Simonflyer

That story is making me salivate!.. Ive gotta get out there...

Thanks for all the responses.. Yep..im just gonna go for it..I have been working away at the Bob Tait PPL book for a while, and i seem to be ok with most of the example questions..Im not looking forward to Performance all that much, but because i dont have a huge mechanical background AGK is the one that looms as the most painful... One other thing.. Once i have sat all those exams, provided i have done the flying, will i have the same privelidges as a PPL, or will i need to sit a PPL prac exam to be able to fly XC etc?

Hi. Ive recently made the decision to get stuck into my CPL subjects and bypass the PPL.... Im a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so i figured id use the time to knock them all out of the way while im grounded and saving to fly again.. The question i have is how long should i allow to study for each subject..I know the obvious answer is to sit the tests when im ready, but how long did it take you? Even though im self-studying, id like to set myself solid goals and a timeline to have them all done within 15-20 weeks giving 2 weeks study(approx 25-30 hours p/week)to Met,Airlaw,Human factors and Navigation and then more like 3-4 weeks each for aerodynamics,AGK and Performance as id say il struggle most with those.... I guess im just trying to put a solid plan together so i dont just procrastinate and waffle on for the next year or two dribbling them out..It would be bloody awesome to get them out of the way.. any advice would be appreciated. Cheers Simon

Starting this thread was like throwing chips to a flock of seagulls... I have been sitting back with a grin..Mission accomplished.. Ive never actually flown a Jab:laugh: I actually dont care all that much, and as far as im concerned flying is flying whether your on a broomstick(my mother in law) or a spaceship(mother in law as well!) Im sure they are a fine aircraft once you can get over the..........Nah just kidding! Are Jabirus a bit like the Collingwood football club.You either love em or....ahem..you dont? :thumb_up:

Considering the popularity of a post with a strangely similar title to this one, i thought i would ask the question-why do so many of us like the Tecnam.. I would be suprised if this post even got one or two postings, because when you have access to any piece of tecnology that is as far superior to its competitors as the Tecnam is, you rarely if ever feel the need to bleat on about it, but just for the hell of it here's your chance!:big_grin: Is it the reliability of the Rotax,the aerodynamic stability, or its astounding all round performance. Maybe its just its good looks.. Up to you. Enjoy

Hi MikeHotel and welcome.. I am in a very similar place, and im currently trying to decide which way to go about it.. As you know,doing the GA Instructor rating first means that you will have to knock your commercial stuff on the head(cost for you unknown to me??), and then get into your Ins/rating which could cost between 10 and 12 grand..It is relatively easy to transfer over to an RA rating from there(i think after a certain number of GA instructor hours-200 maybe-it may well just be the paperwork and your 25 hours in an ultralight,but my memory could be wrong on that), but as someone mentioned earlier , some GA pilots do take a little while to adjust to the stick and rudder sensitivity and reflexes required in planes that could well be less than half the weight of what they were flying before.The point is that it would be good for you to start getting a handle on tecnams,jabiru's gazzelles etc for your own experience if you want to go that way.. Doing it this way will take longer, and cost you a fair bit more money short term, but will give you much more flexibility moving forward with the different types of work available, and will make you ultimately more employable at the ever growing number of schools that teach in both RA and GA. On the RA side of things...You can start to make a buck a bit earlier and with less initial outlay, but it wont be big bucks, and you will still have to keep going with your commercial subjects and do the GA rating later on.The RA rating will cost you about 6 grand..One of the upsides is that 750 hours of RA flying can count towards your GA hours, and it is a good way to buff up the logbook, but as you already have plenty, that may not be something you want or need. I guess it comes down to what your ultimate goal is.If you want to go on to fly charter/airline/other commercial work, then i would probably suggest the GA route and get the crossover going, but if you want to instruct at your local airport and go home every night and arent in a hurry, then RA may be a go for a while anyway.. Long winded, but hopefully some use.. Cheers Simon

The simple rule of thumb i was taught(apart from the actual theory)is that on a hot day and at high altitude the performance will be generally worse of than a cooler day at sea level..

Go the Mac...Go on.You know you want to..

I like to think of myself as Australia's own version of Bruce Dickinson, although im not all that famous and im not an airline pilot.....Yet:cool:. After years in the music industry, touring constantly, having women throw their underpants at me, and eating small sandwiches backstage i finally got sick of it all, and started flying..Just like Bruce! Ive been watching a few more of his doco's, and he's got some golden comments..One being.."i survived years on the road with iron maiden and even a drinking session with ozzie osbourne, but will i survive this"In reference to the NASA G machine.. It doesnt matter what you do with old rock gods,give em a haircut and dress them well, they still look like memebers of spinal tap.. Classic

Hi yall.. i just had to share my excitement at my new job at this place Flight Experience - Flight Simulators - Take the ride of your life on our Flight Simulator Basically i will go to work and take people for a "flight" on a Boeing 737 NG simulator which is a CASA approved fully functional Sim. I took my grandpa to this place for his birthday a while ago(probably mentioned in some of my early posts), and its what got me into flying again and ultimately led me to pursuing "the dream":big_grin:(or financial nightmare-whatever you want to call it!).. The only thing is that now i have to learn most of the systems of the 737 and actually be able to fly the big bugger(by hand and computer)..there's a fair bit of training provided, but ive been hard at it on my own Sim at home, so hopefully il get up to speed. Until i have my Ra Aus instructor rating and/or commercial licence its gotta be the next best thing to flying for a job:thumb_up:.. If anyone is interested in having a crack(Im based at the Melbourne shop), let me know, and il try and work it out so that im the one on the shift to take you up.Im not sure if there'll be a mates rates thing, but if there is il be happy to pass it on to Rec flying members, otherwise it'd be good to meet some of you anyway.... Wait a month or so til ive got the training out of the way and have my eye in for the whole job. Cheers Simon

