Desperately need help re. Florida flying
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Join Date: May 2001
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Desperately need help re. Florida flying
I know that this topic has been covered in some depth before, but I really need some advice.
Like some in a similar situation on this board, I'm nearing the end of my PPL, (need to do dual QXC, solo QXC, and skills test), and am sick and tired of waiting to complete for the following reasons:
1 weather
2 instructor availability (never around when either I'm off work, or the wx is nice!)
I also need to get a move on before any of my exams expire, so:- I'm thinking of going to America, (Florida part), and have been in touch with 3 schools out there already, but they don't seem to have answered my questions properly.
What I need to know is the following:
1 What are the differences in radio, and how long would it take to become aquatinted with them? - is it easier than ours, or just different?
2 I've heard that they do a lot of cross country trips either using NDBs or GPS, as opposed to DR - how accurate is this?
3. Apart from the FAA medical, (which I've already got), what other papers do you need to enter the US for flying training purposes, especially after Sept. 11th
4 I'm thinking of going sometime in Feb, would this be ok weather-wise in Florida?
5. Finally, if any of you have done this, especially at the later stages, what school would you recommend?
I want to get it done now as quickly as poss. and have been told by some schools to allow about 1 week to take familiarisation flights, (for location and radio), into consideration. Does this sound about right?
Sorry to prattle on, but this is an entirely new experience for me, so I don't want to make any costly mistakes.
any info greatly appreciated
Like some in a similar situation on this board, I'm nearing the end of my PPL, (need to do dual QXC, solo QXC, and skills test), and am sick and tired of waiting to complete for the following reasons:
1 weather
2 instructor availability (never around when either I'm off work, or the wx is nice!)
I also need to get a move on before any of my exams expire, so:- I'm thinking of going to America, (Florida part), and have been in touch with 3 schools out there already, but they don't seem to have answered my questions properly.
What I need to know is the following:
1 What are the differences in radio, and how long would it take to become aquatinted with them? - is it easier than ours, or just different?
2 I've heard that they do a lot of cross country trips either using NDBs or GPS, as opposed to DR - how accurate is this?
3. Apart from the FAA medical, (which I've already got), what other papers do you need to enter the US for flying training purposes, especially after Sept. 11th
4 I'm thinking of going sometime in Feb, would this be ok weather-wise in Florida?
5. Finally, if any of you have done this, especially at the later stages, what school would you recommend?
I want to get it done now as quickly as poss. and have been told by some schools to allow about 1 week to take familiarisation flights, (for location and radio), into consideration. Does this sound about right?
Sorry to prattle on, but this is an entirely new experience for me, so I don't want to make any costly mistakes.
any info greatly appreciated
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I did something similar and it worked out well. Having searched through the threads in Wannabees it seemed that Naples Air Centre got the most consistent good press. They were very helpful with phone / e-mail queries and were professional and well organised when I was out there. Probably not the cheapest place, but I didn't want to risk getting out there and not getting everything done because the place failed to live up to promises - that would have been far more expensive.
So, bearing in mind that I've only got experience of the one school...
1) Radio is often busier but they don't worry too much about standard phraseology. In some ways easier because the controllers are really helpful, but circuit joins and unicom are a bit different so there are a few new things to learn. The first day I jotted down some favourite phrases and learnt them by heart, then I didn't have a problem.
2) Didn't think they bothered with NDBs out there any more. Lots more VORs, but not many of the NAC 152s have GPS. Navigation was practiced in much the same way as in the UK but in reality it is very different. Some of it is really, really boring landscape to fly over and sometimes you're pressed for ground features to identify where you are. In that way much more like proper ded. reckoning - you set course, fly it and find out how accurate it was as you near the landmark you're aiming at.
3) Think it's just the medical - you don't need a visa or anything, but probably best just to say you're there on holiday (which you are) and not elaborate further. As part of the familiarisation you've got to do some fairly easy flight tests and go through the main points of air law with an instructor. I'd say 1 week was a generous allowance.
As for the recommendation, I'd be happy to put NAC's name forward. Check in the Wannabees section - the topic comes up quite frequently.
So, bearing in mind that I've only got experience of the one school...
1) Radio is often busier but they don't worry too much about standard phraseology. In some ways easier because the controllers are really helpful, but circuit joins and unicom are a bit different so there are a few new things to learn. The first day I jotted down some favourite phrases and learnt them by heart, then I didn't have a problem.
2) Didn't think they bothered with NDBs out there any more. Lots more VORs, but not many of the NAC 152s have GPS. Navigation was practiced in much the same way as in the UK but in reality it is very different. Some of it is really, really boring landscape to fly over and sometimes you're pressed for ground features to identify where you are. In that way much more like proper ded. reckoning - you set course, fly it and find out how accurate it was as you near the landmark you're aiming at.
3) Think it's just the medical - you don't need a visa or anything, but probably best just to say you're there on holiday (which you are) and not elaborate further. As part of the familiarisation you've got to do some fairly easy flight tests and go through the main points of air law with an instructor. I'd say 1 week was a generous allowance.
