| In Part I we covered the study, training and medical | | | | complete hash of it. Now and again you'll land like a |
| requirements for obtaining your Private Pilot's licence in | | | | veteran, but then your instructor will take you round |
| the UK. Here in Part II we'll go into more detail about | | | | again to check to see if it was fluke. |
| structuring your studies to make the best use of your | | | | After a while you'll start to become bored of these |
| time, effort, and money. | | | | repetitive lessons and at some point your instructor will |
| | | | ask you to taxi to a halt while he/she vacates the |
| Keeping Down the Cost | | | | aircraft. Before you have time to complain you'll be on |
| You'll see many schools offering to bring you up to the | | | | your way back to the runway for your first solo and |
| required standard for a fixed price based on the | | | | within 15-20 minutes you'll be back in the clubhouse |
| minimum number of flying hours in the syllabus, but it's | | | | feeling as if you've just passed through a barrier into |
| rare for student pilots to become ready for the Skills | | | | another world. |
| Test just when they've logged only these flying hours. | | | | Radiotelephony |
| Most people need more time to practice, to build up | | | | One the skills you will need to develop is the ability to |
| confidence and to convince themselves and their flying | | | | use to ask for information and respond to requests |
| instructors that they are ready for the CAA Examiner. | | | | and instructions over the aircraft radio. Many people |
| One way of keep down the cost of learning to fly is | | | | feel self conscious about this and are reluctant to |
| to schedule your training so that you make the best | | | | speak. You must overcome these misgivings as being |
| use of the continuity of practice. The ideal way is to | | | | confident in the use of the radio will not only make |
| book continuous lessons throughout several | | | | flying more enjoyable it will also make it safer for you |
| consecutive weeks so that there are never more than | | | | and your passengers. |
| one or two days between lessons. In this way you will | | | | Invest in some training software or CDs with which |
| undertake each lesson with the previous instructions | | | | you can interact. Practice the vocabulary of aviation |
| fresh in your mind and overall you'll need less practice. | | | | wherever and whenever you can. Start with the |
| If you are in full time employment you could use some | | | | phonetic alphabet and proceed from there. One good |
| of your annual leave to do this, but if that's not possible | | | | tip is to learn all the usual requests and responses that |
| try instead to book lessons over many continuous | | | | relate to your home airfield, and practice using them |
| weekends and evenings, and keep up with your | | | | until you can reply to the Tower without hesitation. |
| groundschool studies when you're not flying. Taking into | | | | Radiotelephony for aviators follows certain rules and |
| account the UK weather and daylight hours most flying | | | | procedures so that information can be passed quickly |
| is done during the summer months but this means that | | | | and accurately. At a busy airfield you need be able to |
| the flying clubs are at their busiest from March to | | | | fly the aircraft, keep a good lookout, listen out for your |
| September, so book early and be prepared to jump in | | | | call sign and respond to it when called. |
| if any slots suddenly become available. | | | | Keep Going - Don't Stop! |
| British Weather or Sunnier Skies | | | | By the time you've reached first solo stage you will |
| What could be more pleasant than learning to fly in the | | | | have spent quite a lot of time, energy and money on |
| Sunshine State of Florida with its wide open runways, | | | | your ambition. The important thing now is to keep |
| clear blue skies, and uncluttered airspace? Wouldn't it | | | | going. Don't give up and don't let all that expenditure go |
| be less expensive and quicker? Before you reach for | | | | to waste. Once you've recovered from your first solo |
| your credit card you have to factor in the cost of | | | | celebrations go back to your studies and continue with |
| getting there and back and the cost of your | | | | your lessons. |
| accommodation and food while you're there. You | | | | The next major milestone is your first solo landing |
| could treat it as a holiday but you might not want your | | | | away from your home airfield. Find out all you can |
| partner or family with you while you're trying to study | | | | about the airfield before you fly there. You could even |
| so it will probably be a solo break away from home | | | | drive to it and have a look around if you think that |
| for a few weeks. | | | | would help. These days you can make use of Google |
| Also, some pilots have found that on their return to the | | | | Earth to examine landmarks that will help you obtain a |
| UK they find the comparatively congested airspace | | | | fix of your position. |
| intimidating and they lack the confidence to make | | | | The secret to success is planning. It's easy for the |
| decisions about whether or not to fly when the | | | | novice flyer to stray into the airspace of another |
| weather is so changeable here. So any money they | | | | airfield (and therefore into the path of other aircraft) if |
| saved learning to fly abroad is spent on additional | | | | they were aiming for it but had reached it sooner than |
| training in the UK, which they feel is necessary in order | | | | expected. If you have planned your journey well there |
| to bring their confidence level back up to a point where | | | | should not be any surprises and you will have made |
| they can confidently fly in UK airspace and weather. In | | | | your radio call to the airfield when you were several |
| the end those cheap lessons in the States can cost a | | | | miles away. During the last few miles you will need to |
| whole lot more than you expect. | | | | identify your position accurately so that your approach |
| However, there are advantages to flying abroad. It's a | | | | and landing is on the correct side follows the |
| great way to build up the hours in your log book and of | | | | procedures for that airfield. |
| course it's great fun to fly where the skies go on for | | | | Last Lap |
| ever and the overall attitude to general aviation is | | | | Once you have completed two thirds of the syllabus |
| much more hospitable and friendly. So if you feel the | | | | and you have completed all your written PPL exams |
| urge and can afford to fly where you please then | | | | it's time to start focusing on the final hurdle - the Skills |
| take advantage of the opportunity. | | | | Test. During this practical exam the Examiner will ask |
| The First Solo | | | | you demonstrate your ability to be a pilot in command |
| The major milestone in your journey to becoming a | | | | of an aircraft. The Examiner will not be expecting |
| pilot is your first solo. The experience of being alone in | | | | perfection but they will be hoping to see a certain |
| an aircraft for the first time is one that you will | | | | degree of confidence, proficiency, and the ability to |
| remember for the rest of your life even if you go on | | | | make quick decisions. All this comes with practice. |
| to be a senior Captain flying airliners around the world. | | | | It's perfectly understandable that you might be a little |
| After you've learnt the basic maneuvering schools and | | | | nervous before your test (or more than a little!), but try |
| aircraft handling techniques i.e. straight and level flight, | | | | to relax the evening before, get a good night's sleep, |
| turns, climbing and descending to name but a few, you | | | | and approach the task with as much confidence as |
| will then spend many lessons in and around your home | | | | you can muster based on the many hours you will by |
| airfield flying circuits. Circuits are rectangular patterns | | | | now have added to your logbook. Your Flying |
| oriented on the runway in use and taking into account | | | | Instructor will only put your forward for this final |
| any local flying restrictions and procedures. | | | | challenge when he/she thinks you are ready, so trust |
| You'll be circuit bashing for some time, perfecting your | | | | the judgment of your tutor. |
| climb outs, downwind checks, approaches, and | | | | Imagine yourself holding your new licence in your |
| landings. There'll be days in which you seem to land | | | | hands and very soon it will become a reality. |
| reasonably well and others when you make a | | | | |