swapping schools for winter
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swapping schools for winter
Hi All,
I've run into a little problem - Irish winter.
I'm doing my PPL in a place that has a grass strip. I started in last summer and so far only logged some 8-9 hours. Basically if it's not 45kt winds, then it's raining mad.. if it's not raining, it's foggy.. if it's not foggy and looks to be a perfect day for some flying, the grass strip still hasn't dealt with the excessive water etc.
I like the school and the strip so I don't want to change it completely, but I would definitely consider taking a couple of lessons some-place else, thus the question - what are the implications of doing that? Is that possible at all? How quickly can instructor can asses my skills to be able to pick up where the previous instructor has left? Am I going to be wasting my money going through exercises I already have completed? I was pretty close to going solo, but now obviously I would have to get adjusted to a new aircraft, tarmac strip, airspace etc.. I suppose I will be doing those things anyway at some point..
What I was thinking was maybe take a week or two off, go to Spain, get some 5-10 hours logged and hopefully be closer to finishing my PPL back in Ireland this summer? If things continue the way they are, I feel like I won't get to fly till April, making my chances of finishing PPL in summer pretty slim. Dragging it out till next year again would have huge cost implications etc.
All opinions welcomed p.s. I'm doing PPL just for fun, don't plan to go commercial thus coughing up some 10k usd for a full course in Florida is not really on the table, unless I can do just couple of hours and wrap it around a holiday or something.. but it is my understanding that these hours wont count towards my PPL, so that's a no then..
I've run into a little problem - Irish winter.
I'm doing my PPL in a place that has a grass strip. I started in last summer and so far only logged some 8-9 hours. Basically if it's not 45kt winds, then it's raining mad.. if it's not raining, it's foggy.. if it's not foggy and looks to be a perfect day for some flying, the grass strip still hasn't dealt with the excessive water etc.
I like the school and the strip so I don't want to change it completely, but I would definitely consider taking a couple of lessons some-place else, thus the question - what are the implications of doing that? Is that possible at all? How quickly can instructor can asses my skills to be able to pick up where the previous instructor has left? Am I going to be wasting my money going through exercises I already have completed? I was pretty close to going solo, but now obviously I would have to get adjusted to a new aircraft, tarmac strip, airspace etc.. I suppose I will be doing those things anyway at some point..
What I was thinking was maybe take a week or two off, go to Spain, get some 5-10 hours logged and hopefully be closer to finishing my PPL back in Ireland this summer? If things continue the way they are, I feel like I won't get to fly till April, making my chances of finishing PPL in summer pretty slim. Dragging it out till next year again would have huge cost implications etc.
All opinions welcomed p.s. I'm doing PPL just for fun, don't plan to go commercial thus coughing up some 10k usd for a full course in Florida is not really on the table, unless I can do just couple of hours and wrap it around a holiday or something.. but it is my understanding that these hours wont count towards my PPL, so that's a no then..
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basic logic dictates that the school should strongly advise not to go anywhere else because that way they are loosing business. I feel that the instructor/school can be biased in this matter therefore I prefer asking third party -e.g. folks here
As regards solutions, I'm pretty sure if they had one, they would have already suggested something
As regards solutions, I'm pretty sure if they had one, they would have already suggested something
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Where will you be flying from once you have your PPL?
If it's from the same strip, the weather doesn't bode well for the future: is the weather going to perk up just because you have your PPL?
Perhaps now is best time for a permanent change, maybe to a hard runway/airfield if you have one within reasonable distance
If it's from the same strip, the weather doesn't bode well for the future: is the weather going to perk up just because you have your PPL?
Perhaps now is best time for a permanent change, maybe to a hard runway/airfield if you have one within reasonable distance
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I have a hard-surface airfield near by that I'm planning to use post PPL on days when the grass strip wont cooperate, but to transfer all my studies there would have a significant cost impact, I can see my training costs going up by at least 30% - schools there are pricey and landing fees are ridiculous
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9 hours since last summer seems a bit pants to me, unless of course that's about how much you would have flown anyway. I would look at changing permanently if the airfield has problems. As Cusco says, it's not going to change once you have your PPL. Do Weston do flying training? Went there last year and they seem a friendly lot.
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My 2 cents only - YMMV and this advice is worth what you paid for it ...
Of course you can go and fly somewhere else, and it should be good for you; handling a different aircraft and different airspace etc. should give you a different perspective and broaden your skills - even if you are pre-solo. I went for 3 sightseeing flights whilst on holiday when I was pre-solo - there happened to be a flying club in the vicinity and one of their instructors was happy to take me (and my partner) up for some sightseeing trips. He duly never touched the controls - and it was great
HOWEVER (1) - it may not be good for everyone. Some people get upset if their routines change and depending on you and your personality/skill set, the temporary setback with a new aeroplane and airfield, instructor etc. may do more harm than good. Your instructor will have an opinion on this and you should talk to him/her.
HOWEVER (2) - what you seem to really be asking is whether you can do it as part of your training and count it towards your 45 hours, and that is a different question. Even if you go somewhere within EASA land and get an EASA approved instructor to sign off your hours AND you get to learn some meaningful new skills after getting used to the new instructor/aeroplane/airfield, it is ultimately your existing school which needs to approve these and which, after they believe you have achieved the right level, will put you forward for a skills test, irrespective of the number of hours in your logbook and the number of exercises which have been signed off by someone else... The amount of business they will lose by you going elsewhere for a couple of weeks is likely to be minimal. But you still really do need to talk to them - they may be able to talk to your interim instructor and make it more likely that the extra flying will be useful to your development.
