Learning to fly an aeroplane or helicopter can be one the most enjoyable and rewarding goals that a person can achieve in their adult life. The process from start to finish is full of new discoveries and exciting challenges. 'Finish' is perhaps the wrong word since the learning never ends. Even if, having . . . → Read More: How to Obtain Your Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) In the UK – Part I]]>

Become a Pilot

Learning to fly an aeroplane or helicopter can be one the most enjoyable and rewarding goals that a person can achieve in their adult life. The process from start to finish is full of new discoveries and exciting challenges. 'Finish' is perhaps the wrong word since the learning never ends. Even if, having qualified, the new pilot decides not to pursue any other form of licensing or certification there is always something new to learn and the wise pilot should never be complacent or over confident.

Learning to fly requires diligence, patience, courage, humility and a thirst for knowledge. As well as they practical aspects of handling the aircraft the student pilot must learn to navigate, interpret weather forecasts for local airfields, intended routes and destinations, plan flights taking into account passengers, baggage, and fuel, and ensure that they he/she is and the aircraft are operating with the Law.

If all this sounds like a steep climb then take heart. The path to obtaining a set of wings has been walked many times before and there is plenty of helpful material along the way. All the aspiring student needs to do is follow the steps and tackle each segment of the journey in a dedicated and methodical manner.

Overview

To obtain a JAR-FCL PPL (Private Pilot's Licence) in the UK the required steps are:

1. Obtain Class II medical certificate from a CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) licensed GP

2. Begin studying the various ground school subjects

3. Complete the PPL practical syllabus at an aero club or flying school

4. Pass the seven written ground school exams and one practical radiotelephony exam

5. Pass practical exam (the Skills Test)

6. Apply to the CAA for issue of a licence

Age Requirements

You can start your lessons at any age and there is no upper age limit as long as you still meet the medical requirements. However, only flight time logged at the age of fourteen or older can count towards your total time logged, and a student has to be at least sixteen years old to fly solo and at least seventeen in order to be eligible for a licence.

Medical Requirements

For the full JAR-FCL PPL licence a student will need a valid CAA Class II Medical Certificate. This is valid for five years for students up to the age of forty. Thereafter it has to be renewed every twelve months. If you fail the Class II medical test you can still opt for a National Private Pilot's Licence. There are less stringent medical requirements for this and it allows many people to fly who might otherwise be grounded. However, it has fewer privileges than the PPL and you cannot add additional ratings to this licence.

Groundschool Subjects

The groundschool or theory subjects are:

* Aircraft General Knowledge and Principles of Flight

* Aviation Law and Operational Procedures

* Flight Performance and Planning

* Human Performance and Limitations

* Meteorology

* Navigation and Radio Aids

* Radio Communications

There are plenty of books and courses that provide all the necessary information and exercises in order to become proficient in each of these subjects and to help you pass the exams. You should also receive ground school tuition at your chosen flying club or flight training center.

Flight Training

The CAA flight training syllabus for the issue of a PPL totals a minimum of 45 hours logged consisting of the following:

25 hours dual (with an instructor at your side)

10 hours solo (on your own!)

5 hours solo cross-country flying

5 additional hours flying either solo or dual

However, few people are ready for the final Skills Test with the minimum amount of time in their logbooks. How many hours it takes for you to become proficient will depend on many things e.g. the frequency of lessons, your ability to learn, your Flying Instructor's skills and abilities. When calculating the cost of your course you should factor in and a total flying time of 60-80 hours to be sure that you don't run out of money just before you complete the course.

Where do I begin?

One way to get started is to book a trial lesson or flight experience day. Find your nearest flying school and give them a call. They'll be only too pleased to welcome you in and show you around. If you've never been in a light aircraft before then it will be a very revealing experience. Ask the instructor as many questions as you like and don't be shy. Everyone was a novice once and if he/she is a good instructor he/she will explain everything in a way that you can understand and absorb.

