Just a quick question to everyone hear, Im 24 hours into my ppl course nw and i didnt go solo til da 19/20th hour. An i was wondering, is that longer than what you would expect?

I'm on 13 hours. I've now had 4 lessons of circuits and just when I think I'm starting to get the hang on it I had a lesson with a 15kt cross wind. I was all over the place and I feel like a noob again. I really can't see me soloing for many hours yet. :ugh:

Funny
 

I always thought I learnt to fly in about 3 hours. It just needed 20 hours previous to that to get there :)

I do think that there is to much emphasis placed on solo. I actually prefer flying with an instructor. Every hour I fly solo, I get worse more slowly. Every hour dual, my flying improves :ok:

It took me 48 hours to go solo. :{ At the time I thought that I must be the worst pilot in the history of aviation. :(

But the following year, hiring aircraft with a friend and flying off to different places most weekends, taking a two-day trip to Cornwall, planning my first trip abroad, etc etc, it really didn't matter in the least. And it doesn't. Stop worrying.

Without checking I think it took me around 19 hours.
It isn't a race and because yo do it in 10 hours or less doesn't automatically mean you are going to be a good pilot.
Enjoy your flying.
Lister:)

green with envy
 

What year was that ? What I wouldn't give for VFR flying weather every weekend!

My lessons are going from bad to worse :ugh:
Due to the bad weather and the fact that its a small flying school there was a couple of months between my 4th and 5th lessons so I was told that the 5th lesson would be spent as a 'recap' lesson.

Now my instructor has left - no doubt my 6th lesson will be a start from scratch type thing.

Is someone trying to tell me something!!

hey joolz.

You'll probably find that the point at which your instructor changes from Jerez to Seville is at VRP Echo (a little town with a new motorway going near it, to the east of the airport) or VRP Whiskey (an obscure little hill to the west of the airport) - which are the points at which VFR traffic is permitted to leave and enter the Jerez airport airspace. This is because Jerez only covers the airport airspace and the instrument approaches, whereas Seville provides a radar service for the whole surrounding area.

I think it was on about my fourth or fifth lesson there that I started to understand this, change the frequency myself and generally do all the procedures for getting in and out of Jerez...

good luck! And have fun.

1998. And I exaggerate slightly. Or rather, I didn't mention the weekend we got stranded in Blackpool due to a line of thunderstorms from Liverpool to Leeds, or the day we gave up the idea of getting to the Isle of Man due to unforecast sea mist, or the times we went from Welshpool to Shobdon or Sleap yet again since we didn't think we'd manage any further, or...etc etc.

Sue

all part of the game unfortunately.

I started with a 5 hour package and by the 5th lesson I was with an instructor who was sending texts to his mates between glancing at his watch while I am trying to do climbing and descending turns.

Also, had 13 different instructors in my first 45 hours. Eventually the school went bust (mighty Flight Academy Scotland) and yet again changed school, aircraft and instructors to take me thru my test which happened rather soon and successfully.

Fortunately they are not all that bad. But there are some shocking ones that make up for all the good work done by others.

Keep at it, and read the flight training manual to keep yourself right, in the unlikely event that your instructor is of the useless ballast type.

Unfortunately, money can buy ratings but not professionalism

Thanks for you comments high-hopes.
I've got a few lessons booked for next month - weather permitting!
We'll see what this new guy is like, at least I'm lucky in that there are 4 flying schools within a 40 minute drive where I live.

Still, early days yet...!

Cheers Michaelthewannabe for explaining that. Now I understand. How long ago were you at Jerez and how long were you there for? Can you believe we´re getting weather problems here too - August and it´s horribly windy and pouring with rain! At least the chances of it being sunny and calm again in time for my next lesson next weekend are significantly higher than they would be in UK!

Update...
 

Well, looks like I am now starting to fall into the trap.

March 2008 will be my 2 year point - by which I will have no way done my 12 hours. At the moment, I need 2 hours with an instructor, even before I can carry a passenger - then with March rapidly approaching, I will no way be able to fit it in. So after that, it will pretty much be a full retest, with all the usual costs.

