Making Those Hours Count for Something...

[carbon15]

Hi,
I'm a low hour'd PPL looking to move up to a CPL. I've 50+ hours of PIC to collect and I was wondering what sort of things I should be practising and/or nailing on the head - instead of gazing out the window at the world below.

[EGBKFLYER]

Skills:

S&L to within 5 degrees and 50' consistently
Steep turns with no height gain/ loss
DR navigation en-route with justified hdg corrections (i.e. not map crawling)
R/T discipline
PFLs
Slow flight and stalls in all configurations
Intercept an NDB, fly to it and from it on given tracks
Calculate TO and Ldg distances, using appropriate safety factors
Fly S&L, level rate 1 turns, straight climb and descent on full and limited panel (take a safety pilot).
Max performance TO and Landings
Fly accurate circuits/ approaches in all configs

'Projects':

Find out what attitude and power setting is required for S&L flight at speeds in 10kt increments between 1.2 Vs and Normal cruise speed.

Using a DME - work out how many miles to change speed by x knots (say 120-80 for example)

Read your aircraft's POH cover to cover

Find a piece of uncontrolled sky and find out the service ceiling of your a/c (remember you need oxy above 10k')

Get complex differences training and learn about wobbly props and dangly gear

That's something to start with anyway...

Remember - you should seek the help of an FI with some of these - if in doubt it's always better to ask...

[Danny_manchester]

Carbon, like the name, but shouldn't it be carbon 12,13 or 14? :D

[mad_jock]

Go on the old bufty forum (nostalgia).

And offer to take some of the retired on some trips.

Their is so much experence on PPrune and the retired pilots really do have alot to give in the way of experence.

You could also use the time to go and visit the various CPL/IR schools around the UK.

And make sure you don't slip on your NAV. Plan every trip and be very critical of your own performance.

A couple of hours with a CPL school instructor might be an investment as well. Take on what they suggest you are needing to work on and perfect it.

MJ

[carbon15]

Some smarty pants always registers 14 before I can get there. I'm sure 15 is better than 14, right?

Thanks for the Tips' Chaps, it's far to easy to fall into that comfort zone of every-trip-is-a-bimble and let planning go out of the window....

[Field In Sight]

Everything EGBKFLER says, so that the CPL will be a piece of piss.

However don't be too serious, hour building should be the most enjoyable part of your flying traing. It was for me. No pressure, just pick a place to fly to and off you trot.

When I was instructing full time after passing one thing that I wished I would have done is get checked out in a few different types including taildraggers.

This then means that if you end up instructing then you can then instruct those differences aswell.

I couldn't bring myself to pay for flight training i.e. taildragger checkout once I had started instructing myself. :(

Enjoy it whilst it lasts.

FIS.