A trial lesson might be enough to get you hooked on the idea of learning to fly or it might put you off for life! If it's not what you expected but you feel sure that you still want to learn then book another trial in a different type of aircraft and perhaps at another airfield. If your first lesson was at a grass field try the second on a hard runway or vice versa. If you were in a high wing aircraft, try a low wing aircraft.

If you've come this far the chances are that you will continue so it's just a matter of finding the right school, instructor, and aircraft for you. In Part II we'll go into more detail about the process of learning to fly from your first lessons to obtaining your wings.

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While I'm the first to admit that the sensual pleasure of hardback and paperback books is one that no amount of electronic media will ever replace there are times when gadgets come in very handy for storing information that can be retrieved and read in just about any . . . → Read More: Sony PRS-505 E Reader & General Aviation]]>

Store all your GA PDFs in one place

While I'm the first to admit that the sensual pleasure of hardback and paperback books is one that no amount of electronic media will ever replace there are times when gadgets come in very handy for storing information that can be retrieved and read in just about any location.

Take for example the Sony Portable Reader System (or PRS-505 for short). I was given one of these for Christmas a couple of years ago and I've made very good use of it. The screen is clear and glare-free in bright sunlight, it's light in weight, and it has plenty of storage space without any additional memory cards.  So it's an excellent addition to the suitcase while on holiday and saves several pounds in weight which otherwise would have been generated by half a dozen books.

As well as ebooks it can display PDF files, images, and store music. You can charge it from your notebook or laptop so there's not need for an additional mains charger (but you might want to buy one anyway for added convenience). If you run out of books while on holiday you can buy a couple more online and load them onto your reader. The only other add-on I bought was a cover, and they come in a variety of colours.

For the aviator there's the added bonus that you can download all those CAA General Aviation Safety Sense Leaflets (or any other publication available online from the CAA's website), store them on your Sony PRS-505 and read them whenever you've got a few minutes to spare or just to refer to them whenever you need them.

I've added the entire collection of 27 leaflets to my Reader along with the other miscellaneous ones.  In this way they are to hand and less likely to be lost in the constantly growing mound of paper that surrounds my PC.  Even when the desk is tidied they are likely to be filed away and therefore forgotten about, but by being on my Reader they are so much easier to retrieve.

Developing good airmanship and safe flying habits is something we all (should) aspire to.  There's plenty of information freely available on the net but it's often widely dispersed and easy to forget even when you bookmark sites and download files.  Once you've got the hang of downloading and adding PDF files to the Reader you'll find all kinds of useful guides that you can add to it and by having it all stored in the one portable device means there's more chance that you'll actually read it and make use of it.

There are those seemingly gifted novice pilots who seem to sail through all the practical lessons and pass each exam first time as if they were born to the task. They . . . → Read More: Nervous Student Pilots and the Fear of Flying]]> Learning to fly presents the student with all kinds of challenges. How each person reacts to these depends upon their individual strengths and weaknesses.

There are those seemingly gifted novice pilots who seem to sail through all the practical lessons and pass each exam first time as if they were born to the task. They qualify for their licences in minimal time and head off to hour build before moving on to the next round of training that will lead them further along the path to either a career in aviation or perhaps a future in which they are truly Pilot In Command.

However, I suspect such people are the exception rather than the rule. Most students will take more than the minimal amount of hours to learn the practical lessons, and they won't be as confident at every stage. Besides, some of those calm, and collected student pilots may have all the appearance of an ice cool fighter jock but underneath they are in as much turmoil as anyone else.

No one likes to admit to being nervous or unsure. It's as if by doing so one utters a social faux pas and this may be because nerves can be contagious. By drawing attention to nerves one reminds others of their own feelings of anxiety.

