PPL to CPL Standard - Improving during hour building

[Superpilot]

I'm going to be starting my CPL training soon. In the mean time I need to do some hour building (about 35 to go). I don't just want to fly from A to B and enjoy the view but wish to improve and learn along the way. I want to be in a position so that when I start my CPL training I'm not caught off guard with any new concepts or techniques.

So for that reason I want to find out (preferrably from instructors!) the main differences in flying and navigation techniques from PPL to CPL standard.
What should I be aiming to do when hour building? Is it only a simple case of maintaining my altitude to within 50ft and speeds within the required limitations? Also, is there a better VFR navigation technique I should be using. Any thing I should know about Making Good Track etc...

Thanks

[foxmoth]

A few suggestions,
Spend any local flights running through general handling techniques, steep turns, stalling PFLs etc.
Try an advanced PPL course, UH do these and I am sure others do as well though I cannot comment on the standard of anyone other than UH.
Difficult to comment on the Nav side without knowing your current abilities, again this can be covered on an advanced PPL.
Try an Aeros course - again great for your handling.

[Whopity]

The real problem is that if you don't know what is required, you cannot discipline yourself to do it, and you won't know what is required, until you commence the CPL course. Rather than waste 35 hours burning holes in the sky why not start you IR (55 hours) and get some disciplined flying from square one. With an IR you get 10 hours credit against the CPL.

[QNH 1013]

Don't know where you are going to be doing the CPL course, but it should be quite easy to visit the school and talk to one of the instructors. If that is not possible, speak to them on the telephone. You could also book a one hour flight with them now, and get them to suggest what you should be practicing.
They may well have some notes on the navigation techniques they teach. Like many things in flying, there are often alternative ways of getting the same result.
If the budget allows, you could do the IR first as suggested. I did the IR first but for different reasons. This meant that I could reduce the CPL course to 15 hours, but if I recall correctly, I still needed about 20 hours to get to the required standard.
Good luck and enjoy the course.

[Gugnunc]

Learn how to use the rudder. Make all your turns balanced (including steep turns) and keep the balance ball centered whenever climbing.

My ear is still ringing from the examiner's opinion of my "lazy feet".

.........and that was despite doing the AOPA Aeros course and being reasonably current on aeros at the time of the test!

[FlyingForFun]

The Notes for the Guidance of Candidates taking the CPL Skills Test (Aeroplanes) gives you a good idea what to expect on your CPL. Also, have a read of my CPL diary (go to the Professional Pilot Training forum, and have a look in the Archive Reference Threads for the link).

FFF
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[Keygrip]

SuperPilot - you've just become my favourite pilot/student (well, 2nd, behind AerBabe - different reasons).

Whopity and Flying For Fun will understand, even if nobody else does, but full marks on your post.

The answers have all been given in FFF's link to Doc 3.

Do me a favour - send me a PM to tell me where you are doing your CPL.

[172_driver]

First of all, I am not an instructor and merely a young bloke with a fresh CPL, no IR or ME. But I would like to give a slightly different perspective on this. The major difference between a private pilot and a commercial pilot is not whether you are able to perform a perfectly coordinated steep turn or not. A private pilot with 7-800 hours in a SEP would probably perform better than a fresh CPL-pilot with 150 hours (like me).

In my opinion, it's the attitude towards flying that makes the big difference whether you suit as a commercial pilot or not. If you always think safe and make the right desicions the examiner wouldn't care if you loose 100 ft during a steep turn or mess up the wing rockings. He might give you a remark on these elements but I would be extremely surprised if he failed you just because of that.

The superior pilot is the one who uses his superior judgement to avoid situations which might require superior skills.... I guess you've heard that.

What I mean by thinking safe is that you do a proper pre-flight inspection, think about why you check each item not just do it. Always do careful mass & balance, operational flight plans, fuel calculations and weather studies. Sometimes it feels overkill, but one day it might save your life. By doing all this boring stuff you minimize the risk of anything bad that can happen and the risk that still exists, is so small that you are willing to take it.

