I'm back, I'm keen, and it seems that things have changed!

[JollyWalter]

Hi All

 

After a six and a half year hiatus I have returned not only to the Aircraft Pilots forum, but to the skies around Perth (well, around Bindoon anyway, YBHL).

 

I have a bunch of questions, and was really not sure where to post given some are around training, some are around RA vs GA, some on medical etc, so I thought I'd just start here.

 

Some quick background:

 

First ever lesson was as a 46 year old in February 2010, aiming for PPL at Jandakot and starting out in C152's.

 

Passed GFPT in October 2010, converted to C172's then flew only about 10 hours late 2010/early 2011 before moving my training to Bunbury in February 2102 for navigation and hopefully PPL.

 

Did 3 dual navs and a solo before having a wrestle with CASA over the type of vision correction I use (a special type of contact lens). They wouldn't budge, I wouldn't budge, and I ended up shelving it with the prize in sight. (Even passed my PPL theory exam).

 

I never thought it would be 6 and a half years until I got back in the air.

 

But one day about 6 weeks ago, I looked into it again and started discovering how things had changed in GA & RA since 2012.

 

So first I converted my GFPT to RPL (just because I could), and made the cutoff date of August 31 for a no-charge conversion with about a day to spare.

 

Then I Googled 'flight training in perth'; clicked on a few links; made a few calls; and found myself going down the RAAus path.

 

I had found that the cost of GA training was becoming prohibitive (for a man of my modest means), and that the cost of RA was very affordable.

 

So I've embarked on a GA to RA conversion, flying J170's.

 

I've had 4 hours covering off all the usual basics, plus stalls, some circuits, and FLWOP.

 

It was just a little bit different from a Cessna, I can tell you! (although I'm sure many of you would know) but it came back to me quicker than I thought it would, although the stick vs yoke thing, with the throttle on the wrong side (tongue-in-cheek) took a little getting used to.

 

So, hopefully not too far from getting an RA pilot certificate, then on to 'cross country' and my original dream of flying further afield.

 

The best thing though, is it seems that there is a path from RA to GA, so if I wanted to switch back to GA, or do both, then I can.

 

That's probably always been the case, but it seems so much clearer now.

 

Anyhow this post is already way too long, so I'll post my questions later.

 

Feeling a bit pumped about being back in the air.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Hi AllAfter a six and a half year hiatus I have returned not only to the Aircraft Pilots forum, but to the skies around Perth (well, around Bindoon anyway, YBHL).

 

I have a bunch of questions, and was really not sure where to post given some are around training, some are around RA vs GA, some on medical etc, so I thought I'd just start here.

 

Some quick background:

 

First ever lesson was as a 46 year old in February 2010, aiming for PPL at Jandakot and starting out in C152's.

 

Passed GFPT in October 2010, converted to C172's then flew only about 10 hours late 2010/early 2011 before moving my training to Bunbury in February 2102 for navigation and hopefully PPL.

 

Did 3 dual navs and a solo before having a wrestle with CASA over the type of vision correction I use (a special type of contact lens). They wouldn't budge, I wouldn't budge, and I ended up shelving it with the prize in sight. (Even passed my PPL theory exam).

 

I never thought it would be 6 and a half years until I got back in the air.

 

But one day about 6 weeks ago, I looked into it again and started discovering how things had changed in GA & RA since 2012.

 

So first I converted my GFPT to RPL (just because I could), and made the cutoff date of August 31 for a no-charge conversion with about a day to spare.

 

Then I Googled 'flight training in perth'; clicked on a few links; made a few calls; and found myself going down the RAAus path.

 

I had found that the cost of GA training was becoming prohibitive (for a man of my modest means), and that the cost of RA was very affordable.

 

So I've embarked on a GA to RA conversion, flying J170's.

 

I've had 4 hours covering off all the usual basics, plus stalls, some circuits, and FLWOP.

 

It was just a little bit different from a Cessna, I can tell you! (although I'm sure many of you would know) but it came back to me quicker than I thought it would, although the stick vs yoke thing, with the throttle on the wrong side (tongue-in-cheek) took a little getting used to.

