PPL Flying Lesson Frequency in Winter

[Completely Concorde]

Hi all.

I am a new private pilot student and I'm in the middle of considering how to space out my lessons (and the times I should take them). Due to having a busy schedule, and my FI having a busy schedule too, I can only fly one day a week.

Initially, I was just going to fly one hour a week but have since considered the option of flying two hours per week, on the same day. Has anyone had any experience of doing this? I would leave myself either a 1.5 hour or 3 hour gap in between lessons, so I can go home, read up and get some lunch etc. I live very close to the airfield so this isn't a problem.

Do people think have two lessons on one day is a bad idea? Should I just stick to one? Like I said, due to my availability and that of my FI, it is impossible for me to fly any other day than a Saturday.

In addition, should I book my first lesson for the first slot in the morning with my FI? Around 10am? Is picking an early morning slot in winter just asking for it to be cancelled with the weather? Would I be better to take a later slot just in case of fog or any other adverse weather?

I'm going to have a chat with my FI over the weekend, but would like as many opinions and past experiences as possible.

Thanks!

[CISTRS]

Before you learn to fly in Winter in the UK, you will learn PATIENCE.
Your flying lesson depends on a free lesson slot, availability of aircraft, instructor and suitable weather.
During Winter, maybe you will achieve half your intended lessons.
If you live fairly local to the airfield, I would recommend turning up, even if the weather is initially unsuitable for your lesson. Conditions may improve for a while later in the day, and slots will have been cancelled due to Wx.

Mid-morning slot and after lunch slot should be fine, if achievable. Depending on local arrangements, first and last slot of the day may be complicated by hangar logistics.

Taking advice from your instructor is a good idea. Do not pay in advance.

Good luck, safe flying.

[mrmum]

Two flights a day, once a week is perfectly fine if that works for you. In my experience, pretty much every student can cope with 2 lessons, where they have a break in between.
Broadly speaking, the more frequently you fly, the better progress you will make, as you have the benefit of more continuity and recency.
As to what time of day is best, just do what suits you best and accept that the weather will force some of the lessons to be cancelled. There are plenty of things to do within the process of learning to fly, that don't actually involve going flying, so even bad weather times can be utilised.

[alex90]

I think this also depends quite a bit on where you are learning. Different airfields have different diurnal weather patterns. Biggin Hill often has thick fog to mist early mornings (just see the difference between the due point and temperature) - this often lifts mid - late afternoon.

What I did when I trained, I booked most Saturdays and Sundays, 2 lessons a day, one at 10.30 and the other at 2.30 (you'll remember that soon the clocks change in the UK and we'll get night around 4ish).

I found that actually at the beginning 2 lessons a day was too much for me. Although I didn't realise it - I was tired on the second flight, and taking in information from the first lesson didn't really sink in properly until I had slept on it / analysed the flight in detail in my head. After about 10-15 hours, solo coming up is when I was able to increase my awareness, and able to cope with 2 flights per day.

A piece of advice I can give you for your learning, is to work on the ground school earlier rather than later. Not only will it not restrict you, (ie you need air law for going solo) but also it does teach you an incredible amount which will ease your understanding of exercises you do in the plane. I preferred the Pooley's books rather than the AFE ones; They're a different style and different format to one another - pick the one you are most comfortable with. Also there is an app on the app store with sample questions: EASA PPL Exam which have better practice questions than either of the books (but please don't just learn the answers - understanding is important during the learning phase.). I think it cost me at least 5 hours of flying not to have done this!

Also spend a lot of time on the maps, aviation charts, google earth and if you have one, flight simulator (I like X-Plane because I can actually fly the plane I learnt on, where I learnt with really good visuals).

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[Big Pistons Forever]

Originally Posted by alex90

Also spend a lot of time on the maps, aviation charts, google earth and if you have one, flight simulator (I like X-Plane because I can actually fly the plane I learnt on, where I learnt with really good visuals).

Hope this helps! Good luck!

As an experienced instructor I will throw in my 2 cents.

For most students 2 lessons in one day is doable if there is a good break between flights. Coming prepared makes a huge difference in training progress.

But being prepared takes positive action by both the instructor and the student. A student should never leave the airfield after a lesson without a clear idea of what he/she needs to study. A student should never show up for a lesson without doing their homework. The indicator I, as an instructor, use is questions from the student. If a student shows up for a lesson and they have no questions/queries/request for an further explanation then they have not fully prepared for the lesson

Finally I hate Microsoft Flight Sim. I told all my Ab Initio students to stay off the sim. It is simply not realistic enough to fly visual attitudes and so sim pilots stare at the instruments instead of looking out the windshield. They also acquire bad habits as a result of practicing without supervision.

[wood73]

I flew through the whole of last winter once a week, with only 1 or 2 being cancelled.
Early lessons at say 9 o'clock gave me crisp smooth weather and on the odd occasion there was low cloud, we got up and done some bad weather circuits or low level navigation.


I was probably lucky with the days I chose to fly and in all fairness we did have quite a mild winter.


I done 1 hour per week, some say this is not ideal in terms of progression, but I soloed at 11 hours and currently at 34 hours am preparing for the qualifying cross country.

[alex90]

Finally I hate Microsoft Flight Sim. I told all my Ab Initio students to stay off the sim. It is simply not realistic enough to fly visual attitudes and so sim pilots stare at the instruments instead of looking out the windshield. They also acquire bad habits as a result of practicing without supervision.

I don't know Microsoft Flight Simulator, (I am a mac person) - but the visuals, town shapes, lakes even trees if you set it to render properly are incredibly accurate in X-Plane. I also purchased a Cessna Yoke, pedals and throttle, and customised the environment so that I concentrate on the outside world. It was really useful for forced landings, and basic navigation. I can however see how some students would use that to their disadvantage - point taken!

Early lessons at say 9 o'clock gave me crisp smooth weather and on the odd occasion there was low cloud, we got up and done some bad weather circuits or low level navigation.

I think that relates back to "where" you're going to be training, as well as mostly luck! I have gone several weeks without being able to take off when I was training.

and currently at 34 hours am preparing for the qualifying cross country.

Good luck in your QXC!!

[sharpend]

Of course Flt Sim is no substitute for real flying. But it is useful! One of the early problems students have is where to look in the cockpit and how often should look in. Knowing were and what to look at, and indeed how long to assimilate the required data is vital. For example, one needs to know one's speed on finals, but 95% of the time one should be looking outside. By not getting fixated with speed, one will achieve a better mix.

Later, during applied flying (especially instrument flying) Flt Sim becomes even more useful.

But you cannot learn to fly by using Flt Sim!

[Johnm]

Two well spaced lessons a day is doable, once you have a few hours under your belt. Initially just one lesson will soak up a LOT of energy.

The advice to get going with ground school and exams is sound. It means there's progress going on even if the air work lesson gets cancelled due wx.

I found flight sim is useless for VFR flying, but great for practicing IFR procedures, so I'd use it with great caution in ab initio training.