Learning in USA - weather

[HLJHLJ]

I'm sure there was a thread on this, but I can't find it anywhere. I'm thinking of finishing off my PPL in USA, probably Florida or thereabouts. Initially I was wanting to go in the next month or two, but I was warned it's a bad time because of the hurricane season. So then I was thinking that early next year would be better, but I was told the winds can be strong then too.

As I'm heading to the USA because my time is tight and I keep getting thwarted by UK weather, I really want to minimise my chances of getting grounded by weather. Is January a no-go as well? When is best?

[ZFT]

Why not go to Southern California/Arizona area? Weather pretty good most of the time. Great place for flying too.

[BackPacker]

I'm sure there was a thread on this, but I can't find it anywhere.

It's probably my sticky, right there at the top of the list.

I was warned it's a bad time because of the hurricane season.

"Bad time" is probably an overstatement. Yes, there may be one or two tropical storms while you're there and they mean you can't fly for a day or two. And a proper hurricane will literally blow your socks off but, all things considered, they are still pretty rare.

Just make sure you are flexible on your timing and you should be fine, especially in a month or two.

Or, indeed, go to SoCal.

[HLJHLJ]

Your thread has been a wealth of information Backpacker, but the one I was looking for had a list of months and the typical flying weather for each month.

I'm not especially tied to Florida, except that most of the JAA schools are round that way, and I have to fly in to Miami, so it would make sense. But I am open to suggestions.

In terms of time I am flexible in as much as I can go almost any time, but once it's booked and the time is arranged off with my various employers, then I will have no flexibility at all. I am hoping to have around 10 days altogether. I already have 40 hours and all my exams and radio licence, so I just need to finish my flying. I have very little solo time though and haven't flown in a year so I will be very rusty.

[BackPacker]

My thoughts too. If you're that close to finishing, maybe two weeks of dedicated effort in the UK are a much better idea.

Talk to your flight school and see if they can arrange for you to fly twice a day for two weeks straight, weather permitting. You've gone solo already so instructor availability will not be a huge issue anymore, although obviously you will at least require some dual time.

Once you get the hang of looking at the weather in great detail, not just the TAFs, METARs and Metforms, but also rainfall radar and such, you'll find that even bad days usually offer some flying opportunity, although you may have to be very flexible with your plans and hang around a lot waiting for a rain shower to pass etc. Obviously for the QXC you're going to need half a day with good forecasts, but if you're just going to do circuits for an hour, all you need is that hour of reasonable circumstances, plus a safety margin.

[Pilot DAR]

Don't overlook Canada. Great weather, no storms, and lot's of space....

[HLJHLJ]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I am not in the UK at the moment, I've been in Ecuador for the last year, and there is nowhere suitable to fly here. I've been back to the UK twice in the last year, and wasn't able to get a single hour of flying time in on either occasion because of the weather.

I can go back to the UK again, or I can go to USA or Europe. The USA is by far the cheapest and easiest place for me to reach, but my main concern is not getting grounded by the weather.

I passed my last exam and my radio licence in Dec 2010, so as I understand it I have until Dec 2012 to finish off.

[Pilot DAR]

There was flight training happening in Bogota when I was there last March.... (and the weather was very nice!)

[HLJHLJ]

There's flight training in Ecuador as well, but not JAA licenced. As far as I know there is nowhere I can get a JAA licence in South America, but I would love to be proved wrong, if anyone knows otherwise!

[172driver]

Why don't you post this Q in the Latin America and/or Spanish forum here on PPrune? Chances are these guys know if you can get a JAA license in South America.

[HLJHLJ]

I've asked about it before, and got the reply that USA was my best option. I didn't really intend this thread to get so bogged down in the details.

I'm really just after advice on the best time of year to go to Florida.

[patowalker]

Hours flown with an ICAO compliant instructor in Ecuador are just as good as hours flown with a JAA compliant instructor elsewhere. Get rid of the rust in Ecuador.

Climate of Florida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Florida)

[Cusco]

I did the FAA/IR in Florida (Naples: Gulf Coast) in two weeks at the end of Feb/beginning March many years ago.