The Guilty Relief of a Cancelled Flying Lesson

It's the night before your next lesson. You've been circuit bashing and you know that your first solo is looming. or perhaps you've been set the task of going on your first cross country solo, your first land away, or the Skills Test is booked for the following morning. Whatever your next challenge is there may be some moments in which you feel less like Tom Cruise in Top Gun and more like a quivering plate of jelly.

There may be moments when you look out of the window to check the weather and secretly wish the cloud base was a bit lower and that the weather would close in and postpone the imminent lesson. You might call the flying school and wait with hope in your heart while they check the weather, and you might feel a guilty sense of relief when they tell your lesson is cancelled.

You didn't really want to learn to fly, did you? You'd much rather put your feet up and watch a film. What fools learn to fly anyway? It'll all end in disaster or divorce! Put away those silly, self indulgent thoughts and keep your feet where they belong - firmly on the ground.

Then you remember other things. You recall the inspiration of books, films, and family members, or people you've met who sowed the seed and started you on this journey. You remember that you look up at just about every opportunity when any type of aircraft passes overhead. You remember that sense of freedom when you first took to the air and looked down at the towns and countryside below, and the beauty of the skies when your instructor took you through a gap in the clouds and you flew above in the bright sunshine, watching the shadow of the aeroplane on the white cloud beneath.

Overcoming Nerves With Distraction

Nerves are normal. They are part of the process of anticipation and they are to be expected when you're about to do something you've never done before or at least not often. The trick is not to focus on them and turn your attention to other things. In other words, distract that fearful part of yourself by thinking about something else. Use the power of your imagination to portray the outcome you desire. There you are, confidently flying the plane, in full control and command. That's you, in the left hand seat, flying neat circuits, and flying from A to B in full and certain knowledge of where you are at any given time.

Have you ever been on your way to an interview, dental appointment, or presentation (substitute your own fear inducing event if need be) and saw something that quite literally 'took your mind off it'? That's all distraction is - turning your attention away from your thoughts of disaster and towards either mental images of success or something completely different from the imminent experience.

Worried about getting lost? If the worst comes to the worst call D&D on 121.5. They're there to help. They want to help. It's they're job and that's what they're waiting for - anyone who to make that call so that they can give the help they've been trained to provide. There's no shame in admitting that you need some help. The idiot is the pilot who stubbornly refuses to admit to him/herself that help is needed and flies on into some unhappy outcome.

Breathe, and become calm

Butterflies in the stomach? Sweaty palms? Wobbly legs? As well as the mental trick of distraction there's another simple method for calming your body down - breathing. No, not that shallow breathing we all do on autopilot, but deep abdominal breathing. It's a conscious way of filling your lungs with more air and consequently more oxygen. By adding more oxygen to your lungs and consequently your blood stream your brain receives more, and therefore your mind feels clearer.

As the name suggests, abdominal breathing is simply the process of extending your abdomen outwards as you breath in, and inwards and you breath out. By doing pushing our abdomen out you draw your diaphragm (the wall between your lungs and your stomach) down, and that motion in turn creates a partial vacuum in your lungs so that air rushes in. The reverse helps to push the breath out once you've absorbed all that lovely oxygen. The motion should be gentle, fluid and rhythmic.  Try setting up a sequence where you breath in for four counts, hold for two counts and out for four counts.

Three deep abdominal breaths like can have a calming affect in all kinds of situations, not just before your next flying lesson.

Confidence increases in proportion to log book entries

Another thing you can think about is that feeling of elation after successfully completing a flight.  Remember when you walked across the apron feeling ten feet tall and ready to fly around the world?  That's one of the reasons we fly.  To feel that buzz again you've got one little task to do first - fly the aeroplane again.

In Part I we covered the study, training and medical requirements for obtaining your Private Pilot's licence in the UK. Here in Part II we'll go into more detail about structuring your studies to make the best use of your time, effort, and money.

