New student pilot

[Nancy_bird]

G'day!

I am new GA, I have just 9 hours so far and am on a SPL.

I was with a school in MB flying the Jabiru but I was not happy with my instructor (nothing personal I just didn't feel happy) so joined another school who use the C152, I personally prefer this aircraft to the Jabiru.

Do you think I did the right thing to change from the Jabiru to C152? does it make much of a difference?

I am hoping to get my GFPT by the end of October if the weather permits

My dream would be to fly solo from Melbourne to Cairns to visit my Gran :)

I am reading the Aviation theory center BAK book and also the radio telephony book. I have also been given another flying manual which I go through before each flight.

So far the theory aspect is ok & not too complicated for me, one thing I don't quite fully understand is why we land in to the wind? would it not be quicker to land with the wind to arrive earlier?

well I am glad I found this site, I hope it is ok for people like me to post.

[Flying Bear]

G'Day Nancy,

Welcome to the site - I won't speak for the Mods, but I'm sure it's fine for you to post here. Hopefully some of the personalities that lurk these pages might remember why they started in this line of work in the first place and regain sight of what is fundamentally important about aviation - to enjoy it!

Nevertheless - Melbourne to Cairns solo is a solid undertaking - you'll love it when you do it. Make sure you take a few days to stop along the way and see the sights, otherwise you may as well do it in the back of a jet - boring...

Jabiru vs C152 - I won't open that can of worms (much like a Ford vs Holden debate...) by my personal opinion is that you have made a sound decision. The 152 is a tried and true trainer and many of us have their first solo hours in one (for me, I fondly remember VH-HCC at RQAC - painted olive green, of all colours...).

Studying before each flight is essential - stay on that track and you'll be fine.

Landing into wind? Essentially, it means we don't use as much runway after we touch down (ie less landing distance required) and the lower groundspeed for touchdown is more easily absorbed by the brakes (they'll last longer!). It also causes the aircraft to climb steeper (ie greater angle of climb) than nil wind or tail wind in the event of a go around. This, in turn, gives us better clearance margins over obstacles such as trees / powerlines / houses at the far end of the runway. Check out the graphs in Section 5 of the C152 Pilot Operating Handbook - you'll see what I mean when you do a chart with a 5 knot headwind vs a 5 knot tailwind... Arriving quicker in aeroplanes is not always the best outcome!

Anyway, back to work for me - enjoy the journey!

[autoflight]

Please check your Private Messages. After you have logged in, top right of page under the Welcome message

[VH-XXX]

Whether or not you have realised this Nancy Bird, when you started in the Jabiru you were training for your Pilot Certificate under Recreational Aviation Australia and then when you moved to the 152 you were working towards your General Aviation Private Pilots Lience - they are vastly different. (This is assuming that you started your training at Soar Aviation at Moorabbin, their website says that they only do RA-Aus training)

If you want to be able to fly in controlled airspace and in large aircraft (larger than 2 seats), at night, day, under instrument conditions etc, then you are on the right path now with the 152.

Someone once described the difference between the RA-Aus Pilot Certificate and the GA PPL as being like a TAFE course compared to a University Degree. They both do a somewhat similar thing in the end, but are vastly different in terms of how you get there and where you can go.

[Homesick-Angel]

Take your time, do your research, study hard and enjoy the journey.

Remember its your job to do the work, your instructor can only give you the tools to get there, but saying that, ask as many questions as you can think of, and if you don't think the answers are helping, keep asking.

[A37575]

Take your time, do your research, study hard and enjoy the journey.


After each dual flight until you have done your first solo, review your progress with the instructor. You state you have nine hours experience. Normally that means you are close to first solo. That said, so much depends on the skill and enthusiasm of your flying instructor as well as your own personal ability to fly. What you need to avoid is excessive dual to solo ratio of flying hours. All things being equal if up to 12-15 hours dual and still not solo, then you need to be wary.

Where possible from now on, try to be scheduled with a grade one instructor such as the CFI. Too many junior instructors, themselves inexperienced pilots, may hang on to you to earn more money dual and have difficulty due to their inexperience, to gauge when you are ready for first solo. Of course it also depends on how often you fly. Meanwhile spend some time practicing flying a synthetic trainer. If flying weather is unsuitable then don't waste the day - practice basic flying techniques in the simulator.

