Evo,
There's a lot one can do in a club environment as a new PPL. Obviously it spoils a bit if your home airfield is underwater, but there are usually some other options within a reasonable distance.
My personal route was:
- A few solo cross countries until I felt competent to take passengers;
- Get checked out on new and different aircraft. It gave me the opportunity of flying at different airfields, with different instructors and was a lot of fun. I even got checked out on a Tomahawk, just to see what it was like!
- Aerobatics. I started when I had about 65 hours. It gives you a great excuse to fly, and 30 mins is quite long enough to have fun.
- SLMG rating, followed by learning to fly a few different types of SLMG. Followed by a share in an RF4 (£1500, and £20/hr).
- "Complex" aircraft checkout.
- Lots of cost-sharing flights with friends - either flying aeros, and critiquing each others (poor) performance, or cross countries where you can go twice as far by sharing.
- Tailwheel checkout.
- IMC.
- Etc....
Don't worry about trying to get solo hours. I had 250 hours before I reached 100 hours solo, but I never got bored with flying and learnt a lot from a lot of good instructors along the way.
Hang in there!
