takeoff, so 'problems after takeoff' could happen after every single touch and go!

I'd say it was pretty nerve-wracking seeing so little runway, and height, with that amount of runway a go-around is the normal call, but not if you've no engine!

J.