rrogerramjet

Thanks, very helpful response. And, price dependent I may well be seriously interested in your RV9 (A?)

What about the other way around? Say, an RV9 or Tecnam , 24 reg. It's the usual bunch of forms? It appears on form029 all you need is a Type Certificate or Provisional, so one can presume that any aircraft type one has ever seen registered VH already has a Type Certificate , either submitted by the very first person to import / build / buy one or by the manufacturer. Is my presumption correct? I am possibly looking at buying an LSA 24 and converting to VH. I am still considering the pros and cons of such. With a PPL and the right instruments to get into CTA I don't really need to I suspect. There appears to be little advantage to VH reg other than you won't get scoffed at by the big GA boys when you call out your model and number , instead of 'Alpha Bravo Charlie' And yes, as an aside, I've previously been duly ignored inbound, simply by my 24 callsign. Just a little unnerving when your trying to get a position fix of others coming into a new airport ! Thanks Ramjet

Happy New Year... Fuel Mixture Cowls DI Alignment QNH Altitude Radio Taught to me by a CPL rated instructor. It stuck, but as others have pointed I just do the 'flow' across the panel, levers, and then to my flight plan, which often prompts me to do something I have forgotten (usually radio and/or local QNH- ATIS always reminds me.) Fly safe Ramjet

I see youre still focused on the list thing...but I get your somewhat defensive points. I was trying to steer the discussion towards teaching and methods. I was given FMCDQAR,, which I don't use but only remember it because that CFI instructed me so well, it's stuck in my head. One of the other VERY helpful instructions I got from that CFI was flying is the constant 'pursuit of perfection' - try to nail everything you do perfectly. Every time. Great advice. Cheers Ramjet

Why focus on a list? Completely missed the point of the post without full consideration to the topic. I presume you fly with greater situational awareness than you read. ;-) A description on why some people struggle to teach, cause they can't articulate what it is they do themselves. Ramjet

Might I drop in my 2c at .this juncture. ..having had a total of 6 CFI's now between RA and GA (some once only for reasons partially explained below) I can attest that as well as flying experience there is an, often innate, ability to teach or share your knowledge in a practical and efficient manner. I've had varying degrees of instruction and methods applied to me, some of it simply frustrating and useless. Suffice to say that being an experienced pilot does not necessarily meke you a useful or helpful instructor, regardless of RA or GA. Let me pass just one example....In a ground school discussion we (current instructor and me) asked head CFI what mnemonic he uses for top of descent and top of climb, "I don't have one, I just do it" he responded with a shrug of his shoulders. Which then explained why he was unable to pass to his student (me) in a consistent, ordered and methodic manner the things I should be doing at these points in flight. This just one example of why some people might be skilled in a craft but aren't necessarily good teachers. Fly Safe Ramjet

So back from pre Xmas hols ...didn't quite get to PPL test, now a small step backwards having not flown for about 4 weeks now. Then we'll line up a test time somewhere in January, the stinkiest hottest period of summer to be idling on a runway in a sunny cockpit :) Back to an earlier comment... I need to complete the full test curriculum for PPL certification. Which means both my CFI (to some degree as noted in my posts) and more relevantly, CASA provide nothing for prior learnings or certifications gained in RA, except perhaps BAK. If my reading is correct I need to demonstrate, all over again, flight planning, basic circuits, PSL, NAV, stalls, etc etc, when IMHO all I really needed was a conversion to a bigger heavier GA aircraft and to demonstrate some reliable competency in navigating CTA and submitting SARTIME / flight plans. (The remaining 'missing' components of NAV required for flights in other than G Class) Which really does bring into real question any validity of the commentary that RA Aus is a great pathway to PPL. Neither CFI (mine certainly) or CASA grant any real recognition of prior learning, except some flying hours. If I had more knowledge on the subject and had anticipated I would be seeking PPL at some point, I would most definitely go direct to PPL. With the clarity of hindsight I think it would seem more accurate to say that conversely, PPL is a great pathway to RA Aus for those who cant/ don't want to pay the higher costs and compliance associated with GA anymore. And by the grizzled grey men I come across in the RA space, this would seem to be largely true. :-) And I think we have now come full circle back to my first post on this subject. Merry Xmas all! Fly safe Ramjet

