Winter Flying.
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Join Date: Dec 2001
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Winter Flying.
Groan. I'm sorry for bringing up Winter so soon but I'm starting to think about it.
I can't make my mind up about what type of flying is going to be best to keep my skills up to a reasonable level. I went down to Goodwood today and I have to say that my RT was the best it's been, Nav wasn't bad, deadside join to an unfamiliar airfield was a bit tight and my landings were basically crap.
On that basis I reckon that I can keep my RT current by practising as I'm driving in the car on those long motorway journeys.
A few dummy plans each week should sort out the Nav, or at least keep me up to scratch.
Which leaves landings and deadside joins to unfamiliar airfields. Realistically, I'm only going to get 3 - 4 hours in over the winter per month due to money/wx/time constraints. On top of that I've got a enough left in my flying fund to cover Spin Training which I'm about to commence.
So, my questions are:
If I aim to do one session every other week in the circuit would this be enough to at least retain the skills if not improve them in gustier conditions?
Every other week, with a flying buddy trek off to unfamiliar airfields for the overhead joins etc to reduce costs? Thinking about it, I'll probably only get one deadside join in per month as the other guy is going to want to do the same.
Once, I have the Spin Training done how often should I go up with an instructor to keep current? There is no way that I'll indulge in spins on a solo basis - it must be with an instructor!
Any thoughts? What do other PPLs do who are challenged on the hours front during Winter?
Cheers All.
I can't make my mind up about what type of flying is going to be best to keep my skills up to a reasonable level. I went down to Goodwood today and I have to say that my RT was the best it's been, Nav wasn't bad, deadside join to an unfamiliar airfield was a bit tight and my landings were basically crap.
On that basis I reckon that I can keep my RT current by practising as I'm driving in the car on those long motorway journeys.
A few dummy plans each week should sort out the Nav, or at least keep me up to scratch.
Which leaves landings and deadside joins to unfamiliar airfields. Realistically, I'm only going to get 3 - 4 hours in over the winter per month due to money/wx/time constraints. On top of that I've got a enough left in my flying fund to cover Spin Training which I'm about to commence.
So, my questions are:
If I aim to do one session every other week in the circuit would this be enough to at least retain the skills if not improve them in gustier conditions?
Every other week, with a flying buddy trek off to unfamiliar airfields for the overhead joins etc to reduce costs? Thinking about it, I'll probably only get one deadside join in per month as the other guy is going to want to do the same.
Once, I have the Spin Training done how often should I go up with an instructor to keep current? There is no way that I'll indulge in spins on a solo basis - it must be with an instructor!
Any thoughts? What do other PPLs do who are challenged on the hours front during Winter?
Cheers All.
Join Date: Jul 2001
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Sennadog
Your worrying about doing 3-4 hours a month in Winter due to money/wx/time constaints...I have only managed that during the Summer due to money/wx/time constraints. 3-4 hours a month is plenty (but then what do I know).
Walt,,
98 hours (Nearly at the magical 100)
Your worrying about doing 3-4 hours a month in Winter due to money/wx/time constaints...I have only managed that during the Summer due to money/wx/time constraints. 3-4 hours a month is plenty (but then what do I know).
Walt,,
98 hours (Nearly at the magical 100)
The Original Whirly
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3-4 hours a month is pretty good. That's 150-200 hours per year - more than most PPLs manage. What you're suggesting sounds like a pretty good mixture, and you'll find that the longer your fly, the more you can leave gaps without your skills deteriorating too much,
High Flying Bird
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Aww... twas a long day for the fair lady
I agree with the others though that 3 - 4 hours a month is pretty good going. I was talking to Whirly about this earlier actually, whether it's better to do for example 30 mins of circuits one week, and then a quick local the next... or not fly for a few weeks, then do a longer cross country flight.
I've kind of decided to do neither, and do a taildragger conversion, and possibly a night rating (to keep my hand in on my 'normal aeroplanes', over the winter.
Hopefully, come spring, I'll have a job
and will be able to afford to do more!
I agree with the others though that 3 - 4 hours a month is pretty good going. I was talking to Whirly about this earlier actually, whether it's better to do for example 30 mins of circuits one week, and then a quick local the next... or not fly for a few weeks, then do a longer cross country flight.
I've kind of decided to do neither, and do a taildragger conversion, and possibly a night rating (to keep my hand in on my 'normal aeroplanes', over the winter.
Hopefully, come spring, I'll have a job
and will be able to afford to do more!
The Original Whirly
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Er...maybe I should delete that last post! OK, so after a very long day - 4.2 hours flying, 3 hours driving, lots of chatting etc, I mixed up weeks and months. A minor detail. 
I would say more but I think I should get some sleep first!
