Long time to certificate

[dazza 38]

Hi all, i have been reading Jennifer's thread about frustration, in getting her pilot certificate.I thought i would share, how i ended up with mine over a 10 year period, and about four different a/c.

 

I first started in a tomahawk at Cooly, with air cadets. GA

 

March 1987- 1 hour

 

april 1987- 0.8

 

then i heard about ultralights, (cool i would give that ago),

 

John herd- lightwing tyagarah (to far to drive from home)

 

august 1988-0.6

 

(drifter looks nice)- flew at kooralbyn- august 1988 to october 1988

 

6.0 hours

 

Airforce career got on the way (for a few years), got posted

 

to Amberley, continued training at Boonah

 

Boonah feb 1990- to jun 1990

 

6.7 hours - (first Solo at the the 6.7 hour mark)-Yippie

 

june 1990-july 1990

 

4.1 hours of that, a further(2.1 solo).

 

flew a Javelin for a hour.

 

Completed emergency procedures, licence test coming up in a couple of hours.

 

I lost interest, walked away.(life got in the way, Girls, drinking, marriage etc)

 

Fast forward to 1997 Skyfox flight training Caloundra. I only got back into flying because my wife was getting bored,i said to her how about learning to fly, she said cool i will try that.She started learning, and i got the bug again, so we both completed our certificates at Skyfox.

 

Anyway after six years out of a plane, i flew the jabiru,

 

8.5 hours dual, then solo again (yippie)(with a couple of partial engine failures thrown in for good measure LOL)

 

further 3 hours solo and 2.8 dual

 

flight test finaly passed with John Mc bride on 5 th of April 1997.

 

Looking back at it, Ten years, and five different aircraft, to finaly complete my certificate, was a hard way to do it i guess (not recommended LOL).

 

I havent looked back since, i fly about every two weeks, i get annoyed at myself, for not finishing my certificate in 1990 at Boonah in the drifter, but i cant turn back the clock, and as i get older i think about the seven years , i didnt fly be between 1990 to 1997.

 

The funny thing is that my Auf/Raa membership number is 1715, instructors look at and have said to me, "that cant be right, its lower than Mine LOL, especialy got that from John Mcbride 2296).

 

Anyway i know this is long winded, but i though i would share this to everybody, because , there a people here that have probably gone through things similar to me, starting/ stopping, lack of funds etc. JUST HANG IN THERE. Cheers

 

 

[Spin]

Haha, you certainly did take the scenic route Dazza!

 

It is also a good illustration of the way that the flying bug gets hold of you, you always seem to have a relapse somehow or other. Mine took from '94 when I lost interest after starting a CPL (late, I'd already spent too long at uni and getting my professional qualifications) to late 2009 when i eventually got serious about looking into RA.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Haha, you certainly did take the scenic route Dazza! It is also a good illustration of the way that the flying bug gets hold of you, you always seem to have a relapse somehow or other. Mine took from '94 when I lost interest after starting a CPL (late, I'd already spent too long at uni and getting my professional qualifications) to late 2009 when i eventually got serious about looking into RA.

Hi Carl, i think there are a few of us, who have breaks for one reason or another.:)

 

 

[DarkSarcasm]

Hi all, i have been reading Jennifer's thread about frustration, in getting her pilot certificate

Cheers Dazza :)

 

(as a side note, it's kinda odd seeing people here use my real name )

 

 

[FlyingVizsla]

I started my RAA conversion in 2000 and I am still looking to finish it! Difficulties getting a taildragger that I can fly and an instructor willing to take me. If you live way beyond the coastal fringe you get used to this - it is getting too expensive for schools with low student numbers to survive.

 

But it extends to all facets of life. I spent most of my life in far western Qld and about 15 years as a Scout leader. It was a solid day's journey to get to training, only to be told I couldn't do both days together, had to go home and come back next week. Why? That's the way its done. Finally finished stage 4, then due to changes had to do a conversion to new stage 4, not enough people needing the training out west, so never offered, never converted & couldn't do Stage 5. Then the whole program was re-written. Had to go back to completely re-do stage 3. Would not be an issue if I had finished Stage 5. Does this sound like flying?? Someone I know has been wanting to do his X-country, time off work, travels 8 hours to the school but the plane or the instructor is not available for days/weeks, now the number of hours flying required has doubled from 5 to 10hrs.

 

Same thing with medical appointments that stretch over months as it can be 3 - 6 months before the specialist returns to review your test results and send you off to the next test. One issue that happened in Jan 09 had to wait till March, test in July, follow up in Nov, test in Feb, follow up in May (but results hadn't arrived), follow up due Oct/Nov 2010 and I still don't know what it was.

 

You learn patience the other side of the Great Divide.

 

Sue

 

 

[XP503]

Hey Dazza how are you mate.

 

You forgot to add your experience flying those shiny Teccy's at Boonah, and of course the RED ROCKET (Savage Cruiser) which I must tell you is back up and running now the trim cable finally arrived from some other corner of the world.

 

I have just done an hour of circuits in it this arvo and WOW I forgot how much fun it is!!!!!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hey Dazza how are you mate.You forgot to add your experience flying those shiny Teccy's at Boonah, and of course the RED ROCKET (Savage Cruiser) which I must tell you is back up and running now the trim cable finally arrived from some other corner of the world.

I have just done an hour of circuits in it this arvo and WOW I forgot how much fun it is!!!!!

Hi David, i just put down my hours until i got my licence, not the hours i have done since then, in the last 13 years GA/Raa.

I am flying the eaglet next Sat morning, then i will jump in the Cub, since i only have 5 or so hours in her,and i havent flown her in eight weeks, i will grab Greg or Peter, just to check me out, and make sure things are all Honky Dory.Cheers mate see you soon hope to catch up.

 

 

[XP503]

Great, hope the weather is good for you and I will probably be out and about then too.

 

Jamie and I flew the Eaglet to Inverell this morning then down to Bundarra where his parents live, landed in a paddock there and had morning tea then flew back to Boonah, it was magic!

 

(But I am exhausted after over 5 hours flying today.....)

 

 

[dazza 38]

Great, hope the weather is good for you and I will probably be out and about then too. Jamie and I flew the Eaglet to Inverell this morning then down to Bundarra where his parents live, landed in a paddock there and had morning tea then flew back to Boonah, it was magic!

(But I am exhausted after over 5 hours flying today.....)

Geez Davey, i sounds like you a Jamie had a great time today.See you soon.Cheers