Hour building
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hour building
Looking to do some hour building in Flordia next month, was hoping to get about 30 hours but I've only got 8 days to do it in. Is this a realistic time frame or would I be pushing myself too much. Did a search with regards to this on the forums but most hour building topics are about what the best place to do it is or the best school etc.
what's the average amount people would comfortably fly per day when hour building?
what's the average amount people would comfortably fly per day when hour building?
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Well that's just under four hours a day. If you can find a school which has that kind of availability of aircraft then why not? Might want to spread it out over the day though. You could always plan to do a cross-country journey each day to a different airfield which is roughly 2 hours away from your base field; make a day trip of it.
As for how much flying you can comfortably do in a day, think about full-time flight instructors who probably spend on average 7-8 hours a day in the air...4 hours isn't going to be a problem! I would say take into account bad weather causing cancellations but you said you were looking in Florida and so that shouldn't really be a problem ..... unless you go during hurricane season
As for how much flying you can comfortably do in a day, think about full-time flight instructors who probably spend on average 7-8 hours a day in the air...4 hours isn't going to be a problem! I would say take into account bad weather causing cancellations but you said you were looking in Florida and so that shouldn't really be a problem ..... unless you go during hurricane season
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Pierce, FL/USA
Age: 48
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i did my 100 hours in 2 weeks, so yes you can do it!
Drop it down to 6 hours a day and save a couple of days for other stuff.
You can do a flight to the keys and back in about 4 hours, go to Tallahassee or Savannah. All those are 4+ hours each from where i am. Do one long and one short one.
Drop it down to 6 hours a day and save a couple of days for other stuff.
You can do a flight to the keys and back in about 4 hours, go to Tallahassee or Savannah. All those are 4+ hours each from where i am. Do one long and one short one.
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Exeter
Age: 48
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Its great weather here in Florida at the moment, I am hour building as well whilst I live here, if you need a co pilot for any trips out let me know. Always happy to act as guide......
I live in Miami.
I live in Miami.
Why do it if it's not fun?
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 4,779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree it could be done... but I'm not sure how much benefit you'd get from flying up and down the Florida coastline for 4 hours every day.
If you want to improve your flying so that the CPL course can be completed in close to minimum times, allow more than 8 days. Definitely do some navigation - but try to find something more challenging than following the coast from Vero Beach to the Keys. Stay inland and away from obvious features like Lake Okeechobee, pick routes that transit airspace where you can. Take a day to concentrate on circuits, nailing your circuit heights and speeds, centre-line and touchdown point. Take a day to practice steep turns and stalls. And if you're planning on doing a single-engine CPL, practice PFLS and glide approaches.
It'll take a day or two more to build the hours, but will save time and money in the long run.
If you want to improve your flying so that the CPL course can be completed in close to minimum times, allow more than 8 days. Definitely do some navigation - but try to find something more challenging than following the coast from Vero Beach to the Keys. Stay inland and away from obvious features like Lake Okeechobee, pick routes that transit airspace where you can. Take a day to concentrate on circuits, nailing your circuit heights and speeds, centre-line and touchdown point. Take a day to practice steep turns and stalls. And if you're planning on doing a single-engine CPL, practice PFLS and glide approaches.
It'll take a day or two more to build the hours, but will save time and money in the long run.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: A long way from home
Age: 44
Posts: 375
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What FFF said x1000.
It's not too difficult to bash out four hours a day, but four quality hours per day is another matter. You can make your eight days as easy or as hard as you want to, but you'll only get out of it what you put in. My vague (alcohol clouded) memory of training was that two or three hours per day was comfortable. More than that and I started making mistakes. Sure, instructors can fly for many more hours per day, but when you've reached that level of proficiency the flying is the easy part.
Oh, and don't forget the value of interspersing your hour building with the odd instructional flight. Hour building without guidance can allow you to cement bad habits.
It's not too difficult to bash out four hours a day, but four quality hours per day is another matter. You can make your eight days as easy or as hard as you want to, but you'll only get out of it what you put in. My vague (alcohol clouded) memory of training was that two or three hours per day was comfortable. More than that and I started making mistakes. Sure, instructors can fly for many more hours per day, but when you've reached that level of proficiency the flying is the easy part.
Oh, and don't forget the value of interspersing your hour building with the odd instructional flight. Hour building without guidance can allow you to cement bad habits.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Fort Pierce, FL/USA
Age: 48
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Most people come to Florida to do their time building and they do it locally since that is the cheapest way to do so. You do not have to pay for fuel if you return to the school. So you are limited to the distance. And yes some people mentioned that my recommendation my not be the best since you will only be exposed to Florida. Which i do tend to agree, as i said my time building was very short and the main reason for that was the face that i flew from Florida to Arizona.. Twice! That took care of a lot of hours of flying, while i was also exposed to high altitudes, mountains, bad weather, probability of icing etc. And yes i do believe that the money i spent on gas and hotels was well worth it cause it made me a much more safe pilot.
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Exeter
Age: 48
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It dawns on me, and maybe there already is one, but some kind of guide to hour building would be a great idea for those of us who are pre CPL and need to put the hours in.
As for sure we are just out of PPL have enjoyed the night qual. and still want to enjoy our flying, but then we also need to turn the screw a little and focus, refine and enjoy those new skills.
If anyone has found such a publication I would love to hear about it...
As for sure we are just out of PPL have enjoyed the night qual. and still want to enjoy our flying, but then we also need to turn the screw a little and focus, refine and enjoy those new skills.
If anyone has found such a publication I would love to hear about it...