OK, so after a very long day - 4.2 hours flying, 3 hours driving, lots of chatting etc, I mixed up weeks and months. A minor detail. I would say more but I think I should get some sleep first!
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Glad to see that I'm not the only one to mess up overhead joins. Still, at least you can claim Goodwood is unfamiliar
I'll be interested in what you decide to do - I'm planning on a similar number of hours (plus a trip somewhere to get an IMC at some point), but haven't really thought about what I will do with them. Skills test first
I'll be interested in what you decide to do - I'm planning on a similar number of hours (plus a trip somewhere to get an IMC at some point), but haven't really thought about what I will do with them. Skills test first
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I have to say that the prospect of 3-4 hours a month would probably drive my bank manager up the wall at the moment! I can't see any reason to be disheartened at 'only' being able to reach that figure!
Why do it if it's not fun?
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I was going to suggest a couple of things, but then as I kept reading, I discovered AerBabe has beaten me to both! Great minds think alike - or fools never differ, one of the two.
There's no doubt that learning to fly a tail-dragger will improve your landings. It won't help deadside joins so much, but it will open up a whole new world of interesting aircraft for you to fly!
The other thing I was going to suggest was the night qualification, especially since it's much easier to get this during winter than summer, so if you pass on the opportunity you won't be able to change your mind until winter 2003. Again, you'll spend a lot of the time in the circuit, so it will give you a chance to improve your landings. You'll go to other airfields once or twice, so you'll get a chance to practice joining with an instructor, as well as navigation. And I found that the completely different appearance of a runway at night time helps view runways in a more "abstract" way, which makes landings in any conditions easier - kind of hard to explain, but it forces you to go back to those techniques of seeing if your landing point is moving up or down in the windshield - techniques which, if you were anything like me, you "learnt" for your PPL but never really understood.
Whatever you decide to do, though, have fun - 3 or 4 hours a month sounds like more than enough flying to stay safe!
FFF
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There's no doubt that learning to fly a tail-dragger will improve your landings. It won't help deadside joins so much, but it will open up a whole new world of interesting aircraft for you to fly!
The other thing I was going to suggest was the night qualification, especially since it's much easier to get this during winter than summer, so if you pass on the opportunity you won't be able to change your mind until winter 2003. Again, you'll spend a lot of the time in the circuit, so it will give you a chance to improve your landings. You'll go to other airfields once or twice, so you'll get a chance to practice joining with an instructor, as well as navigation. And I found that the completely different appearance of a runway at night time helps view runways in a more "abstract" way, which makes landings in any conditions easier - kind of hard to explain, but it forces you to go back to those techniques of seeing if your landing point is moving up or down in the windshield - techniques which, if you were anything like me, you "learnt" for your PPL but never really understood.
Whatever you decide to do, though, have fun - 3 or 4 hours a month sounds like more than enough flying to stay safe!
FFF
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It sounds like 3 - 4 hours per month is a bit optimistic then judging from the replies. I wasn't meaning to sound like a spoilt brat, it was more an arbitrary figure that I felt would be sufficient to keep the skills up. The money issue is something that I have a cunning plan to rectify and I'll let you in on it when I have sorted that one out.
The deadside joins is definitely down to experiencing as many airfields as possible but the one I did at Goodwood yesterday was very tight to say the least partly because they changed from RWY 32 to 24 which threw me a bit.
Night Rating, hmmm. Maybe you can elaborate a bit as I have thought about it but it's very rare in the UK that you can actually fly at night - isn't it?
The IMC is definitely something that I will do but I need to grow into flying more to get the benefit as I'm a bit of a fair weather pilot at the moment until I get more experience.
Do you guys think that a Tail Dragger course would improve short field operations? That would be handy for me.
The deadside joins is definitely down to experiencing as many airfields as possible but the one I did at Goodwood yesterday was very tight to say the least partly because they changed from RWY 32 to 24 which threw me a bit.
Night Rating, hmmm. Maybe you can elaborate a bit as I have thought about it but it's very rare in the UK that you can actually fly at night - isn't it?
The IMC is definitely something that I will do but I need to grow into flying more to get the benefit as I'm a bit of a fair weather pilot at the moment until I get more experience.
Do you guys think that a Tail Dragger course would improve short field operations? That would be handy for me.
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Senna,
If you decide to do taildragger course, give me a yell......I was thinking of this too......I was going to go for the Farmstrip Special out of Clacton.....May be good to share the experience?
Cheers 4 now.
Blueskies
If you decide to do taildragger course, give me a yell......I was thinking of this too......I was going to go for the Farmstrip Special out of Clacton.....May be good to share the experience?
Cheers 4 now.
Blueskies