[aditya104]

Hi Nancy. Welcome to pprune.

why we land in to the wind? would it not be quicker to land with the wind to arrive earlier?While coming in to land, your aircraft's speed is very slow. At slow speeds, a headwind will allow you to land safely without dropping(stalling). Sometimes, quicker is not better (or safer). Anyway, you have headwind only when you are on finals, which is a very small portion of your flight.

This was a simple explanation. If you want to learn more, read up about Lift in the BAK book or Aerodynamics book. You can also ask again here.

Focus on one flight at a time and have fun!

[Ultralights]

Whether or not you have realised this Nancy Bird, when you started in the Jabiru you were training for your Pilot Certificate under Recreational Aviation Australia
unless of course, its a VH rego Jabiru.

in the end, aircraft type shouldn't make a difference, what will make a difference is how you feel with your instructor, a good relationship will be far more beneficial than one you dont like. a good instructor will teach you just as well regardless of aircraft type.

my instructors tip. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! remember, Prior preparation prevents pss poor performance, this even goes for training, after your lesson debriefing, ask for the material on the next lesson. take it home and read up on it.. while going over the texts about your next lesson, dont be afraid to ask your instructor questions about the next flight while doing your homework.(via sms is the better way) good instructors will let you do this, and even encourage it. it will put you in a league above the students that dont. making you a better pilot, and save money as well.

[TOUCH-AND-GO]

Hi Nancy and welcome to Pprune! :) I wish you the best in pursuing your flying career. I myself have flown from Melbourne to Cairns and it's absolutely spectacular.!

The reason why we land into wind is because it allows us to fly an approach on final at a slower Ground speed. This enables us too use less runway when coming to a complete stop. Same reason why we take off into a headwind.

Flying into wind also provides us with a steeper approach path/angle. This helps us clear obstacles that may or may not obstruct our flight path towards the runway. :)
Hope this helps, enjoy and safe flying.!

T&G :ok:

[VH-XXX]

unless of course, its a VH rego Jabiru.

Ultralights... The point is that there aren't any at Moorabbin. The average new punter (no offence Nancy) wouldn't know the difference between RAA and GA so I hope I cleared that up a little.

[27/09]

A37575Where possible from now on, try to be scheduled with a grade one instructor such as the CFI. Too many junior instructors, themselves inexperienced pilots, may hang on to you to earn more money dual and have difficulty due to their inexperience, to gauge when you are ready for first solo

If this statement sums up the general state of the play in Oz so far as instructors go then things are in a pretty sorry state.

Sure some of the flying schedule should be with the CFI but it's not practical for every student to fly all their lessons with the CFI.

Those junior instructors need to get experience, remember the Grade 1 was a junior instructor once. If the junior instructors have been trained properly and the Grade 1 or CFI is mentoring them properly there should not be any problems.

If the junior instructor doesn't have any idea when a student is ready to go solo then their training/mentoring is deficient. If the instructor is "hanging on to students in order to get more money then the CFI isn't doing their job properly.

I would hazard a guess that word would soon get around the students if any junior instructor was in the habit of "hanging on" to students for the instructors financial gain.

I would seriously question the value of a synthetic trainer at this early stage of flying.

[Nancy_bird]

G'day,

Thank you for the tips & advice, really nice to see my fellow aviators helping me out.

My current instructor is a Grade 3, I thought that was a good thing! is grade 3 not the highest level? and grade 1 the lowest or have I missed something?

My aim is to train towards a GFTP, and then PPL, that is as far as I want to go right now, I couldn't see my self flying at night or in instrument conditions! I will leave that for the professionals

I have another lesson midweek!

Thank you for the reply's about headwind it sort of makes more sense now

Going a bit off topic! my mum asked me a question the other day and I could not answer! perhaps someone here knows?? obviously a propeller spins around and creates the thrust which makes you move along on ground and in the air, but on the Qantas planes they don't have propellers so what is creating the thrust? is there a hidden propeller you just cant see it??