As for the recommendation, I'd be happy to put NAC's name forward. Check in the Wannabees section - the topic comes up quite frequently.
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Bamboo, i did my PPL out there so I hope I can help.
1) The radio is a piece of piddle. Far more laid back than it is here. You can join circuits pretty much anyway you want to be honest. At Unicom airfields (which is A LOT of them in FL) it is entirely up to you. As for new phrases....hardly. All you need to know for Unicom is to anounce your type and position about 10 miles from the field. Listen out on the frequency for r/w in use. If you hear no traffic then it's a case of pick a runway, any runway. Do what you want but just notify any traffic of your intentions. To be safe I always announced downwind, base and finals. You also notify of being clear of the r/w once you're down.
2) You navigate the same way you do here. I plan my flights exactly the same now as I did then. I used the moving map GPS as a backup to my visual nav. They have VOR's (far more of them in fact) so that's no different. Their weather briefing facilities upto PPL standard is far superior to ours.
3) As far as I know, you'll need a Student Pilot Certificate. This should have come with your medical. Mine didn't <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> . It saves hassle if you have it before you go.
4) Feb, March, April, May are all good months apparently. It is obviously warmer in April/May but as my taxi driver told me countless times, the spring is the best part of the year to visit. It's warm but not humid and therefore there are no armageddon like thunderstorms you get in the summer.
5) I went to OFT at Kissimmee although since I got back there have been some bad comments about the place on here. Like 'wrong stuff' says, Naples has got consistantly good press. Bear in mind there are loads of schools all over Florida though. In this and next months 'Today's Pilot' there are articles about flying in Florida. Worth a look.
To be honest with you, a week's famil flying sounds like the school trying to take you for a ride. An hour flying there and you will feel at home. It really isn't that much different. If you are going for a JAA PPL completion then you should be following on from that and thus by learning in a very short time. You should e-mail the chap from Naples. <a href="http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=011741" target="_blank">This is a thread about Naples</a>
Sorry to have rambled on but i'm bored at work.
Good luck and enjoy it. It's fun.
[ 18 January 2002: Message edited by: bow5 ]</p>
1) The radio is a piece of piddle. Far more laid back than it is here. You can join circuits pretty much anyway you want to be honest. At Unicom airfields (which is A LOT of them in FL) it is entirely up to you. As for new phrases....hardly. All you need to know for Unicom is to anounce your type and position about 10 miles from the field. Listen out on the frequency for r/w in use. If you hear no traffic then it's a case of pick a runway, any runway. Do what you want but just notify any traffic of your intentions. To be safe I always announced downwind, base and finals. You also notify of being clear of the r/w once you're down.
2) You navigate the same way you do here. I plan my flights exactly the same now as I did then. I used the moving map GPS as a backup to my visual nav. They have VOR's (far more of them in fact) so that's no different. Their weather briefing facilities upto PPL standard is far superior to ours.
3) As far as I know, you'll need a Student Pilot Certificate. This should have come with your medical. Mine didn't <img src="mad.gif" border="0"> . It saves hassle if you have it before you go.
4) Feb, March, April, May are all good months apparently. It is obviously warmer in April/May but as my taxi driver told me countless times, the spring is the best part of the year to visit. It's warm but not humid and therefore there are no armageddon like thunderstorms you get in the summer.
5) I went to OFT at Kissimmee although since I got back there have been some bad comments about the place on here. Like 'wrong stuff' says, Naples has got consistantly good press. Bear in mind there are loads of schools all over Florida though. In this and next months 'Today's Pilot' there are articles about flying in Florida. Worth a look.
To be honest with you, a week's famil flying sounds like the school trying to take you for a ride. An hour flying there and you will feel at home. It really isn't that much different. If you are going for a JAA PPL completion then you should be following on from that and thus by learning in a very short time. You should e-mail the chap from Naples. <a href="http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=011741" target="_blank">This is a thread about Naples</a>
Sorry to have rambled on but i'm bored at work.
Good luck and enjoy it. It's fun.
[ 18 January 2002: Message edited by: bow5 ]</p>
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Bamboo.
If you are serious at getting finished quickly call Adrian at Ormond Beach Aviation. They give what they offer, airplanes aren't pretty, you work hard, you don't pay too much, you finish quick.
If you are serious at getting finished quickly call Adrian at Ormond Beach Aviation. They give what they offer, airplanes aren't pretty, you work hard, you don't pay too much, you finish quick.
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I'd try Naples Air Centre or Britannia, both get consistently good reports. Navigation is by VOR's-NDB's are pretty much history now!
Nothing to worry about using Brit phraseology on the radio either. You certainly won't need more than a few hours familiarising yourself because you will fly most or every day in February. I think every other question has been answered! If you want info on places to go or more info, I'll be happy to answer an e-mail.
Nothing to worry about using Brit phraseology on the radio either. You certainly won't need more than a few hours familiarising yourself because you will fly most or every day in February. I think every other question has been answered! If you want info on places to go or more info, I'll be happy to answer an e-mail.
