Gday Gday.....

[Just H]

Howdy, yet another newby here!

 

Just recently started learning to fly with one of the local schools in Townsville. Have been completely ignorant to all things aeronautical until this year when I decided that it was time to put words into actions and start to learn.

 

So far have had 1 trial flight, and have done 2 full lessons a fortnight apart in a Cessna 172, and am having an absolute blast - totally love it! Also head down tail up in Bob Taits BAK book.

 

I dont necessarily have any delusions of grandeur abour flying for the airlines, although its something Id like to think isnt a complete non option in the future. Im in no rush to complete my PPL - enjoying the journey along the way.

 

Perhaps Id like to buy a small aircraft for recreational flying, and recently scaling the pages of some of the classifieds, I spotted two small areoplanes I like - a Piper Tripacer and a Cessna 150.

 

I have heaps of questions and heaps to learn.

 

Apart from that, thats about it for now. Hope to enjoy being a part of thsi rather cool site!

 

Cheers!

 

H.

 

 

[blueshed]

Welcome Just H,

 

Beet's walk'in, are you learning in a 172? good ol machine, just discussing with my bro the other day and we figure when I had done my PPL the 172 was only 8 years old. Don't seem to get that as much anymore!

 

Have fun, Sounds like you will enjoy yourself!

 

 

[Spin]

G'Day H, you'll find plenty of fellow suffers from the dreaded aviation addiction here, welcome aboard.

 

 

[Just H]

Thanks guys!

 

The school Im going to has three 172's and 2 of which - theyre both almost brand new. The one I flew in yesterday only had a few hundred hour son the clock. They are both glass cockpits with the Garmin 1000 system fitted. That seems a bit "busy" at first, and I think I prefer analogue guages and things, but Im sure Im starting to get more familiar with it all :)

 

Im really happy with my instructor and the school itself, and genuinely look forward to each lesson.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Welcome mate, good luck with your training, i found for the First few hours the same with glass, look busy to much info in a small space in my case the dynon.I preferred analogue.Now i am used to the glass (display) i use that all the time, only check/ cross reference to the analogue.In my case.Cheers

 

 

[Tomo]

G'day Just H, great to have you :thumb_up:

 

Hope you enjoy the place as much as I do, jump in and have fun.

 

Those Glass thingo's certainly look busy the first time you look at them, but after a while it all falls into place. All part of the fun!:big_grin:

 

 

[monty]

Welcome along H,

 

Great to here that your instructor is good and you are enjoying yourself. Keep us informed about the journey along the way.A great place Townsville, not too far from me.

 

Monty

 

 

[Just H]

Thanks all for the warm welcome!

 

For most of my life I have been totally oblivious and ignorant to all things aviation, except for the brand names of a few aircraft. It really kicked off when a colleague (who is into planes in a big way) asked me what my favourite plane is.

 

I answered that I didnt have one, as I wasnt into them very much, but if I had to pick one, it would be the DC 3. A week later after my colleague returned to Sydney, a nice framed picture of an RAAF DC 3 arrived at my office, with the note that "You have one very blank wall" attached to it. I put it up, and over the last year, it has give me a kind of flying bug :D

 

Im in such a position that I have a well paid job, and can afford to go for lessons fortnightly at present, and when a few other things clear up later this month, I can then hit it a bit harder.

 

What I like most about it all is that I have known nothing about aircraft, and everything I know now, is purely from what I have gleaned from 3 lessons and the BAK manual. So as far as "bang for your buck" goes, Im impressed so far.

 

Im only up to "straight & level", but I dont much mind. When you know nothing about something your learning with no pre-conceived ideas, each lesson and time I read, I get something new.

 

I will be sure to keep all and sundry posted :)

 

 

[planedriver]

Just H.

 

It's always very exciting when you start to learn, and come home each time feeling on a real high.

 

There's lots to learn, which is always easier if you're enjoying yourself.

 

There's lots of very experienced pilots on here who are happy to help, so don't feel embarassed to ask a question thats bugging you, even if you think it's a bit dumb.

 

Have fun, and enjoy yourself on the forums. you'll learn a lot, just reading about others experiences.

 

Kind Regards

 

Planey

 

 

[bacchus]

G'day Just H ,

 

All the best and hope to chat a bit on everything aviation

 

Take Care

 

 

[BecM]

Greetings Just H,

 

Welcome to the place, good to hear the basic enjoyment that you're getting.

 

Taking time and enjoying the journey sure beats being in a hurry and missing the process.

 

Can't wait to hear the updates as you go.

 

Have fun and fly safe

 

Bec

 

 

[Just H]

Thanks Bacchus, Planedriver and Bec!

 

My view has been one of doing this because I *wanted* to, not for career, business or anything else that can finish up having the weights being put on you to get it completed by a set deadline. A bit like when I was having Russian lessons a few years ago. Except this isnt quite as random :)

 

I need to get around to booking lesson 3, which I suspect will be weekend after next. Im salivating (well, not literally) at the thought! Its great to have a passion to look forward to indulging in ;)

 

 

[Just H]

Howdy all.... as I promised, I said Id keep some feedback going on my progress, and herewith now, fo rth enetertainment of all and sundry, comes my latest observations :)

 

My last lesson was S"traight and level", which went really well and I felt full of confidence in that I was "getting it" and remembering the principles. Sadly, due to work commitments overriding the days off I had arranged to get back for my next elesson, it ended up being 4.5 weeks since the last one, and the next lesson which I took yesterday, cartainly reinforced the notion of needing to "keep up with it" in the early stages.

 

This lesson was "Ascending & descending", and where I fell over was the lack of revision and remembering the key speeds of the C172 for the Best Rate, Max Rate and Glide rates. I kind of went completely blank, and all I could remember for some reason was "68 Knotts" :(

 

I had a very extensive pre sortie briefing with my regular instructor, and then the air time with a different instructor, as my normal chap had a cold.

 

I havent taken any fo this as a negative, as I still recall learning to drive buses and later freight trains in my careers, and each lesson or experience was a hot / cold / hot / cold for a while in the early stages of learning. Also, it *has* been four and a half weeks since I was there, and I also havent studied a lot of the BAK manual for a while as well. So I couldnt really expect any better, when I look back at it now.

 

So my view for this time is to get back into my book, get back in the saddle hopefully next weekend, and get stuck into heaps of revision. I suggested to my instructor that I resit that last lesson to "catch up", but he has suggested that the next lesson ih the syllabus covers a lot of that work as well, and that it shouldnt be necessary. I am happy to take his advice on this.

 

Either way, despite coming away a little disappointed in my own lack of study and chance to get in the air again, I am looking forward to getting back there again soon. Regardless, having completely no idea about anything aviation wise in no more than 4 hours of air time, a combined toal of probably 10 hrs of theory lessons and the bit of time I have spent in the BAK manual, I am still impressed at being able to have absorbed and learnt what I *do* know now :)

 

Cheers!

 

H.

 

 

[Tomo]

Good stuff H, keep it up! :big_grin:

 

 

[johndl]

Welcome Just H,

 

How's Townsville these days - spent 10 years there (ex RAAF). Cheers John.

 

 

[Planechaser]

Gday H,

 

Just look forward to the time when you can string a few lessons back to back, with nothing else in between; that is when it all starts falling into place:thumb_up:!

 

Nice to have another junkie in the making...!!

 

 

[Just H]

Hehehe....just had a peek back in here....nows as good a time as any for a brief update.

 

I have another thread going in the Student Support about "taxiing blues", but really, Im starting to "get" the whole thing a bit kore now, and having a blast with each lesson.

 

Last lesson saw my first go at circuits, and these are an excellent idea (in my view) as they continue to reinforce all the previous lessons, PLUS introduce landing and taking off into the equasion. Was pretty darn awesome doing my first take off :D, and I really loved the turns - they sort of come a lot more naturally to me now, as my instructor soon got me out of the naughty-naughty practice of being too interested in the screen, and helped me get the gist of looking out the windscreen - it seems completely natural and appropriate now, and I seem to have little trouble assessing 15 and 30 degree turns. Another bonus was also of a similar ilk, in that instead of looking at the tacho when wishing to reduce RPM, "listen" first and pull the throttle back by feel, then a quick glance to confirm - managed to pull this off a few times as well. Although for some these may be "small steps" for mankind, they are "giant leaps" to me, as they are all pieces of the jigsaw dropping into position.

 

So this was three lessons since the one above where I wasnt so impressed, but still sensible enough to realise its all part of the learning process.....although Im ever so glad I didnt consider giving it all away as "too hard" - I love flying (now) too much to ever think about it!

 

Im back again next Sunday, which Im very much looking forward to, for some more circuits, so we soldier on! :)

 

Watch this space :)