As soon as he began with his loose terminology and lack of accuracy in detail describing the flight, I smelled trouble. Salient lessons herein. "The big mistake was........these little things that creep up on you" @ 33:15

An afterthought..... The only reason *m going to the effort of PPL (putting aside the personal challenge) is to fly into CTA. If I had sufficient appropriate training and the regulations allowed I'd just fly on RA. Cost wise it is more than likely I end up flying an LSA into CTA on PPL. Says a couple of things, already well discussed elsewhere, about both RA training and CASA regs. At about 20litres per hr difference in fuel costs that will be X hours before I recover the PPL costs. Someone else can do the sums :-) Don't forget the price difference between MOGAS95 and LL100 AVGAS. Fly safe Ramjet

So a few things have come to mind from this experience: It's come to my attention last weekend that my curriculum record is incomplete (and also has incongruentered commentary as described). A previous CFI appears to have done hers all electronically and they 'haven't bothered' to extract into my paper record. The major part of my flight training sitting on a file somewhere and this CFI (the original one I started with) hasn't even bothered to review it, extract it, compile it for anyones reference, either his or mine. He has made new notes but not reviewed any existing. Which leads me to, I always had a sense with this CFI was just going through the motions, and had little to no intention of putting me up for any test until I'd hit some magical mark , which I had always suspected was the minimum 40 hrs. He had been highly dismissive of any of my previous RA experience, which is partly why I changed CFI's*. Weird, cause they train RA as well. Anyway I suspect the hours are a self assurance exercise, if I come to grief and it is shown a CFI sent me off for PPL test after 10 or 20 hrs how's that going to look to ATSB and CASA? So, I need to sit down and go through each of the curriculum elements and ask 'what about this one?' do I meet proficiency? I.e. Do a CFI's job for them. That all said he is now pushing for me to think about booking theory and flight tests because I must be very close to that magical threshold. Though I also had to point out that I hadn't done the mandatory 2hrs min instrument training, he had no idea. Record keeping and review failure!! Nor have I been solo, but that came from previous CFI advice (the good one) that she can't instruct me from the ground so it's kinda pointless. It's a trophy badge and a confidence boost but not full use of my valuable and expensive time, I agreed. I've soloed for 50+ hrs in RA..... *The main reason I changed CFI's was I found this one was really good at saying "No you don't do that" without accurately and consistently describing what you should do. My adult learning experience requires a little more instruction than admonishment. I have also learned I'm a book and record learner (anyone remember those books that came with vinyl?) so if I read it it doesn't stick, if I do it, it doesn't stick, if I do it whilst I'm reading it or being talked through it, then it sticks. I think most folks learn best like this. The other reason is he's very precious with his plane, and that affects his training / inflight behaviour. I get that it isn't a cheap device and the wrong setting on a CSU can get ugly very fast, but it's a training aircraft people are going to make some mistakes, calm down. Plus, he needs deodorant. That really puts you off in a small cabin :-) Anyway, long rant almost over. I hope others find it somewhat informative. I am very close now and CFI agrees. 30hrs in. About 15hrs more than my self invented expectation, and notwithstanding about 4hrs of wasted nav time, much closer to reality. At my skill level anyway. Given that I read the average to PPL is somewhere closer to 60hrs (FAA US metric I believe) then my 70 RA hrs have saved me 30 of GA at about 30% higher price per hour. Someone else can do the sums.... So is it a cheaper path via RA? The only thing we definitely all agree in the shed after flights is a little RA plane really dials in your landings, especially on a windy day. If you can land a Jab or Foxbat or Gazelle in a 12kt gusty xwind you'll find a Cessna pretty easy, notwithstanding it's bigger, heavier, faster, and the view over the nose is completely different on hold off and flare, other than that.....easy! Lol. Safe flying, Ramjet

