Back in Blighty

[Mariner9]

Just passed my ppl in THAT school near Daytona.

Got a checkride arranged for the weekend over here. I'm cr@pping myself about it - far more so than for either my skills test or 1st solo.

Any comforting words of wisdom?

[BIG MISTER]

Well done on passing your PPL.

Just go for it ! ! !

[Mariner9]

Thanks Big Mister, I'll let you know how I got on.

Look out Class D airspace...comin thro!

[AffirmBrest]

My advice for US-UK PPL type stuff:

1. Don't be scared of controlled airspace, or talking to ATC at 'big' airports! (BHX, BRS, MAN, wherever).

That was something which took me a while to get confident with e.g. they must be too busy to worry about be/what if I don't get the words exactly right/what if I don't understand them are all concerns which made me worried about dialling up Birmingham Radar or whoever.

Remember, they are just people sitting at a console, as keen to learn about you AND your intentions as you are keen to get help from them. It is more an information sharing process - if you don't understand something, ask! If they want to know something from you, they will ask! And they are ALL keen to help if they can - if they can possibly fit you through their airspace, they will.

So relax about airspace, get your calls to them in early and you won't bong anything you shouldn't. You might even find they can help with a steer to avoid that danger area, or tell you if that Glider site is active today; generally making the whole UK flying experience a LOT easier!

2. Navigation: I have flown in FL and the UK and depending on how you navigate, the UK is either easier or harder. Easier, because there are more features to use, or harder because all villages/roads etc look the same!

Think big when finding a fix - Motorway junction/Big, distinct Woodland shape/Reservoir/Big bridges etc. You can then work back from these large features to find the fix you are looking for:

"Does my fix town have the wood to the North or West? Where is the railway line supposed to be in relation to it etc."

Don't use little villages, aerials (unless REALLY HUGE), or small areas of high ground - they may be good features in FL where the ground is FLAT and empty, but from 3000' in the UK they are not that helpful unless you are really on the ball.

And bearing in mind all the recent flooding - be very careful of using rivers, or what appear to be lakes - they may be fields! Bear those soggy areas of ground in mind for the FLWOP as well.

Good Luck, and watch out for those white fluffy things...

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...proceeding below Decision Height with CAUTION...

[This message has been edited by AffirmBrest (edited 08 February 2001).]

[Evil Jethro]

As an Air traffiker at a major UK airport I would like to echo your sentiments. No controller should mind if you say, I'm sorry I dont understand that...they will mind if you accept something you don't understand and then get it wrong!!

I was flying into Cardiff recently where I have, in the past, worked as a controller, they asked me to report passing somewhere I had never heard of, in spite of a)having flown many many hours out of the airport and b) worked there as a controller. I just said not familiar with that can I report somewhere else please!! and it wasn't a problem...you will always be thought of in far higher esteem for knowing your limitations!!

[Mariner9]

Roger, Wilco.

Thanks for the advice guys, it seems like good stuff. Why don't the text books reinforce the idea that ATC are there to help YOU just as much as the big guys?

I did have 6 hours in the UK from an international airfield before I went, hopefully it'll stand me in good stead.

Thanks again!

[GPS Approach]

Mariner9,

As well as all the good advice about ATC and Navigation, probably the most important think prior to your check-out will be to revise your procedures. Stalls, Slow-Flight, Steep Turns, Emergency Drills etc, so that you can remember all your speeds and power settings etc during the flight.

Schools over here tend to look down on people who have got their PPL in the States, so they invariably will tend to give you a more stringent check-out than someone who did their PPL in Blighty. Probably because they are a bit miffed that you didn't do your PPL with them in the first place.

So my advice is to make sure you are clear on everything before you go, so you can do a smooth a flight as possible. Also call them beforehand and ask the instructor exactly what he wants you to do in the flight. Beware there are some unscrupulous Schools and Instructors in the U.K who will use it as an excuse to make money out of you before they will let you hire a plane.

Enjoy the flying anyway, its much nicer than Florida when the weather is O.K!!

Regards,

GPS Approach.

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Aargh, that was the taxiway we landed on!

[Mariner9]

Quiet day at work, sun shining overhead, so I thought why wait - go for it now!

3 circuits & 1 controlled airspace exit/entry later I was signed off for solo hire :-)

Now comes the next part of my learning curve...

[BIG MISTER]

TOP MAN ..... NOW GO HAVE A BEER !!!!!!!!

[Mariner9]

And now guess what, WX turned crap again.

Roll on Global Warming I say.