All This To Learn!!!!

[Holloway]

So Im well into starting my flying now and im onto Circuits. Im enjoying the flying but im still finding so MUCH is goin on!!! Ive got all my books now and im reading and learning the Air Law book. I find in this there is so much to learn and I feel im not getting anywhere! there are so many abrevaitons to learn and I get mixed up with them and dont understand what im reading cause they relate to the short abrivations. I also had a flick through the navigation book! Blimey that one looked very complicated! I wasnt too good at Maths at school so im find this difficalt too. Im quite smart, im an IT manager for a company that works with Pepsi and Disney and computers, networking, webpublishing etc is really easy to me, also have done quite a bit of motor racing so im good at the hands on stuff too, so why am I finding things so overwhelming and difficalt??

Ill keep ploding on, I guess im just impatiant??

[Keef]

You just keep plodding on, and learning it bit by bit, till one day it starts to come together and you're away!

[Evo]

Don't worry mate - circuits are probably the steepest learning curve you'll face during your training. The first few hours are fairly depressing, and if you're anything like me circuits will start to turn into cross countries as you try and get in trim, call downwind and do your pre-landing checks. As time goes by it will start to get easier and you've got the solo at the end of it to look forward to :)

As for the rest, Air Law's dull but you've got to do it - look on the bright side, you get the worst one out of the way first. The navigation book looks hard, but it's not too bad and you can ignore most of the book anyway. Play with the wind side of the whizz-wheel until you figure out what it is telling you (doing it with a pen and paper a few times helps), and then get your instructor to help you plan out a navex. Once you've done it a few times it becomes easy - after all, as an ex Vulcan pilot said to me, it can't be that hard or Navigators couldn't do it... :D

[28thJuly2001]

I have only one word to say on the subject of exams "PPL CONFUSER",

......erm..actually that's two words but you get my drift.
I found learning about navigation fun, weird eh?

Walt,,

[edited to congratulate myself on 100 posts]

[BRL]

Holloway Just keep plodding on mate. At the end of the day, it IS a lot to take on but as Keef says, it will all just click in all of a sudden one day and you will wonder why you were fussing all this time :D Your first solo sounds not to far away so that will give you a perfect excuse to meet us all in London for the bash and get your 'reward' (see London bash thread at top of page). Hope to see you soon and keep going...... :)

[Julian]

Holloway,

If you are anything like me I can only get so far with a book, then I have to go out and actually do it for it to actually all click together - and like you I am not thick, currently looking after a £68m project. I ended up doing a proper groundschool rather than just reading the books and trying to sit the exams and this made it MUCH easier. There are some people who can learn stuff parrot fashion just to recite it in the exams but doesnt help you in the long run.

Julian.

[eveepee]

Holloway

I know how you feel - so much to learn, so much to do and so little time !
I'm on circuits now but it took me a lot longer than you to get onto them so in my book you're doing very well. Being consistent on circuits is also taking time so I'm not sure when I'll be ready to solo.
I'm also studying Air Law in readiness for the exam and the only way I've been able to cope is to take things one step at a time. I read the textbook, answered the revision questions on that section until I got the majority correct and only then moved onto the next chapter. I tried not to panic about the fact it was taking a long time. I recently bought the Confuser and have found it to be very helpful, it surprised me just how much I remembered so I would certainly recommend it. You might be pleasantly surprised as I was.
From the sound of your posting you have found learning to fly a lot easier than me and obviously learning much quicker - take heart from that, you'll probably solo before me !:)

[Holloway]

Thanks Mate... I think ill need another 5 hrs to go solo. I also get muddled up with the radio!!!:D

[chilleruk1]

I agree with the rest of the guys, it certainly is overwhelming to start with but you DO get more confident as time goes on. The nav book scared me too but I thought it was the easiest exam! Definitley get the 'Confuser', it lets you to know what to expect


P.S.

I have my skills test booked for Friday and I'm scared

[Grim Reaper 14]

Linford Christie was crap at the 10,000 metres.
Jonathan Edwards is crap at the high jump.
Michael Schumacher isn't very good at origami.
You'll find your own best event and excel at it, meantime, keep your enthusiasm and press on. We all learn at different speeds and exceed our expectations in some areas. In others we need more time.

Trust me, it's worth it.
:)