Start from scratch...or not?
Was wondering which way to jump. Let me explain...
I started my PPL way way back in Jan 2000. In the summer of that year the school went bust.
My training continued spasmodically (with all the usual weather cancellations) with the instructor I'd had at the school, using club aircraft. I eventually soloed in April 2001. She then went and got a job with BA, so I joined another school at the start of 2002 which in a short time went the way of the first.
Now, discouraged by the lack of continuity and fairly confused by the differing ways of instruction I lost the enthusiasm for a while, helped by a rather large tax bill!!
Last year I started again with a change of aircraft from the trusty old 152 to a Tomahawk and soon got the hang of general airwork and circuits again, though I didn't manage to solo. This was bought to an abrupt end with some fairly heavy personal / family problems which pushed me off the rails for a while.
New Year 2004 came and along with it a resolution to complete the PPL and progress on from there. So I put my head down and have now completed all my exams (the ones I had taken were out of date) and my medical is once again current (I am 38).
I run my own business so have a fair amount of freedom as to when I can do my training. I have been sensible and instead of trying to pay for lessons as I went I now have the money put aside to complete my PPL and more.
I have 38.5 hours in my logbook, of which only 2 hours are solo (solo consolidation) and have completed 1 dual xcountry, though this was now 2 years ago almost.
I find it a little worrying that apart from my theory exams I have never been shown how to do a weight and balance, or a passenger briefing, or a fuel calculation. I believe this won't have been helped by the lack of continuity of flying, instruction and of course flying with huge gaps in between.
So.... what do you ppruners think?
Do I literally start from scratch or do I block book 20 hours and try and fill in the gaps as I go along?
Do I go to the US or SA and combine the completion with a night qualification and some hours building, maybe in a taildragger or complex types, or do I stay in the UK and get it finished and do the add-ons afterward? I would ultimately like to have the minimum of night, IMC and taildragger ratings. I am beginning to be too advanced in years to think full commercial, but may consider FI.
Should I (more than likely) stay in the PPL territory I would ultimatley be looking at a group or indeed own aircraft.
So go on then, let me hear from the more seasoned flyers out there. Do I start again or do I carry on and fill in the gaps?