problems for a wannabe ppl
I am interested in doing the ppl. What puts me off doing it in the uk is the cancelation of lessons due to weather. I then intended on going to florida but cant get the 3-6 weeks to go. I was then thinking of going to Spain or the Czeck republic for a week at a time and getting around 15 hours in to get a start (while also gettin the odd lesson in the uk). I dont think ill save any money just that ill be able to get almost guarenteed flying time. In the last week I have rang two schools in Ireland and both of them said there had been no flights for most of the last week due to wind and if I wanted to do a lesson I would have to book 3 weeks in advane.
After reading a lot of the other threads I am now having 2nd thoughts about getting the ppl. I dont want to fly for the sake of it, I want to fly to go places. Initially I thought Ill get the ppl and then put up a few hours in a rented aircraft and then do the IMC.
I have no interest in flying circuits or flying for the sake of tring to keep current. I want to be able to think on friday week im going where,and think occasionally I will have to cancel due to weather but from what I am led to believe at the moment, if I want to go further away than 250 miles there is more than a 50% chance that I will have to cancel. I read one blog of a guy that booked 90 flying lessons in the uk during October-December and only got 3 due to weather and instructors canceling. That works out at 1 in every 30 attempts. When working in the uk When working in the uk I would not have the time for cancelled lessons.
Another guy passed the ppl and then had the dilema that it was cheaper to rent a 450kg ultralight just to build up the hours for his CPL eventually but to keep his ppl current he would have to rent something else occasionally.
Once a month I want to be able to say on friday week I am flying from somewhere around londan to ireland (home) (or mybe a trip further away to europe or somewhere) and back on monday morning in , someting that will take 2 people, cruise at 130-140 mph and be able to legally take enough fuel for trip and not cost too much I some of the new aircraft like the zodiacs cost about 70k (well equiped) and burn about 20 litres an hour and even if i had to purchase outright myself it wouldnt be too expensive to run if other people would take shares to use it the other 3 weekends a month.
I would not mind if i thought ocasionally I will have cancel the trip or to stay another day because of the weather/wind. What i now think is about 50% of the time i will have to canel or stay an extra day or 3 and that is no good to me.
Im sure if i had loads of money and all sorts of ratings and a nice expensive aircraft I could have a 99.9% chance of flying on any given day. Unfortunately i will never be in that position. I just want it as a hobby and want it to give me a bit more freedom than going commercial but as already mentioed here if its too expensive there is no point in doing it.