Yep, completed my first solo a couple of weeks back, I need to clock up more solo hours but the weather hasn't been great, only managed a couple of flights this year with one being the solo
Any pilots here?
- Thread starter Rexxar
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Yep, completed my first solo a couple of weeks back, I need to clock up more solo hours but the weather hasn't been great, only managed a couple of flights this year with one being the solo
Yep, completed my first solo a couple of weeks back, I need to clock up more solo hours but the weather hasn't been great, only managed a couple of flights this year with one being the solo
Awesome
Which airfield are you based at? What are you learning in?Since I last posted, I managed to do a ferry flight for my flying school - the airplane was due its yearly maintenance so I flew it solo to the maintenance company and one of the instructors followed me in another plane then I flew us back in that. But apart from that, I've not been able to get up unfortunately due to family issues so we were away for 2 months. I think we cancelled my Solo QXC around 10 times in total due to bad weather - really has been rubbish this winter.
Hoping to get back into it over the next week or two but I'll be focusing on the 6 outstanding exams first then get back to actual flying. Can't remember off the top of my head but I'm at around 42 hours now but we'll need to do some recap (couple of circuits and a small local nav) before I can think about getting the Solo QXC done.
I'm at the point where I'll hopefully be conducting my flying skills test for my Bronze badge soon (glider pilots license basically). I passed my theory exam over winter and set a new PB for defying mavity without an engine of 75 mins a few Mondays ago. It was a blue day so I was quite chuffed with that. I now realise I will need to sort out plumbing issues for longer flights as by the time I landed I was busting to go. Hoping now the soarable weather is starting my hours will go up too then I can transfer over to the club Discus gliders I'm happy with my progress considering I only started last August and since my 5 day intensive course only fly once a week. I've been saving as much as possible too in the hope of purchasing a glider however I'm not 100% sure it's the best thing to do or not, for my relationships sake I mean
I'm happy with my progress considering I only started last August and since my 5 day intensive course only fly once a week. I've been saving as much as possible too in the hope of purchasing a glider however I'm not 100% sure it's the best thing to do or not, for my relationships sake I mean Where are you based? I've only missed flying a few days over winter due to weather. That said you'd be flying away from your airfield so weather will vary far more on your proposed flight plan than it does with me flying local to my airfield.
Soldato
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Being a flight sim and Vatsim nerd, I had to do the real thing.
My real-world flight was my choosing and me and the instructor flew out of Kemble/Cotswold Airport in a Cessna 172, past Bristol Airport and landed at Cardiff and had a cup of tea in the pub there before returning past Filton before that disappeared.
http://andrewreader.com/images/2-Dec-2012/
My real-world flight was my choosing and me and the instructor flew out of Kemble/Cotswold Airport in a Cessna 172, past Bristol Airport and landed at Cardiff and had a cup of tea in the pub there before returning past Filton before that disappeared.
http://andrewreader.com/images/2-Dec-2012/
Last Monday I flew my Bronze C flying skills check flights and also had an oral test. I passed so I now have my glider pilots licence as such Just a few more exercises to complete for my cross country endorsement now!
I'm interested to compare how much it has cost me to get to this point in a glider compared to that of getting a NPPL. Does anyone know roughly how much start to finish it costs to get an NPPL these days? I'll dig through and add up all my gliding charges later and compare. I've been informed I should only need a further 10hours in the club SLMG and 2 hours in a Robin to get A on my licence which I think is a NPPL. I'm interested to see if it's cost me less going the route I have, though gliders are what I enjoy flying most
Just a few more exercises to complete for my cross country endorsement now!I'm interested to compare how much it has cost me to get to this point in a glider compared to that of getting a NPPL. Does anyone know roughly how much start to finish it costs to get an NPPL these days? I'll dig through and add up all my gliding charges later and compare. I've been informed I should only need a further 10hours in the club SLMG and 2 hours in a Robin to get A on my licence which I think is a NPPL. I'm interested to see if it's cost me less going the route I have, though gliders are what I enjoy flying most
I'm still grounded due to family stuff. My plan is to sit the outstanding exams then get back in the air - will need one or two currency flights then onto solo QXC and skill test prep. Hoping to get back by the end of the month...
