Newbie PPL Student

[FeistyFlyingFox]

Hi

Is there anyone out there who has just started training for their PPL? It would be nice to hear from you and share experiences.

I have only had a few lessons and although I am really enjoying it and having fun, I am also finding the "new environment" of the skies a little daunting! Would love to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

FeistyFlyingFox

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[c-bert]

Hi, I'm currently 35 hours into my PPL so good luck!
Have a look at the PPL Diary thread a couple of posts down.....

[FeistyFlyingFox]

Thanks C-bert!

Good luck to you too.

Have read the thread further on and found it helpful.

FFF (the 2nd!!)

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[wbryce]

Hi FFF v1.2

I too am a PPL with 35 hours, and doing a mock dual QXC next, then my solo QXC.

I started my flying lessons in February 04, but my flying training never really picked up until late July > August. Up until July, i only had around 12hours.

In the good days ive took the opertunity to progress in my training and done a few hours here and there, and its worked out great.

Are you planning on commercial flying, or sticking with your PPL once you have it?

[FeistyFlyingFox]

Hi Wbryce

Thanks for your message. Good luck with your QXC's.

I have only had just under 6 hours of lessons so really not sure if I would consider doing a commercial licence, there's enough to get my head around as it is for a start just doing the PPL!!!

I travel to Blackpool to see my boyfriend, FlyingForFun, as he has recently moved there and has a new job teaching at one of the flying schools. He is very patient and a brilliant teacher. I would never have considered learning to fly until we met because he took me on a flight in a Warrior to the IOW and I loved it. I'm learning on a Cessna 150 and flew for the first time in turbulence the other day, that was scary and nearly put me off but I am determined not to let that get to me again!

FFF v1.2

[BRL]

Hi mate, welcome to the forum.. :)

Give old FuFu a pat on the back for us when you see him next, tell him to get in touch next time he is down here for a drink or two.... :D

Cheers.

[FlyingForFun]

BRL, you drunken git ;) If it wasn't for the fact that you keep bailing out on bashes at the last moment, I might be more tempted to try to get time off work for a beer (or a FuFu drink) with you! :D All signed up for GatBash, though, so will no doubt see you there.....

Anyway, I'm sure everyone here will look after FeistyFlyingFox. I warned her that PPRuNe can seriously harm your mental health, but she's mad enough already (must be to be going out with me!) so a bit more won't harm..... Any tips for her on how to deal with turbulence would be great, though! (And I don't mean how to handle the controls in turbulence - she can handle the controls just fine. It's just that she wasn't confident about it, which made it not a very productive lesson in terms of learning new stuff.)

FFF
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[FeistyFlyingFox]

Haha FFF

You are so right about my mental health, although I do question yours seeing as you are going out with me!! :=

I hope you aren't giving any secrets away about my turbulence after eating baked beans...... hmmm, nuff said!!

Seriously though, if anyone does have any tips on turbulence that would be v helpful, thanks.

FFF v1.2

[FlyFreeWbe]

Hiya FFF v1.2 (that's pretty catchy!)

I won't be in the ranks of student pilot for much longer :D but thought i'd say hello anyway. You can never know too many pilots I say. WRT to the trubulence thingy, you're just gona have to get used to it. Over time, you'll get a better feeling for the aircraft and with that comes better handling. Don't treat the cessna like your moms china (dont kill me for making the assumption..tis an analogy) if you don't wana go somewhere, put it there. I developed some serious muscleage during my training ;) ..

Good luck with the rest and have fun! Tis the only reason

FFW

[Penguina]

Oh blimey...






;)

[ACW 335]

*mile high club spring to mind anyone?!!*

[FlyFreeWbe]

Umm, what did I say :confused:

[BRL]

Now if anyone mentions blow jobs = turbulance, there going to get banned.... :D

[Obs cop]

FFF v1.2

The best way to deal with turbulence is to accept it happens just the same as bumps driving your car down a bumpy road. In your car you don't let the bumps throw you off to the side of the road you instantly make corrections to the steering and given time and experience they won't scare you.

The same thing happens with turbulence, imagine the plane is a 2 year old child and every time it moves away from "your" desired attitude, firmly put it back. Don't tickle it but likewise don't be too quick on the controls, just be firm.

Cheers

Obs cop

[Penguina]

OK, I've now regained my composure after finding out there's two of them on here now... Took the wind out of my sails... :p

FFF v1.2 - I can't believe you worried about turbulance with a pilot like FFF in command! As if he'd let you come to any harm!

Seriously, you do get used to it, honestly. Actually, I find turbulance can be quite rewarding, weirdly, as it reminds me that I am in charge of the aeroplane and that I'm not on a train or something, I'm somewhere much more exciting!

Wait until you start trying to maintain altitudes given to you in an ATC clearance or to align your compass with your DI in those kinds of bumpy conditions though... :{ ;)

[Kolibear]

FFF v1.2 said this about our FFF:-

He is very patient and a brilliant teacher.

Did you even see the photo of him with lipstick on? :O :O

[FeistyFlyingFox]

Hiya Kolibear

No, I haven't seen FFF's pix of him with lipstick on..... do you know something I don't?!!! Where is the pix posted???!!!!!



;)

FFF v1.2

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Thanks ObsCop for your help, I never really thought of the aeroplane as a naughty 2 year old, I am definitely gonna keep that in mind when I am next in the skies!

FFF v1.2

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Hi FFW

Love the anaology about the china!! LOL.....

Good luck with coming near to the end of your student pilot days.

FFF v1.2

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Hi Penguina!

How are you doing?

I know, I should know by now that FFF won\'t let me come to any harm! I was so nervous in the turbulence that I couldn\'t wait to land and you should have heard the verbal abuse I was hurling at FFF, poor bloke!!


