What time of year for CPL/ME/IR training ?

[Northern Highflyer]

Thinking ahead now, but around this time next year I hope to have the ATPL's in the bag and ready to start my practical training. As we all know, the weather at this time of year tends to go from bad to worse, so I got to thinking about when to start the flying training.

Is it a reasonable expectation to start training this time of year and complete on time, or is it better to wait until say March / April time before starting ?

I remember the problems I had during my PPL training days with weather. Does the CPL/IR require good weather, as I know for instance, that much of the IR can/is done on the sim.

As I have to negotiate time off work to do the training I can't afford to be sat about idle for days on end, but at 33, I don't want to leave my training any later than I have to. One advantage of delaying the training would be extra time to complete the ATPL exams I suppose.

Any thoughts or experiences ??

[FlyingForFun]

For the CPL, it might be worth looking at going abroad. I'm going to Florida to mine for exactly that reason.

For the IR, it's less of an issue. As you say, some can be done in the sim, but much of it can be done in IMC too. In winter, icing will be an issue, but in spring/summer/autumn I'd guess there isn't very much that can make a day non-flyable for an IR lesson (CBs, strong winds and fog maybe).

FFF
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[Send Clowns]

Look out of the window. I haven't seen a cloud all afternoon, I was teaching the 5th lesson for a PPL. Weather is great! Has been for months, almost without interruption. If it's sunny fly, if not, talk about flying.

Yes weather is a consideration in the winter in the UK, it cannot be denied. You will often find, though, that the worst is over before January, I have logged a fair few VFR hours in a February when we often get a lot of clear skies, and that was up country (here we have more sunshine than anywhere else in the UK, so it is not an average comparrison). I did my CPL in the winter, and the school I was with running down for Christmas and a slight illness did more to delay me than weather.

Certainly the sim time for both CPL and IR (up to 43 hours of the 50-hour course, if that is how you want it!) is independent of weather, but as FFF says much of the IR can be completed in fairly poor weather. Even CPL flying is less weather-dependent than PPL.

When I went to the states many years ago for a PPL it turned out I would have achieved it more quickly in the UK, as the weather was poor over there. Couldn't have afforded it though.

[Capt BK]

I'm starting my CPL/IR in April next year but thats got just as much to do with other factors as it has with weather.

Weather can be so strange in the UK that I don't personally feel it should have a completely overiding influence. I actually did most of my PPL through the winter and only ever had a handful of lessons cancelled.

I had a lot of hire slots cancelled during the wonderful summer just gone - due to poor visibility! On the otherhand, the best weather I have ever flown in was last December 27th - zero wind, visibility upto the horizon - an amazing couple of hours!

I was once told that some schools will not conduct IR training in IMC which has always seemed to puzzle me:confused: I don't know if its true but I would ask schools as you visit them.

CBK

[Northern Highflyer]

CBK

Some instructors won't teach in IMC conditions as they need to keep a good lookout when teaching the student general handling, etc.
I would imagine that a full IR trip with SID, etc wouldn't be a problem though in IMC.

Send Clowns

It was cloudy here all day yesterday, we must have got your share. :p

Why is the CPL less dependent ?
Living in the North my current intention is to do the course at one of the schools at LBA, which is notorious for fog.

FFF

Are you doing a JAA CPL in Florida or will you have to convert when you get back ? How long would that take ?

[FlyingForFun]

Yes - doing a JAA CPL. There are currently about 4 or 5 schools in the USA who can do this (complete list is here (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/srg_fcl_ApprovedFTOs.pdf), as always).

Not certain on the rules for converting, as it's not something I've looked into. Off the top of my head, I think it's just whatever training your JAA-approved training organisation thinks is necessary, and then a skills test, but I may well be completely wrong.

FFF
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[YYZ]

As I have to negotiate time off work to do the training

How did you do that??
Did you tell them once trained you will be leaving as soon as humanly possible to work in a career you should enjoy?
Or did you lie:rolleyes:

[Northern Highflyer]

Did you tell them once trained you will be leaving as soon as humanly possible to work in a career you should enjoy?

Not quite in those words but they are aware of what I am/will be doing. I have made no secret of what my intentions are, and as I have been here several years now, they know that if I didn't do the flying then I would be looking to further my career and move on anyway.

They offer various opportunities to take a career break, sabbaticals, etc so I intend to make the most of it while I can.

Me lie ??? at work ???? never !!!

Even now I am working hard....no I am not prooning at all boss ;) :rolleyes:

[FlyingForFun]

Even if your boss isn't quite as understanding as Northern Highflyer's, you don't need to lie.

I told my boss I'm doing a CPL. "What - to become an airline pilot?" I laughed: "No, of course not!" Then I told him how I was in the bar at the airfield the other day, when someone mentioned that there was a job going doing a bit of aerial photography on the occasional weekend (which is true, as it happens), and the CPL would put me in a position where I'd be able to do that kind of thing if another opportunity arose, as well as being a challenging and fun thing to do.

FFF
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[Dufwer]

FFF, prehaps you could clarify something for me. Once you complete your JAA CPL in the US, will you or will you not need some kind of conversion when you get back? (I think I might be misreading your mail)

D

[FlyingForFun]

No, I will not. Can't think of any way of making it clearer than that!

The course I am doing is a JAA course. It is an identical course, with identical qualifications, to any CPL course you could do in the UK. In my last-but-one post on this thread I speculated on what the requirements for a conversion might be - that was for someone who was doing an FAA CPL, and does not apply to me, or anyone doing the same course as me. Sorry if that caused confusion!

FFF
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[YYZ]

I have managed to get excess time off if needed for the ATPLs but I think if I asked for extra for the CPL/IR they would laugh so hard my P45 would fall out of a file nearby and connect itself to my last payslip

No harm in asking when I get there I suppose
:8