Many thanks to everyone for support :ok:

[Capt Fathom]

Something not quite right here!

[triathlon]

Love the comment, " At slow speeds, a headwind will allow you to land safely without dropping(stalling). " WTF?

[VH-XXX]

Something not quite right here!

Touche! ;)

[autoflight]

Capt Fathom,
I also am smelling a rat. ie someone who uses the expression "instrument conditions" but also asks about into wind landings and "Qantas planes". Sounds like a beat up. Cute, but getting more obvious. Wish I had thought of it first.

[Pinky the pilot]

I think I hear a padlock being prepared!

[27/09]

the Qantas planes they don't have propellers so what is creating the thrust? is there a hidden propeller you just cant see it?

Yep, The hidden propeller pretty well covers it.

[ozaggie]

Hidden propeller!
Ya cant see it because its attached to your hat, Gearloose!

[Homesick-Angel]

I like to give the benefit of the doubt, but tis smelling more fruity by the moment.

Could be the real deal though?

[VH-XXX]

A zero hour beginner usually doesn't choose the a username like "Nancy Bird" assuming Nancy Bird Walton is involved.

[Ace on Base]

Bahahaha.... me thinks its a wind up!!!

Lets see where it goes...

[Wizofoz]

...Well, it had gone nowhere for two months till you revived it....

[Mail-man]

Could i also kindly suggest aditya104 take his/her own advice a read up on aerodynamics....

[roundsounds]

Hi Nancy_bird, if you've got 9 hours and don't understand why you land into wind and find the need to ask a forum like this one you might want to find another instructor. Firstly your instructor(s) should have addressed this topic by now and have checked to see if you understood why, secondly they should establish a relationship where you feel totally comfortable to ask any question. Remember, the only silly question is the one you didn't ask! It's great for you to do your own study from the flying training manual, provided the instructor confirms your understanding of what you've studied during a preflight briefing. For most, if not all of your lessons so far you should have had an absolute minimum of 20 preflight briefing in a classroom with the instructor. If this isn't the case spend some time finding a school who will brief and debrief every session - both dual and solo. This is critical - even if you pay a bit more. Remember the stuff you're doing now forms the basis for the rest of your flying future. Good luck and enjoy your learning!!

[jbr76]

I am new GA, I have just 9 hours so far and am on a SPL.

So far the theory aspect is ok & not too complicated for me, one thing I don't quite fully understand is why we land in to the wind? would it not be quicker to land with the wind to arrive earlier?

You have logged 9hrs and don't understand why you land into the wind?! Either your instructor needs a clip around the ear for poor delivery of the very basic standards of the Day VFR Syllabus or you're going to be spending alot of money gaining your PPL :hmm:

Going a bit off topic! my mum asked me a question the other day and I could not answer! perhaps someone here knows?? obviously a propeller spins around and creates the thrust which makes you move along on ground and in the air, but on the Qantas planes they don't have propellers so what is creating the thrust? is there a hidden propeller you just cant see it??

Hilarious. :D

[Rbwoonton]

Well its kind of true isnt it? There is a prop.. and it is 'hidden'..

[ZAZ]

High wing Cessnas great planes

Learn in one well and you will handle anything in future including cross winds.
In 1980 I learned to fly in C152's at Staywood Air then bought a French Reims/Cessna with an 0240 engine and flew it 1700 hours.
Then I bought a C150L and stuffed a 150 HP avcon conversion in it and flew it around Australia in the Bicentennial Air-race and beat many faster aircraft and commercial pilots.
I never had engine problems, force landings or any issues.
After 1988 up graded it to IFR and did my Class 3 rating then my Class one rating flying with 5 or 6 CASA Examiners of airmen.

The only criticism was that they said I needed an autopilot for IFR so went to ARCAV and fitted a system 40.
Also fitted an original GPS100AVD
Plane still flying some where in WA, I did 2500 hours in it.

Im still up in Vic not in a Cessna however but after a break of two years I was able to step into an ugly duckling Lance Tee Tail and never died so

YES go CESSNA!!

:ok: