Getting the pilot certificate & endorsments is one thing but are you really ready?

[MrH]

It all happened way too fast. My gliding hours meant that things happened a lot faster than I had anticipated, gaining my pilot certificate plus all the essential endorsements within two weeks was way too quick. Now I’ve been in the void of no flying since.

 

It’s been over a month & due to work commitments I’ve not been able to fly since. The other issue is where should I fly from now that I’m back home.

 

 

I had a weekend available so I contacted Wally at Narrandera where I had trained & felt it would be good to go back to rebuild the confidence that I had achieved there. Unfortunately he was unavailable all weekend. Coldstream is nice & close but has yet to receive an aircraft. Tooradin was my next choice as it was there that I did my TIF & first lesson. I hadn’t continued there as the only time I had open to me to learn was July, August & I figured the weather would be a bit off that time of year, hence the excursion to Narrandera.

 

Besides I liked the thought of lots of open paddocks & camping away from home so I could concentrate just on learning to fly.:thumb_up:

 

 

I rang Tooradin to book a dual lesson (I know I need more instruction & don’t intend to go far until I’m really up to speed, especially in Melbourne) but nothing available over the weekend. How about today, Friday? Yes at 1700. Bit late I felt, as I would need to get down to Tooradin from work & get home after – that would be quite late. No….. Then I thought about it & I knew I’d have to fly this weekend as it was my only chance before I head off on a very busy work schedule. I didn’t want to fall back too far from what I had just spent a lot of dollars on. I rang back & accepted the 1700 flight.

 

 

Boy was I nervous. :confused:I arrived early but Eugene was running a bit late after a Nav Xthat went a little off course. That was Ok but gee the weather was closing in & the wind was up there across the runway. I watched as the little LSA doing circuits was fighting the crosswind. It was really cold too. That was my excuse for shivering anyway. :keen:The clouds started to roll in & it was getting darker by the minute.

 

 

Eventually it was my turn, though we were now over half an hour later than planned. I explained to Eugene where I was in my training & we headed off into what appeared to me to be the night. :raise_eyebrow:I had chosen the Jabiru 170 for my lessons, it is similar to the 230 I had flown in Narrandera with glass instruments & that nice big wing but it felt very different. A lot lighter & not nearly as much rudder needed to counter the torque effect from the prop. Eugene was terrific, he added to my learning by filling in gaps that I had missed previously. I think having two instructors both so experienced has proved to be such a great benefit. They compliment each others different teaching styles. I had had little cross wind experience so he helped me understand the mechanics & demonstrated how to handle these. An after flight debrief helped enormously as during flight my mind reached the overload stage & I couldn’t quite grasp what was required & why:loopy:.

 

 

I flew like a dead duck but I was learning all the time & really enjoying the experience. I was also watching as the DARK cloud came lower & lower & watched as it became closer to night. Eugene comforted me by saying that we were well before official sunset & that the airstrips lights came on automatically anyway.:thumb_up:

 

 

He was right they did come on. We did another circuit or two but I called a “Full Stop†eventually. :big_grin:My eyes are getting old & it was really dark. It was a great experience though & another aid towards my training. It isn’t often that you could experience those conditions in training & I’m sure it has prepared me should that situation occur when I’m solo. Gee it was hard to find our way back from the hanger in that light though!

 

 

A really good debrief & my time was over with lots of notes to ponder over till next time. Shame next time is going to be quite a long time away. Still, I walked away with a smile that was hard to wipe off. I can hardly wait till I fly again.:big_grin:

 

 

To all who are training – I recommend more than one instructor once you get more experience. They all have so much to give & you can only benefit from a different approach, it’s amazing how more than one teaching style can make something that was a bit vague all of a sudden come together with such clarity.

 

 

Keep flying, keep smiling, keep safe;)

 

H

 

PS: I'm using BigPete's:star: iconisation philosophy ;)for the general enhancment of a fairly dull :yuk:report :laugh:sorry:black_eye:

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Good stuff..:thumb_up:..

 

 

[BigPete]

Good Stuff - no I don't think so...........

 

It was GREAT STuff, :thumb_up: award winning stuff. I vote first place Ian. :thumb_up: Give the man a prize. :big_grin::big_grin:

 

regards

 

:big_grin:

 

 

[facthunter]

Consolidation.

 

Very thoughtful contribution....

 

First of all... Eugene and Wally are VERY experienced instructors. Every instructor is different and has something to add to your knowledgebase. The change in the way it is presented may achieve an insight that you had not achieved before. Understanding is the key.

 

Knowing what is going on and how to react, makes a good pilot, Not imitating or learning by numbers. While that technique may be PART of the training, it must not be the final situation. You progress from that to something much more capable where you are more "part" of the aeroplane than before, and more confident.

 

Employers prefer pilots who have lots of experience over ones that have very little, however that is a pretty broad brush concept.

 

If you arrive at a point where you think you are a bit of an "Ace", you are unlikely to have the humility to accept that learning goes on continuously, and you will self-limit the ongoing benefits of experience.. Nev..

 

 

[motzartmerv]

More good stuff:thumb_up:...

 

 

[farri]

If you arrive at a point where you think you are a bit of an "Ace", you are unlikely to have the humility to accept that learning goes on continuously, and you will self-limit the ongoing benefits of experience.. Nev..

Excellent advice.

 

Regardles of the amount of hours or the length of time that we have been flying,every flight should be treated as a training exercise and a learning experience.

 

We are only in real comand when the aircraft is only coming along for the ride.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

H, great advice mate. I'm looking at starting in the next few weeks, did a TIF with one school and going to do a TIF with another this weekend. I like the idea of having 2 instructors, both of which can teach so much.

 

Cheers on the heads up :thumb_up:

 

 

[MrH]

Hey Brett - Enjoy your TIF & select the instructor you most relate to for your initial training. There is enough going on in your head when you first start without adding two variations of training styles. Once comfy & things begin to become natural then maybe do some flights with the other instructor. I suggest once you have been flying solo for a while. You will find that they have slightly different ways & this is where questions & answers arise. Have fun :thumb_up:

 

Cheers

 

H

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Hey Brett - Enjoy your TIF & select the instructor you most relate to for your initial training. There is enough going on in your head when you first start without adding two variations of training styles. Once comfy & things begin to become natural then maybe do some flights with the other instructor. I suggest once you have been flying solo for a while. You will find that they have slightly different ways & this is where questions & answers arise. Have fun :thumb_up:Cheers

H

Cheers H, I'll stick with the one I most prefer after the next TIF this Friday. Was it hard to change schools mid way through getting your certification? What was the process like when you had to go through with it?

 

 

[Yenn]

You all think this is a good post, but there is one worrying aspect from my point of view. End of daylight is a time which can be calculated and is published, but it is not necessarily safe to fly right up to that time. I know Wally and Eugene are skilled and there was no safety problem with them, but when the pilot is not as skilled and especially if arriving from a cross country flight, I believe it is prudent to time arrival before the deadline, in case there are clouds. Plus it is not impossible for the lights to have a problem and not come on.

 

Good training for you MrH, but be aware of the consequences for yourself and any others who may read this and push past when it is prudent to fly.

 

 

[MrH]

Hi Brett,

 

I recieved my pilot certificate before I went to the second Instructor. For me I feel that was probably the best result.:big_grin: When I went to the second CFI I was in no way considering myself ready to fly solo at a new location & in a slightly different aircraft without more training & I will be taking more dual until I & the new instructor feel things are right. It's amazing how much you lose when you can't back up with regular flying. I'm in no hurry, I just want to be confident. Take your time & enjoy:big_grin:

 

H

 

 

[MrH]

G'day Ian,

 

We were only doing circuits & it was me that called the full stop. We could still see OK but to my mind it was getting way too dark way too quick. For me it was an experience I won't forget & in no way would I want to be in a situation that tight to sunset on a cross country or any other flight. So I found it educational & it also highlighted the effect if one was to push the boundry too far.thumb_down I for one won't.:big_grin: Hopefully others may read this & also reconsider if conditions look like shortening the day.

 

Cheers

 

H