View Full Version : Up Down Left or Right?
ickle black box
6th Mar 2001, 15:43
Where do I from here? I've just been rejected by the RAF, after completing OASC; I'm now an official ATPL Wannabe. I've got a PPL, 88 hours, and a big need for a new training direction. I can spend £500 a month on flying ... the question is, where do I spend it, and what should I do first. Is going up to 150 hours, and then doing a distance learning ATPL course the way to go, followed by whatever ???
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If God had meant man to fly, He would have given him more money.
Do you Night and IMC ratings next - then build towards 150hrs.
ickle black box
6th Mar 2001, 18:55
Why is IMC/Night better than going straight for the hours? I can appreciate it makes you a better pilot, but when does the IMC actually come in usefull?
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If God had meant man to fly, He would have given him more money.
eyeinthesky
6th Mar 2001, 20:36
In the quest for hours, an IMC rating will be of more use to you than just VFR hours for several reasons:
-You will be able to go hour-building on days when basic PPLs are grounded, provided you can get back on the ground legally when you want to;
- It will indeed make you a better pilot and will make navigation ten times easier if you are proficient with using radio aids instead of track crawling;
- The more time you have to consolidate new skills such as an IMC rating on your own before you have to apply them, for example in CPL training or IR training, the better;
- Under the CAA system an IMC rating meant you had to do less IR hours. I'm not sure how it goes under JAR without checking, but I'm sure others will let you know;
-At the very least you must have an IMC to get a CPL at present.
In short, time (and money) spent on further training early on is much more valuable than gaining 500 VFR hours and all the bad habits that then creep in and then having to get rid of those while learning new skills.
Of course, I may be completely out of date as I have a CAA CPL/IR and the JAR may make everything I have said obsolete. I'm sure I will be told if that is the case http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/redface.gif !!
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"Take-off is optional, Landing is mandatory"
foghorn
6th Mar 2001, 21:03
The hourly rates for training as a PPL/IMC are much cheaper than the hourly rates if you need additional training after your IR course. See it as an investment.
Get the night rating. You need the night hours for your CPL anyway. We are fast running out of night-time at most airfields until the end of the year!