Keeping Down the Cost

You'll see many schools offering to . . . → Read More: How to Obtain Your Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) In the UK – Part II]]>

The world's your oyster

In Part I we covered the study, training and medical requirements for obtaining your Private Pilot's licence in the UK. Here in Part II we'll go into more detail about structuring your studies to make the best use of your time, effort, and money.

Keeping Down the Cost

You'll see many schools offering to bring you up to the required standard for a fixed price based on the minimum number of flying hours in the syllabus, but it's rare for student pilots to become ready for the Skills Test just when they've logged only these flying hours. Most people need more time to practice, to build up confidence and to convince themselves and their flying instructors that they are ready for the CAA Examiner.

One way of keep down the cost of learning to fly is to schedule your training so that you make the best use of the continuity of practice. The ideal way is to book continuous lessons throughout several consecutive weeks so that there are never more than one or two days between lessons. In this way you will undertake each lesson with the previous instructions fresh in your mind and overall you'll need less practice.

If you are in full time employment you could use some of your annual leave to do this, but if that's not possible try instead to book lessons over many continuous weekends and evenings, and keep up with your groundschool studies when you're not flying. Taking into account the UK weather and daylight hours most flying is done during the summer months but this means that the flying clubs are at their busiest from March to September, so book early and be prepared to jump in if any slots suddenly become available.

British Weather or Sunnier Skies

What could be more pleasant than learning to fly in the Sunshine State of Florida with its wide open runways, clear blue skies, and uncluttered airspace? Wouldn't it be less expensive and quicker? Before you reach for your credit card you have to factor in the cost of getting there and back and the cost of your accommodation and food while you're there. You could treat it as a holiday but you might not want your partner or family with you while you're trying to study so it will probably be a solo break away from home for a few weeks.

Also, some pilots have found that on their return to the UK they find the comparatively congested airspace intimidating and they lack the confidence to make decisions about whether or not to fly when the weather is so changeable here. So any money they saved learning to fly abroad is spent on additional training in the UK, which they feel is necessary in order to bring their confidence level back up to a point where they can confidently fly in UK airspace and weather. In the end those cheap lessons in the States can cost a whole lot more than you expect.

However, there are advantages to flying abroad. It's a great way to build up the hours in your log book and of course it's great fun to fly where the skies go on for ever and the overall attitude to general aviation is much more hospitable and friendly. So if you feel the urge and can afford to fly where you please then take advantage of the opportunity.

The First Solo

The major milestone in your journey to becoming a pilot is your first solo. The experience of being alone in an aircraft for the first time is one that you will remember for the rest of your life even if you go on to be a senior Captain flying airliners around the world.

After you've learnt the basic maneuvering schools and aircraft handling techniques i.e. straight and level flight, turns, climbing and descending to name but a few, you will then spend many lessons in and around your home airfield flying circuits. Circuits are rectangular patterns oriented on the runway in use and taking into account any local flying restrictions and procedures.

You'll be circuit bashing for some time, perfecting your climb outs, downwind checks, approaches, and landings. There'll be days in which you seem to land reasonably well and others when you make a complete hash of it. Now and again you'll land like a veteran, but then your instructor will take you round again to check to see if it was fluke.

After a while you'll start to become bored of these repetitive lessons and at some point your instructor will ask you to taxi to a halt while he/she vacates the aircraft. Before you have time to complain you'll be on your way back to the runway for your first solo and within 15-20 minutes you'll be back in the clubhouse feeling as if you've just passed through a barrier into another world.

Radiotelephony

One the skills you will need to develop is the ability to use to ask for information and respond to requests and instructions over the aircraft radio. Many people feel self conscious about this and are reluctant to speak. You must overcome these misgivings as being confident in the use of the radio will not only make flying more enjoyable it will also make it safer for you and your passengers.

Invest in some training software or CDs with which you can interact. Practice the vocabulary of aviation wherever and whenever you can. Start with the phonetic alphabet and proceed from there. One good tip is to learn all the usual requests and responses that relate to your home airfield, and practice using them until you can reply to the Tower without hesitation.

