PPL - and then what?
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
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From: UK
PPL - and then what?
I have just been reading “Beyond the PPL” which I found a quite unputdownable eye opener. In the final chapter, the author, Nigel Everett, asks – perhaps a touch disingenuously? – “Finally, may I ask you whether you agreed with all I have said in this book? I do hope the answer is “No”.”
I hate to admit it, but I find myself in total agreement with him – my excuse being that I am not yet a PPL holder and fairly gullible to boot.
Question to all those who have read the book: Which of Everett’s pronouncements would you take issue with?
I hate to admit it, but I find myself in total agreement with him – my excuse being that I am not yet a PPL holder and fairly gullible to boot.
Question to all those who have read the book: Which of Everett’s pronouncements would you take issue with?
Why do it if it's not fun?
Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Bournemouth
I have a feeling I bought that book for Aerbabe for her birthday a couple of years ago. If not, I bought something that sounded very similar.
Are you still lurking around here, Aerbabe, or do you just hide out in Jetblast nowadays???
FFF
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Are you still lurking around here, Aerbabe, or do you just hide out in Jetblast nowadays???
FFF
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Simplicate and Add Lightness
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: EGSG, mainly
OK - I'll take the bait....
I bought that book during a particularly depressing part of of my training, read it, lost it, then read it again about 3 months ago (4 months after passing).
The first time I read it it definitely helped to crystallise my ideas about what, how and where I wanted to fly.
The second time I read it, I thought - 'what a load of tosh'. This is unfair, but it's because the book is aimed at slightly nervous PPLs who rarely venture beyond the circuit or county. I don't think you'll find many of those type of pilots here on Proon.
In summary- maybe worth reading during training, probably not worth buying as a PPL unless you are very out of touch, or nervous (or maybe learnt in the USA
)
I bought that book during a particularly depressing part of of my training, read it, lost it, then read it again about 3 months ago (4 months after passing).
The first time I read it it definitely helped to crystallise my ideas about what, how and where I wanted to fly.
The second time I read it, I thought - 'what a load of tosh'. This is unfair, but it's because the book is aimed at slightly nervous PPLs who rarely venture beyond the circuit or county. I don't think you'll find many of those type of pilots here on Proon.
In summary- maybe worth reading during training, probably not worth buying as a PPL unless you are very out of touch, or nervous (or maybe learnt in the USA
)
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
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From: UK
Give us more info
The book is subtitled: Putting the fun and skill into flying. My impression is that the author, to quote from the introduction, essentially addresses all “qualified private pilots who are unsure of what to do with their expensive and hard-earned qualifications. The world may be full of them, but the skies are empty. . . There is a marked sense of anti-climax and a tendency to wander around the sky like a lost dog, often followed by a loss of interest in flying at all. . . For VFR by day the CAA offers no further goal for the PPL, although there is a yawning gap between the standards of VFR flying of the newly qualified PPL and the experienced and truly competent VFR pilot . . . But the CAA apparently sees no need for further goals in VFR flying for the PPL. . .”
The book then deals with three main areas: a) aircraft handling – b) Navigation and c) Radio and Clearances.
Before posting my original query I should of course have realized that unlike me my fellow Ppruners know full well what to do with their expensive and hard-earned qualifications and obviously have no need of any kind of pep talk or morale booster.
May I add that I am in no way connected with the book’s author or publishers.
Carbonfibre-based lifeform
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From: London
On the subject of people giving up through boredom...
The Royal New Zealand Aero Club runs this scheme in their country which gives qualified pilots something more to aim for.
Quite a good idea for those who want some sort of structure to operate within.
Another approach is simply to scan the magazines and web sites such as this for places and events which appeal and then go along to those. Or set yourself some personal goals such as visiting a certain number of new airfields in a year / flying to a foreign country / flying a new type / doing your IMC etc., etc.
Just going for a potter around in the air can be great, but extending yourself a little is probably the key to avoiding boredom.
The Royal New Zealand Aero Club runs this scheme in their country which gives qualified pilots something more to aim for.
Quite a good idea for those who want some sort of structure to operate within.
Another approach is simply to scan the magazines and web sites such as this for places and events which appeal and then go along to those. Or set yourself some personal goals such as visiting a certain number of new airfields in a year / flying to a foreign country / flying a new type / doing your IMC etc., etc.
Just going for a potter around in the air can be great, but extending yourself a little is probably the key to avoiding boredom.
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From: Chichester, UK
Before posting my original query I should of course have realized that unlike me my fellow Ppruners know full well what to do with their expensive and hard-earned qualifications and obviously have no need of any kind of pep talk or morale booster.
have read the book you are talking about - not easy to reply unless you give us some more info.
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From: surrey
...the book is aimed at slightly nervous PPLs who rarely venture beyond the circuit or county. I don't think you'll find many of those type of pilots here on Proon
Thank you all!
