Hi all

[doc14u2]

Hi all. Am brand new to this and any thread stuff and am a 54yo just about to solo in Dave's Jabiru J230 from Dave's Flying School at The Oaks ALA just west of Sydney.

 

Am well settled in and could not speak highly enough to do Dave justice.

 

He is a very laid back guy that seems to be very slow and steady in all that he does but his relaxed attitude hides a razor sharp mind, enormous experience as a pilot and a bloke that really knows his stuff and how to pass it on to you and or me.

 

Just poking my nose into the forum to learn a little from here and there as enough knowledge is never enough but at this point I just want to say hi all, it's good to be here

 

 

[biggles]

Welcome Doc , hope all goes well with your training ...... Bob

 

 

[Cal Air 63]

Hi and Welcome Doc,

 

Good luck on your impending Solo

 

Brent

 

 

[doc14u2]

Thanks Biggles and Brent, appreciate the kindness.

 

Am not sure where to post my question but I guess here is a good place to start and am sure that if I am doing the wrong thing that you can point me in the right direction.

 

Am looking for the best theory material and would like to know how others have fared in their search for the study material. So far I have been directed towards dhl (I think) theory book, Bob Tait's online RA theory course and the Go Fly Aviation (Caboolture, Qld) dvd only course.

 

Am wondering what others have found to be the best and their opinions of where is best for me.

 

Any advice greatfully received, thank you

 

 

[doc14u2]

And sorry, that was meant to be "Thanks Bob and Brent..."

 

 

[biggles]

Not sure what the recommended readings are these days, but you instructor should point you in the right direction . However John Brandon's tutorials , available here on this site are certainly worth reading . Just click on the 'sandwich' below ' Menu ' in the top LH corner of this page and then click on ' tutorials' . Good Luck ... Bob

 

 

[doc14u2]

Not sure what the recommended readings are these days, but you instructor should point you in the right direction . However John Brandon's tutorials , available here on this site are certainly worth reading . Just click on the 'sandwich' below ' Menu ' in the top LH corner of this page and then click on ' tutorials' . Good Luck ... Bob

Thanks Bob, I appreciate the advice and will follow it up.

Clear skies and trailing winds mate, thank you,

 

Phil

 

 

[Guy s]

Welcome to the forum Phil and I also learnt to fly in a Jab 230 and found it a great plane to fly and do cross country in.

 

 

[Nightmare]

Welcome Phil. You may want to browse through the AIP's (http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/aip.asp?pg=10) as well in preparation for your air legislation exams.... boring as bat poo though... but yeah, ask your instructor what else you need:wave: Tony

 

 

[doc14u2]

Welcome to the forum Phil and I also learnt to fly in a Jab 230 and found it a great plane to fly and do cross country in.

Thanks Guy, I must admit that I am really looking forward to taking 5533 on a long flight. This close to my solo, the future is looking bigger and better than it has for some time. What an extraordinary thing this flying is

 

 

[doc14u2]

Welcome Phil. You may want to browse through the AIP's (http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/aip.asp?pg=10) as well in preparation for your air legislation exams.... boring as bat poo though... but yeah, ask your instructor what else you need:wave: Tony

Thanks for the info Tony, have been looking through it as you suggested and am busy checking the stuff on this site as Bob (Biggles) also suggested earlier in this thread. I know that Dave (my cfi and "he who must be obeyed") has pointed me the dhl(?) book way and others have pointed in other directions as well and I thank you for your advice Tony, it is well received.

 

 

[Robbo]

Your addiction is starting to show Doc :)

 

Good luck with it all mate, it is very addictive as you have already found out.

 

Learning to fly is great fun and is one of the best parts of your flying career.

 

 

[doc14u2]

Your addiction is starting to show Doc :)

Well it is not a pretty thing to see at the moment lol. Am in Coffs Harbour with my dear wife staying with her cousin and off to Brisbane (Woody Point) tomorrow for another week with my mum so a second week without my beloved 5533 and when even a bird flies overhead let alone a plane, I'm like a dog at the window of a shop selling cats, drool everywhere lol

 

 

[Nightmare]

Well it is not a pretty thing to see at the moment lol. Am in Coffs Harbour with my dear wife staying with her cousin and off to Brisbane (Woody Point) tomorrow for another week with my mum so a second week without my beloved 5533 and when even a bird flies overhead let alone a plane, I'm like a dog at the window of a shop selling cats, drool everywhere lol

I hear you, it's been nearly 2 weeks since I've flown. I have the plane booked for later in the week though

 

 

[Rusty60]

Welcome Doc, has the solo happened yet?

 

 

[doc14u2]

Hi Rusty,

 

Thanks for the question.

 

YAY :)

 

I did my first solo last Thursday

 

Thanks to Dave for his thorough instruction and to John, his other instructor at the school, for his encouragement.

 

It has been great to walk back in to the caravan for a cup a after a series of circuits and to have John greet me with, well done, that is a great improvement and Dave, after my untangling of my feet on the pedals and actually getting the rudder coordination thing fairly well sorted, to tell me that he felt my flying had moved to a whole new level and that he was very pleased.

 

Then that marvellous, momentous event, OK, you can taxi back to Ron's shed where he is doing a bit of work to his plane, drop me off and go and do a lap by yourself then come back in and we'll have a cup a and talk about it.

 

And I did

 

:)

 

Back for a cup a and then, OK out you go again.

 

7 circuits and a bit over half an hour later and quietly brought 5533 back in and parked near the sheds.

 

Am I giddy with excitement, mm nup, overcome with joy, mmm nup, stunned and delighted, mmm nup

 

Mmm well yup, all of the above are true and expressed with a quiet deep smile that just won't leave me. It isn't always on my face but inside I don't seem to be able to go anywhere without it.