I'll tell you the one and only sole reason why this is the case: cost.

I just haven't been able to afford the £100+ each month to do a petty hour, bimbling round Scouseport. The only positive I can gain from this at the moment, is that I still have 3 years left to reach a point in life where I can reasonably afford flying. I can't really go on talking about it because I always knew flying was expensive - but perhaps now it feels more like a tick in the box of life rather than a hobby I'd like to keep up. I've always loved the idea of a group (cracking one at Liverpool, the Chipmunk) and this would have saved me hundreds in the long run - but again, I think this is something I'll have to consider when I'm at a more financially stable point in life (I.e. old and stuck in the rat race).

Sorry - bit of a dull ranty thread to what was once an enthusiastic part of my life :(

Don't loose heart mazzy!
I started flying at the ripe old age of 30 and so far this year have only managed to get 5 hours in due to weather and a couple of instructors leaving.
Is there anyway you could save up a few bob and go abroad for a few weeks and just hammer the flying? Its something Im considering.

Mazzy,
What rotten luck as you were so enthusiastic and really quite an inspiration when I was a student.
I've managed approx 20 hrs in the first 6 months of my second year but I'm fortunate that I belong to a brilliant Piper Cub group where the flying is really affordable and that makes it a lot easier.
Also I'm a lot older than you with no mortgage or other major debts and a reasonable disposable income, it would have been quite a struggle for me when I was younger.
What about looking around for microlight group or a share in something old but safe,like a Jodel or similar?
Good luck and please keep flying!
Lister:)

You need to look at getting into a cheap share Maz - that'll bring your hourly costs down by quite a bit, and there's less currency requirement than if renting from a club (but beware being out of 'your' currency - i.e. don't fly alone if rusty!) and you can go up with other group members if you're a little rusty rather than instructors.

Thanks :ok:

I suppose I was having a bad day yesterday, and in hindsight I shouldn't have posted that here, as it kind of invalidates all of the good work we've put into this thread. However, it's reality and it's the truth :suspect:

mazzy

can perfectly understand where you're coming from.
I got to the same stage where it's painful not to fly, and even more painful to fly (financially) and you're pretty much stuck in the middle.

Buying shares doesn't solve the problem if you're skint lol
It makes you spend less per hour, if you fly a lot of hours, but it doesn't make you spend LESS ! :)

I have given myself 3 options :

1. bite the bullet all the way : get into debt and go commercial and join the club of unemployed pilots until the day one gets paid for flying

2. get a better paid job

3. consider microlights for the time being

At the moment I'm working on options 2 and 3.
Hopefully once 2 is sorted, it might even help with option 1 !

Things aren't going too well with my PPL'ing at the moment.
My flying school has been without instructors since early September. I was booked for a lesson today but that's cancelled and it looks unlikely they will be flying at any time in the future. :sad:

Trawling round the web at the moment and going to get in touch with Liverpool, Ravenair and Chester - any comments on them welcome!

Awww, that's unlucky Sue, hope you manage to work things out. I've no experience with those schools.
I've been keeping my eye on this thread and it's very interesting to read people's stories, some good, some bad.
I've not really been progressing much recently, mainly due to financial issues. I passed my checkride back in March, which I posted on this thread, but I've been quiet since then. I've been flying once every month or so, taking various family members and friends up, and I'll continue to do that for the next 6 months or so all being well.
When college is done in July, the plan is that I'll then begin professional training. Currently I'm leaning towards the modular route. I have a good friend in Canada who also has a PPL, and the plan is that we're going to meet up in July and do some flying together. I'll then hopefully be able to clock up around 70 hours P1 over there to take me up to the requisite 150 hours total time for beginning the modular course.
Currently I'm planning to go to either Oxford or Cabair, and I'm off to OAT's open day next weekend.
Hope everyone's keeping well! It's nice to see this thread's still well alive.