So here I am with many more hours under the belt than anticipated, most of that has been great flying experience, but I am a bit over 'let's do another nav'. I am more interested and concerned with 'can you take off, cruise, land, and navigate and execute comms in CTA' So to the point, after 3 too many navs wasting my time, and a curriculum note marked as 3 - 'needs further instruction', yet that same CFI was enthralled at my nav, diversion, PSL, short field landing and dead reckoning skills, I'm confused and a little frustrated. I am suspecting my CFI and subsequently my flight test instructor will drag me out to a full 3-4hr PPL test including all the NAV basics plus CTA. So back to my RA to PPL journey, if I have proven NAV at RA level, and then again through various NAVs with 2 X CFI's (with resounding success despite the 3 score*) do I really need to do a lengthy and laborious NAV all over again in a test scenario to complete my PPL test? * noting here that all my navs have been 95-100% accurate, I really don't know why this CFI has recorded a 3. The flight comments are not at all in concordance with the numeric evaluation. I think I'm being dragged unnecessarily along a 'standard' learning path ( ie more $ for CFI) via a standard ab initio to PPL without any respectful regard to my prior RA certification or demonstrable inflight experience. Question: If I have demonstrated excellent nav and CTA skills in all practice navs AND ALREADY have an RA nav endorsement is it required that I demonstrate this all over again in a PPL flight test? Frustrated.. Ramjet

The wind forecasts are upside down. Reads from bottom to top going up in alt. I assume that is in concurrence with the theme of Graphical.

so you plainly didnt read my post in full. I wont bother entertaining your small world anymore then. cheers Ramjet

One presumes you're merely using my quote as an example for the remonstration, otherwise you obviously didn't read my post. My commentary on admission price complaints was probably largely reflective of locals, all coming in the car park side, many very confused by the increased Saturday charge. That's probably an advertising/communications issue on part of organisers. Cheers Ramjet

I look before 1stage flaps (obviously), after base turn, 2nd stage flaps, after final turn and again just over the fence. But I try to stay more focused on the ball (the killer item) and the attitude. I check Alt at the same times, just to know I'm dialled in on the 'precribed circuit height'. Having read and learned about wing loadings I'd rather be watching the ball if I know that X manifold pressure/RPM is set and good (and 7 seconds ago my airspeed was good). To that end it intuitively came about during my solo flying (without some CFI telling you youre doing it wrong) that a 180degree approach seemed more logical and comfortable, and I have impressed more than one instructor with my engine out glide in practice from downwind. I nearly always pull off a better landing with a long circular approach than with the formal square circuit. Same for a straight in, just feel the glide...you soon know if you're going to make it over the fence. What I have deducted from my experience is that a square circuit sets some formalities that you should be w power, x ft, y height and z flaps at certain points in the circuit but having to haul it in on feel alone let's you just 'fly the plane' as a pilot is supposed to do. Not follow the circuit guidelines to the letter. I quite enjoy my engine failure in circuit practice for this very reason. Not EFATO mind you :) I will ask my CFI to cover up the ASI and Alt in my next session. Thanks for the idea. Fly safe Ramjet

I thought it was well managed, lots of volunteers doing a great job. Couldnt do that in the city. Thanks Narromine! Speaker locations definitely an issue. Nothing at the air show display standing area which was very incoveniently located. Very odd. I missed the sense of any 'come n try' aviation displays or encouragement, which is what this was all about right? Where were the lines of differing ULs offering cheap TIFs? Or vouchers, or representation from Cowra, Orange, Dubbo air schools? (maybe I just missed them whilst drooling over LSAs I could never afford) Orange showbags a complete waste of money imho. Tho everyone went home with a SportPilot mag, maybe that was a marketing coup? Ticket price definitely an issue, many, many, comments could be heard at the gate, presumably from nearby region locals. Lots of confusion about the 10/20/30 escalating each day. I stodd around the gate eating my ecxellent wood fired pizza and thats all I constantly heard. I paid many 100's to fly there so 30 was loose change for me. Did I get 30 value? There was very little for me to 'grab at' (wheres the hook?) other than the fact that LSA seems to be increasingly expensive carbon fibre, all glass, autopilot, BRS that is well out of reach of most, me included. If I were a dreaming young pilot I would just have dad (or mum) dragging me away from those displays telling me we cant afford it. I ambled around really wondering how this event added any entry paths to the flying fraternity....did I just miss it? Was it 'worth' $30? Sure, cheap compared to many other events I go to....theatre, ag shows, dinner out....etc. cheers Ramjet

That's very interesting, my posts certainly aren't opinions but relays of my own experience, i.e. facts. Are you saying here that you converted to PPL certified and tested in >10hrs? Well done! How much prior hrs in RA-Aus might I ask? Cheers R

Exactly my point. Thanks for that. Why one needs to do the maths, not just estimate. So my estimation with full fuel and 3pax turns out to be about right. I will do the sums, to satisfy my own asurance.