Hi Pete and co I have recently imported the more realistic FMC that goes with the x737s, and i have to say its a challenge to get my head around, but im enjoying it.ive been doing a few local navs on autopilot, and its a pretty satisfying feeling to work it all out, program it correctly and not crash! Its nice on a rainy cold night to sit back with the heater on and fly a route to sydney or wherever the hell else i want to go. The simming world has heaps of really good info about how to fly the procedural stuff, and as im going on to commercial its been a real help.I of course wont be taking anything i learn online as gospel over my instruction, but it is a great tool for learing.. As you can tell, its all new to me, but its bloody good fun:thumb_up:

I cant believe you actually are going to need to use it.Ive had mine for a year, and havent needed to show it once!Granted ive been flying half way between the backa burke and east of nowhere!

Ive been flying the qantas 737 all week..Its a ripper!.. **prwood** do you use the FMC, and if so did you upgrade to the more realistic version and os ot worht doing so?(its a payware i think) Cheers Si

Ive been using it quite a bit lately, and it really is satisfying in its realism.. Real time weather and other variables make it quite a bit of fun, and of late i have been getting into the heavy metal, and using the FMC to program flights.It is very satisfying to load in a big interstate or OS nav, lock on to the track, kick back and enjoy the ride... There are many new downloads springing up all the time, and im just about to get the more realistic FMC so that i can get used to that format, just in case i end up flying 737s one day!(i do have to make a note here, that we as rec/ga/light aircraft pilots really do have to do a lot more "flying" than the big fellas, but i do have to say i could get used to doing the climb out and then kicking back with a book for a 100 grand a year!...) I currently have bugger all video card power(im on a laptop) so im using it primarily to get familiar with aircraft systems, and doing instrument approaches, flying in controlled airspace(the AT controller lets you know if your not in the right spot!) etc that i will need to know when i start doing commercial and CTA Navs.Im basically using it as a learning tool and its a bloody good one with lots of support online, but i cant wait til i get a desktop mac with ballsy video card so i can use it as much for pleasure as for learning.. All in all it gets five stars from me!Im Loving it!:thumb_up:

Hi Brett. Well done, and thanks for the info on xplane the other day.. Just to share something with you that i experienced the first time i took pax..i really felt the extra responsibility, and that mixed with a tricky crosswind made me sweat quite a bit on final..So much so i decided to go round and have another crack, and in the end, i took my time, got set and landed fine... My point is just to take your time if at any stage you feel a bit stressed or anxious or rushed.Give yourself that space and it will no doubt be a great experience..And lets face it, sharing the joy of flight is the best! Enjoy Cheers Simon:thumb_up:

Whats a Jabiru?

I reckon you should buy a referee's whistle, and next time you see this bloke on short final give him about 5 seconds as hard as you can..I mean really.Hes gotta harden the hell up.(If he's a very new instructor, he gets off the hook a little, but he still needs to learn a bit more himself about reality!) But in all seriousness, when its time for you to make a call, you make it as long as someone else isnt making a call or there isnt someone waiting for a readback or reply.At the busy GA airports, you can be lucky to get a call in anywhere let alone time it so you dont muck up someones greaser. Ive just finished reading one of Ernest Ganns books, and when he was a co-pilot one of his captains started lighting matches in front of his eyes during final as some strange form of training!.He said it ended up preparing him for something far worse, and he survived it..Im not sure it should be put into the PPL syllabus though...

Good one Tomo. Enjoy it.. :thumb_up:

Welcome.. Enjoy the forums..Are the magazines you speak of online as well or just in print? Cheers Simon

Im on my way to an instructor rating at the moment.Im gonna finish my PPL first, as i want a bit more experience overall. Im sure that there will be a lot of challenges with the job, and i dont think ive got too many romantic notions, but at a the core, what could be better than sharing my passion for flying with people and hopefully being the kind of teacher that takes pride in pumping out skillfull, safe airmen. Ive heard that doing the instrucor rating will improve my own skill immensly as well,and that it will keep me sharp to all those procedures that may one day come in very handy for keeping me and my passengers safe under a challenge. I also plan to complete my CPL, but id like to think that even if i end up chartering or freighting or whatever else comes that i would continue to instruct, because as my experience grows, i will have more to impart. I think it is a great shame that many young pilots see it merely as a stepping stone to an airline, and thats its not a "cool" job.But there also needs to be a push from the powers that be to improve wages, and find other ways to keep pilots in the job longer.. maybe a bit off topic, but kinda related..:thumb_up:

I ask some of you guys who have flown both a tecnam, and a Jab.If they were the same price for similar specs which would you buy?.

Hi brett.. Whered you find the P92 and was it for free?And finally can you give some brief instructions on how to drop it in?PM me if you can.. Cheers Simon

Great story ozzie. Ive just finished reading her book "My god!Its a woman" and she was one serious trailblazer.Bloody brilliant.What an incredibly full life she lived.Very inspiring.. :thumb_up:

While were talking book club..A must read is "fate is the hunter" by Ernest K Gann. Im sure some of you will have read it, but it is a great read about the early days of airlines, and how much stuff in those days was done by the seat of the pants. We all have a lot to be thankful for to these guys who went out and tested the limits so that it is safer for us today. :thumb_up: