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24/06/2009, 11:04 AM Rolls Joined on 24/06/2009 Posts 42 New pilot... Hi All, Just thought i would introduce myself. I have had a very strong fear of flying for the past... all of my life (being 28 years old!).  Anyways, that translated to me never being in any type of plane, or flying vehicle. I have a stag do in about a years time, and will require a flight to Estonia- I am best man, so it is kind of important that I go, so i decided to confront my fear head on. I had a 5-10 minute flight in a helicopter at a country fayre about a month ago, which, if i am honest, I was being sick before hand... but went up anyway, and really enjoyed it.  I sat up front, and the pilot was really good- I had mentioned that i was (expletive deleted!) scared! Anyways, I had already bought my dad a tiger moth flight, and decided that i would get myself a trial lesson to help with the fear of planes.  I had that 2 weeks ago, and really enjoyed flying! I now have 2 more hours bought (not booked yet!) and received my log book, as the plan is now to carry on until i get a license.  I am flying AT-3's out of Sywell, which are really good due to the large plastic canopy... the visibility is superb! Anyways, I have been reading through all the old posts, and this has helped quite a bit, and I am sure i shall be consulting your advice in the near future! Rolls    Report

24/06/2009, 12:53 PM Morbz Joined on 06/02/2007 UK Posts 263 Re: New pilot... Welcome!  I wish you best of luck with your future life of flying, feel free to fire away with any questions if needs be! Morbz    Report

24/06/2009, 7:21 PM Aviator|Chris Joined on 28/01/2009 EGBW Posts 378 Re: New pilot... A warm and kind welcome to the forums! I'm very glad that aviation has touched your heart and turned your fear into fun. My family has a history in aviation and having read everything I possibly could, and played flight sim to death, I finally had the money to start this year. I've had a few lessons now and finding it amazing. Another Chris on here (Username CFrost) is also in a similar position, albeit ahead of me so it would be nice for us all to learn together and share queries and questions as we go! All the best. Chris.        Report

30/06/2009, 10:57 AM Rolls Joined on 24/06/2009 Posts 42 Re: New pilot... Thanks guys.  Looking forward to spending my money.... (not!!) I planned to go up on saturday, but having the flu the previous week, I still felt a bit ropey, so decided against it.  Anyway, I do have two hours paid for, and will be going up this saturday (weather dependent). I have also booked a holiday, which means I will be going on a full size plane, which for some bizarre reason makes me very nervous...! Oh well, should be fun! One question i do have, is - For the written exams/lessons etc, do you have to attend ground school, or can you learn from text books and home school yourself?  Things like the RT exam are supposed to be pretty easy, so what would be the benefit of groundschool for this? (also what is the confuser (seriously!)?... this just confuses me!)  Is it supposed to be a mock test.  I have searched for them/it, and can not find them, and was going to be one of my first questions to my instructor!    Report

01/07/2009, 8:16 PM Morbz Joined on 06/02/2007 UK Posts 263 Re: New pilot... Rolls First of all ground school is optional for the PPL course, people normally study from the books and then maybe have one or two lessons if needs be to clear up any hard parts of subjects.  The PPL Confuser is a question and answer book with explanations of all the PPL questions you are probably going to encounter during the tests, its highly recommended and certainly got me through better than I probably would have without it.  Start your exams early then you can just progress quicker with the flying and understand it easier. Morbz    Report

06/07/2009, 7:21 PM Bow Reily Lloyd Joined on 05/07/2009 London area Posts 8 Re: New pilot... I would recomend microsoft flight sim, A must for any student pilot.    Report

06/07/2009, 10:07 PM R Alan Kilbride Joined on 18/02/2009 United Kingdom Posts 11 Re: New pilot... Oh you poor deluded fool. you poor poor weak minded fool. In a few years time you will look back and wonder where all your money went. Your friends will roll their eyes whenever you walk in a room bored to tears with all your tales of derring do. You will have lost all sense of whats going on the the real world because it's too late. WE GOTCHA.    Report

