Lapl

[littleboylime]

Hello, I have done 2 hours of flying and have recently committed to my Lapl although it's not confirmed yet. I have bought somethings from the Internet including a map of the local area (from Pooleys in 1/500000 scale) a flying experience book (second hand also from Pooleys) a logbook I was actually given at the end of my last trial lesson as with a checklist for the Piper Tomahawk. I am wondering what else I should purchase (bearing in mind I'm only 14 and don't have vaults full of cash), thank you Liam King

[SpannerInTheWerks]

Don't buy too much - go to your local flying school and ask their advice.

Never be put off;

Never be negative;

and always believe you will succeed!!!

[Thumper15]

Hi

Suggest you see if you can hire the relevant books for the exams from a library. If they don't have them, they will find someone that does.

Probably ebay best place to get basic kit like the whirly wheel etc. Don't buy new!

Headset will be biggest outlay but hang fire. you are young so good hearing so I expect the club headsets sound fine to you :)

Consult websites for various grants/scholarships available. i know for a fact many go unclaimed? Use good old google and type it in. Check out LAA education section and also Guild of Air Pilots.

T

[littleboylime]

Thank you for the advice

I personally do not have any problem hearing ATC or my instructor during my trial lessons although I have seen several forums saying they are dirty old etc but the ones at Inverness seem fine. Also I live in the far north of Scotland, believe it or not 115 miles from Inverness airport where my course would be conducted. Because of this I would probalary have to go once a month or so by taking the train which would take 4 hours or by bus which would be at least 3 assuming it doesn't break down! If my parents couldn't take me when my dads working offshore

[Genghis the Engineer]

You're doing it right.

The chart is a good idea. Check the checklist you have is the same as the flying school prefer - if it's not, stick it on eBay and get/copy one from the school.

Some kind of flight bag is a good idea, but anything kicking around the house is fine - "real" pilots don't buy expensive flight bags, trust me on this. [Ditto watches!]

Look online for a copy of the aircraft flight manual, or ask if there's an electronic copy at the club you can scrounge.

Some kind of kneeboard is a good idea - but an A5 clipboard with an elastic strap on the back will do fine. Some sheets of A5 paper on it - in time you'll need a PLOG pad, but for now just some paper, and something to write with that's either in a pen holder, or tied on.

Having your own headset is nice eventually, but there's no need to hurry. When you get to that point, eBay or a company in Edinburgh called Harry Mendelsson will do nicely - their cheap HM40 budget headsets are as good as branded stuff that costs three times as much. Then main reason to have a good headset, incidentally, is to protect your hearing from the background noise, rather than to hear clearly - although that's obviously a bonus.

Stick a baseball cap in the flight bag. As good as aviator sunglasses for blocking glare out in the sort of low level flying you're doing for now. Also add in a couple of CD pens for writing on the chart.

That'll keep you going for the time being, for minimal cost.

The first extra thing you're likely to need is a ruler and protractor with a 1:500,000 scale. But, you'll have done at-least another 10 hours flying before you need those.

G

[Helicopterdriverguy]

Good luck with your training. Are you sure their isn't anywhere closer?!

[littleboylime]

Thank you Genghis the engineer I had heard of this particular brand of headset in an aviation magazine and thought these looked competively priced compared to the rest of them.When I start my course I will ask my instructor for advice on what he thinks would be necessary:)

Helicopter driver guy Inverness is the closest flying school although somebody used to do it slightly closer (in Wick) but that has since stopped:),Liam

[abgd]

Hey, good luck there. I learned to fly there and had a wonderful time and good training.

Stick to the club headsets for the time being. They're fine. Even when I was renting for a while, I generally borrowed headsets. A decent headset will cost as much as everything you really do need, all put together.

I disagree with the idea of borrowing books from the library. There's a fair amount of ground school work to do for the exams, and you will want to refer back to them over time. Even today, I always take the air law one with me on the train and revise weather and air law - my 2 unfavourite subjects happily combined into a single book!