;)

FFF v1.2

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[Penguina]

you should have heard the verbal abuse I was hurling at FFF

Of course you did, but what does that have to do with turbulance? ;)

[FeistyFlyingFox]

cos I was shaking in me shoes and felt way out of control of the plane even though FFF told me I was doing fine! He wouldn't take control back from me so I started the verbal and we had a good laugh about it when we finally landed! Grr I hate turbulence but not gonna let it get to me if and when it happens again!

:)

[MikeJeff]

Trick to turbulence is once you're happy the aircraft is in trim then leave power and trim alone. If you go up 200ft, use the elevator to get down 200ft. Don't worry about the airspeed at all. When you get back to your level, you'll be doing many more knots. Just keep gradually relieveing the forward pressure until the airspeed is back to normal, and the aircraft has stopped generating the excess lift.

[FeistyFlyingFox]

Thanks MikeJeff

I'll keep that in mind, I've got to get over this bugbear somehow, everyone else seems to!!

FFF v1.2
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[Whirlybird]

FFF v1.2,

You'll get over it by getting used to it. Also by realising that it can't actually hurt you - no-one has ever collided with the sky. If it's really bad, and you don't have to be at a certain altitude or fly a very precise heading, just let the aircraft do what it wants. We did that in Southern Germany recently - at 5000 ft, above 3000 ft mountains, with a stonking tailwind and constant up and down drafts. It was easier to let the aircraft climb and descend a bit and wander off heading than keep fighting it, just so long as we made sure we were going in roughly the right direction. But it was exhausting after a while. We didn't particularly like it. And you don't have to like it either, just get used to it. You will, give it time. You don't have to do it all at once. There's a reason why people count flying hours, as some things (not all) are learned simply by being in the air and getting used to the alien environment. This is one of them. Stop worrying.

[Obs cop]

FFF v1.2

Just a thought here, in the smaller sort of aircraft used for training eg. cessna 152 then turbulence doesn't just move you up and down as you would sense in an airliner, but quite often can pick up one wing or the other and the vertical movement can be quite dramatic.

To ease your unhappiness, it might be an idea for FFF to demonstrate how agile a C152 can be, and that even at high angles of bank and pitch the thing won't just fall out of the sky.

I was airbourne today and the turbulence was that bad I couldn't press one of the buttons on the radio we were being thrown around so much.:eek: Although at least I didn't crack my bonce off the roof as I have done before.

Regards

Obs cop

[FeistyFlyingFox]

ObsCop

I think that was the main fear I had at first about falling outta the sky in turbulence cos not only did the plane drop, so did my stomach!! :yuk:

I was actually having the lesson in a C152 at the time and wished I was back in my usual C150. Perhaps when there is high but safe to fly wind speeds I need to practice on both C150 and C152 to see the difference it makes. Will ask FFF to demonstrate anyway, thanks for the suggestion.

Glad your bonce is still intact! ;)

FFF v1.2

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Hi WhirlyBird

Thanks for the advice about not worrying, I\'ll try my best..... I realise that I don\'t have to like it but I feel better get used to it. I have only had a few lessons so I am sure it will become easier over time :\\

FFF v1.2
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[Thirty06]

Dealing with turbulence ?

Don't fly a Cessna 150!

I remember the little beggars wobbling about all over the place. If you can deal with that, then something bigger will feel much smoother.

That said, I flew a cherokee out of Blackpool the other week and I experienced a bit of bouncing over the built up areas.

The Cessna 150 is a blighter for picking up thermals. I fondly recall my GFT when I had to maintian my chosen altitude. All was going nicely until we passed over a thermally bit, I had the throttle full back and the thing still wanted to climb. All very well, but I knew we had a patch of sink to deal with next. I passed anyway.

On the plus side, the Cessna 150 is great for the rapidly altered approach path. If you're too high, just give it a load of right aileron and left rudder then let go when the picture looks right.

I must have another go in one sometime, one hour max though due to uncomfy seats.

[Holdposition]

Thirty06

"That said, I flew a cherokee out of Blackpool the other week and I experienced a bit of bouncing over the built up areas."



13/31 was it?

can be fun over the houses!!!


Bad runway for a EFTO as well!, 13 just wins if you have a choice but nothing in it, cheers.

[mazzy1026]

Getting a few proons together for a few drinks is a department I have failed miserably in.......is it where I am from ? Do I smell? (apart from those poor guys who did say they would come) :8

Anyways, welcome to pprune FFF V1.2, I have had lots of excellent advice from your other half over my time here, so you are in good hands. Cant give you any advice on the turbulence, as I am only an 11 hour student myself, but one thing I will say is that there are a lot of students in the diary thread (bless them all) that are sharing problems and learning a lot etc - you are welcome there!

Safe flying

Maz :ok:

[FeistyFlyingFox]

Thanks Maz

Have been reading your diary with interest, only had a few lessons too (abt 6hrs) so its early days yet. Glad that FFF has been a great help to you.

The weather this weekend was really bad so didn't get any lessons in, I was a bit disappointed :( but hope the weather behaves next weekend instead!

I didn't realise that there is so much to learn about flying and I am finding some of it a bit tricky, but I have been assured that in time it will all fall into place. It helps that the diary threads show other students sharing their problems and the great thing is that in some ways we are all helping each other. Keep up the great work on your diary, its a brilliant thing to do. Thank you! :ok:

Keep smiling and safe flying to you too.

FFF v1.2
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[Ladyinblack]

I have just started flying myself in a 150. Am dreading doing stalls and am also a little daunted. Nice to hear someone else going thru same thing.

Sure is fun tho. Will be fun to stay in touch on our experiences.