Simplicate and Add Lightness
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: EGSG, mainly
TGia152
...in that case, maybe if I'd got the book before discovering Proon, then I might still have both my front teeth...
Whaddya reckon the chances are of me suing Proon to recover my post-bash dental costs then?
...in that case, maybe if I'd got the book before discovering Proon, then I might still have both my front teeth...
Whaddya reckon the chances are of me suing Proon to recover my post-bash dental costs then?
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From: Outlawed
It's an interesting point as to why so many qualified PPLs drop out of aviation - but I think the 3 main reasons are money, money & money. The petty bureaucracy of the CAA doesn't help of course, but as GA is such a small community, there's very little chance of any Gov't being remotely interested in proposals to expand our part of the aviation world.
The answer is for the CAA to be like the FAA and have a mandate to encourage aviation as well as regulate it. The only chance of that happening is if an aviation enthusiast somehow finds himself as a junior minister in the MOT, in charge of the CAA. (But as most people I've met in aviation tend not to be corrupt, self-important scumbags - there's very little chance of them becoming MPs).
Having said that, I can't believe people drop out through boredom. Even if you're not doing it for a Commercial license, there's so much you can do after your PPLs - type ratings, aerobatics, twins, etc. (Presuming you're as rich as Croesus, obviously).
The answer is for the CAA to be like the FAA and have a mandate to encourage aviation as well as regulate it. The only chance of that happening is if an aviation enthusiast somehow finds himself as a junior minister in the MOT, in charge of the CAA. (But as most people I've met in aviation tend not to be corrupt, self-important scumbags - there's very little chance of them becoming MPs).
Having said that, I can't believe people drop out through boredom. Even if you're not doing it for a Commercial license, there's so much you can do after your PPLs - type ratings, aerobatics, twins, etc. (Presuming you're as rich as Croesus, obviously).
Simplicate and Add Lightness
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From: EGSG, mainly
I'm not so sure Strafer.
I think a large part of the problem is the disillusionment that sets in once the new PPL-holder realises that his/her dream of freely roaming the British skies is a myth put about by greedy flying clubs. (Sometimes I think this sets in pre-test - which accounts for some of the drop out rate IMHO.)
I don't think I was unusual when I started this flying lark to dream that one day (wallet permitting) I would be able to fly places instead of drive to them. It's quite a kick in the teeth (no comments please) to wake up to the fact that 7 times out of 10 that will not be feasible due weather, aircraft availability, or prohibitive landing fees.
I know that, because I'm not interested in aeros or the engineering side of things, I have to go on to do the IMC now in order to keep my interest alive.
Which brings us nicely back to That Book. One problem I have with it is that the author expounds constantly pushing one's limits as a method of keeping things going, but is quite scathing about the value of the IMC rating. I cannot reconcile these apparently opposing points of view.
I think a large part of the problem is the disillusionment that sets in once the new PPL-holder realises that his/her dream of freely roaming the British skies is a myth put about by greedy flying clubs. (Sometimes I think this sets in pre-test - which accounts for some of the drop out rate IMHO.)
I don't think I was unusual when I started this flying lark to dream that one day (wallet permitting) I would be able to fly places instead of drive to them. It's quite a kick in the teeth (no comments please) to wake up to the fact that 7 times out of 10 that will not be feasible due weather, aircraft availability, or prohibitive landing fees.
I know that, because I'm not interested in aeros or the engineering side of things, I have to go on to do the IMC now in order to keep my interest alive.
Which brings us nicely back to That Book. One problem I have with it is that the author expounds constantly pushing one's limits as a method of keeping things going, but is quite scathing about the value of the IMC rating. I cannot reconcile these apparently opposing points of view.
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Chichester, UK
I found starting to use my PPL to be quite a hard transition. In the latter stages of the training it's all very focussed; solo landaway, QXC, skills test, you always know what is coming up and you are never more than a couple of hours away from the next milestone. Suddenly you get the PPL, wait a few weeks for the CAA to give you a licence and then you're on your own.
Of course, your school will rent you a spamcan but it is up to you to decide what to do with it. Most of us are fairly short of money after the PPL, so long flights are hard to justify and the local area trips begin. These are fairly dull, and with a bit of bad weather it would be easy run out of currency and to slowly stop bothering. I'm not surprised that many people never get past this stage.
Me? Well, I certainly struggled with the post-PPL blues. I had a five month break from flying almost as soon as I got the licence (first the weather, then starting to wonder if it was worth it - in the end I got my licence in September, logged a handful of hours and then didn't fly again until March. Even stopped reading PPRuNe for a while
). Luckily I discovered Robins, got going again and have had a year exploring local aerodromes, doing an IMC, starting some aeros - and, wx permitting, a PFA taildragger should be arriving at Goodwood on Sunday and a fifth of it is mine.