Radiotelephony for aviators follows certain rules and procedures so that information can be passed quickly and accurately. At a busy airfield you need be able to fly the aircraft, keep a good lookout, listen out for your call sign and respond to it when called.

Keep Going - Don't Stop!

By the time you've reached first solo stage you will have spent quite a lot of time, energy and money on your ambition. The important thing now is to keep going. Don't give up and don't let all that expenditure go to waste. Once you've recovered from your first solo celebrations go back to your studies and continue with your lessons.

The next major milestone is your first solo landing away from your home airfield. Find out all you can about the airfield before you fly there. You could even drive to it and have a look around if you think that would help. These days you can make use of Google Earth to examine landmarks that will help you obtain a fix of your position.

The secret to success is planning. It's easy for the novice flyer to stray into the airspace of another airfield (and therefore into the path of other aircraft) if they were aiming for it but had reached it sooner than expected. If you have planned your journey well there should not be any surprises and you will have made your radio call to the airfield when you were several miles away. During the last few miles you will need to identify your position accurately so that your approach and landing is on the correct side follows the procedures for that airfield.

Last Lap

Once you have completed two thirds of the syllabus and you have completed all your written PPL exams it's time to start focusing on the final hurdle - the Skills Test. During this practical exam the Examiner will ask you demonstrate your ability to be a pilot in command of an aircraft. The Examiner will not be expecting perfection but they will be hoping to see a certain degree of confidence, proficiency, and the ability to make quick decisions. All this comes with practice.

It's perfectly understandable that you might be a little nervous before your test (or more than a little!), but try to relax the evening before, get a good night's sleep, and approach the task with as much confidence as you can muster based on the many hours you will by now have added to your logbook. Your Flying Instructor will only put your forward for this final challenge when he/she thinks you are ready, so trust the judgement of your tutor.

Imagine yourself holding your new licence in your hands and very soon it will become a reality.

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	The Private Pilots Licence Course: v. 2: Air Law, Operational Procedures, Communications List Price: £21.95 Sale Price: £15.37 Used From: £15.00 Average Rating:

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As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him...

She turned to the pilot and asked, 'Are you a real pilot?'

He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life flying biplanes, Cubs, Aeronca's, Neiuports, flew in WWII in a B-29, . . . → Read More: Pilot? Lesbian?]]> An old Pilot sat down in a cafe and ordered a cup of coffee.

As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him...

She turned to the pilot and asked, 'Are you a real pilot?'

He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life flying biplanes, Cubs, Aeronca's, Neiuports, flew in WWII in a B-29, and later in the Korean conflict, taught 50 people to fly and gave rides to hundreds, so I guess I am a pilot.'

She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about naked women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women. When I shower, I think about naked women When I watch TV, I think about naked women. It seems everything makes me think of naked women.'

The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a young man sat down on the other side of the old pilot and asked, 'Are you a real pilot?'

He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out I’m a lesbian.

1. The Pilot should fly at least 12 hours in the preceding 12 months prior to revalidation of which 6 hours must . . . → Read More: Revalidation Requirements]]> A JAR-FCL PPL is valid for five years and can be renewed by applying to the CAA and paying a fee.  The revalidation period for the licence covers a 24 month period and stipulates that:

1. The Pilot should fly at least 12 hours in the preceding 12 months prior to revalidation of which 6 hours must be PIC (Pilot in Command) within 12 months prior to revalidation.
2. The Pilot must have flown at least 1 hour with an FI (Flying Instructor) within 12 months.
3. The Pilot must have carried out 12 take-off and landings within 12 months.
4. The Pilot can choose to take a Skills Test with an Examiner instead of points 1, 2 and 3.

Furthermore, in order to carry passengers the Pilot must have completed at least 3 take-off and landings in the previous 90 days while flying solo.

