Simonflyer

Thanks guys... Facthunter..Im in the fortunate position of having absolutely no funds whatsoever:censored:, so even if i wanted to get ahead with the flying, Im stuck with the books..I do have to say that im actually enjoying it thus far..Ask me about 5 subjects into the CPL's but it seems like a blessing in disguise.... The plan is to finish all seven by the end of the year..Is that crazy?(Considering ive already done a fair bit on LAW HF and MET)..I can put plenty of time in as my job is part time and flexible until a bit later on in the year when a couple of other projects kick off SF

So originally I had planned to complete all my CPL's without doing the PPL and had in fact already started studying my MET CPLs, but after a bit of thought I decided to go for the PPL as well. I did this mainly so that i can go out and do some hours building going in and out of CTA as I please and also because I thought it would keep building on the knowledge base(and if im honest it needs building!).... Today was exam day, and I went down to the Highett exam centre and was met by a VERY friendly french lady who's job it was to make sure Im not a cheating scumbag..She follows through with these checks with military precision yet still manages to crack jokes as if she was down the pub for a Sunday counter meal. Anyway on with the test and some while later I hung my finger over the "submit test" button with a "did i miss something-do i know anything" feeling in my guts, but fortunately a pretty good pass was the result... Now its on to the CPL stuff, and i doubt Il ease up, because to be honest as much as I like study, I like flying a lot more, and Ive made a deal with myself to get all the theory out of the way and then go hell for leather until Ive got my instructor rating... p.s. I just noticed in my logbook that Ive been flying for one year as of this month. :thumb_up:

JG.. Im gonna have to ask you to stop writing stories like that cause i really dont have the cash to go do a trip myself at the moment, but i also really dont have the willpower to stop myself from flogging the credit card! Great reading by the way.Ive only done a small amount of "outback" flying so far, but i loved every minute.... :thumb_up:

Excellent work...:thumb_up:

Hi Vhinov.. You'll get a lot of use out of it even though it wont really be a great help with the actual "stick and rudder" flying unless you have the funds and time to set yourself up with a fairly serious mock up cockpit(3 screens,yoke and pedals,infra-red headpiece so that where you look the screen follows etc etc etc.But it still at least gives you the basic sense of being in the air. Where the Sims come into their own is with all of those other elements, many of which have been mentioned. If you have a Nav planned in the real world you can sit at home and "fly" it with maps,checks and all before you go.the sims generally have an excellent reproduction of world scale, so you will be able to see major landmarks and other important clues for your nav, and in the near future you will be able to hook it up to google earth and get a live feed into your system so what is on the ground really is what is on the ground. It is also good with aircraft instrument familiarization.if you are about to jump in a new plane, download it and get used to the instrument panel and where things are for your checks.The good companies put out very convincing reproductions of most planes. And last but not least you can do instrument flying to your hearts content.I think i read a stat somewhere that the average time to stay in controlled flight on instruments if your not trained is 170 seconds, so plenty of sim flying along with your real world flying syllabus will save you time and money in the air because you will be able to keep ahead of the game and actually practice your lessons in advance.. Enjoy

...:confused:

I wouldn't believe anything you see on Today Tonight or any of those other "news" shows...They probably asked him to spell Kaleidoscopic and then used the footage him umming and aahing.. Those shows are completely rigged to look exactly as they want them too.. Just my little vent!

That is excellent work Ian.Congratulations.. Have you approached BOM with it?they may well put it up somewhere on their site for the average Joe who's interested in weather(as i was before i got into flying). It will also be good for trainee pilots who can see it in code and basic form and help them dechipher the met jibberish... Also perhaps an Iphone app? :thumb_up:

Im having a think about it.. Il post when I get my next roster which will fall over that weekend.. :thumb_up:

It would be nice..Are you putting your hand up to call them and get it done Turbo?:big_grin:

Good thread. **Tango Charlie** I assume you are looking for schools up Brisbane way that bridge the gap?--I know of a few in Vic, but none up there-although I think more and more GA schools are starting to wise up to the Pro's of the RA world and it shouldnt be too hard to find a good school..Not much help..sorry Surely changing over to a PPL can only be a good thing for the extra learning and experience.Those who wish to fly at night in poor weather and into CTA , bigger planes etc etc are going to like a lot thats offered in GA.And of course there's the costs..gotta love that...Not..thumb_down But i would say to anyone thinking they are just going to jump in a GA plane, have it sussed, sit the required exams easily, and do it all in minimum times that you may be in for a shock..It will take a bit of application particularly on the theory front if you havent done any of the GA Stuff before and skydog was spot on-they set up questions so that a few will be wrong,and a few will sound right(but only one is right).They are set up to trick you.. From what i understand of the prac, it really will come down to the individual and their skills and abilities and it will be up to the CFI to make the call on when readiness is achieved. Go for it :thumb_up:

Good one Brett..It seems like a very short time ago you were posting about getting you pilot cert..Im stoked for you... The story and the photos have whet my whistle for some looooong nav's... And at some stage soon i will embark on a massive journey of my own. I have to build hours for my commercial licence, and im gonna buy some bulk hours(as soon as i can get the cash together) and nick off... One idea was to fly from Melbourne up the east coast, then on to the Kimberley, and then back down via adelaide..The other option was to fly all along the south of Aus to Perth and back as i have to be over there for a couple of work related things..Either way i want to do about 50 hours of flying in one big getaway, so the plan is to do it as a big flying holiday just camping, relaxing and flying and having a good look at this awesome country.... Anyway..It looks like brilliant flying over there.I might just have to do plan B and head west:thumb_up:...

