How many hours can one safely train per day.

[APenNameAndThatA]

Hi, hoping to pick your collective wisdom, please. I intend to train full time (hopefully for only a few weeks) to at least get a basic RA-Aus certificate or RPL. I intend to get pretty much all of the theory out of the way first, and maybe also the exams. If I do that, how many hours will I be able to safely/productively fly (solo/dual) a day? That question cannot be answered. So, instead I wonder, how many hours per day would the average person be able to manage? How many hours would 90% of people be able to manage?

 

Also, how many days/weeks would it take for the average person to get each of the qualifications? How many days/weeks would be enough for 90% of people to get a basic qualifications?

 

Thank you in anticipation of your answers. I have looked on the web and could find no answers. Naturally, it is an important question for planning.

 

 

[Geoff_H]

In WWII pilots we're trained at Temora with one hour in the classroom and then one hour of physical fitness followed by daily flying. These were you guys! In my late 20's I would do one hour of flying per day after 8 hours of work, that maxed me out. Now nearly 70 I would be lucky to learn at a max of 1 hour per day. I guess it's a matter of how much you learn in a day, any extra flying is just wasted money

 

 

[old man emu]

When I was learning to fly, I did so in blocks during Uni vacation time, or my annual holidays from work. That way I didn't tend to forget each lesson. I also had to take into account that I am unfortunate sufferer of the fear of getting motion sickness (air sick in this case, Aeronausiphobia).

 

I found that I could do three one hour flights per day at 0800, 1200 and 1500. This gave me time to prepare for the tasks required in each lesson; to adequately debrief, and to recover from any ill effects of the flight. I also found that constant exposure to motion in the air in this way reduced the aeronausiphobia as the week wore on, letting me concentrate more on the training and less on searching for barf bags.

 

As to how long would it take a particular person to obtain a pilot's licence/certificate. see http//:www. how long is a piece of string? All I can say that is a person who follows the block training system would reach the goal in fewer hours than the one hour per week trainee.

 

I must add that I was able to buy my training in a package at a set rate. Something like $17.50 per hour.

 

OME

 

 

[Nobody]

I learnt to fly like you are proposing, in a big block. I usually tried to do 2 session per day with about 1.5 hours of flying in each session. The key thing for me was to prepare for each session so that you got the most out of the session.

 

Edit: The reason I didn't try for more each day was that after about 1.5 hours the learning efficiency dropped off. It is actually quite hard to concentrate hard for extended periods.

 

 

[Jaba-who]

I did my initial training ( helos) in a mixed pattern. Sometime it was long gaps between lessons due weather, lack of an aircraft then lack of an instructor. So when it became possible I took time off work and did some blocks.

 

What I found was I couldn't do more than two flights a day of about an hour to an hour and a half each. I just found it too exhausting.

 

However later in my training when I was better at it, more efficient etc I was able to push it up quite a bit.

 

The thing to remember is that paradoxically it's early in the training when you want to do more and do it more frequently ( to save on sliding backwards between lessons etc) is when it's more demanding and you will be able to do less without becoming so tired and exhausted that you won't gain as much.

 

Later it will get easier so you can last longer.

 

 

[ian00798]

Instructors are generally very hesitant to exceed 2 flights per day initially, especially for the basic sequences. You will be totally drained after an hour initially, and it's that day of rest which gives you the ability to absorb the new learnings. Keep in mind for every initial lesson there is a corresponding 1 hour briefing, and in my experience by the time you go for a third lesson it is pointless due to fatigue.

 

The rapid training used in the war was done more out of necessity than anything, and your final exam was eye opening to say the least, and most didn't pass it.