I'd get a subscription to airquiz.com. They do single subjects for 3 pounds. Get the aviation law book - they'll want you to have done this exam before sending you solo.

In due course you will also need a protractor, ruler, whizz wheel, set of coloured pens and a kneeboard and a cheap watch. I think that's about it.

[glencoeian]

Welcome to the world of learning to fly in Scotland ! Inverness is a
great part of the world, plenty of really interesting places to fly over and lots of flat ground to land in ! Be prepared to set off for lessons then have the weather cancel it, don't be put off you have plenty of time, you'll get a pilots handbook for your aircraft off of the internet as a PDF
All the advice you've had is good about not rushing to buy, the headsets you're using will do fine for now, it'll be a while before you're doing nav so don't buy the whizwheel, ruler, etc.
just be prepared for it to take a while - it took me 3 years flying out of OBAN and I passed four weeks ago. Keep at it, you'll love it !
cheers
Ian

[BEagle]

If you're a true Scot, you won't want to part with your bawbees without a very good reason - which in the case of learning to fly is a very wise policy!

Log book and checklist are wise investments, but you don't really need much else at this stage - does the club not have its own headsets?

Your commitment is admirable; perhaps consider applying for one of the scholarships on offer in a couple of years time? You can find the details in any copy of Flight Training News; your flying club will probably have the odd copy lying about.

[DeltaV]

Liam,

I have numbers 1, 2 and 5 of the Trevor Thom books which you are welcome to have. A bit dog-eared and not sure if they are the current editions but, hey, they're free and where I live would be on your route from home to Dalcross so you could collect, or I could drop at the flight school for you.

I may also have an unused logbook which, at my age, I will never use.

D

[Thumper15]

Good effort DeltaV.

[jaycee46]

I'm assuming it's Highland Aviation you're with. Great outfit - I did some training and my skills test with them a few years ago. Met David B at Oban a couple of weeks ago!
Pretty good advice on here - save your cash for air time, until you really need to spend on the 'extras', and stick in at the groundschool - I didn't, and took me seven years to get my PPL.
Watch out for Neil's dodgy poems - nuff said!!!


JC

[littleboylime]

Thank you for the offer deltav I've got the first of these books and if the rest are like the first they are good reference material. Thanks again,Liam

[DeltaV]

You're welcome. They're sitting on my bookshelf doing nothing so it's good that someone can make use of them.

You already have volume 1.
Volume 2, Aviation law and Meteorology that I have is the second edition, 1987.
Volume 5, Radio navigation and Instrument flying is first edition, 1989.
I also have 'Human Factors for Pilots', 1992 which may also be of use to you. Not Trevor Thom but it did the job for me. All that plus an unmarked AFE logbook. You say you have one but it's here if you want it.

I'll pm you about how I get this stuff to you.

[Genghis the Engineer]

It is worth having the latest air law book - that's the only thing that changes at a measurable rate.

The rest is perfectly learnable from 1980s or 1990s books.

G

[DeltaV]

I thought that might be the case.

[ryanayre]

Hi Liam, Not sure exactly where you live but being 115 miles from Inverness are you by any chance near Thurso? I have a headset, kneeboard, bag and a couple of protractors that you can have if you want, I used these when I also did my training at Inverness although that was with the previous flying school (HFS). If you do want them and are not nearby I can always drop these bits off at Highland Aviation next time I'm down that neck of the woods. You have been given some good advice here and all I can say is stick at it, there will be times when you will be disappointed with your performance and with all the travelling involved your enthusiasm may waiver, please don't give up as the reward at the end far out ways any temporary disappointment. Lastly and this is not directed at Highland Aviation in particular, DO NOT PAY UP FRONT FOR BLOCK BOOKINGS OF HOURS unless at the very least it is done with a credit card and NEVER WITH A DEBIT CARD. I was caught out with the previous school (No connection whatsoever with Highland Aviation) but was fortunate that I had paid with a credit card and managed to get a refund.
Cheers, Richard

[DeltaV]

You're doing well here, Liam.

