Lesson Frequency
Join Date: Feb 2007
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PCA, that's probably a wise, though very hard decision to make. You really should have a budget so that you can do the 45 hours, including instruction and everything, within a timeframe of one year. If needed, save up beforehand. But stretching the PPL course over a longer timeframe means that you are spending too much time picking up where you left off previously.
One tip: try to remain listed as a student at your club, even if you only fly once every three months or so. Clubs, in addition to lessons, typically organise other events for students as well, and it might be a very good idea to participate in these events. At the very least, it ensures that you get to know people who might just give you a ride in the RHS for (virtually) free.
And pay attention to the fact that your ground exams have a limited lifespan. I think it's 36 months: from the time you do the exam to the time you do the skills test. If you're going to sit on your hands now for a full year, while saving up money, and then spend a year obtaining the PPL, your current air law exam is probably going to be toast and you'll have to resit it again. Don't let that happen to your other exams though!
One tip: try to remain listed as a student at your club, even if you only fly once every three months or so. Clubs, in addition to lessons, typically organise other events for students as well, and it might be a very good idea to participate in these events. At the very least, it ensures that you get to know people who might just give you a ride in the RHS for (virtually) free.
And pay attention to the fact that your ground exams have a limited lifespan. I think it's 36 months: from the time you do the exam to the time you do the skills test. If you're going to sit on your hands now for a full year, while saving up money, and then spend a year obtaining the PPL, your current air law exam is probably going to be toast and you'll have to resit it again. Don't let that happen to your other exams though!
Join Date: Mar 2006
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There is a point of view that getting your PPL in the minimum amount of hours is not the point, the point is to go flying when you can and as often as you can.
If it takes 50,55,75 hours to get your PPL what does it matter? you still have a number of hours with air beneath your wheels, the only difference is a bit of paper to say that you can carry some unsuspecting Pax.
I can only afford 1-2 hours a month at the moment, but that does not stop me, I am just enjoying the flying and I have no fixed view on how long it will take to get my PPL back.
I went solo in 6.5 hours and completed my PPL in 38 hours, all within 5 weeks back in '86.
I have done 4.5 hours so far towards getting my PPL back with at least another 2 before I re-solo, and then I have no idea how many more before I am up to my skills test. I have not set a target, I just want to be signed off as safe enough to satisfy my Wife that I am allowed to take our 2 young children aloft
Just enjoy it, fly when you want to. I guarantee that every time you visit the airfield, you'll wish you are the one strapping on a kneeboard
If it takes 50,55,75 hours to get your PPL what does it matter? you still have a number of hours with air beneath your wheels, the only difference is a bit of paper to say that you can carry some unsuspecting Pax.
I can only afford 1-2 hours a month at the moment, but that does not stop me, I am just enjoying the flying and I have no fixed view on how long it will take to get my PPL back.
I went solo in 6.5 hours and completed my PPL in 38 hours, all within 5 weeks back in '86.
I have done 4.5 hours so far towards getting my PPL back with at least another 2 before I re-solo, and then I have no idea how many more before I am up to my skills test. I have not set a target, I just want to be signed off as safe enough to satisfy my Wife that I am allowed to take our 2 young children aloft
Just enjoy it, fly when you want to. I guarantee that every time you visit the airfield, you'll wish you are the one strapping on a kneeboard
The Original Whirly
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Wessex Boy,
That's always been my way of doing it. After all, what are you doing now at the airfield? Flying. And what will you do when you get your PPL? Fly. what's the big difference? And people fly much better if they don't put themself under that kind of pressure too.
But you can tell this till you're blue in the face to the high achievers who see everything as an aim with a goal, or a challenge to be completed, and it's not an attitude they can manage to have; it tends to be completely alien to their way of thinking.
That's always been my way of doing it. After all, what are you doing now at the airfield? Flying. And what will you do when you get your PPL? Fly. what's the big difference? And people fly much better if they don't put themself under that kind of pressure too.
But you can tell this till you're blue in the face to the high achievers who see everything as an aim with a goal, or a challenge to be completed, and it's not an attitude they can manage to have; it tends to be completely alien to their way of thinking.
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What Whirls says is true (no change there then) Look at my way of doing it. I started in 1992, still haven't got the ppl.
I lost my job after 3 hours, and other things took a more important place in my cash flow, like mortgage, holidays etc. I returned to flying in 2001/2 got to first solo and the money ran out again. Satisfied myself with going to the club saying hello from time to time, and some Right Hand seat trips from freinds. Returned to the fold last year with a grand and a half spare. Not enough to complete the ppl, but I got the navigation tuition out of the way. Next time I get some spare money I will build up the solo time, QXC and skills test left to do, and I will do what the money at the time allows. Don't get me wrong, it breaks my heart whenever I have to stop again, but I am at the point where it happens so often I am hardened to it.
The one thing that has remained constant in all this time though is since 2001/2 whenever I have not been able to do it properly, I have always managed to find the funds for an hour every 3 or 4 months, just to keep my hand in. It means that I fly about 3 hours a year, but my basic skills of straight and level climbing and descending, turning, circuit work etc are all still reasonably current. That way when i do get some spare cash I don't waste any re-capping the basics.
If you are certain that you aren't going to fly again this year, at least think about doing it this way. Keeps the spirit alive as well!
