Air Law - Does it get any easier?

[JetMouse]

As a fledgling PPLer (doing theory at the moment) I recently finished Air Law and have been revising – this has made me realise just how much information there is to consume and to be honest it's a bit disheartening sometimes thinking "how the hell and i going to remember all this and fly a plane and navigate and do radio calls?!?"

Is there anyone who has their PPL who went through this experience? I’m hoping it’s like anything new you learn, initially it’s hard but it does get easier...

To be fair I found Met much more interesting and I’m looking forward to navigation so I’m not too disheartened! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[PPRuNe Dispatcher]

It does get easier... for example, I remember when I first started, just taxiing from where the aircraft was parked to the holding point I didn't have enough mental bandwidth left to properly do the various instrument checks as well as taxi the aircraft, especially if the holding point was close to where the aircraft had been parked.

Now I'm at the stage (next flight should be my cross country qualifier) where I can do the checks and still have enough bandwidth left to monitor the radio. It required training and experience and it still requires concentration.

It's the same in the circuit. How the **** was I supposed to complete a BUMFFICHH check on a downwind leg? There wasn't enough time, never mind get out the "Golf Delta Golf downwind" call! Now I can do it, although if I've done an overhead join and have a short downwind it has to be done quite quickly.

BTW I make a point of rereading the "operational" sections of my Air Law text book every so often, as although it doesn't matter if you can't remember when the ICAO was formed, it does matter that you know the dimensions of an ATZ or which side to overtake on!

--Mik

[Evo7]

[quote]. .It's the same in the circuit. How the **** was I supposed to complete a BUMFFICHH check on a downwind leg? There wasn't enough time, never mind get out the "Golf Delta Golf downwind" call!. .<hr></blockquote>

Wierd at first, isn't it? I remember exactly this bit - my downwind leg was turning into a cross country. Then one time I had this strange moment when it was all done. Aircraft trimmed, call made, checks done, and still 30 seconds or so before I had to turn base. Quick chat with my instructor about the view, then bounced the b@stard on landing ... <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0"> :)

[djk]

JetMouse,

Often while I'm going round in the circuit, My FI will randomly fire questions at me. I remember one lesson I had last summer where the FI assumed the role of ATC for the entire lesson and I had to reply accordingly. Heck that was a tough lesson 1 hour 25 mins in total. I was knackered at the end of it, but learnt a heck of a lot. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

[JetMouse]

Thanks for the inspiration people - i'm sitting here going through the confuser at the moment (what's with that photo of a head on collision about to happen on the cover?!) and the more i read the more it stays in...

still i start flying in may - that's when it will get really interesting and no doubt i will have lots of "aah that's what they meant" moments!

[knobbygb]

You're dead right in that last paragraph mate. Until you have somthing concrete to base it on it can all sound a bit 'wooly'.

I read most of the Thom books before even climbing into the aircraft and I didn't think a lot of it had gone in, BUT... you'd be surprised how much difference it makes knowing a lot of whats going on around you when it happens for the first time - it does all fall into place (well, a lot does anyway).

I'm not much further on in the process that you, many hours to go yet, but I managed to solo reasonably quickly (8hrs) and I think this was mainly due to being 'clued up' on the theory and being able to concentrate on flying the airplane in those first few lessons rather than being over awed about what was going on around me.

Don't study in isolation - get yourself down to an airfield as regularly as you can - watch what is going on, talk to people, listen in on a scanner etc.

Stick at it - and start the lessons ASAP.

[HelenD]

I found the Nav exam the hardest, maybe it would have been easier if I had waited for the navigation phase of my training before studying for this exam. . .Yes the confuser is good but I kept getting one question from the confuser wrong in the flight planning section, In reality I was right and the confuser was wrong found out when that question came up and I plumped for the answer the confuser gave. thankfully I had answerd enough of the other questions correctly to pass.. .The best advice I can give is to read all your study theory thoroughly if you dont understand somthing then ask your instructor. When you feel ready sit the exam reading the questions carefully you should have plenty of time to complete each paper so don't panic.