There are many reasons why people take up flying lessons.   For some they are fulfilling a lifelong dream inspired by the play . . . → Read More: What inspired you to learn to fly?]]> Do you look up when you hear the sound aero engines overhead?  Do you stop and pause to watch as a small plane, microlight or glider makes its slow but steady way across the sky?

There are many reasons why people take up flying lessons.   For some they are fulfilling a lifelong dream inspired by the play and imagination of youth.  Some students are starting a career in aviation and the PPL is the first in a long line of steps to cockpit of an airliner, while for others it's because someone bought them a flight experience gift as a present or they went on a pleasure flight at an air show and have since decided that they would like to learn to fly, to be in control of the aircraft and to explore the world above.

Whatever your personal reasons it's worth remembering them as they will be of some use to you if and when you find the going and little difficult.  Learning to pilot an aeroplane is within the reach of most people, but there are challenges to face and lessons to learn and if you find yourself feeling despondent because you've just botched your sixth landing in a row or because you just can't get the hang of the One in Sixty Rule then take heart by remembering why you embarked on this journey in the first place.

Books are also a source of inspiration for fledgling aviators.  The biographies and stories of the early aviation pioneers, the incredible tales of air combat by young pilots in the Second World War and other conflicts, and the simple but profound pleasures of pilots who fly their small planes all over the world are all to be found on the bookshelves of flyers.  As you read these stories while you learn to fly you will find yourself there in the cockpit with the author.

You'll be able to understand the stories which much greater clarity and a far deeper appreciation of the sensations that the author tries to describe.

Flying, like sailing and a whole host of other sports and activities, has its own language and although things may seem a little daunting at first pretty soon the aspiring pilot will be chatting . . . → Read More: JAR-FCL PPL, CAA NPPL]]> Anyone thinking of learning to fly or who has already started is immediately confronted by all kinds of unfamiliar words, abbreviations, and acronyms.

Flying, like sailing and a whole host of other sports and activities, has its own language and although things may seem a little daunting at first pretty soon the aspiring pilot will be chatting with ease using many new words and phrases.

In fact, part of the enjoyment of learning to fly is becoming familiar with the language of aviation.  Being able to understand the written and spoken word of flight will increase your confidence and spur you on to greater achievements.

PPL - Private Pilot's Licence

When people speak of a Private Pilot's Licence they are usually referring to a PPL; that is to say the JAR-FCL PPL. The JAR stands for 'Joint Aviation Requirements' and the FCL stands for 'Flight Crew Licensing'. These licences are issued by CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) in cooperation with the JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities) and the EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).

A few years ago the CAA introduced the NPPL (National Pilots Licence). The syllabus requirements for this are less stringent than the JAR-FCL PPL, but then so are the privileges granted to anyone holding this type of licence.  The NPPL enables those might not be able to pass the medical requirements for the full PPL to learn to fly and keep flying when previously they might have been grounded or denied the opportunity for flight in the first place.

You may see the PPL defined variously as:

• Private Pilots Licence
• Private Pilot's Licence
• Private Pilots License

I'll leave it to the reader to decide which is grammatically correct suffice to say that the apostrophe is needed and it says 'Private Pilot's Licence' on the cover of mine!

So, right from the outset if you decide you want to learn to fly up the point where you're licensed to do so then you have to choose between the NPPL and the PPL. Elsewhere in this site we'll be listing the differences between the two and the pros and cons of each, but the full JAR-FCL PPL extends the privileges of the pilot and it's the one to aim for if you want to fly abroad for business or pleasure because it's recognised in all EU member states.

	The Private Pilots Licence Course: v. 2: Air Law, Operational Procedures, Communications List Price: £21.95 Sale Price: £15.37 Used From: £15.00 Average Rating:

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	Principles of Flight - Aircraft General Knowledge Flight Performance and Planning: v. 4 (Private Pilots Licence Course) List Price: £21.95 Sale Price: £10.55 Used From: £7.98 Average Rating: