rankamateur Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Started my training last Tuesday week, went solo last Monday, then completed my certificate, passenger and cross country endorsements by Sunday morning. What else have I learned apart from how to fly? Since all circuit training was conducted on my own strip, I had no travel time eating into my day, but I still found fatigue was a huge factor flying twice a day, often becomming acute around nanna nap time. I certainly under estimated how much concentration was involved and how tiring concentration in company with adrenalin can be. I had done a lot of theory study before I began from my ATC student pilot pack, and John Brandon tutorials, and also a good dose of hangar talk at various shows and fly-ins which helped a lot with the exams. After my nap I always tried to get a good hour of targeted study in before any briefing. Sleeping in my own bed was a big plus, my instructor brought his wife and caravan and set up on site for the duration, so you could say he slept in his own bed too. I found it very difficult to get a good nights sleep if we tried to do a briefing the night before an early morning flight so we didn't try that again. Although the intense format was extremely rewarding, it was a full time job but we got the job done with absolutely no continuity problems 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hongie Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 good stuff mate... who is your instructer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ballpoint 246niner Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 A willing student and a good instructor help too. Good work Steve. The storms down your way last week would have made the navigation training interesting? I was on a navex to YSTW on the Wednesday before the bangers fired up around YGLI. Not a nice place to be after midday. Congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rankamateur Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 good stuff mate...who is your instructer? Bill Grieve - Aeroskill Flight Training - Beerwah in Savannah 7567 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrobertson Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 It is a great way to learn if you can afford to do it that way. In 1985 I got my restricted PPL in two weeks at Latrobe Valley. I haven't got my log book handy but I don't think there was a day I didn't fly. That included the exams for restricted as well. It took me another 5 months to complete my unrestricted licence. I have heard it said that doing it so fast you don't get to fly in all types of weather, that is not the case in the latrobe Valley. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eightyknots Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Started my training last Tuesday week, went solo last Monday, then completed my certificate, passenger and cross country endorsements by Sunday morning. What else have I learned apart from how to fly? Since all circuit training was conducted on my own strip, I had no travel time eating into my day, but I still found fatigue was a huge factor flying twice a day, often becomming acute around nanna nap time.I certainly under estimated how much concentration was involved and how tiring concentration in company with adrenalin can be. I had done a lot of theory study before I began from my ATC student pilot pack, and John Brandon tutorials, and also a good dose of hangar talk at various shows and fly-ins which helped a lot with the exams. After my nap I always tried to get a good hour of targeted study in before any briefing. Sleeping in my own bed was a big plus, my instructor brought his wife and caravan and set up on site for the duration, so you could say he slept in his own bed too. I found it very difficult to get a good nights sleep if we tried to do a briefing the night before an early morning flight so we didn't try that again. Although the intense format was extremely rewarding, it was a full time job but we got the job done with absolutely no continuity problems "No longer just in the right hand seat, and oh how good it feels, Oh what a feeling, Freedom!!!" <~~~~~ I love it!! Congratulations R-A! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExJourno Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 You champ! Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rankamateur Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 It is a great way to learn if you can afford to do it that way. In 1985 I got my restricted PPL in two weeks at Latrobe Valley. I haven't got my log book handy but I don't think there was a day I didn't fly. That included the exams for restricted as well. It took me another 5 months to complete my unrestricted licence. I have heard it said that doing it so fast you don't get to fly in all types of weather, that is not the case in the latrobe Valley.Greg We didn't fly two mornings in early the course, and later when we were doing long navs we didn't fly afternoons but when I woke up after broken sleep Bill was happy to go with my decision not to fly. With the excitement and the adrenalin hang-over it isn't hard to wake up feeling like sierra hotel one tango if you don't look after yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rankamateur Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 It is a great way to learn if you can afford to do it that way.Greg I couldn't afford to do it any other way. I needed the continuity until it all started to come together. Had I trained in Inverell, it was a three hour car trip to do a 45 minute or one hour lesson, by the time I got my thirty odd hours up I would have done 120 hors in the car,and without the continuity I am sure it would have taken we many more flying hours to succeed. Flying a Savannah off my own strip into open farmland was a much more pleasent option than flying a 503 Drifter around the perimeter fence at YIVL with scrub and houses all around. As it was I got a funny look from a sprayrig operator on a cotton farm down the valley when he turned the boom spray out onto the headland just as I was lining up on an engine failure practice landing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayavner Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 good onya! i soooooo wish I could do it that way... how was that first solo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rankamateur Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 good onya! i soooooo wish I could do it that way... how was that first solo? First solo felt like any other flight, I had been threatening to open the door an boot Bill out for about two sessions but the cross wind just wouldn't ease up, and never did for the whole course, BUT after I landed it, Bill came over to talk to me and settle me down if needed, and everything had gone well, as the adrenalin peeked my hands started to shake and my voice was unsteady, I walked around and talked for about ten minutes and jumped back in and did about four more circuits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayavner Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Good stuff Steve, great to hear the good news!! I'm out west and haven't had internet for a while, so this was the first thing I saw when I logged in! I'm glad to hear it! Should be back in the land of the living in a couple weeks hopefully! (Ps. in Charleville at the moment, so any pilots got a plane! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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