Going back to my 3 hours sightseeing, these hours were 'wasted' as they did not count towards my 45 hours and, since I was neither PUT nor P1, I was really just supernumerary, so they still don't count for anything. But I flew them 'in my heart' and they gave me some excellent experience in a completely different environment. And they were fun
In fact, so much fun was it that, by the time I passed my skills test, I had about 8 hours of 'wasted' time in my logbook (duly marked as such) in 4 different aircraft from 4 different airfields in 3 countries on 2 different hemispheres 
- in addition to my normal flying lessons.
Personally, I think you are barking up the wrong tree for 3 reasons:
1. Flying elsewhere is good practice (with the caveat mentioned above) but you should not see those hours as part of your training, but part of your general flying experience, whether or not they count towards your 45 hours. What they will do, though, is keep you more current, so that the hours you do fly at your normal place should be more effective.
2. You seem to have no faith/confidence in your instructor/school to be able to do what is best for you, thinking only of their own short term. If are right, you should change schools regardless of any other factors. However, I think you are probably doing them a disservice and it sounds like you need to work on your relationship with them. You should show some faith and discuss this with them. And even if they say that they would not recommend it, there may be a reason for that as well.
3. Fly whatever you can, wherever you can, for the fun of it - not because it makes sense or it is cheaper - but just because it is fun and it is flying !
B.
Of course you can go and fly somewhere else, and it should be good for you; handling a different aircraft and different airspace etc. should give you a different perspective and broaden your skills - even if you are pre-solo. I went for 3 sightseeing flights whilst on holiday when I was pre-solo - there happened to be a flying club in the vicinity and one of their instructors was happy to take me (and my partner) up for some sightseeing trips. He duly never touched the controls - and it was great
HOWEVER (1) - it may not be good for everyone. Some people get upset if their routines change and depending on you and your personality/skill set, the temporary setback with a new aeroplane and airfield, instructor etc. may do more harm than good. Your instructor will have an opinion on this and you should talk to him/her.
HOWEVER (2) - what you seem to really be asking is whether you can do it as part of your training and count it towards your 45 hours, and that is a different question. Even if you go somewhere within EASA land and get an EASA approved instructor to sign off your hours AND you get to learn some meaningful new skills after getting used to the new instructor/aeroplane/airfield, it is ultimately your existing school which needs to approve these and which, after they believe you have achieved the right level, will put you forward for a skills test, irrespective of the number of hours in your logbook and the number of exercises which have been signed off by someone else... The amount of business they will lose by you going elsewhere for a couple of weeks is likely to be minimal. But you still really do need to talk to them - they may be able to talk to your interim instructor and make it more likely that the extra flying will be useful to your development.
Going back to my 3 hours sightseeing, these hours were 'wasted' as they did not count towards my 45 hours and, since I was neither PUT nor P1, I was really just supernumerary, so they still don't count for anything. But I flew them 'in my heart' and they gave me some excellent experience in a completely different environment. And they were fun
In fact, so much fun was it that, by the time I passed my skills test, I had about 8 hours of 'wasted' time in my logbook (duly marked as such) in 4 different aircraft from 4 different airfields in 3 countries on 2 different hemispheres - in addition to my normal flying lessons.Personally, I think you are barking up the wrong tree for 3 reasons:
1. Flying elsewhere is good practice (with the caveat mentioned above) but you should not see those hours as part of your training, but part of your general flying experience, whether or not they count towards your 45 hours. What they will do, though, is keep you more current, so that the hours you do fly at your normal place should be more effective.
2. You seem to have no faith/confidence in your instructor/school to be able to do what is best for you, thinking only of their own short term. If are right, you should change schools regardless of any other factors. However, I think you are probably doing them a disservice and it sounds like you need to work on your relationship with them. You should show some faith and discuss this with them. And even if they say that they would not recommend it, there may be a reason for that as well.
3. Fly whatever you can, wherever you can, for the fun of it - not because it makes sense or it is cheaper - but just because it is fun and it is flying !
B.
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thing - Weston does have flight schools, they're the expensive bunch I was referring to.
Baikonour - I work in security related area, basically everything's a risk to me until proven otherwise You are right, I should have more confidence in my flight school and I'll probably have a chat with the lads next week, if situation doesn't improve..
Baikonour - I work in security related area, basically everything's a risk to me until proven otherwise
You are right, I should have more confidence in my flight school and I'll probably have a chat with the lads next week, if situation doesn't improve..
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I think you can only count hours flown within your training organization.
I had an issue with a longer-than-expected (10 months!) overhaul of the training aircraft in my club, and I also wanted to change. I even flew with another instructor and another airplane, which was great mentally, but absolutely didn't count into my hours, since that CFI wasn't registered with my training organization.
In the end both the club and I sacrificed a little, and they registered another a/c to their organization, and I could continue without changing schools.
How about talking to your instructor and asking him/her to fly with you in Spain? A little more realistically, maybe take your instructor temporarily to another airfield, rent other planes - and this would probably count towards your PPL, even though temporarily more exensive.
I had an issue with a longer-than-expected (10 months!) overhaul of the training aircraft in my club, and I also wanted to change. I even flew with another instructor and another airplane, which was great mentally, but absolutely didn't count into my hours, since that CFI wasn't registered with my training organization.
In the end both the club and I sacrificed a little, and they registered another a/c to their organization, and I could continue without changing schools.
How about talking to your instructor and asking him/her to fly with you in Spain?
A little more realistically, maybe take your instructor temporarily to another airfield, rent other planes - and this would probably count towards your PPL, even though temporarily more exensive.