[littleboylime]

Thankyou very much ryanayre I will private message you,Liam :)

[LTCTerry]

Perhaps the OP should look into gliding...

Under EASA rules he can solo at 14 and get a gliding license at 16. Many clubs have significant discounts for young members.

If he spends his 16th year as a genuine PIC, power add-on should be "relatively" simple, and he'll have the confidence with the examiner that only real PIC time can bring.

In my experience, big things in life should be broken down into achievable bits. If there are rewards along the way (like solo at 14 instead of waiting until 16) or taking Mum or Dad for a ride at 16 instead of 17, then so much the better. In the US Army there is a term "Plan of Action and Milestones." This addresses the question "where do you want to go, and how do you know you are progressing in the right way?"

Yes, I'm biased (SEP/MEP/IR PPL but instructor only for gliders), but I think the earlier he can achieve valuable milestones the better.

Terry

[Maoraigh1]

But his nearest gliding club is another 40 miles away - and another bus change.

[Monocock]

Liam

Your youthful enthusiasm is refreshing, and reminds me of myself when I was 14 (that's 28 years ago!!!).

Sod it, PM me, and I'll buy you a lesson*. None of my own kids seem interested in flying, so I might as well spoil someone who is!!

Keep the dream, and never ever give up on it.

* That's one hour in a SEP trainer, not a five hour IMC sortie in a Seneca, OK? :-)

[littleboylime]

Thankyou JetBlu and mono so much I have private messaged you:)

[Monocock]

Liam

Let us know how you get on. The wee Scottish lass on the phone sounded such a sweety, I'd be happy to pay another £165 to chat to her again!! :}

[chillindan]

What a wonderfully refreshing thread! Well done to all who are helping someone so young to achieve his dreams.

Good luck Liam, keep up us all posted as to how you are doing!

[littleboylime]

I will let you know how I'm getting on after my lesson on Sunday :),Liam

[littleboylime]

Had my lesson today and learnt about the effects the ailerons elevators and rudder had on the plane in the tomahawk with half an hour in the ground school,thank you mono and JetBlu for the hours and deltav for the books,Liam

[DeltaV]

Good for you. I wasn't sure you'd get aloft today for it was pretty breezy. Did see a Tomahawk go over the house but it probably wasn't you as students mostly operate over the Black Isle.

[Mach Jump]

What a wonderfully refreshing thread! Well done to all who are helping someone so young to achieve his dreams.

Good luck Liam, keep up us all posted as to how you are doing!

I just read this thread for the first time.

DeltaV, Ryanayre, Monocock, and Jetblu, Like Dan, I'm struck, not only by Liam's enthusiasm, and determination, but also your spontaneous generosity, towards a young man you don't even know.

As Dan says, it really is wonderfully refreshing to read something like this on here, amongst the usual cynicism, and the thought occurred to me that there must be thousands of pilots on here who feel the same sense of affinity with Liam.

Now, it would only take another 43 of them, and ......................... :cool:

Send me the details too, Liam. (But just post them here on the thread, ok, not in a PM);)


MJ:ok:

[littleboylime]

You are right Mach jump it's amazing how many people responded to my first post I hardly expected any reply but it's been the total opposite with lots of advice from experienced pilots and flying lessons from people who don't even know me but share the love for aviation and over 2500 views in 2 weeks! What details is it that you want? Thanks:),Liam

[the_flying_cop]

Liam, sadly I can't afford to pay for a lesson for you, but I would like to send you a Pooley's CRP1 flight computer.

If it will be of use to you, PM me an address to send it to.
(The flying school's address is fine)
Good Luck!

[Mach Jump]

Hi Liam.
Jetblu is exactly right. All we need Is the phone number of the Flying School, and the name of the nice lady to ask for. When are you 15?

At this rate you could end up with your ppl by March 2016

Liam's problem is that he will have to be very sparing with his flying for a while, so that he will be 16 when he is ready to go solo, and 17 when he is ready to apply for a Licence. :*

I'd be happy to pay another £165 to chat to her again!!