 

 

[crashley]

I think one hour per day and probably 3 days a week anymore and I dont believe you properly absorb what you are trying to learn

 

If you stack lesson on lesson you dont really learn properly ie will you remember everything properly after being away from it for a week

 

 

[old man emu]

It would seem that the block training idea gets the nod, but it should be planned to start with 2 x 1 hr flights per day for the first five days. Other things being equal, that should put the average student close to first solo. Then take two days off to repair your domestic relationship. Repeat the next week which should definitely have first solo attained by the end of the week (hopefully by mid-week).

 

Under any system, you should try to fly during the week when all the Wing Commanders (Hangar) are off at work.

 

OME

 

 

[crashley]

Distributed practice (also known as spaced repetition or spaced practice) is a learning strategy, where practice is broken up into a number of short sessions – over a longer period of time. Humans and animals learn items in a list more effectively when they are studied in several sessions spread out over a long period of time, rather than studied repeatedly in a short period of time, a phenomenon called the spacing effect. The opposite, massed practice, consists of fewer, longer training sessions. It is generally a less effective method of learning. For example, when studying for an exam dispersing your studying more frequently over a larger period of time will result in more effective learning than intense study the night before.

 

 

[Nightmare]

The Ops Manual (RAAus) states the minimum hours you need is 20 hours, and 5 of them being solo, for the 3 axis group.

 

I think, whether you can do it every day, whilst having the benefit of getting your qualification faster, could have a detrimental effect as far as retention of the training goes. Looking back, I got a lot out of doing one hour long lesson per week, and between lessons, studying, thinking and analyzing till the next. But it is a personal thing, some learn quicker than others.

 

More commonly pilots tend to get their RPC around the 30 hour mark. The training is all competency based so how long it will take really depends how quickly you can learn, retain and apply it to your instructors satisfaction.

 

 

[turboplanner]

A big block of training brings a lot of people unstuck down the track.

 

It's quite possible that you will go through without any crosswinds or without any gusts, or without any unpredictable weather patterns and so on.

 

 

[facthunter]

If you are in a hurry to get your licence in the minimum time, you won't get value for your money. Concentrated instruction without consolidation may not be retained well. You may lose it and actually have a downer or plateau of your progress.

 

You need briefing before and debriefing after every instructional period. The less talk in the air the better. The major part of that stuff should have been done on the ground. You should keep ahead of the sequences yourself with your own study, so you can clarify anything concerning your understanding of what you are going to do, in the preflight briefing.. Any foreseeable confusion should be eliminated.

 

50 minutes of concentrated flying usually results in a drop off of performance early on. At that stage you are getting reduced value for your money. If you are ferrying you don't learn much or get stressed much.. If you are doing something like Unusual attitude recovery or max crosswind practice, even later in your training there's a lower threshold of concentration available for an extended session.. It's normal to experience some degradation of performance after a while, like flying under the hood in turbulence.

 

Initial flying (ab initio) flying exposes you to a lot of new sensations. and unknowns as the environmental and learning experiences are pretty intense. When you have a lot of actual flying time that becomes a bit more second nature as you have consolidated most of the basics and you can cope with 4 hour simulator check sessions plus briefings or 5 + hours line training/ checking at a time. Nev

 

 

[poteroo]

Preferably no more than 2 x 1.00 hr lessons per day.

 

Preferably no more than 4 consecutive 2 hr lesson days then a break of 3 days.

 

The 'learning' process isn't just your pre-flight brief and your post-flight debrief.

 

The thinking student spends time 'visualising' the exercises - particularly when you reach more complex flying such as circuits and forced landings. Sketching out your own 'diagrams' is far, far more effective than death by PowerPoint.

 

This way you have the plan in your mind, and so there should be less mistakes and fewer surprises.

 

The Boy Scout motto of be prepared applies well in flying training.

 

happy learning,

 

 

[Happyflyer]

A big block of training brings a lot of people unstuck down the track.It's quite possible that you will go through without any crosswinds or without any gusts, or without any unpredictable weather patterns and so on.

This from someone in Melbourne? You would get all of that in one lesson.

 

 

[turboplanner]

This from someone in Melbourne? You would get all of that in one lesson.