Having just flown yesterday for some xwind practice in and very gusty (approx 290 to 330 from 10 to 30kts) was thinking same. Even in circuit at 100kts there are significant forces applied in such conditions. I wondered 'how much of this will an aircraft take' as I was being thrown about often jolted to 30-45 off wings level, in an instant. So for many, who actually does the maths? How does one judge when your aircraft is being overstressed (which has no engineering relationship to the pilot being overstressed for the conditions) Refer my other thread about becoming PPL and having to do the sums rather than a 'wet finger in the air' approach to managing your aircraft. This thread has given me a whole new line of learning to do! FWIW I back off in bumpy conditions so I'm 30kts below Vno - just over 100kts in the 172, and my 'wet finger' rule is if my bum is separated from the seat and/or I can't hold within 50ft I turn around and go home. Fly Safe Ramjet

Sounds pretty messy plus all the sticky tape to.put it together. Almost worth just buying the map. But in theory that does work. So anyone got any ideas on where I can go into a real store and just buy a VTC? cheers R

Hi, call me crazy.... I want some paper charts and Auspost fees are killing me $10 or so every time I buy $30 of charts ! Anyone know where I can pick them up off the rack, like in a real bricks n mortar shop? (Canberra) I presume they are done by CanPrint , the same mob who sell ERSA, but that doesn't mean they will have them in the print room in Fyshwick. Also, with the online pdf's how does one print off a whole map without an industrial printer? They are no good for mandraulic navigation as they aren't necessarily in the right scale. (some conversions could be done no doubt) Oh, to be past the clumsy necessities of an old school CFI who wants to see you work that whiz wheel and draw with pencil on a map. So anachronistic. Meanwhile my OzRunways subscription languishes in the back seat, because I'm not allowed to use it in their presence. What a waste. Enjoy! Ramjet

Thanks for trying to bring the thread back on topic, thats a first! My CFI has adhered to 'dropping the barn doors' on all landings, which I find a little shall we say, inhibiting, compared to what I'm used to in Jabs. My overriding thoughts are to drop the full 40' only as necessary, perhaps on short final as I feel necessary, though that then modifies the stabilised approach setup... Cant wait to get my own plane and do it 'my way'. Training update: It seems my CFI(s) are satisfied in all facets except some CTA practice, again tomorrow. I suspect after that CTA run we'll be up for a practice test scenario. Almost there. Just over 22hrs to extend from RA to PPL. About 7hrs more than the estimated number I had in my head. Moreso, I am being taught well with great detail and high expectations. I am happy to expend whatever effort required to ensure I am a safe aviator for myself, my pax and other aviators. If only the same level of skill and attention to detail were expected of our vehicle drivers licences, I've had to avoid 2 head on accidents in just the last 24hrs. Morons who I hope dont ever plan to fly a plane. So it looks like I'll be up for just under 30hrs, assuming I pass my test 1st time. Those 70hrs in RA have ultimately proved very useful, and damn enjoyable, I fully intend to continue with RA flying as well. Fly safe! Ramjet

