rrogerramjet

Hi @Camel of course it's a joke. Are all my landings perfect? No. Thanks for the armchair instruction though. Cheers Ramjet

Hey fellow aviators, I thought I'd provide an update for those interested. Basically, I feel so soured by my experience that I stopped flying. I simply could not face one more flight with the sneering 'I found some other minor error with your flying and you are never ready for a test' instructor. (See my previous post) It's cost me double what I had anticipated, and since my hiatus I can see even more hours 'wasted' in reinvigorating skill and technique. Who would have thought that an instructor who is recommended as 'good and thorough' would scare someone relatively competent completely off flying altogether. My view is that it has been a lesson in milking, personality conflict, and ultimately an instructor who is a pilot, but not a great teacher, motivator, or mentor. Basically someone who can teach, but with some questionable attributes when it comes to being a quality instructor, sharing knowledge in a way that imparts growth and skills capability on the student, not " that's wrong, that's not how you do it" (see my previous posts again) So to that end, now I have managed to save some more money, (which should have been attributed to aircraft purchase not PPL!) where to get my PPL? I'm in Canberra and have have considered FlyOz in Cowra but they run Piper aircraft. I'd really like to finish off in a C172 CS prop. Any recommendations? Thanks again, Btw I'm going to Cess nock , see you there! Roger

Harden. I landed on it day before a race meet, nags everywhere, they weren't too happy,. We explained to the folk who came tearing up the strip at us in their Landcruiser traybacks (as we were trying to roll for takeoff!!) how they need to put the markings on the strip to indicate closure and they should also notify airservices for a NOTAM. 3 days after the race meet none of that was done but some weeks later I vaguely remember a permanent closure advice. So for anyone who needs to land at Harden, sorry about that we may have triggered that outcome, I can assure you as of November 2017 it was still a great surface to land into, if you need it....

HI This site has been down for weeks : http://www.aviationadvertiser.com.au/ Anyone know anything? I presume it was run by an Aussie flyer / company or some entity related to the aviation industry. There were a couple of planes I was interested in , but now I cant contact the owners. :-( cheers Ramjet

Who cares, are you trying to infer something?We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Havagrt ANZAC day! Ramjet

Usability, intuitive features, all files are in a proprietary format so you never get off Apple and can't share with non Apple users (the trap!), hard to go wrong, good for idiots who know nothing about IT = Apple. Global interoperability, designed for wider file sharing, no proprietary 'ecosystem', less good for idiots = Windows Too easy, possibly less safe, can't go wrong ever, need 'apps' over programs, awesome for IT idiots = Android

Yep and the Chinese govt can review every single thing you do on the platform. No thanks. Data safe, Ramjet

Hi Been looking at aircraft to buy and more than one hangar conversation has revolved around the cost of, and ability to complete oneself, maintenance. Nothing I've found on CASA or on RAAUS website has elicited these differences clearly. Tbh I still can't work out the difference between 23 and 24 rego, its probably buried in the RA manuals somewhere but the Technical manual certainly doesn't explain much at all. So from a self maintainer perspective, what could I do myself if I bought any of these regos and does the self maintenance requirements differ between each? I'm presuming I need to do the certs/courses for RA self maintenance (and initially do all work/seek advice with someone who knows what they are doing) I'm also balancing cost wise that my ability to maintain a VH craft is a specialists job and beyond pumping up the tyres and topping up oil there ain't much I can self service on a VH without LAME certification. So when these old dogs in the hangar say "it's so much cheaper when you can maintain it yourself" what exactly do they mean? Surely I can't do my own full rebuild right there in the hangar and set my TBO back to 0hrs? Right? Thanks Ramjet

Well if you're clicking on unknown attachments from unknown senders then you probably get what you deserve. There's some really simple practical actions people can take which improve online security 99%. If you don't know the sender, didn't ask for it, or are presented an 'upgrade' 'install' or 'offer' that you didn't ask for then don't click on it. Those rules alone will see you safe of 99% attempted attacks. Surf safe! Ramjet

FYI for anyone following this woeful tale I just checked my logbook and it was 24.3hrs when previous instructor was recommending I book in for flight test. The first 11hrs were with original instructor., doing mostly endless, boring circuits. The next 13 were with the the instructor who left the school just before I could sit test. 3 flights in we were doing 3hr navs and in just on 10hrs had knocked off PFL, PSL, Short field, EFATO, glide approaches, CTA and diversions. In fact my log book shows the last 4hrs was a nav we did way out West pretty much 'just for fun' and demo all the skills. So that last nav was basically my pre test, in just over 20hrs. With only 2hrs IFR as the last manadatory requirement. Now I've just clocked 45, another 21hrs.....back with the first guy. And only just done my IFR. Do I sense a pattern here. ..? Fly safe. Ramjet

