Private Pilots Licence

[Leon Roskilly]

Oh and don't forget all the theory tests you have to pass, once again I don't know the details but there did seem to be quite a lot to it.

 

I had to do

 

- Theory of flight - forces acting on the aircraft, what could make it fall apart, or dive into the ground

 

- Meterology - vital for glider pilots and probably much more extensive than for powered flight, after all the sky is where you get your 'fuel', and the altimeter becomes your 'fuel guage'.

 

- Air law - (some of it pretty academic for glider pilots, after all maintaining a certain altitude for a given bearing is pretty impossible when by it's nature a glider is always going up, or going down)

 

(I imagine that there is something on engine maintenance etc for powered licence)

 

Of course there are different levels of study and exams, from basic to advanced allowing you to fly at night, on instuments, different types of aircraft etc, so you don't have to learn it all at once.

 

And much of it I found really interesting, especially meteorlogy. And for glider pilots, often needing to make emergency landings away from airfields, agricultural practices and crops at different seasons (landing in a farrowed field is much better than ploughed), pasture better than rape (which tends to tear off the tailplane).

 

Oh! and animal behaviour. Cows will gather around, trample the wings and lick at the dope used for small repairs, sheep spread out over the field and will leap up as you pass over, perhaps through the wing, and horses will gallop in front of you.

 

Cricket teams and footballers can be unpredicatable.

 

All pretty interesting and fascinating stuff

Edited August 9, 2007 by Leon Roskilly

[seph]

Leon,

 

I fully understand about the conditions of flying over here and would much prefer to learn here. I did this when I learnt to dive, rather than the nice warm seas of abroard, I decided on the icy cold waters here. I was told at the time if you can dive here you dive anywhere. Believe me in February it gets very cold in some of the gravel pits here. The seas on the other hand do not drop as much as the inland venues.

 

As for keeping your licence, I am under the impression that you have to do at least 12 hours of flying in any 2 year period to keep it upto date. Not to bad, as a solo flight works out at around £110 for an hour.

 

As for time to complete the course based on a couple of hours a week flying, then this would take around 6 months to complete.

[Steve Burke]

The only cure is a wife and kids and a mortgage.

 

 

 

That I can understand, and another constraint is the fact that you have only one lifetime, and so many things you want to do.

 

Many years ago, I had to make a couple of choices, as I only had time for two major interests.

 

1/ Go for a pilot's licence OR qualify as a steam engine driver

 

2/ Concentrate on shooting OR concentrate on fishing.

 

In both cases I chose the second option - with no regrets. Interestingly, No 2 son is now into hang-gliding and No 3 son into shooting.

 

Steam engine driver? Peggy says she likes you even more now!

[Huge_Vitae]

Where would I stand if I did it in America with that licence? Surely I would still have to do something over here.

You do not have to worry about the difference between a JAA or JAR License until you fly commercially, ie with fare paying passengers.

 

If you are serious, have a look also at South Africa and Jerez in Spain. The only difference is the weather conditions.

 

call this one of my few 'bragging posts" if you wish but within this is my Son on his graduation. He now flys Commercially for a Major Carrier and has made me very proud.

 

At the same site they do intensive PPL training. If you are young enough, you can "compartmentalise" your training to advance upto ATPL standards, but as in althings, youth will give you an advantage.

[chesters1]

Good Lord!

 

Look what I just found at the very bottom of this document.

 

http://www.harrishillsoaring.org/doc/Kai_O...irport_Ldgs.pdf

 

The Internet didn't even exist when I wrote that! (I think it was called Arapanet back then, and only accessed by a handful of academics)

i remember the pain of "browsing" on my sinclair spectrum! only a few accademic sites out there then mostly uni's etc.

[Vagabond]

Steam engine driver? Peggy says she likes you even more now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

..and here is one of my doing my apprenticeship under George Stevenson

 

Edited August 9, 2007 by Vagabond

[corydoras]

I recognise the top loco Vagabond. It's 1618 (U Class, 2-6-0) from Bluebell Railway. What's the engine in the lower pic?

[Vagabond]

What's the engine in the lower pic?

 

The working replica of Stevenson's Rocket - on loan to the Bluebell at the time.

 

Driving that, and having to re-set the valve gear by hand on reversing, was one of many great experiences in my time as a volunteer footplateman.

 

You can see Stevenson's grease-top hat in the lower part of the picture.

[Elton]

You even look like a steam engine driver

 

Seph - you crack me up....first flight and you're still thinking about fishing

[Steve Burke]

Sorry to continue off topic!

 

Great pics, Dave!

 

Both Peggy and I like the Bluebell Railway, both for the scenery and because they sometimes have steam locos of all sizes.

 

One time we visited we saw "Clan Line", one of the Merchant Navy class locos. This brought back memories of my childhood when our locos on our local Southampton- Bournemouth trains were "Clan Line" and "Brocklebank Line". Despite all their power they used to pull just 2 passenger coaches and a parcels coach!