 

So, hopefully not too far from getting an RA pilot certificate, then on to 'cross country' and my original dream of flying further afield.

 

The best thing though, is it seems that there is a path from RA to GA, so if I wanted to switch back to GA, or do both, then I can.

 

That's probably always been the case, but it seems so much clearer now.

 

Anyhow this post is already way too long, so I'll post my questions later.

 

Feeling a bit pumped about being back in the air.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

G'Day Mick. . .welcome back to Flying mate . . . the only thing which bothered me about flying on the WA coast was,. . .there's an awful lot of nothing out to the East. . . .I was flying GA in the 1970s, but W.A. is a bloody big place. . .I hope that nowadays, with the surge of RA that there are a few more places that you can go for the Ninety Dollar cup of coffee than there were back then. . . .which was basically up and down the coastline. . . Janda to Bunburuy mostly for me,. . .with the occasional Kwokka flight to the Island. . . , had a mate who was an Afiso at Wyndam, . .but that place was as dead as a Dodo. . . .

 

Anyway, ENJOY. ( that's an order ! )

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Mick:

 

Welcome back to flying and the forums.

 

Very pleased to hear that you've found a way to realise your dream.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Hi AllAfter a six and a half year hiatus I have returned not only to the Aircraft Pilots forum, but to the skies around Perth (well, around Bindoon anyway, YBHL).

 

I have a bunch of questions, and was really not sure where to post given some are around training, some are around RA vs GA, some on medical etc, so I thought I'd just start here.

 

Some quick background:

 

First ever lesson was as a 46 year old in February 2010, aiming for PPL at Jandakot and starting out in C152's.

 

Passed GFPT in October 2010, converted to C172's then flew only about 10 hours late 2010/early 2011 before moving my training to Bunbury in February 2102 for navigation and hopefully PPL.

 

Did 3 dual navs and a solo before having a wrestle with CASA over the type of vision correction I use (a special type of contact lens). They wouldn't budge, I wouldn't budge, and I ended up shelving it with the prize in sight. (Even passed my PPL theory exam).

 

I never thought it would be 6 and a half years until I got back in the air.

 

But one day about 6 weeks ago, I looked into it again and started discovering how things had changed in GA & RA since 2012.

 

So first I converted my GFPT to RPL (just because I could), and made the cutoff date of August 31 for a no-charge conversion with about a day to spare.

 

Then I Googled 'flight training in perth'; clicked on a few links; made a few calls; and found myself going down the RAAus path.

 

I had found that the cost of GA training was becoming prohibitive (for a man of my modest means), and that the cost of RA was very affordable.

 

So I've embarked on a GA to RA conversion, flying J170's.

 

I've had 4 hours covering off all the usual basics, plus stalls, some circuits, and FLWOP.

 

It was just a little bit different from a Cessna, I can tell you! (although I'm sure many of you would know) but it came back to me quicker than I thought it would, although the stick vs yoke thing, with the throttle on the wrong side (tongue-in-cheek) took a little getting used to.

 

So, hopefully not too far from getting an RA pilot certificate, then on to 'cross country' and my original dream of flying further afield.

 

The best thing though, is it seems that there is a path from RA to GA, so if I wanted to switch back to GA, or do both, then I can.

 

That's probably always been the case, but it seems so much clearer now.

 

Anyhow this post is already way too long, so I'll post my questions later.

 

Feeling a bit pumped about being back in the air.

 

Cheers

 

Mick

Hi Mick,

 

I wish you all the best!

 

 

[poteroo]

Mick,

 

Welcome to RAAus world. You should be able to convert your RPL for an RPC with the 5 hrs mandated time. Then, you could do your navs in an RAAus aircraft and get the RAAus nav endo. With what you have already done in GA, provided you're not too rough, it should only take you a couple short duals plus a good solo nav and then a test. The RPC nav endo can then be signed onto your RPL licence by a GA instructor because it is 'recognised' by CASA. The advantages of flying with an instructor who is both RAAus and GA qualified makes this all very neat. cheers,