I lost my job after 3 hours, and other things took a more important place in my cash flow, like mortgage, holidays etc. I returned to flying in 2001/2 got to first solo and the money ran out again. Satisfied myself with going to the club saying hello from time to time, and some Right Hand seat trips from freinds. Returned to the fold last year with a grand and a half spare. Not enough to complete the ppl, but I got the navigation tuition out of the way. Next time I get some spare money I will build up the solo time, QXC and skills test left to do, and I will do what the money at the time allows. Don't get me wrong, it breaks my heart whenever I have to stop again, but I am at the point where it happens so often I am hardened to it.
The one thing that has remained constant in all this time though is since 2001/2 whenever I have not been able to do it properly, I have always managed to find the funds for an hour every 3 or 4 months, just to keep my hand in. It means that I fly about 3 hours a year, but my basic skills of straight and level climbing and descending, turning, circuit work etc are all still reasonably current. That way when i do get some spare cash I don't waste any re-capping the basics.
If you are certain that you aren't going to fly again this year, at least think about doing it this way. Keeps the spirit alive as well!
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What Wessex, Cumulo and Whirly are telling you is all true if all you want is to enjoy the thrill of piloting an aircraft yourself. In other words, it's the art/skill/magic of flying that attracts you.
But if it's the "go places" that attracts you, then a PPL opens a whole load of opportunities that you generally do not have pre-PPL. Last week I planned a flight from Rotterdam to Fairoaks for a courtesy visit to a Business Partner of ours. Business trip which unfortunately got cancelled (but I am replanning) due to the weather. I'm also thinking of flying to Ameland somewhere next week, just to walk on the beach for a couple of hours. That's a one-hour flight which would otherwise be a four-hour trip, including a ferry ride.
Also, once you've got that PPL, flying becomes cheaper. For starters you don't have to pay an instructor, and you can let your passengers share some of the cost.
Each his own motivation of course, and everybody is limited by budget, but for me, I would get seriously demotivated if it took me several years to get my PPL. (And because of that, I did one of those three-week PPLs in Florida!)
Oh, and if you're just flying for the kick of it (which I can fully understand), then there are cheaper alternatives than flying a Group-A-spamcan. Microlights (3-axis or weight-shift) have been mentioned, but also gliders, deltas, autogyros. My first air experience was actually in (underneath) a parapente, and you have foot-launched-motorized-parapentes too nowadays. All these alternatives involve flying of some sort, all of them give you a great buzz (probably even greater than in a spam can) and all of them are cheaper. The disadvantage is that you can't seriously "go places" with some of these "aircraft" (let alone take passengers), and that you cannot always count the hours flown in them towards a PPL.
So it all depends on "why do you want to fly?"
But if it's the "go places" that attracts you, then a PPL opens a whole load of opportunities that you generally do not have pre-PPL. Last week I planned a flight from Rotterdam to Fairoaks for a courtesy visit to a Business Partner of ours. Business trip which unfortunately got cancelled (but I am replanning) due to the weather. I'm also thinking of flying to Ameland somewhere next week, just to walk on the beach for a couple of hours. That's a one-hour flight which would otherwise be a four-hour trip, including a ferry ride.
Also, once you've got that PPL, flying becomes cheaper. For starters you don't have to pay an instructor, and you can let your passengers share some of the cost.
Each his own motivation of course, and everybody is limited by budget, but for me, I would get seriously demotivated if it took me several years to get my PPL. (And because of that, I did one of those three-week PPLs in Florida!)
Oh, and if you're just flying for the kick of it (which I can fully understand), then there are cheaper alternatives than flying a Group-A-spamcan. Microlights (3-axis or weight-shift) have been mentioned, but also gliders, deltas, autogyros. My first air experience was actually in (underneath) a parapente, and you have foot-launched-motorized-parapentes too nowadays. All these alternatives involve flying of some sort, all of them give you a great buzz (probably even greater than in a spam can) and all of them are cheaper. The disadvantage is that you can't seriously "go places" with some of these "aircraft" (let alone take passengers), and that you cannot always count the hours flown in them towards a PPL.
So it all depends on "why do you want to fly?"
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BackPacker, I understand your point, whilst I am happy to take my time, my kids are extremely impatient for me to take them flying!
What I might do is take my eldest along in the back when I get to Navexes
What I might do is take my eldest along in the back when I get to Navexes
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No (legal) problem taking a passenger on a dual lesson, indeed. They can be very distracting though, especially kids. Puking at inconvenient times, chatting all through the radio traffic. Aviate, navigate, communicate and then take care of your passengers!
If you're flying a half-decent spam can, look for a button called "pilot isolation" or "crew isolation" on the audio select panel. This cuts the passengers from the intercom and is sometimes extremely convenient. A bit rude, but convenient.
If you're flying a half-decent spam can, look for a button called "pilot isolation" or "crew isolation" on the audio select panel. This cuts the passengers from the intercom and is sometimes extremely convenient. A bit rude, but convenient.
)
The Original Whirly
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Backpacker,
As with all of your posts, very well put and quite true. But if you're struggling with time and/or money, you aren't going to be able to manage the going places post-PPL anyway. And that means you might just as well chill out and enjoy the flying that you can do, rather than do battle with what life is throwing at you and try desperately to get a PPL quickly...for what? But yes, everyone's different. Isn't it lucky they've got people like you and me to present all the alternatives? 
But if it's the "go places" that attracts you, then a PPL opens a whole load of opportunities that you generally do not have pre-PPL.