Of course, your school will rent you a spamcan but it is up to you to decide what to do with it. Most of us are fairly short of money after the PPL, so long flights are hard to justify and the local area trips begin. These are fairly dull, and with a bit of bad weather it would be easy run out of currency and to slowly stop bothering. I'm not surprised that many people never get past this stage.
Me? Well, I certainly struggled with the post-PPL blues. I had a five month break from flying almost as soon as I got the licence (first the weather, then starting to wonder if it was worth it - in the end I got my licence in September, logged a handful of hours and then didn't fly again until March. Even stopped reading PPRuNe for a while
). Luckily I discovered Robins, got going again and have had a year exploring local aerodromes, doing an IMC, starting some aeros - and, wx permitting, a PFA taildragger should be arriving at Goodwood on Sunday and a fifth of it is mine.
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2003
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From: UK
Evo quote: <<Come on, that's a bit unnecessary.>>
That’s the trouble with the written word: ie no voice – no body language. Honestly, I wasn’t being sarky but admit the passage could be interpreted as such. No offence was meant. I am genuinely in awe of all you PPL holders, including my current brilliant FI.
That’s the trouble with the written word: ie no voice – no body language. Honestly, I wasn’t being sarky but admit the passage could be interpreted as such. No offence was meant. I am genuinely in awe of all you PPL holders, including my current brilliant FI.
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From: EuroGA.org
Strafer
It's an interesting point as to why so many qualified PPLs drop out of aviation - but I think the 3 main reasons are money, money & money
I don't believe in that - simply because anyone with enough of a brain to pass the PPL exams is capable of working out the costs. And if they choose not to care, that's their problem; they had ample opportunity.
I reckon about 75% of "dropouts" can be easily explained: they did it as a personal challenge (or to prove to others they can do it). One doesn't have to hang around the training scene for long to see this. Same in the USA, where costs are far lower.
The remainder get caught by the fact that VFR flight (and PPL training is far too basic to be good enough for anything more than CONSERVATIVE VFR flight) is very limiting in the UK. One can come up with various incentive schemes (group fly-outs etc) but these get boring for most people who have a normal life because the flying social scene is full of anoraks. Most people will drop out after a few months no matter what you do, due to the c**p social scene. Perhaps another 20%. Actually I think there are lots of reasons why this group gets decimated; anoraks is one, money is another, c**p planes is a big one, lack of confidence in navigation...
This leaves a few, very few out of the original trainees, who are
1) happy to just potter around (on a nice day) in a self fly hire spamcan doing easy flights, or
2) they decide to really go for it and throw a vast amount of time and money at it, get the ratings and get a decent plane and they end up going places and they DO enjoy it long-term
I ended up in group 2) but I would not wish it on anybody. To do this in a training industry which is firmly geared up for the "95% group" is a pretty frustrating experience. For a start, most instructors have never been anywhere, so who do you ask if you want to go somewhere far?
There is probably a very small group 3) which is self fly hire pilots who do get pretty adventurous, VFR.
I have the book somewhere and when I've read it I will reply to the original post
It's an interesting point as to why so many qualified PPLs drop out of aviation - but I think the 3 main reasons are money, money & money
I don't believe in that - simply because anyone with enough of a brain to pass the PPL exams is capable of working out the costs. And if they choose not to care, that's their problem; they had ample opportunity.
I reckon about 75% of "dropouts" can be easily explained: they did it as a personal challenge (or to prove to others they can do it). One doesn't have to hang around the training scene for long to see this. Same in the USA, where costs are far lower.
The remainder get caught by the fact that VFR flight (and PPL training is far too basic to be good enough for anything more than CONSERVATIVE VFR flight) is very limiting in the UK. One can come up with various incentive schemes (group fly-outs etc) but these get boring for most people who have a normal life because the flying social scene is full of anoraks. Most people will drop out after a few months no matter what you do, due to the c**p social scene. Perhaps another 20%. Actually I think there are lots of reasons why this group gets decimated; anoraks is one, money is another, c**p planes is a big one, lack of confidence in navigation...
This leaves a few, very few out of the original trainees, who are
1) happy to just potter around (on a nice day) in a self fly hire spamcan doing easy flights, or
2) they decide to really go for it and throw a vast amount of time and money at it, get the ratings and get a decent plane and they end up going places and they DO enjoy it long-term
I ended up in group 2) but I would not wish it on anybody. To do this in a training industry which is firmly geared up for the "95% group" is a pretty frustrating experience. For a start, most instructors have never been anywhere, so who do you ask if you want to go somewhere far?
There is probably a very small group 3) which is self fly hire pilots who do get pretty adventurous, VFR.
I have the book somewhere and when I've read it I will reply to the original post