The deed is done - the doer curious...

[Rhino25782]

Hello everyone,

First of all, I want to share that I passed my PPL skill test last week. Very relieved about that! I wrote a review earlier on this forum about my experiences during an intensive PPL course in the US in January. Due to several reasons - not least my own insecurity on the day of the test with regards to emergency procedures - I failed to come home as a pilot.

It took a little longer than expected to redo the partial test back at home. Finding a German examiner who is willing and able to test a German aspiring a UK-issued PPL after having undergone training in the US took some time. Vacation time and the miserable weather in Spring contributed to the delays.

In retrospective, I'm quite happy with the way things developed. I used the time back home to prepare more thouroughly than before for emergency procedures. At the same time, I became familiar with my home area from a flying perspective under the supervision of an instructor. So definitely the time wasn't wasted.

Now I'm waiting for the CAA to process my application and send me that license... Hope they are not too busy these days. :-)

In the meantime, I have some questions for you!

1) After having obtained your PPL initially, when did you start carrying passengers? How many hours (if any) did you fly solo only? Personally, although people are already asking "So when can we fly with you?", I want to make sure certain things are "second nature" so I can accomodate PAX (keep them happy and save) while still working on the number one priority of flying the aircraft. So at the end of the day, it will obviously be my own decision - but I am looking for some ideas here - especially the extreme ones and thoughts on that.

2) How daring were you when you first came to fly in your own? I'm not nervous about flying. In fact, apart from the normal anxiety before examinations, I was only really nervous when taxying to my first solo flight. But there are some things that I'd really like to do at some point that might be considered "adventurous" from the perspective of the local area: I'd like to fly to the Dutch islands in the North Sea (which would involve an international flight, mostly grass runways which I don't have experience with and coastal weather/winds), I might like to fly to Italy (crossing the Alps), I might like to cross the channel and fly into UK. Again, it's going to be my call - but to get a general idea of how others have handled this: When, in your flying career, did you start becoming adventurous?

3) So I've practised all my emergency drills. How, in real-life, do you keep current? Do you practise one emergency drill on each flight (a bit difficult with passengers..)? Which ones do you practise on your own, which ones do you take an instructor with you? For example, should you practise stall recoveries and forced landings after engine failure without an instructor?

Hoping to get some food for thought...

Cheers

Patrick

[riverrock83]

Congratuations Rhino!
I recently got my PPL through the post. Took 3 to 4 calendar weeks... keep checking your credit card because it appears that the last thing they do is to charge it!

RE Practice - there should be no reason why you don't do stall recovery / practice forced landings on your own (I did them on my own during training too!). My club has set standards for doing things like stalling - so stick to the limits that you had when you were learning. There is a reason that you do them at 3000 feet (or whatever it is).

I'm still "consolidating" before I start to take up friends. The question really is how happy you yourself are. As part of your training, I would expect that you will have gained a sensible perspective of your own abilities. Once you start to take other people, you might be more pressured into going on a flight when the weather is marginal, or skipping checks. DON'T!

I don't think there is any right answer to much of this. I know some people who took their partner up the day their licence came through the post. Others were much more cautious (mind you - my wife has been in more planes than I have as her Dad is an instructor!).

Stretching your boundaries is good - as it will keep you learning. Breaking through them is dangerous.
Having goals is good. It will keep up your interest!
I'm giving myself an objective for every flight I do - whether its to perfect my PFLs :uhoh: or to navigate to somewhere new. Perhaps just to maintain perfect altitude during a flight!

One think I've done is to go to some fly ins with another, more experienced pilot (who isn't an instructor), with me flying one way but him flying the other. That has let me stretch my boundaries a bit without taking a sledge hammer to them! Its also <i>educational</i> to watch others land - and to remind myself what not to do!

Best of luck - let the learning begin!

[Dash8driver1312]

I was taking passengers up on cross country flights with an instructor during the PPL to get acquainted with a realistic mass on the C172 and PA28.

Once I got my licence, I was taking someone up pretty much every time to give a goal: - let's fly to such a place, or see this thing.

Flying solo, I would practice stalls, or slow flight, or steep turns. Always something on every flight.

Before flight, cockpit briefings were ideal times to make emergency reviews, and every 15 minutes was another cruise check religiously.

[stevelup]

Now I'm waiting for the CAA to process my application and send me that license... Hope they are not too busy these days. :-)

They are quoting 17 working days at the moment.

1) After having obtained your PPL initially, when did you start carrying passengers?

My third flight.

The first flight was a tailwheel conversion session, the second was my solo tailwheel landing, the third I took my partner flying.

How many hours (if any) did you fly solo only?

12 minutes (!)

Personally, although people are already asking "So when can we fly with you?", I want to make sure certain things are "second nature" so I can accomodate PAX (keep them happy and save) while still working on the number one priority of flying the aircraft.

Are you flying the same aircraft type as you did your training and skills test in? If so, stuff should already be second nature?

If not, it's probably worth getting a few consolidation flights under your belt before having the additional worry about carrying passengers.

Remember that your examiner was technically a passenger on your skills test.

2) How daring were you when you first came to fly in your own? I'm not nervous about flying.

The week after I got my licence I flew into the LAA Rally at Sywell. This is a moderately crazy event where about 700 aircraft fly in, non controlled, over the space of three days.

It was exciting and a little bit hairy but I lived to tell the tale.

I think if you spend too much time worrying about stuff, it can inhibit you from doing things that you really want to do.

mostly grass runways which I don't have experience with

Grass is no problem at all - it flatters even the worse landings! Just make sure that you take into consideration the additional length you will need compared to a hard runway.

I might like to fly to Italy (crossing the Alps), I might like to cross the channel and fly into UK.

Two very different things. Crossing the Alps is not something to take lightly - especially in your average spamcan. Crossing the channel is a complete non-event and really no different than flying from one place to another over land.

Again, it's going to be my call - but to get a general idea of how others have handled this: When, in your flying career, did you start becoming adventurous?

Different people have quite significantly differing opinions about what is adventurous or not.

For some, flying to an airfield they haven't been to before is adventurous. For others, flying a single engined aircraft over the North Atlantic to America would be considered adventurous!

So I've practised all my emergency drills. How, in real-life, do you keep current? Do you practise one emergency drill on each flight (a bit difficult with passengers..)?

Once per flight is a bit much, but once every two years is certainly not enough.

Every now and then do a power off glide approach... So you're arriving at your destination - in your mind, decide at what point you reckon you could reach the airfield, chop the power and go for it. It will hone your skills, and you will then have more confidence in the future.

Which ones do you practise on your own, which ones do you take an instructor with you? For example, should you practise stall recoveries and forced landings after engine failure without an instructor?

You don't really need an instructor for either of those scenarios, but I wouldn't necessarily do them with a non-flying passenger!

[Rhino25782]

Thanks all, for the feedback! These are the kind of suggestions I was hoping for to put my own thoughts into perspective.

Different people have quite significantly differing opinions about what is adventurous or not.

For some, flying to an airfield they haven't been to before is adventurous. For others, flying a single engined aircraft over the North Atlantic to America would be considered adventurous!Indeed and even to the same person, different things will be adventurous at different stages in their flying. For me, once I have received the license, the first time exercising the privileges granted will be a great adventure. This summer, flying to unknown airfields in the vicinity will be an adventure. Crossing the channel - as mundane as it might actually be - will be another adventure altogether, though even that will eventually not be enough anymore.

In fact, I think the key to a fulfilling flying life is to constantly find new challenges, not let yourself be succumbed into the temptations of the comfort zone and eventually become lethargic...

Cheers
Patrick