(1) How long did those 30 hour PPLs take? Were they spread over two years of weekends with many weather cancellations as a modern UK PPL typically is?
No to finish in thirty hours you can not spread it over that long a time frame, I started my PPL in June and finished it in January.
(2) How much in the way of modern kit, airspace, radio, law, etc, had to be picked up after completion of the 30 hour PPL?
Well our radios were VHF transceivers with whistle stop tuning which were a bit more difficult to operate than to days modern radios.
Our airspace was a lot less complex for sure, the airways were aural radio range airways, combined with the ADF.
Some of the larger airports had ILS and in the mid fifties the VOR airway system started to arrive.
Airlaw and airspace structure is not part of the airplane handling lessons so they really do not change how long it takes to learn to fly the airplane for a PPL...they just mean more ground school.
Sure. But most PPLs are not looking to be hired to fly.
Granted.....however in the context of getting a PPL, my position is learning on a tail wheel airplane makes for better airplane handling skills, and if taught by good flight instructors it does not really take any longer than learning to fly a nose wheel airplane.
The end result can be the same whether you are a PPL or an ATPL if you do not clearly understand the basics......remember that Airbus that a crew flew in a deep stall all the way from cruise altitude into the South Atlantic?
However the economics of the flying training game makes this impossible.
Impossible?
Light tail wheel trainers such as the Cubs are more expensive than 172's to buy and operate?
I would not send a brand new PPL who had only been flying a Super Cub solo on a C 172 without any additional training for the same reason I would not send a pilot who had only ever flown a C 172 solo in a Super Cub; there is an unacceptable risk that they will bend the aircraft.
Nor would I, my question was to compare which of the students would have the less problem actually handling the airplanes.
Here is my original comment at the start of this thread.
Its time to get a good conversation going again.
Soooo...
.....I see a Canadian flight school has put its Super Cub up for sale because of lack of use.
I don't think they are selling it because of it being to costly to operate.
My personal opinion is it is because the instructors do not want to train on it....I am wondering why if it is part of the training fleet.