 

:)

 

I did it, mmm yup !

 

I'm old enough to know that it is just the first tiny step on a very long journey and that I am way behind well basically all of you guys and girls but I did it, all by myself I went and strapped an aeroplane to my behind and flew up into the sky and safely came back down to the ground.

 

A thousand feet above the ground, heading downwind and looking to my right and not seeing Dave sitting there, looking around and seeing the ground all the way down there and there is just me and my trusty little 5533, well, you've all been there, you know what it is like to go solo. Wow, what an amazing thing that we do.

 

Thank you all for your encouragement. I'm one of us now :) a pilot, lol, yes, I know I'm only a baby one but I have flown and from here it is only better and further and higher and wow, I love this thing we do

 

 

[Cal Air 63]

Congrats on your Solo, Doc

 

Brent

 

 

[Nightmare]

Well done Doc! Got some news for you, it still only gets better! Area solo, certificate, private hire, your own plane .... the list goes on.... but the good stuff starts at solo!

 

 

[doc14u2]

Thanks for the congratulations. I made it lol.

 

A long way to go, I do realise I am only a baby pilot but all by myself, I strapped a big chunk of engine, wings and fuselage to my back end, jumped up into the sky and flew, WOW.

 

Now, if you all could just pray for these horrid westerlies to blow somewhere else lol. We have 2 runways at the oaks, both north south and not an inch westerly lol. Have been up twice since solo and both times Dave has said, well, instead of solo today, we might just practice our crosswind landings. Both times I said, that sounds good mate because there is no way I am landing long enough for you to get out lol. I sit here looking at the beautiful sunset just staring at Oatley praying that it will be like this tomorrow and or Tuesday morning because I want to go back up there on my own again hmmm lol.

 

 

[Nightmare]

I love crosswind landings!

 

 

[doc14u2]

I WILL love crosswind landings, I WILL lol

 

Still getting used to how big the bumps in the air are in a jabiru. A very entertaining new experience. Not sure tho, does the green bit go on the right hand side and the blue bits on the left or vice versa, or a little confused about that the other day lol they kept swapping places over and over. Was almost a relief to be rolling down the runway with the green bits down and the blue bits up, happy to leave the other way to Matt Hall for now :)

 

 

[recflyer]

Hi Rusty,Thanks for the question.

YAY :)

 

I did my first solo last Thursday

 

Thanks to Dave for his thorough instruction and to John, his other instructor at the school, for his encouragement.

 

It has been great to walk back in to the caravan for a cup a after a series of circuits and to have John greet me with, well done, that is a great improvement and Dave, after my untangling of my feet on the pedals and actually getting the rudder coordination thing fairly well sorted, to tell me that he felt my flying had moved to a whole new level and that he was very pleased.

 

Then that marvellous, momentous event, OK, you can taxi back to Ron's shed where he is doing a bit of work to his plane, drop me off and go and do a lap by yourself then come back in and we'll have a cup a and talk about it.

 

And I did

 

:)

 

Back for a cup a and then, OK out you go again.

 

7 circuits and a bit over half an hour later and quietly brought 5533 back in and parked near the sheds.

 

Am I giddy with excitement, mm nup, overcome with joy, mmm nup, stunned and delighted, mmm nup

 

Mmm well yup, all of the above are true and expressed with a quiet deep smile that just won't leave me. It isn't always on my face but inside I don't seem to be able to go anywhere without it.

 

:)

 

I did it, mmm yup !

 

I'm old enough to know that it is just the first tiny step on a very long journey and that I am way behind well basically all of you guys and girls but I did it, all by myself I went and strapped an aeroplane to my behind and flew up into the sky and safely came back down to the ground.

 

A thousand feet above the ground, heading downwind and looking to my right and not seeing Dave sitting there, looking around and seeing the ground all the way down there and there is just me and my trusty little 5533, well, you've all been there, you know what it is like to go solo. Wow, what an amazing thing that we do.

 

Thank you all for your encouragement. I'm one of us now :) a pilot, lol, yes, I know I'm only a baby one but I have flown and from here it is only better and further and higher and wow, I love this thing we do

Congratulations! What a great school you have found as well.

 

 

[doc14u2]

Yes Rusty, I don't think I could have done much better than to start out with Dave. Bags of experience and patience and an amazingly calm attitude. Many decades ago, I first started out with Heliflite in choppers then about ten years later tried Beechcraft Skipper's with Scoefields at Hoxton Park. The biggest difference? Now, Dave is trying very hard to teach me how to fly and how to be a good pilot. Then, I had instructors that were lovely blokes to hang around with but they really only wanted to build up their hours as instructors as a step to bigger and better jobs. It was more about them and not too much about me. Now, I am learning and both gaining experience and learning from Dave's experience, a really nice feeling. Also the pilots that hang around the oaks and the pilots that drop in for a cuppa and a chat from Wedderburn, Wollongong, Mittagong etc are all very welcoming and all seem quite nice blokes. I am grateful, home at last :)

 

 

[Nightmare]

I WILL love crosswind landings, I WILL lolStill getting used to how big the bumps in the air are in a jabiru. A very entertaining new experience. Not sure tho, does the green bit go on the right hand side and the blue bits on the left or vice versa, or a little confused about that the other day lol they kept swapping places over and over. Was almost a relief to be rolling down the runway with the green bits down and the blue bits up, happy to leave the other way to Matt Hall for now :)

Now it's my turn to admit that I'm a baby pilot, What are the green and blue bits that you are talking about?

 

 

[facthunter]

Glad you asked that. Nev