The weather was very good, bright, sunny and with very good vis. : I didn't lose a single day's flying due to weather and flew most mornings and afternoons for 10 days. (tho' for the IR a few days of actual IMC would have been nice).

For the instructor's day off I hired the school a/c for a bimble over the everglades and went in to Everglade City on the way back.

I recall one day being pretty windy but we flew just the same and I got the test on my last day........

I used Naples Air Center, as have many PPRuNers. Although I was not doing PPL stuff the PPL and CPL side seemed pretty busy with a/c well maintained and active and loads of home-grown instructors. At that time they had a strong link with the Netherlands with several Dutch instructors.

They even had one of Hoffmann's (who unwittingly trained some of the 9/11 terrorists) PA28s confiscated after 9/11 on their stand.

IMHO the spring in Fl is worth considering: Give NAC a ring: they advertise in all the flight mags.

I have to stress I was there in early 2000s so things at the flying school may have changed: there will be others on here who have flown there more recently, I'm sure.

I guess if you're in the Americas already the expense would compare with flogging all the way back to UK but you chances of good Wx in Fl are infinitely higher.

Good Luck

Cusco

[172driver]

I didn't really intend this thread to get so bogged down in the details.

Ah, welcome to Pprune, where threads NEVER just follow the magenta line ;)

[tonker]

Don't forget Canada. Ok the weather is crap but at least its consistent:E

[HLJHLJ]

Ah, welcome to PPRuNe, where threads NEVER just follow the magenta line http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gif

So I am learning!

I would not get too bogged down about the weather. Just plan on doing it and accept the weather as it is. It would not be a showstopper at any time of year.


That's what I needed to know! I don't mind losing some flying time, and can schedule in a little leeway. I'm just worried about having a repeat of the problems with UK weather and being unable to fly at all. That would be pretty disastrous for me, as I probably won't have the time or money to be able to make a second trip before my exams expire.


Are you based in Ecuador? When you finally get your JAA license - how and where will you intend using it and maintaining it? If you are planing to remain in South America, why not get the 'local license' until such time as you may eventually move back to the UK?

I'll be leaving Ecuador next year, I'm not sure where to yet, though probably somewhere in Asia, so there's not much point me getting a local licence. There's other problems with it as well; I'd have to take a written test in Spanish, and my Spanish isn't good enough. Even to fly solo here under an instructor I would need to take the test first.

Plus I am based in Quito and I don't think I would physically be able to handle flying here. They say you acclimatise to the altitude after a few weeks, but I think it's more that you just get used to being unable to breathe. The pilots I know from the coast won't fly light aircraft up here for the same reason, although the Quitenos seem to manage without problems.

There are other issues as well though.

If I can work things out to finish off in USA (and Naples is my first choice at the moment) I might try and get a stand alone FAA licence at the same, just to keep my options open, but ... one step at a time for now.

[patowalker]

You get used to it. I flew hang-gliders from Pichincha. It has got to be easier with an engine. :)

[172driver]

I might try and get a stand alone FAA licence at the same

Definitely a good idea, for a variety of reasons, but especially so if you want to fly in non-JAA/FAA countries (which seems to be what you'll be doing).

[Cusco]

As a FAA/PPL piggy back holder myself, I'd second the notion of going that extra mile for a standalone: It will save you endless hassle in the long run:

If you tell them before you go they should be able to dovetail the two with minimal fuss and they'll tell you what extra in terms of written exams you need to pass.

Just check the school you go to is CAA/FAA/JAA approved.

[HLJHLJ]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

I thought I needed a FAA medical regardless of what licence I was aiming for in order to fly solo as a student in USA airspace. (I already have my JAA medical). Can anyone confirm if this is the case? I was thinking of getting it done in the next few months so it's one more thing out of the way.

I reckon I will need a minimum of 15 hours as the schools I have contacted all want 5 hours dual to refresh, and then I need 10 hours solo. But I would probably aim for 20 hours at least because it's so long since I've flown I think I may need more than the 5 hours minimum. So if I can tie that in with a FAA licence I will do it I think. My only worry would be if time constraints meant I would be risking getting my JAA licence, as that really is my priority.