From Zero to Forty Five - my PPL Diary

[MichaelJP59]

Hi Lee, followed your thread as I was doing my PPL about the same time.

Paramotoring looks fun and gets you up in the air but you can't really go places - have you considered a share in a permit type? Costs can be much, much lower even for a practical tourer. It's no wonder people get bored (and broke) going for local bimbles in a club rental.

[Hannah222]

I've just started going for my ppl and so far have nearly 4 hours!! If I had more time I would read this whole thread about everyones experiences and find out what will happen but I don't have time! It sounds a good idea about making a diary of your lessons and I would but I think I would soon get boring so I won't haha. It's good you started flying again after you stopped too mazzy. Theres probably loads of questions I could ask people but I'll only ask one- don't laugh but whats a ppl look like? I thought it was a bit of paper or like a drivers license but someone said it was 'shiny'. Does that mean it's laminated??
Hannah

[Lister Noble]

What does a ppl look like

Ah well,I'm 67,of ample build and slightly balding.
I'm sure there ore other types.

PPL Licence comes in a shiny brown cover.

[WALSue]

Ah, that lovely brown cover!

Mazzy - I've seen the powered-powergliders over Wallasey numerous times, looks great fun.

[mazzy1026]

DastardlyMutley - nice one

Phil is a bloody good instructor (AFI) and you can rest assure you've got yourself a solid PPL there! I actually really enjoyed writing about my flying. I found myself updating this thread as soon as possible, not only as it was fresh in my mind, but I knew there were other people learning too, and it was really great to share everything.

Michael - you are correct, a permit type is considerably cheaper (and arguably more fun etc) but it's just not for me at this point. I think you'd be surprised at just how far you can go dangling from the end of a duvet cover also - in fact, I'll bet I fly further paramotoring, than I ever fixed wing. This is probably entirely because of the cost, and maybe a little bit to do with the increased flexibility/freedom...

Hannah - put it this way, I already had my own cover on order for my PPL, and it didn't last long in it's "attractive" CAA issue wallet!

Sue - you'll have to visit the club one day

Cheers
Lee

(Lister - don't go advertising yourself like that - this isn't a dating site haha)

[madgav]

PS: madgav - really sorry I missed your last post. I would like to wish you belated congratulations, and I do hope you're enjoying your new found wonders...

Thanks Lee
Just reached my first 'birthday' as a PPL, the year has gone roughly like this:
Good things: got checked out on a couple of new aircraft, taking friends (still got plenty of them to take up), finally got a trip outside NI, x-water check coming up, hoping to do my night rating next winter.
Not so good: Numerous attempts to get trips further afield haven't worked out, difficult to stay current on 3 different types, once or twice found myself just doing a few circuits to keep current, (un)availability of club aircraft (especially for trips).
Plan for the next 12 months is to get going places!!!

[madgav]

Ah, that lovely brown cover!

Mazzy - I've seen the powered-powergliders over Wallasey numerous times, looks great fun.

Did you get your PPL finished then Sue? I recall reading that you had a lot of problems with flying clubs etc

[Pommie Paul]

I know this post has been going for years now but I want to express how amazing it is reading all the original posts.

I am currently about to embark on my PPL joureny, doing all my research and reading as much as posssible before I hit the air. REading your first post was so inspiring, I cant wait to get cracking now.

PS I love all the tips and 'perks' if you will by hanging around the school/airfield. Aviation, such an amazing and friendly industry to be in! So a BIG THANKS!!

[stevelup]

Originally Posted by madgav

Not so good: Numerous attempts to get trips further afield haven't worked out, difficult to stay current on 3 different types, once or twice found myself just doing a few circuits to keep current, (un)availability of club aircraft (especially for trips).
Plan for the next 12 months is to get going places!!!

All of the above would sort itself out if you got yourself a share, not to mention the fact that you'd almost certainly save yourself a fortune on the hourly rate.

[madgav]

All of the above would sort itself out if you got yourself a share, not to mention the fact that you'd almost certainly save yourself a fortune on the hourly rate.

Funny you should say that.......
I was involved in discussions last autumn about setting up a group with 5 other people. One of the issues that arose however was the very high fixed costs (maintenance/hangarage/insurance) which if shared equally would completely wipe out any financial benefit for me given my anticipated fairly light usage. Unlike (for example) one of the others who intended to use the aircraft for hour building. Costs that would increase further if anyone was to drop out of the group. None of the others wanted to increase the size of the group. In the end of the day it came to nowt
It would also have been a sizeable step down from the G1000 C172s I can rent from the club

Edit: I love the way this thread never dies

[MyData]

I've been reading this thread again recently, it certainly brings back some memories

Mazzy, if you are still around, how did the paramotoring go? It is something I've been interested in but haven't got around to taking the plunge yet.

[Chequeredflag]

Howdy!!

Mazzy old mate, how good to hear from you!. I just happened to click on the thread, and found you are still alive! Hopefully you will reach for the sky again very soon!
From a personal perspective, I am still flying, and currently have 150 hours on the clock. I still fly Piper Warriors, but now mainly out of Coventry, where the Coventry Aero Club have two almost new Warrior 111's. I still fly the Warrior I learned on from East Midlands (good old Romeo Yankee that's had a recent facelift and is really quite a nice aircraft) occasionally - really love flying from E Mids, the controllers there are so helpful to GA, fitting us in between Ryanair and Easyjet etc. They even held a Thomson 737 the other day to allow me to take off - obviously they know who I am!!
I don't fly that far, this year having visited many midland airports, as well as Isle of Wight, Shoreham, Cambridge (several times) Sherburn etc. I am flying around 18/20 hours a year, and that's expensive enough!
So old friend, get yourself into the sky, and if ever in the Coventry area, give me a shout and we'll go for a bimble.
Cheers

CF

[Fantome]

Agreed, there are some illuminating posts on this long long thread, but also some rather self-absorbed, trite opinions. Excuse me if I sound a testy old fart, but when you pick up books by the eloquent, highly acclaimed, (and exceedingly modest), veterans such as Ann Welch or Alan Bramson, you realise
the reason for their pre-eminence. Bramson, for instance -

At the risk of sounding defeatist I must say that, although the stupid can be
educated, there is very little that can be done about the undisciplined.
Nothing will prevent the lunatic fringe from driving at high speed in fog
and any reader who, deep down, recognises himself as such a character
is advised to put this book down now. There is little point in reading on
for he is hardly likely to accept my advice which would be to give up
flying and stick to golf.

To the keen, balanced, and conscientious pilot who recognises his
limitations and wishes to do better for his own safety and enjoyment
I hasten to explain that this not simply a book telling you how to deal
with emergencies. Its aim is rather to develop habits and techniques that
will prevent the real emergency and all the risks it entails from arising.

I do not claim to have invented the many practices described here. They
find their origins in some of the finest training establishments, civil and
military, where the experiences of talented pilots acquired over many
years has been distilled into wisdom.

BE A BETTER PILOT p. 9-10

[mazzy1026]

Paramotor Lima Mike - YouTube

[Lister Noble]

Mazzy,good to see you still post on here,I have not for ages.
I still fly the L4 now and then and am glad you are again airborne.

[mazzy1026]

Hey Lister - good to hear from you. I too haven't used pprune for donkey's. Just thought I'd post up a new link for old time's sake, see which one's out of the old crew still read this

Hope you and everyone else are doing ok...

Cheers,
Lee

Edit: You know what, I've just seen the other posts from everyone else - how ignorant of me! Sorry about that. If anyone still reads this, drop me an email (address in profile).