LOL, I did get a run of frosts once and a lesson on how to clean the wings to avoid failure to fly.

 

 

[mike_perth]

I would suggest starting small and building up - 2 x 1 hours per day max for the early training and maybe increasing in time as you approach solo as you will be less saturated with learing and more focused on perfecting. As mentioned above spaced retention is a real and well studied so having breaks is important.

 

Lots of your learning will be done whilst thinking about what went right/wrong today and how you could/should/would have fixed things that occurred. I think for every hour in the air you probably (or at least should if you have time) spend at least as much time thinking about it/replaying it in your head.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

 

 

[iSteve]

Ive been doing 2 per day, Morning and afternoon this week, button had 3 yesterday and on the 3rd I went backwards.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Ive been doing 2 per day, Morning and afternoon this week, button had 3 yesterday and on the 3rd I went backwards.

Ideally there should be a briefing; what you are going to do, the flight, snd a debriefing; what you were doing right and wrong.

Doing three lessons in one day, you could be making the same mistake and paying for it at hourly rates, particularly radio where, with a break you can go home write it down or look it up, practice the phrase then next time you're up it will be more automatic.

 

 

[APenNameAndThatA]

A big block of training brings a lot of people unstuck down the track.It's quite possible that you will go through without any crosswinds or without any gusts, or without any unpredictable weather patterns and so on.

That is a good point.

 

 

[facthunter]

"Consolidation" is where you put theory and minimal practice into enough experience (follow up) to cement it into place better. (particularly if you rely on numbers and nemonics as prompts)

 

If you did a crash course (no pun intended) in minimum time and then didn't fly for a year you would retain very little. Someone who has had a more spaced out learning programme and done a few hours of GOOD experience (not just sitting there while the plane bores a hole in the sky, and your mind in neutral ) will always have something to draw on after a break in flying, and get up to speed in a shorter time of properly targetted refresher activity. Nev

 

 

[rrogerramjet]

Hi.

 

My 2 cents, as a very average pilot.

 

2 x 1hr sessions daily early on, with brief/debrief will be enough to totally swamp your brain. There will be days due to weather, wind, your skills, stress, fatigue and sections of the syllabus that you wont even get the 2nd hour.

 

With experience (eg maybe after solo) you will start to feel more comfortable with longer sessions in the seat.

 

3hr navs are still solid work.

 

I often did 2 or 3 days in a row and then a few of self reflection and study. That 3rd day trying to 'crack out and finish' some new skill was often frustrating.

 

Hard as I tried, I hit a flat spot in the learning curve that 'wasted' 5 or 6 hours. Unless you're a top gun natural you will hit learning roadblocks too, and more frequent hours in the seat won't necessarily be the most helpful way forward.

 

So as a suggestion, 3days × 2 x 1hrs then a rest day or three might be considered 'high velocity learning' for most average people.

 

I can now do up to 2 x 2hrs a session in the seat with an AM/PM session, sometimes. (Moving onto PPL.) That is more than enough, 2 days a week. And I now have the benefit of nearly 90hrs flying experience.I am still very much practicing.

 

The question you should ask yourself is do you just want to tick some competency boxes, or do you actually want to be a good pilot? Any CFI worth paying a $ will drive you to the latter goal, and that will include recommendations on not flying, for the above listed reasons.

 

And in flying I have discovered, patience is a virtue, that may well one day keep you alive.

 

To put it another way, with the limited experience I have now, if my friend asked me to go pax with them and they told me they learnt to fly in 30hrs within 3 or even 4 weeks, I would turn that offer down for another 50hrs or so, and maybe forever.

 

enjoy!

 

Ramjet

 

That question cannot be answered. So, instead I wonder, how many hours per day would the average person be able to manage? How many hours would 90% of people be able to manage?

Also, how many days/weeks would it take for the average person to get each of the qualifications? How many days/weeks would be enough for 90% of people