07/07/2009, 8:10 AM Morbz Joined on 06/02/2007 UK Posts 263 Re: New pilot... Does anyone else not understand a word that falls out of Kilbrides mouth?    Report

07/07/2009, 9:25 AM R Alan Kilbride Joined on 18/02/2009 United Kingdom Posts 11 Re: New pilot... As you can see Rolls the understanding of Satire albeit poor is one of the first thing to go....:-)    Report

07/07/2009, 2:53 PM Rolls Joined on 24/06/2009 Posts 42 Re: New pilot... I can see that, and I did get what you were refering too! had my first proper lesson, and I really enjoyed it.  A lot more work involved than i first thought... my trial lesson was only up, down, left and right... so i was in for a bit of a shock, with all the power adjustments, flaps, trim (which i had heard of, but never quite knew what it did...) and all the rest of the aerodynamics, which i knew of, but did not know why. I was in the air for 46 minutes, so the other 14 minutes are being put on my next lesson, but I did all the taxiing and landed the plane before i knew it (although, i am sure i might have had a little help somewhere along the way...) And yes, I do have the bug.  Goodbye house deposit.. but if the gf laves me becuase of that... well it was not meant to be! ;)    Report

07/07/2009, 5:44 PM R Alan Kilbride Joined on 18/02/2009 United Kingdom Posts 11 Re: New pilot... I just knew you would get the bug.........for good or bad your now one of us.......well done and keep the faith    Report

07/07/2009, 10:51 PM Morbz Joined on 06/02/2007 UK Posts 263 Re: New pilot... Big congratulations Rolls!  Best of luck for your next lesson, I remember my first flight in the left hand seat and how exciting it all was!  Plenty more to come so keep us updated... Morbz    Report

16/07/2009, 7:26 PM WingCdr Joined on 16/07/2009 Southend - EGMC Posts 5 Re: New pilot... Rolls, Congratulations on getting bitten! Back to your questions about groundschool. I am most of my way through my PPL now and have had minimal groundschool. However it is important to really get into your books and get the exams out of the way. If you've got really well bitten by the bug, then you tend to avidly read anything about flying anyway (even Air Law. Ok, maybe not!). I do know of a couple of PPL students who have got their hours and can fly fine, but now need to catch up on their exams - how frustrating must that be!?! I have found a really useful website though: http://www.airquiz.com/ which automatically generates exam papers. For a £3 fee per subject, you can generate as many exam papers in a 2 year period as you like. The questions aren't necessarily exactly the same as you would get in an exam paper, but are quite similar. I tend to use the test to gauge my level of knowledge, then when I am frequently above the pass mark use the PPL Confuser (which has questions very similar to the exam paper) to make sure that I really am passing each time. The only problem with the PPL Confuser is you only get 3 test papers per subject - so use them wisely. Anyway - good luck and here's hoping you stay bitten.....! regards WingCdr    Report

17/07/2009, 9:56 AM Rolls Joined on 24/06/2009 Posts 42 Re: New pilot... Thanks very much for that Wing.  I was reading a 'how to learn to fly guide' on another forum, and oneo f the things he reccomended was to get into books straight away.. more than anything, so that you know what to expect, so you need not 'waste your money' as such! I have just got the first volume in the Thom series, so shall be recieving that soon...  I was hoping to have it ready for my holidays on Monday, but doubt they will get it out to me that quick, but it will be something to look forward to for when i get back!    Report

29/07/2009, 5:34 PM Rolls Joined on 24/06/2009 Posts 42 Re: New pilot... Just thought a quick update on where i am at with my flying. I have achieved everything I set out to do with my flying.   I went on holiday last teusday, and went on a big plane, and felt no fear what so ever (well at least when i was on the plane).  When i first went for my trial flight, it was only to give me a sense of what was to come to get on a big plane, due to needing to get on one for my brothers stag do.  However, I am continuing to fly (eventually when the weather clears up) and plan to go forward and get that dang license! Got a lesson booked for Sunday morning at 9 am, so hopefully I should miss the showers, and it should be nice and cool in the cockpit!  Straight and level flight is on the cards, and i am really looking forward to it! :)    Report

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