This is an interesting topic for me. I've just started my PPL and although I have the dosh up front to do the PPL and probably some left over for IMC/night rating; once it's gone I'm going to budget £300 a month for flying which at my club buys just over 3 hours in a 172/28 or just under 4 in a 152. Add in some passenger flying at shared cost and I'm hoping to do around 40 to 45 hours a year of hopefully interesting and challenging flying rather than doing the local milk run. I agree with CG in the last post, 45 hours doing 4 hours at a time in a straight line is worse than doing 12 hours of ccts, stalls, forced landing practice etc.
I wouldn't want to be doing any less personally, although I fully understand that people have varying amounts of disposable income. If I could only afford to do an hour a month I seriously doubt I would have taken it up. Again that's no slight on people who do an hour a month, there are plenty at my club who as far as I can see are competent enough, but I don't think I would feel safe doing the legislated minimum.
I will stress the 'I' in I don't think I would feel safe, there are probably pilots who fly half of what I intend to fly who are far better pilots than I will ever be.
Last edited by thing; 4th Apr 2011 at 20:34.