Correct me if I'm wrong, Monocock, but I believe your tongue was in your cheek when you wrote that?


MJ:ok:

[littleboylime]

Hi the clubs name is highland aviation and the phone number is 01667 460361.
,Liam

[squidie]

I think the best starter stuff is a CAA UK Chart 1:500,000, the study material for your exams (if you’re ready and need to do any exams yet) and a checklist for the aeroplane. You can study from all of these while you’re not flying too. I think most young students get headsets for gifts which is nice as it’s convenient to own all your own stuff. My parents bought me a HME 100 from Transair the first year I started training, think it was 2006 and I still fly with that headset to this day. Although don’t feel pressed to get one as most schools have spares to lend out.

Also be aware that you’re only 14 and you can’t do all the elements of the syllabus until you’re 16-17 where you can go solo at 16 and apply for your licence at 17, I would recommend applying this time to your exams too as you get an 18 month window to do them all (except the RT) from when you did the first one. This is just advice so you don’t have to re-site them all before you get your licence etc, at least this was the case when I was a student.

[Mach Jump]

Hi Liam.

Spoke to the lovely lady at Highland today. She was full of praise for you, and assured me that an hour paid for will still be an hour, no matter how long it is before you actually fly it.

Do take up TFC's offer of a Pooleys CRP1 computer too. That saves you £50 straight off.:)


MJ:ok:

[MaxR]

Liam

I notice someone above mentioned airquiz.com when you're doing your exams, it's a good place to practice. I don't have the money free for an hour's flying but I'm happy to pay the airquiz subscription for you. Let me know.

And, well done fella, I'm impressed.

[littleboylime]

Hi Maxr thanks very much for the offer but I already have a subscibtion for 2 of the subjects (the principles of flight and aircraft general knowledge) according to the flying school their going to try to get me through my first exam in about a year so I just bought the first two in the Lapl syllabus because the subscriptions only last for a year I think

Ok thankyou Mach jump,

best wishes, Liam

[ecosse]

Excellent Liam.

Keep up the enthusiasm :ok:

Where are you based if you dont mind me asking? there may be an airfield near you with a willing pilot(s) who could take you up for the odd hour here or there to gain some experience as a passenger.

I found flying with another pilot for the sheer fun helped me a lot!!

worth thinking about :ok:

I'm hoping to fly up north for a few days when the weather allows next. I may even visit you up there somewhere :).

I'm looking for a good flying adventure

Kenny

[DeltaV]

ecosse, it's all in the thread.
Liam is training at Inverness but he lives a lot further north and Wick is the airfield nearest to his home. Actually, there is one closer but I doubt he, or you, would be allowed to use it.

[littleboylime]

Hi ecosse when are you planing coming up?

[ecosse]

Not sure Liam but by the looks of the weather it could be a while!!!

I will keep an eye out for your progress on the thread and let you know :ok:

[PilotZCoyfox]

Hi Liam!

As a previous poster mentioned, if you ever get stuck for cash for powered flying, don't push gliding to one side (or if you're craving some beautiful mountain wave flying!! :} ).

By the sounds of it your nearest club is Lossiemouth or Feshiebridge, but I know there is a great youth atmosphere at Portmoak (and some great folk at Aboyne). I believe some of these clubs do week long courses, and some of your gliding P1 hours will go towards your LAPL.

If you're interested, check out the UK Junior Gliding Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ukjuniorgliding). We don't bite :)

Good luck with your flying, I'm a similar age and I know how exciting it is!!
Zoe

[littleboylime]

I saw how cheap gliding was compared to powered flying and I have to admit it is pretty cool staying safely airborne without an engine so if I'm in that area sometime I'll think about it thankyou, Liam

[littleboylime]

Not checked the thread for a while but I've been having some lessons in the PA38 and in the last I learnt about straight and level flight and trimming. I've also been revising my air law in the bad weather, I'll try to remember to keep the thread updated, Liam