25 dual hours before solo

[Simon Mo]

I took about 60, don't worry about it.

is that because you started your training under 16 year old?

 

 

[Simon Mo]

I believe that could be a good thing.

why? I really get confused about what standard I should follow

 

 

[Simon Mo]

So so many variables, dont read much into it.

thank you for your advice:oh yeah:

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

I believe that could be a good thing.

Yes ... sometimes perhaps.

 

Sure, variation and different input can be beneficial at times, and particularly if you're stuck with an instructor you don't get along with, but generally it's much like any schooling, for best results you need to have a developed relationship with the tutor or learning will be more fractured.

 

In my experience best results came when students found an instructor they worked well with and did the majority of their training with them, with occasional flights with the CFI or another instructor.

 

There's no 'one size fits all' solution though, of course.

 

 

[Simon Mo]

My personal opinion on students going soloSolo is a subjective thing, it means they can fly aircraft under very controlled conditions for a circuit and hopefully get back in one piece. They usually do half a dozen circuits with an instructor, and they are in the groove.

 

As you all know I hope, it’s not something that means the student is safe in varied conditions that change. Solo means that got the monkey off the back, and now you can really start teaching.

 

Also what aircraft are you flying, you can launch a student in a drifter for example all things being equal faster, then you can in the hot metal beasties with all the switches and flaps, why because drifters etc are just easier to fly and things do happen a lot slower.

 

Now you have the student, and the students come in a wide range of varieties.

 

Some are apprehensive initially or did they just come from a top gun school after watching a movie.

 

I know of one student that had a fear of flying and can to learn to fly to overcome it, from memory it only took him an extra three or four hours extra than usual to go solo. Then you have what I call the uncoordinated types, there are always a handful.

 

Then you have consistency of training, do they fly once or twice a week today fly once or twice a month.

 

Weather, did you get a good run of weather or not although a good bit of crosswind or bumpy weather made them much better on the controls in circuit training.

 

Then you have instructors, you have good ones you have bad ones, just the fact.

 

My personal opinion is that I prefer a student to take slightly longer just because it’s given him more time wiggling the stick gaining muscle memory and just have a little bit of edge of experience if you could call it that.

 

In the decision to send a student solo from my point of view, was not that he had six perfect landings beforehand, but for example on finals if he was doing well I would kick in a bit of rudder or push the stick over on short final to watch him recover and unsettled aircraft and he or she still put had it down well.

thank you for your sharing

 

it is really useful for me

 

 

[chevy]

yup weather plays a big part too. as long as your enjoying it....... who cares. have fun, stay safe. congrats on the solo

 

hey more time flying, can't be a bad thing..

 

 

[Camel]

Having different instructors once qualified is good to get different techniques but during ab-inito training I think the same instructor is important ! My thoughts only !

 

Hope your not learning with kids learning to shave !

 

 

[facthunter]

I feel quite a few instructors have "different" ways of doing thing that may border on weird or idiosyncratic. Under these circumstances confusion is likely be created. Across a single organisation this can be reduced by proper management... But.. We don't want everyone to have no individual "style" either. The student if sensitive to this has a hard time. Who told you to do it that way? Shouldn't ever get said. You are paying for the experience. and shouldn't suffer what might be regarded as unprofessional behaviour. Fly the plane the way YOU feel you should with the information and skills you have at that time, and sort it out at the debrief. You can't fly it to what you "think" the instructor wants, (especially if you aren't sure) all the time or you will be a wreck. You don't deliberately do what you have been told not to do either. The instructor is the master of the vessel and capable of taking over if you get out of the safe area. He/she is trained to do that. While a plane is a sensitive thing, YOU have to make it do what is has to do. Nev

 

 

[SSCBD]

Tell that to CASA - you had some interesting department guys testing ppl and com tests in GA - that you had to fly at 990 ft in the circuit as they did not like the FIN above 1000ft - true story. Or they prefer fuel management done this way instead of that way. Or one that flew right into Sydney control airspace!!! without clearance as he had the student under the hood had the radio turned down and he lost position awareness of the aircraft.

 

Lots of instructors in RAA have their own ways of doing things - including refuelling aircraft in hangars with students! I watched one day.

 

also with describing - aerodynamics get confused with how things really work and the student is given wrong information.

 

In my very lowly humble opinion some instructors should be removed as they are shocking. Not everyone is born to teach.

 

Also in my humble opinion any new bright and shinny new instructors that takes a student flying for the first say 100 hours, the student should be charged just aircraft hire rates, as these new shinny instructors are just learning for the first time themselves with students, and they the instructors have just got off their L plates and need some seasoning under a very close eye of a competent CFI, as the student is not getting the full value of EXPERIENCE for their hard earned money.

