Flying lessons

[syncro_single]

Have decieded to learn to fly and would really like your advice:

1. There are two types of licience available, apart from cost what are the main differences?

2. Where can I get the books I need and which ones are best?

3. What equipment such as flight planning rulers and nav computers do I need and wheres the best place to get them?

Thanks for you help.

:) :) :) :)

[Beethoven]

Hi,
In answer to your first question,I would go for the full JAR ppl because it took me 75 hours anyway to complete due to various reasons (ok..because I was crap!!) so the hours difference for me would have been pointless.
Secondly...you can get all the books you need from your flying club or school..and the equipment also...your new instructor will tell you what you need.
Enjoy yourself!
Beethoven

[28thJuly2001]

I wouldnt buy the equipment from the flying club (unless your feeling charitable) because they are sure to be more expensive.
I found the cheapest place to get the Thom or Pratt books were at amazon.co.uk. It is a matter of opinion as to which are best but I bought the Pratt collection along with the PPL confuser and passed all the exams first time.
I bought all the equipment from the various catalogues that drop out of the Flyer magazine. Don't go mad buying all the little flying toys because you won't use them for a while yet. :D
The differences between the 'proper' PPL and the NPPL is mostly to do with the medical, so if you are physically fit and can pass the Class 2 without any problems I suggest keeping clear of the NPPL because otherwise you will be restricted to flying in the UK only.

28th,,

[Beethoven]

28th is correct on the price score..however I don't remember having much of an option as to where to get the books and gear from as it was kinda chucked at me straight after my first lesson and added on to the final bill !! Also,there are a couple of options as to which course books your instructor prefers."Pratt" or "Thom".I would try and discourage you from borrowing them (with the exception possibly of the human factors book) as I have found them invaluable for refreshing my memory of air law...drift correcion etc.
Beet

[Mouse Bound]

"The Price of Everything and The Value of Nothing" Oscar Wilde (I think?)

My advice would be to go for the full JAR licence.

With respect to the books and equipment, I would buy these locally. If you take into account the cost of the course a few quid extra on the books is neither here nor there.

Enjoy the process of learning and the fun after you have qualified - to do this I suggest that you should join a good club. It takes money to run a club and if they can't make a profit then they will not be around for long.

PS I don't run a club but I am a part-time instructor.:)

[Mr Wolfie]

Synchro_Single:

Have a look at ebay.co.uk (online auction) - There is a whole catagory on "Pilots gear" - The Pratt books and Thom books are both currently listed together with protractors, whizz wheels, etc., not to mention headsets, goggles (!), aviation GPS's and other paraphanalia.

I bought most of my stuff this way: CRP-1 less than 20 quid, Thom books at less than a tenner each (make sure that they are recent editions that cover the JAR course and also make reference to the most recent Air Nav Order (2000) in respect of the Air Law exam).

I suppose in total I've saved less than £100, but that pays for another hour of training.

Mr. Wolfie

[vancouv]

I would go for the JAR license, unless, as said earlier, you have an issue with the medical. It's unlikely you will complete in the minimum hours that the NPPL talks about, and to pay the extra and then end up with only an NPPL would be annoying!

As for books etc., I guess it depends on your club. Mine didn't mark them up, but loads of things I had to buy from Transair anyway as they didn't stock them.

Definitely buy rather than borrow the books - I still look at them quite a bit now although I have my PPL

[FlyingForFun]

Don't buy anything until you need it!!!

First of all, have you ever been in a small aeroplane? You never know - you might not like it. Ok, so you probably will, but just on the off-chance you don't, there's no point wasting money.

Second point, you don't know what you'll need. There are two sets of books which almost everyone studies from, and if you ask which one is best everyone will tell you that the one they used is best. That's why I'd suggest you use whichever set of books your instructor recommends. Neither is better than the other, and if you get the set your instructor knows best, he'll be best placed to help you if you get stuck.

That doesn't just apply to books, either. There are a multitude of different types of protractors out there - square ones, rectangular ones, round ones, ones with extra funky features.... Once you're at the point of your training where you need one (which probably won't be until at least 15-20 hours, after you've gone solo), sit down with your instructor and let him demonstrate each of them to you, and you can decide which one suits you best. The same with pens - I like medium-sized permanent markers to write on my charts, others prefer the fine-point pens, others swear by chinagraph pencils - you have no idea at this stage which would suit you. Some people like large A4-size kneeboards, I find the cockpit cramped with a large kneeboard and I prefer a smaller A5 one. The list is endless.

Basically, my advice would be to not buy anything until you really need it. When you need it, look at all the options and decide what's best. Then find the cheapest place to buy it (although, compared to the total cost of flying, any saving you'll find will be negligable.) If your school tries to shove a huge package of stuff in your face on your first lesson, find another school!

Good luck, and have fun!

FFF
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[jonathang]

Just to back up what FFF and the others have said.

I made the mistake of buying useless Equipment that I don't need.

*A5 Kneeboard when I prefer an A4. (for example)

I would only advise you buy:

Thom Book 1 - Flying Training
Thom Book 2 - Airlaw + Met

You won't need anything else until after first solo anyway.

Good luck :)


P.S. I found the Pratt books had far better explanations of the content, but the Thom books were far more in depth (TECHNICAL one being far more extensive).

[140cherokee]

No-one's mentioned headsets. Was first thing I bought (other than a couple of Pratt books and a kneeboard). The headsets at the school looked as old as the aircraft and less well maintained!

A comfortable headset with good attenuation and clear reception will help no end with RT.

[MLS-12D]

Excellent posts, everyone.

syncro_single, if you take a look at recent flying magazines you will see that the perceived pros and cons of the NPPL are rehashed at length every couple of issues or so.

A good general reference book that you will enjoy reading and would helpfully supplement Pratt or Thom is Peter Garrison's "Flying Airplanes: The First Hundred Hours" (NY: Doubleday, 1980). It is out of print, but available at the library or secondhand. He makes the point that one should avoid loading up on unnecessary 'pilot' stuff, e.g. watches, hats, jackets, rulers, etc. etc.

MLS-12D :)

[Dufwer]

Go for a Jar PPL cause then you can legally smuggle booze and fags in from France.

I found that for the first few hours flying there's only 3 things I needed.
1. Log book - to record the memorable occasions
2. My our checklist - to show to (and bore) the friends
3. A grin from ear to ear.

Once you are happy with the instructor and school, use their perferance in books/equipment/etc

Enjoy!
D