Pilot Training and University
 

I'm looking to start my commercial flying training after University, but can't help feeling I should be doing more right now. Is it possible to get all the PPL exams out the way now or will they expire by the time I can afford to fly? It would be great to get the PPL out the way over one summer, but until the premium bonds come up that's a dream!

Any other Pilots-in-waiting getting their degree in Engineering or Science at the moment trying to think of things to help their flying training and job prospects?

I've done flying with the UAS and I've worked in a bluntie job for a major flight training school doing Operations, so I know the warts and all that go with flying training. And I know its exactly what I want to do.

Anyone got any ideas?

How about joining a gliding club? You will learn to fly properly and find out what the rudder pedals are for. You will find that landing a power aircraft is easy peasy after learning to fly a glider. I just wish that I had learned to fly gliders before power aircraft.

Good luck and welcome to the expensive world of aviation.

I've done a bit of Glider Flying actually. It was great fun and was a real buzz being back in the air!

But it did not seem a great deal similar or relevant to powered flight. I'm keeping MS Flight sim up to date, reading the PPL training manuals and learining about instrument flying.
For interest as much as anything else. There seems to me to be more damage than good to be gained from staring at the dials on FS9 without an instructor. I know my QFI's at the Squadron all loathed that program!

Glider flying is indeed real flying and is very relevent to Power flying. Learning to fly completely co-ordinated and with practice power failures on every flight as well. Instruments and flight simms are all very well but first learn to fly by actually looking outside the aircraft and getting in the habit of keeping a good lookout whilst flying is a most important skill.

You do know that your UAS hours (if correctly logged) are available towards the PPL. In addition since they would be logged Takeoff to Touchdown, you are allowed a reasonable allowance for taxi time that will further increase your hours towards PPL (10 mins per sector - 5 at the beginning and 5 at the end, unless you had long holding times as a suggestion).

Have you considered applying for the GAPAN and Air League scholarships that are available for PPL?

I also agree that gliding is very much real flying, and every bit you do will be worthwhile.

You're already a member of SUAS, so that's a bonus although I know that UAS flying isn't what it once was.

You are a short train ride from Popham (which is about a mile from Micheldever Station) and Chilbolton is also not far from there, two very friendly flying clubs, both of which are usually full of experienced pilots happy to have somebody in the right hand seat. Not usually loggable, but why not go and make yourself known, and get some flying experience that will be both fun and useful to you.

G

I was a member of SUAS for two years and loved every minute of it, the flying was probably better than anything I'll ever get to do on the Civillian side!

I'll have to get back into gliding if I can find the cash, like you say its good for the basic 'stick and rudder' skills. Trouble is its expensive and the club is so busy (for the number of gliders) that learning is massivly disjointed with only maybe 10 or 20 minutes of time in the air per week/fortnight. So that shoots the cost of aquiring the skills right up.

I've spoken to the people at GAPAN and they seemed to be mostly interested in plugging the apptitude tests (which I'd also do if i had the cash!) but never heard anything about PPL scholarships?

Could anyone expand or give me some contact details?

I assume you've join southampton uni gliding club? They will be cheaper then doing it at a club locally.

http://www.soton.ac.uk/~gliding/

http://www.popham-airfield.co.uk/

http://cfc.deltabbs.org/

G

I fly gliders and I find it amazing fun. I think that gliding is one of the purest forms of aviation. At most gliding clubs the atmosphere is very friendly.

good luck for the future!,

Dan

GAPAN run PPL scholarships - the closing date for this year's is April 15th...so be quick if you fancy it!

Details on GAPAN's website...and as a sticky thread in these forums.

V1R