I thought I could fly a plane, I had nearly 70hrs logged on RA and am a dab hand at floating in a Jab into a G Class airfield. Now I have a reason to move to PPL. I read / heard somewhere that a PPL CFI can just check your Nav and Radio endorsements, confirm you can do some circuits in that C172/Piper Archer or whichever and after "5 or 7 hours" (noted somewhere here on this forum) you are good to go for PPL. If only it were that simple. After numerous hours in a big and ungainly C172, completely different to that little Jab, I was still working on circuits and crosswind landings. The added minor complexity of a CS prop probably didn't help. This C172XP is a Ferrari/Sherman tank compared to the Vespa/Mazda2 I'd been flying. 10 hours down. After some Nav demonstrations the CFI worked out I can 'mostly' find my way around to their satisfaction but not, with any regular competence, successfully navigate and communicate through Class D or Class C airspace. 15 hours down. The PPL theory test requires solid knowledge of height and pressure density, weather, C of G and all sorts of details that as an RAAus ab-initio you kind of learn (enough to pass the test) and consider but tend to gloss over - the limited envelope of flying RA means that simple loads, always a full tank, light winds and other mild factors* allow you to fly, relatively safely, without giving much thought to the operational envelope extremities necessary for PPL. Another 10hrs of study and practice before the theory exam. *Mild factors...like revisiting the wing loading and stall/spin considerations under, what I thought, were relatively benign conditions, little did I know how close I am to stalling, spinning and dying on that base to final turn.....read up on that folks ! Let's not forget the joy of the Class 2 medical, which in many respects is some anachronistic over zealous medical fraternity strangeness, that often achieves nothing useful, especially if your young and healthy it's a complete waste of time. If your a little older and are honest about medical history it can be a logic bending nightmare of strange medical investigations and decisions. My personal experience was frustrating and I can understand why people say 'just lie'. So is RA Aus still a great entry point to flying? Sure. Is it advantageous to start with RA and then move to GA? Mostly. But don't be fooled. If you have learnt to fly a simple RA aircraft and completed your Nav and Radio endorsements in some backwater airspace across mostly clear skies in mostly fine weather...then your PPL wont necessarily take you "5 to 7 hours" of some simple conversion. Me? Topping out over 22hrs, PPL theory exam soon and then the full test, another 4 hours of all the same stuff you thought was easy in RA - except now you have to navigate into Bankstown / Moorabbin / Canberra / Gold Coast etc etc. Suddenly flying aint so simple! And to get the most out of your aircraft, to maximum extent, you need to know the numbers, work the calculations and understand those limits. Enjoy and fly safe ! Ramjet

You can also go Android. RWYS works fine, Im told there are some feature limitations not yet ported, but nothing major, I certainly dont notice. Dont know why people persist with ipad myself. The lockin to the Apple 'ecosystem' that severely constrains interoperability across any other platform is enough reason for me to never touch their products. Most Android tablets are far cheaper too than the ridiculous premium for Apple. just my 2c... enjoy Ramjet

Hi. My 2 cents, as a very average pilot. 2 x 1hr sessions daily early on, with brief/debrief will be enough to totally swamp your brain. There will be days due to weather, wind, your skills, stress, fatigue and sections of the syllabus that you wont even get the 2nd hour. With experience (eg maybe after solo) you will start to feel more comfortable with longer sessions in the seat. 3hr navs are still solid work. I often did 2 or 3 days in a row and then a few of self reflection and study. That 3rd day trying to 'crack out and finish' some new skill was often frustrating. Hard as I tried, I hit a flat spot in the learning curve that 'wasted' 5 or 6 hours. Unless you're a top gun natural you will hit learning roadblocks too, and more frequent hours in the seat won't necessarily be the most helpful way forward. So as a suggestion, 3days × 2 x 1hrs then a rest day or three might be considered 'high velocity learning' for most average people. I can now do up to 2 x 2hrs a session in the seat with an AM/PM session, sometimes. (Moving onto PPL.) That is more than enough, 2 days a week. And I now have the benefit of nearly 90hrs flying experience.I am still very much practicing. The question you should ask yourself is do you just want to tick some competency boxes, or do you actually want to be a good pilot? Any CFI worth paying a $ will drive you to the latter goal, and that will include recommendations on not flying, for the above listed reasons. And in flying I have discovered, patience is a virtue, that may well one day keep you alive. To put it another way, with the limited experience I have now, if my friend asked me to go pax with them and they told me they learnt to fly in 30hrs within 3 or even 4 weeks, I would turn that offer down for another 50hrs or so, and maybe forever. enjoy! Ramjet