 

 

[diesel]

In the gliding world all of our instruction was/volunteered. If the instructor could not fly accurately he could not stay up especially with the older machines. I support earlier rag and tube comments.

 

Even military fighter pilots that shone were accurate and smooth pilots.

 

Bank, balance,speed. None of this rudder first crap.

 

Chas

 

 

[facthunter]

SSCBD. Glad you have noticed. Really shouldn't happen. Nev

 

 

[djpacro]

..... I really get confused because their standard .... are always different.

the Chief Flying Instructor at the school would have a keen interest in this as he/she is responsible for standardisation there. Regardless, the CFI would be happy to chat with you anytime regarding your progress.I sometimes haunt Moorabbin, always happy to talk flying.

 

 

[rmorton]

First of all congratulations! I have done 21 hours and not soloed yet, my son did 8 and went solo. For me the problem has been that I started with one instructor and have changed 4 times before settling down with the current chap. I also have to fight my child like sense of amazement that first of all we are flying and secondly that the pilot is willing to let me take the controls.

 

 

[cooperplace]

is that because you started your training under 16 year old?

no, I started training in my mid-50s. it just took me a long time before I felt ready to go solo.

 

 

[Geoff13]

why? I really get confused about what standard I should follow

Why? Because with different instructor you will get different ideas. Yes you need to sort the wheat from the chaff but that is where you need to develop a good relationship with the CFI even if you do not fly with him/her do not be afraid to ask questions. At the end of the day the CFI is the person in charge of your training.

 

As for which standard to follow, that is easy. The highest standard. Even as a fairly low hour student you should quickly be able to determine which instructors set the higher standard and aim for that higher standard no matter who you fly with. If you do that, you will not have to change standard depending upon who you are flying with. If you aim for the highest standard then even instructor who will accept a lower standard will be happy with your efforts as will those who look for that little bit extra.

 

 

[facthunter]

I've said this a few times and Its true. You are only an ab-initio pilot once. That training will generally be the basis of all your flying, like the foundation of a house,. You build on it. That's why your first flying is so important to get it correct in principle. Any BAD concepts may one day rise up and be your undoing. Rarely afterwards does one do a complete revision of all the basics although it may show up in some checks, rarely will it be thoroughly revisited.

 

There are exceptions to this.. One example is that of a a new instructor, who will find in some cases the pupils putting the plane into such dangerous situations that instructor pilot would have never dreamed of and be expected to recover it, safely. Very fast learning curve required there. Probably the fastest in your flying career, coupled with "How far do I let this go so the pupil will understand the situation was to be avoided at all costs, or you might die". Nev

 

 

[craigL]

thank you for your advicebut I don't have the fixed instructor, the instructors in my flying school always change so I always fly with different people. sometime, I really get confused because their standard and the skill of flying are always different.

I'm also in training and starting to approach 20 hours without soloing. This bothered me for a while, after hearing of much shorter periods for other people, but I don't care any more. I've also had a lot of instructor changes, in one sequence having 3 different instructors in three consecutive lessons. The reason for this has been needing to fly at specific times due to work commitments that has meant at times not matching the instructor rosters for having the same instructor all the time.

 

I do feel that learning a specific way of flying would progress more quickly staying with one instructor. This is partly because when you change to someone you haven't flown with before or for a while, they are likely to want you to do vanilla circuits so they can tell where you are up to. This can feel like taking a step backwards. One time this happened I felt quite annoyed by it, and the new instructor had a very different flying style from the previous ones. It felt like unnecessarily delaying the time to solo and also a bit confusing re flying style.

 

But I can also see that it's rounding out my understanding of things in a broader way than staying just with one instructor. The cost is to take a bit longer, but the benefit is to understand that there is more than one way of doing things. The requirements for becoming licensed are quite specific, but there's more than one approach that can get you to the point where you meet the requirements.

 

Overall I think it's better to take the time needed to fly consistently under varying conditions than rush into a situation that could be very unsafe if you're not ready for it.

 

 

[DrZoos]

I had one main instructor, but due to some LAME exams, four instructors, all had their own strengths and weaknesses. But they all had a different set of tools in the toolbox. So what I lost in continuity, I gained in getting extra tools and perceptions.

 

I agree with camel, that having several instructors, especially once reasonably competent, can prove very beneficial. With a variety of instructors you get several viewpoints and a more diverse set of skills in your toolbox.

 

When I first had to change instructors, I found it very inconvenient and annoying. But in hindsight it was an outstanding move.