For the handling bit, the CPL syllabus do require more precision than the PPL. But from my experience the examiners are not extremely fastidious. Co-ordination exercises like steep turns, chandelles and lazy eights I find really helpful. You have to use your feet and timing is important when doing lazy eights and chandelles especially. Simulated engine failures in flight is something I do on regular basis and power off landings as well. If there is something the examiner look at, it's how you cope with an emergency situation.

My 2 cents (or 50 öre whichever is less)

[LocoDriver]

Superpilot........
172 driver raised some excellent ideas.
I am a crusty instructor, and try and encourage CPL candidates to have a few CPL lessons (accuracy type-while hour building)before they start the serious stuff so they can get up to speed with accuracy, methods, etc etc.
It is more than just an 'hour' thing, the CPL is a professional licence, like 172 driver stated, you need to have a good subject knowledge.

Know the rules backwards, and find out what employers are looking for....

A good instructor will get all your PPL stuff 'up to speed' before starting any CPL stuff, just launching straight into a lesson, like say, max rate turns, when the steep/medium turns are not up to scratch, is just a waste of money.

I find that attitude(the pilots, not the aircraft!) means a lot to a prospective employer, some CPL's never make the grade, others get hired with early hours, because they display the right attitude.

Enjoy your hour building(and CPL training) use the time wisely.

Good Luck from New Zealand.

[Dude~]

Is it only a simple case of maintaining my altitude to within 50ft and speeds within the required limitations?

As someone already said, a lot of the CPL is about planning and preparation, but it is also about flying more accurately than before. With regard height keeping, imagine if it is a silky smooth day, then ±50ft in the cruise would be easy and the examiner may think its a poor show if you can't maintain ±20ft. However if its a rough day it won't necessarily matter if you exceed the limits laid down. Remember the examiner will be looking at the big picture so don't worry if you bust a height or speed once, but do try to be as accurate as possible all the time, especially with cruise speeds otherwise you ETAs will be wrong.

Its also much better to leave you planned cruise altitutude to remain VMC an keep the examiner informed of your intentions than to doggedly stick to planned alt in unsuitable conditions.

Personally I'd recomend hour building after the CPL when you can consolidate new techniques and skills, rather than enforcing PPL habits etc! My flying certainly came on leaps and bounds after the CPL. I found my capacity rose dramatically and flying became much more relaxed after the course.

[Ross_11]

Originally Posted by QNH 1013

visit the school and talk to one of the instructors. If that is not possible, speak to them on the telephone. You could also book a one hour flight with them now, and get them to suggest what you should be practicing.

I'd second that...not just for the reasons mentioned, but also to iron out what you're not doing right. In the little time building I've done and seen others do, I've found it's not too hard to lose the good habits you were taught by the instructor. So when you fly with an instructor (and not necessarily the same you did your training with), most of the times you realise YOURSELF the mistakes you've been making...maybe due to a casual attitude, or u didn't pay 'concious' attention to it when you were told about it, or maybe due to a combination of reasons. Besides, I've found this also gives you added confidence.

My 2 ps

Cheers...

[Croqueteer]

find an instructor, prob ex-CFS, that can teach instrument flying properly, selective radial scan etc, and do 5 or 10 hours with him until IF is second nature to you, then you can concentrate on procedures when you are paying expensive twin time.

[Creep Feed Grinder]

IR before CPL ?

Whopity & QNH 1013
If you do the IR before CPL is the skills test for the IR the same at PPL and CPL level? Did you have to ask to be tested to CPL standards? Thanks

[theresalwaysone]

If i was doing it all again--first off i would rob a bigger bank and round UP log book times.

Flying wise I would do more instrument cross countries with a safety pilot, more non precision approaches, especially NDB let downs as you will have a life time of those with airline base checks but ensure you do a variety of different procedures.

Ensure you can divert on an a-b leg without it looking like a wallpaper shop in the cockpit.

Ensure you can enter a holding pattern from any direction.

Ensure your airmanship remains top draw.

Practice non everyday items eg flapless glide apps pfls etc

Good luck

[7gcbc]

Ensure you can divert on an a-b leg without it looking like a wallpaper shop in the cockpit.

Classic, did just that two weeks ago on a cpl prep x/c so true.