My student PPL diary

[Andy Hawkins]

Hi all,

Not sure if anyone's interested, but I'm a few hours into my PPL training in
the UK, and have been keeping a diary of my flights (and cancellations!) to
date. I even got to 'fly' with the Red Arrows this weekend!

It's here:

http://adhawkins.wordpress.com/

Any comments welcome

Andy

[terry]

Post by Andy Hawkins
Hi all,
Not sure if anyone's interested, but I'm a few hours into my PPL training in
the UK, and have been keeping a diary of my flights (and cancellations!) to
date. I even got to 'fly' with the Red Arrows this weekend!
http://adhawkins.wordpress.com/
Any comments welcome
Andy

Welcome to the group Andy. From my limited experience of British
weather I wonder how anybody
could ever get a PPL there ! I am from Australia myself , the
supposed land of sunshine and the mythical bronzed Aussie, but I still
had to deal with weeks of cancelled lessons, due to wind or cloud.
But you get used to it. You will find a lot of helpful people here,
to help you through the journey..
cheers
Terry

[Andy Lutz]

You should try southern California. I have been flying for since January
typically about 4:00 - 6:00pm. I have had two (2, [1 more than 1{less than
3}]) cancellations due to weather. And I try to fly 2 - 3 times per week.

On second thought, don't come here, we have too many people already.

On third thought, come on over, I haven't met a pilot who wouldn't be a
welcome addition to our population.

Blue skies,
Andy Lutz

Post by terry

Post by Andy Hawkins
Hi all,
Not sure if anyone's interested, but I'm a few hours into my PPL training in
the UK, and have been keeping a diary of my flights (and cancellations!) to
date. I even got to 'fly' with the Red Arrows this weekend!
http://adhawkins.wordpress.com/
Any comments welcome
Andy

Welcome to the group Andy. From my limited experience of British
weather I wonder how anybody
could ever get a PPL there ! I am from Australia myself , the
supposed land of sunshine and the mythical bronzed Aussie, but I still
had to deal with weeks of cancelled lessons, due to wind or cloud.
But you get used to it. You will find a lot of helpful people here,
to help you through the journey..
cheers
Terry

[terry]

Post by Andy Lutz
You should try southern California. I have been flying for since January
typically about 4:00 - 6:00pm. I have had two (2, [1 more than 1{less than
3}]) cancellations due to weather. And I try to fly 2 - 3 times per week.

I often wondered where you guys get your water from if it never rains.
(well so says the song if you are old enough to remember).
There are many places in Aus that have similar
flying weather, unfortunately they are just not where I live,
(near Melbourne where we are known for having 4 seasons in one day!)
terry

[Morgans]

Post by terry
I often wondered where you guys get your water from if it never rains.

Mostly from resevours in the mountains, and sometimes from rivers that come
from the mountains.

The thing that hurts most of California's water supply, is when it does not
snow in the winter. The snow melt is what refills the resevours.

[unknown]

Post by terry
I often wondered where you guys get your water from if it never rains.

I live in Italy and we have a similarly low rainfall. We get all our
water from snow on the local mountain. It's sort of convenient that the
areas that have low rainfall often have a 12,000 ft mountain in the
backyard.

It also makes for interesting flying.

[D]

Post by Andy Lutz
You should try southern California. I have been flying for since January
typically about 4:00 - 6:00pm. I have had two (2, [1 more than 1{less than
3}]) cancellations due to weather. And I try to fly 2 - 3 times per week.

And that's the reason so many of us recommend our students NOT to come to
you Andy! They learn to fly in great Wx and then get flummoxed by our
weather - as so many of your airmen have in the past! Flying over here's
not so bad, great cloudscapes, lovely sunsets and sunrises, rainbows, the
changing scene beneath your wheels, and not too much of that pesky bright
stuff getting in yer eyes all the time.

Enjoy your weather and sunshine...give me the bracing north wind any
day...brrrr. <walks off in huff.>

david

[Euan Kilgour]

Post by Andy Hawkins
Hi all,
Not sure if anyone's interested, but I'm a few hours into my PPL training in
the UK, and have been keeping a diary of my flights (and cancellations!) to
date. I even got to 'fly' with the Red Arrows this weekend!
http://adhawkins.wordpress.com/
Any comments welcome
Andy

Great blog Andy. Stick with those lessons, it all pays off on the
nice calm and clear days when you can see for miles.

[Andy Hawkins]

Hi

Post by Euan Kilgour
Great blog Andy. Stick with those lessons, it all pays off on the
nice calm and clear days when you can see for miles.

Thanks for the comments. I'm certainly sticking with it, despite the
weather. Currently planning around 4 lessons a week if I can get them, but
once I've used up a weeks worth of afternoon holidays from work, I'll likely
be restricted to flying at weekends. Finance isn't an issue (the money is
all there), it's just a question of finding the time and instructor
availability (the instructors at Brize are all volunteers so it can be
difficult sometimes).

Had a bit of a shock yesterday when I found out I have to pass *3* exams
before I can solo (Air Law, Human Performance and Radio Theory). Better hit
those books!

However, after yesterday's lesson, shocks just seemed to pass me by. :)

Andy