Should I point out here that this school does RA and after 3hrs conversion in their RA plane I was away doing my own solo navs....(personally I thought the 3hrs was a little extensive and over cautious, but it covered off a BFR too...)But somehow I am unable to pass the subjective, undefined, mystical threshold for my PPL, and as I've related, instructor hasn't articulated any clear path to get there. Other than keep finding some new imperfection with my flying, every single time we fly. Last time it was in the circuit, complaining I went a little long on downwind and then trying to tell me all the extra power I would have to drag in on final because of that, then cautioning me about Vfe, when we were right on the numbers ! (80kts) so I thought, FU theres other ways to do this, left flaps up all the way over the fence and dumped the lot 50ft from the threshold...... maybe a 7/10 landing, I was quite happy with it, not perfect but safe and straight. But now it's 'your circuits aren't good enough, let's practice them again next time' FFS ...really??? I've just come down off 1.5hrs IFR so I'm a little shagged, what do they expect? There are other hidden agendas at play here I'm sure, and the more I think about it, income stream is most likely a prime factor. i. e. Yes Im being milked. I press on, I'm close now... Fly safe Ramjet

Do I really have another choice? Jumping schools to have to spend yet another 4-6 hrs demonstrating what I already know. I have already contacted another school, so if it does come to that I know where Im going. I'll most likely go there for my NVFR/PIFR unless a better option comes up...I am also yet to buy an IFR rated plane (or any plane), so no rush on that front. Fly safe Ramjet

Hi squid,In a sense. May I quote Marcus Aurelius, "As far as you can, get into the habit of asking yourself in relation to any action taken by another: "What is his point of reference here?" But begin with yourself: examine yourself first." And in that I am conflicted. Some time ago, about 14hrs, an instructor was prepping me tantalisingly close to a test, we almost booked it. With a quick and direct method we addressed curriculum items one by one and bashed at them until they were subdued, conquered and mastered to at least a level of non life threatening skill, certainly enough to squeak over a PPL test mark. Now my current instructor has different standards and expectations, they simply wants to see a perfect demo, with every single flight. No minor circuit errors, no forgetfulness, no navigational errors. I see two very distinct approaches here, I simply much preferred the former. That is also attributed to the consistent time and commitment I put to that regularity of training. Frequency counts for a lot of 'skill' when the drills aren't quite fully embedded as second nature. There are no doubt some poor training skills being demonstrated here, which add to my frustrations, I can't change that. I could bang on about them for ages. I also need to equally reflect on the fact that I almost consistently make some kind of flight error during a session, nothing that will kill us, mind you, just little stuff. My biggest issue is having asked numerous times to be shown the competency marks against each syllabus item so we can concentrate on what I need to learn/relearn and I am now convinced that those markings do not exist. (They will have to be on record prior to a PPL test I am led to believe) Or the fact that my previous instructor made extensive notes (and most probably scored against those syllabus items) but this instructor wasn't aware of those notes existence, hadn't read them prior to re-engaging with me, and hasn't since AFAIK, simply made me 'fly around some more' to see where I was up to (thus the last 10-12 hours...) But their shortcomings, given that I now recognise them clearly, should not be my failure. I must understand and demonstrate what this instructor wants to see. If I was going to let someone loose in the sky with my name signed in their log book, I'd probably feel somewhat the same. I am assured by numerous others that this instructors standards are high and I am 'lucky' to have them training me. Perhaps, when a potentially life threatening situation arises, or I review a gross enroute or planning error and thank them for making me so meticulous, I'll be appreciative. Right now, learning and teaching in a small cockpit together is a symbiotic relationship of sorts and I need to work hard at passing that shared expectation, irrespective of my perception of the paucity in the quality of the 'hard' training skills. I am certainly much more direct in what I want to learn from hereon and to that directness, weather played a favourable part in seeing some final obligatory training put onto the log book last weekend. I am 44hrs in, about 20 more than I expected, so basically double the investment I had anticipated, there's no stopping me now. I was almost ready for a PPL some 14 hrs ago.... we'll simply put that 4K down to 'experience' , in more ways than one. Marcus Aurelius again.."Today I escaped all circumstance, or rather I cast out all circumstance, for it was not outside me, but within my judgements" And that is how I plan to get a PPL.... Fly safe Ramjet

Hey 1@Hongie[/uSER] that might actually work, if it doesn't down here, my in laws live in Mackay. After this weekend I will have a much more clarified opinion. My instructor is fussy, that's okay, but it's really getting ridiculous and he doesn't seem to have a clear curriculum path in mind, which my previous instructor did, and had me to '2 weeks away from test, let's do this thing' attitude. Currently it's a subjective assessment against their own 10000hr? skills which as a low hour pilot I will never meet. Ever. Might see you in Mackay! Fly safe Ramjet

Thanks for all the views, I posted this last one to confirm what I had already suspected. I'm being dragged out for whatever hidden agenda the instructor has in their head. So, I'll be seeking a 'fast and forceful' path to completion of my PPL and they will suffer the loss of my intent to train PIFR, which I had hoped to have begun already. If I can't get what I need, I'll cut my losses and go elsewhere. This extension from my initial estimate of 20hrs or so has now cost me about 6K. I'll definitely be doing my PIFR elsewhere. Thanks for some of the views and insights, I'll post back with an update after this weekend, who knows I might finally even get that last 1.25hrs of mandatory IFR done! I wouldn't want to be my instructor tomorrow morning, 'not happy Jan!' Fly safe Ramjet