If you want to compare to PPL also, so far it's cost me £7796 - that includes lessons, ground school, landing fees, headset, books and accessories like a CRP-5. I anticipate it'll cost just under £9000 in the end. Having two big breaks hasn't helped so it'd be slightly less if you were able to have lessons without delay.
Last Monday I flew my Bronze C flying skills check flights and also had an oral test. I passed so I now have my glider pilots licence as such
I'm interested to compare how much it has cost me to get to this point in a glider compared to that of getting a NPPL. Does anyone know roughly how much start to finish it costs to get an NPPL these days? I'll dig through and add up all my gliding charges later and compare. I've been informed I should only need a further 10hours in the club SLMG and 2 hours in a Robin to get A on my licence which I think is a NPPL. I'm interested to see if it's cost me less going the route I have, though gliders are what I enjoy flying most
If you want to compare to PPL also, so far it's cost me £7796 - that includes lessons, ground school, landing fees, headset, books and accessories like a CRP-5. I anticipate it'll cost just under £9000 in the end. Having two big breaks hasn't helped so it'd be slightly less if you were able to have lessons without delay.
Hi all,
Long time flying fan, and I've just had an hour's flight yesterday. The guys were trying to convince me to do my NPPL as they saw that I had some real life experience on top of many thousands of sim hours. I'm type 1 diabetic so I've never seriously considered persuing it, but now I'm thinking aloud about going for my NPPL in the future.
Those that have licenses, would could you recommend for someone in my situation? The biggest thing holding me back is the financial commitment - whilst it 'only' costs £3500 for a 25 hour course at my local flying school, I appreciate it's a lot more to get all the exams/tests/additional hours/materials/flying time needed to attain and keep the license. What's the best way to go? I'd love to just quit my job in IT and become a pilot - would getting hours up and becoming an instructor pilot for a flying school be something you'd recommend? Stick with NPPL and fly small aircraft nationally (I flew the C42 Bravo yesterday, great little thing!) or go for PPL off the bat?
Long time flying fan, and I've just had an hour's flight yesterday. The guys were trying to convince me to do my NPPL as they saw that I had some real life experience on top of many thousands of sim hours. I'm type 1 diabetic so I've never seriously considered persuing it, but now I'm thinking aloud about going for my NPPL in the future.
Those that have licenses, would could you recommend for someone in my situation? The biggest thing holding me back is the financial commitment - whilst it 'only' costs £3500 for a 25 hour course at my local flying school, I appreciate it's a lot more to get all the exams/tests/additional hours/materials/flying time needed to attain and keep the license. What's the best way to go? I'd love to just quit my job in IT and become a pilot - would getting hours up and becoming an instructor pilot for a flying school be something you'd recommend? Stick with NPPL and fly small aircraft nationally (I flew the C42 Bravo yesterday, great little thing!) or go for PPL off the bat?
When I first looked into it was told to go full PPL instead of the NPPL.
The reason being the hours required and the hours it actually takes, the number of hours listed for both is the minimum and it takes most students more to get to the required level of flying. For the exams I would recommend doing ground school rather than home studying.
I completed over an hour of additional solo flight time on Sunday.
The reason being the hours required and the hours it actually takes, the number of hours listed for both is the minimum and it takes most students more to get to the required level of flying. For the exams I would recommend doing ground school rather than home studying.
I completed over an hour of additional solo flight time on Sunday.