Would I be correct in thinking its ok to fly in to Moorabbin with only an OCTA PPL?As far as i understand it(and i must admit ive been too lazy to go and get the map) it could be done without passing through CTA...

Gotta be one of the best feelings in the world doesn't it...:thumb_up: Really enjoy the buzz..It could last a while, and it just keeps getting better and better from here.... Cheers

Well done Tomo.. I always say it, but it just keeps getting better from here... Cheers

google kai-tak x wind landings.....

I agree with parts of your post Yenn.. But go have a look on PPPrune if you want to see the sort of respect we have, although granted many on that site are probably hungry CPL'ers trying to make a hero of themselves and angry they cant just walk into a jets cockpit with 250 hours..There is a huge amount of sniping and abuse on that site which is exactly why i avoid it unless i need something, and stick to this great site. Ive made my fair share of stuff ups..Nothing too dangerous as yet thank god, but when I put the plane in the hangar Il always try and talk it out with the CFI or another instructor, or even on this site to make sure Ive learned some lessons out of it. The problem is that of the real bad apples, many of them probably dont know or more frightening dont care that their flying is sub-par and they are the ones who need to be getting a wake up call to snap them out of their resignation or arrogance....

Hi. I thought Id write this because I have been reading all sorts of things here and there about our operations, and Im more than a little concerned and pretty peeved over it. The reality is that we do not have respect in the wider aviation community, and I feel it is a very small but stupid bunch who are screwing it up for all of us, because in my experience RA pilots take aviation every bit as seriously as anyone Ive met in GA and place an onus on safety and airmanship just like the other people using the air. Are YOU one of the mindless fools?If so sort it out.Go learn or practice more, and get honest and humble find your weaknesses and work on them and realise the damage you do to all of us and eventually yourselves with your stupid and selfish actions. Most rules are not made just for the hell of it in aviation but rather they are cut and decided on the many lives lost..Yes there are some decisions from the powers that be that may seem knee-jerk and sudden, but I think the majority of the rules of the air are put there to protect us.Some of them get lost in translation, but the main aim is to keep us safe...From ourselves in some cases.We are after all the MAIN cause of accidents. To all the Pilots in RA out there who want to ignore the rules, show off to mates, play dumb, not learn how to use a radio correctly, bury their heads in the sand, endanger mine and others lives with their idiocy, use fly ins as a chance to do their most unsafe and stupid flying, Not prepare for flights properly, treat all the rules and regs attempting to be obeyed by everyone else with contempt(or be too lazy to have even a basic knowledge of them and using the fact that we are flying RA to say"why should I bother?") and basically put all RA operations in danger and allowing snobbish Ga people to say "see i told you so"...Sort your S:censored: out. The rest of us who stay quiet or silent when we see someone doing the wrong thing and laughing it off..Well thats up to us to report it to the authorities.There is an unspoken rule in this country to not dob people in, but it is putting lots of people in danger.Going up to these idiots and arguing with them will do nothing, but by finding a way to threaten their privelidge to fly-that will work faster than any stern words. From a concerned RA Aus Pilot..

Well...i could hear it, and i could hear it was moving..and i could hear it was getting closer-but could i see it?Hell no..:confused: So i may have had a few drinks:yelrotflmao:, and i was walking home only to see(or should i say hear) the Coppa Choppa flying over inner suburban melbourne at 1000 feet with not a light lit.Due to a bit of low-ish cloud which had a blue tinge similar to the aircraft i only saw him when he was right over head, and even then it was a blur(i only had two beers but it was a long day:sleep:). The question i have to ask is what if some day tripper is on his way back from somewhere with his new Night rating..You just would not see the bugger.. Bloody scary if you ask me

I wont tell anyone, but i may well come and get it!

After much thought, and please dont whack me for saying this, but i think its not a bad decision. If we want to fly in CTA with everyone else, we should have the same training standards and license's.My limited knowledge of RA operations is that overall training standards are on the rise, and this is a good thing, but it would only take a few incidents for all RA flyers to wear the actions of a few nuffers who havent been trained to standard.... We should keep RA flying recreational As was mentioned earlier, it really isnt that hard to get a PPL and maintain it, and that should be encouraging if you really want to fly CTA. Now that im flying in GA and RA i can see the benefits to them both, and if RA keeps moving towards being a mini GA, costs will increase and so will the weight of the world when there are incidents.. I like Ra being Recreational...Just my opinion..And yes it is a pain for people flying right next to CTA..Maybe we go for some kind of a transiting rule??It just gets complicated again!:confused:

looks like it couldn't make up its mind what it wanted to be...

Apart from learning how to clear your ears, you could try and descend a bit slower, and the trick is to equalize your ears on the the way up as well as that is whe the pressure is building-you dont feel it til your on your way down and its trying to get out...Try sucking on strong mints like a fishermans friend , and definitely dont go up if you have a head cold.. Good luck..

This is where official complaints should be made. If we stay quiet we are possibly putting ourselves and others at risk.. The thing I do have to ask tho..Is it illegal to sit at the end of the runway doing your stuff, or just incredibly shoddy, selfish airmanship?