What a great forum!

[AlphaMale]

If there is a 'Introduce yourself' section I'm afraid I missed it :uhoh:

I am 24 years old and have wanted to become a RAF/Airline Pilot since I looked into the skies as a 6 year old. I wanted to do the whole sponsored training that BA used to do but was told by family to stop being a dreamer :*

So I eventually finished school after A levels and went to Univeristy to study Multimedia Technology. I started my 1st (proper) job last month as a graphic/web designer on a contract that might last between 3 weeks to 3 years+

I do enjoy my job and on a Sunday look forward to coming into work the next day, but being in an office with no window 9-5 is going to kill me slowly.

I don't have any bills and and with all the bucks rolling in I am hoping to do my PPL and work my way up to being an instuctor then build my hours so I can finally send off that CV to an Airline :cool:

I have been doing searches and surfed this forum over the last 2 weeks and have found loads of great information.

I live in South Wales and tempted to do my exams via Bristol and then go to a place like EFT in Florida to do my flying.

Just wanted to say again what a great forum this is :D

Andrew

[SparkyBoy]

Welcome :ok:


There's a whole load of information on here about taking the first stages in your PPL. Just use the search and good luck! ;)

[Mariner9]

Welcome to the forum. Keep a good eye on the "Spare seats available" thread, I'm often advertising free seats from S Wales but rarely get takers (perhaps that should tell me something :) )

[AerBabe]

Welcome to PPRuNe. Say goodbye to your money and free time. :}

[AlphaMale]

Thanks buddy, I'd love to take you up on that offer sometime.

Is there many people on here from the South Wales area? I hear the flight school at CIA is no longer there? But there are still light aircraft operating from that base.

Can't wait to get back in the air, contemplating doing the PPL this year possibly Aug/Sep in the UK as the girlfriend can't really afford to go away on a holiday this year. Then do the CPL in Florida at the start of next summer :confused:

Still trying to figure out the costs and time. Quick question that I'd like to do at the moment ... "Can I sit the PPL exmas straght away I.e. Over the next couple of months before sitting in a plane?" I'm looking to buy the 5 books this week and start my revision ASAP.

I have the problem of getting a month off work to go to Florida and wonder what are the ways around spending less time away and getting the hands on flying done quicker.

Taking into concideration loss of earnings/accomodation/training in Florida compared to weekend training in the UK.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys :ok:

Andrew

[microlight AV8R]

Hi Andrew & welcome.

You're in good company here, lots of encouragement mixed with good humour. Absolutely priceless at times.

Don't let anyone steal your dreams, then you wont (eventually) reach your grave asking "what if....."

Not a bad idea to read the books, but full understanding on a lot of the theory really comes with practical application. I would start off with something like the AFE book 'Flying Training' or something similar to read through all the exercises in the PPL course. Then you will have a good picture of the training in your minds eye and , at your tender age, will probably progress very quickly once you get in the air. My experience thus far has been very similar to that.

Keep us all updated on your progress.

Cheers,
micro

[AlphaMale]

Thanks Micro ;)

I'll be getting my head in the books and learn what I can.

I'm hoping my age will be a big advantage when applying for airline jobs and I'll keep you all updated for sure, a bit of give and take sounds good to me. I just think it's good to see the pilots here helping each other out from advise to gaining hours.

It's going to take up a lot of money but I 'think' it'll be worth it even if I end up as a bush pilot :}

Andrew

[the_daddy]

Hey there...

Just thought I'd add my two pence in here.

I'm now 26 and finished Uni last year studying Multimedia BSc, along the same lines as you. I sat down after getting my first job for a TV company and came to the same conclusions as you, basically that I didn't want to spend the next 30+ years of my life staring at a screen/four walls doing something that would never make me excited or happy... So I did some maths, did some more maths, a little soul searching and then put my social life on hold for 8 months while I saved the cash up to get myself in a position whereby I could chuck everything into my dream....

I asked work for 4 weeks off work, which they refused, so i resigned, at which point they said I could have it!! Guess they didn't think I was serious?!

So I booked to go to the states, started reading and taking my PPL exams (The ones which were less practical in nature - Law, Met, HPL & Air Tech) and got all the US Visa stuff out of the way - which is a nightmare.

Anyway, I just got back from the most amazing, but hard working holday ever and am ready to get flying all over the UK!! (I can't say where I went in the US as it gets blocked here for some reason - although I thoroughly recommend them)

I plan to get on to an ATPL course in March, as thats when my finances will cope with it, and will then be looking at doing my CPL/IR/MCC etc... after that....

All I can say is welcome to the club mate... you'll enjoy nearly every minute of it and just think about the good times ahead when it all gets tough!

Happy flying!

The_daddy

[AlphaMale]

Thanks the_daddy.

Been searching this forum and another forum at the good points and bad points of training for the PPL in the US v UK :hmm:

Nobody is giving a correct answer as I don't think there is one (horses for courses as they all say). You'll have to PM me the place or send it via E-mail.

Searching for a good place to do the exams here and a good place to do the practical here V the best place to do a practical in the US is confusing.

The other thing I wanted to find out was "Is it possible to build up hours in a ultralight/microlight?" The reason I ask is that there are a few microlight schools in the area and the ML/UL's can be picked up for less than £6/7k :)

Thanks

Andrew

[1d2d3d4d]

AlphaMale

I am just coming to the end of my flying training (in the UK) and it's taken me about 15 months. It's just my opinion but I would not take any exams untill you have done a fair bit of flying. A lot of the syllabus will be covered during briefing and practiced in the air especially rt, navigation, aircraft general and flight performance and planning. Met is tough but will become easier to understand when you can relate the information at hand to what is going on around you. Crap weather days in an FTO with a bored FI is a great way to learn the black art Met.

Regards Chris

[Mariner9]

The other thing I wanted to find out was "Is it possible to build up hours in a ultralight/microlight?" The reason I ask is that there are a few microlight schools in the area and the ML/UL's can be picked up for less than £6/7k :)



'Fraid not - microlight hours do not count. You could however pick up a cheap PFA type for ~£10K (or even better a share in one) and hour build in that.

[AlphaMale]

'Fraid not - microlight hours do not count. You could however pick up a cheap PFA type for ~£10K (or even better a share in one) and hour build in that.

Sounds like a good alternative.

1d2d3d4d - When I think of doing it this way I don't really want the hasstle of going to Florida and having the pressure so I guess that is where flying from an airfield 30 miles from home has it's big advantage when spread over 3/4 months.

Thanks for the advise guys it really is a big help when I know nobody (friends/family) who have been in the same position with their PPL.

Andrew

[stiknruda]

Andrew,

ten years ago I bought a third share in a PFA type and flew over 200 hours over a 4 year period. Later I sold my share.

My share cost me £4000.

I sold my share for £4500.

200 hrs flying cost me

1000 litres of Mogas = £1000 (round numbers to allow for oil)
Insurance = £2000
Maintenance = £ 800
Hangarage = £ 600

Total £3400

It worked out as slightly less than £17/hr

If you factor back in the 500 profit on resale: it was nearer £14/hr


So that was ten years ago - I doubt that the sums would be too much different now - albeit insurance is now mandatory and the third party minimum is higher than our group elected to pay.

Have fun


Stik

[Mariner9]

AlphaMale, got a spare seat available this saturday if ur interested, - check the Spare seats available thread...