This is what a flight track looks like when you really have no purpose of where you're flying. Managed to achieve my Silver height gain (over 1000 metres) and annoyingly missed my Silver duration by 14mins due to me thinking I took off at midday. Dew point was -2 to -6 on this day and by, what I thought was, hour 4 the cold was really getting to me and I could see weather (rain and clouds starting to build vertically) coming towards me in the distance. A trough had been forecast to make its way South so I was also wary of this. Silver duration is 5 hours but i thought missing it by 30 to 40mins meany I wouldn't feel so bad. Alas on landing the launch point controller came shooting over asking 'what are you doing?!......14minutes'. I'm asking back 14mins for what and he said be over the 5 hour mark. Ooops
Really wish they'd sort the air leak in the club Grob 102s though. A bit of tape down by the rudder pedal was flapping due to the draft coming in.This is where gliding benefits cost wise. The price for 4hours 46mins of gliding, £120
Still need to add up my costs to see how much it cost to get me to my Bronze C standard.
Congrats on your silver height! Skillful stuff to get it with thermals! I cheated a little and used wave over the highlands to get mine, and if you think thats cold, imagine 14,000ft over Scotland in Feb! I had about 5 layers on and was still freezing! Bad luck for the duration though, next time find a nice hill you can fly up and down haha, although some might say that isn't quite what silver is about!
I'm really tempted to get back into gliding, so much fun! Very jealous!
For Amraam, if you're interested in flying and especially if you are considering a commercial licence then you'll need to check to see if your diabetes will be an issue for the aviation medical. If you check the CAA website there should be all the medical information you need, and if you still have questions you can phone/email them or your local AME (doctor who does aviation medicals).
On the other hand the NPPL I believe has much loser regulation and so if you can't get a full aviation medical the NPPL might be the way forward, but you wouldn't ever be able to fly for money sadly.
I'm really tempted to get back into gliding, so much fun! Very jealous!
For Amraam, if you're interested in flying and especially if you are considering a commercial licence then you'll need to check to see if your diabetes will be an issue for the aviation medical. If you check the CAA website there should be all the medical information you need, and if you still have questions you can phone/email them or your local AME (doctor who does aviation medicals).
On the other hand the NPPL I believe has much loser regulation and so if you can't get a full aviation medical the NPPL might be the way forward, but you wouldn't ever be able to fly for money sadly.
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Thanks Blinkz. I will have to use wave to achieve my Diamond height gain (visit to Aboyne on the cards maybe?!), I don't think we'd ever get high enough thermals in the UK to achieve that. On Tuesday I was lucky that cloud base was up at around 6100 QNH. I had to fly west further than I'd ever been before due to airspace restrictions above my airfield which comes into play at 5500 QNH. Over Popham that restriction doesn't come in until 6500 QNH. I was just told to ensure I always had enough height to make the glide back to the airfield. Some of the thermals on that day were quite potent, had a few going from +6 to off the vario +10. Just have to fight a bit more to stay in those ones they tend to be a little more turbulent and try to kick you out I found. Also if I didn't keep both feet quite firmly on the rudder pedals the rudder would feel like it was fluttering a little in the strong lift. Crazy just watching the altimeter winding on upwards without the aid of an engine I would like to try some ridge flying, I've flown RC gliders on hillsides so it is something I have to do for real at some point. I can't actually figure out what the 5 hour duration is for exactly. I think if anything it shows you can maintain concentration during long flights and still land at the end of it? I have to say the fatigue does slowly build over time when you've been working at thermals over and over. Next time like you say, I know I can do it as long as there is lift streeting
You should get back into gliding! I'm looking at someone to go in on a 1/2 share on something like an LS4 (I'm 6'3" and heard they work well for tall people) wink wink. I think for me that'd be a better solution than sole ownership as I'm not exactly on the best of wages but earn enough to cover a 1/2 share.
I would like to try some ridge flying, I've flown RC gliders on hillsides so it is something I have to do for real at some point. I can't actually figure out what the 5 hour duration is for exactly. I think if anything it shows you can maintain concentration during long flights and still land at the end of it? I have to say the fatigue does slowly build over time when you've been working at thermals over and over. Next time like you say, I know I can do it as long as there is lift streeting You should get back into gliding! I'm looking at someone to go in on a 1/2 share on something like an LS4 (I'm 6'3" and heard they work well for tall people) wink wink. I think for me that'd be a better solution than sole ownership as I'm not exactly on the best of wages but earn enough to cover a 1/2 share.