Got my PPL at last!

Alex · 10-24-11, 10:28 AM

@ Bill, Platapus, Highbury & other aviators : By the way, just out of curiosity, what is the average number of lessons/hours of training required before taking the pilot exam ?

AVGWarhawk · 10-24-11, 10:39 AM

Congratulations Bill! If you want to see a F-16 up close and personal find a no fly zone !

Have fun!

Sledgehammer427 · 10-24-11, 10:51 AM

Congrats Bill!

I'm working on getting some schooling for a pilots license too

Bill Nichols · 10-24-11, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

@ Bill, Platapus, Highbury & other aviators : By the way, just out of curiosity, what is the average number of lessons/hours of training required before taking the pilot exam ?

U.S. legal minimum is 40 flight hours, but the average is closer to 80. Living in the Washington, DC area is worse because it takes me 20-minutes to get outside the restricted area before I can do any training maneuvers. That means 40 minutes 'wasted' each time I fly.

I had 115 hrs when I took my PPL checkride.

Platapus · 10-24-11, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

@ Bill, Platapus, Highbury & other aviators : By the way, just out of curiosity, what is the average number of lessons/hours of training required before taking the pilot exam ?

I am not a good one to ask as it took me a lot longer as I started lessons when I was stationed in Colorado and finished when I was stationed in Nebraska probably a 2-3 year period.

And to be honest, I was not exactly a stellar student pilot. It took me a while to get the hang of it.

GoldenRivet · 10-24-11, 07:02 PM

Congrats Sir!

your hard work and effort has paid off.

Alex · 10-25-11, 07:58 AM

@ Bill & Platapus : thanks for letting me know.

@ Bill : training manoeuvres being very simple ones (to experienced pilots I mean) I'm sure, and thereby considered as safe ones, may I ask you what would happen if you ever practice them in one of your so-called restricted areas, concretely ?

Just out of curiosity, once again.

Take note, Achmed.

Osmium Steele · 10-25-11, 11:24 AM

Did you find that a 360 deg. coordinated turn is much easier to do IRL than on Microsoft Flight Simulator?

Congrats!

Bill Nichols · 10-27-11, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osmium Steele

Did you find that a 360 deg. coordinated turn is much easier to do IRL than on Microsoft Flight Simulator?

Congrats!

Yes. Landings, too!

Bill Nichols · 10-27-11, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

@ Bill & Platapus : thanks for letting me know.

@ Bill : training manoeuvres being very simple ones (to experienced pilots I mean) I'm sure, and thereby considered as safe ones, may I ask you what would happen if you ever practice them in one of your so-called restricted areas, concretely ?

Just out of curiosity, once again.

Take note, Achmed.

Nothing specifically prohibits training maneuvers in the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area. However, my airport is situated between DC and Baltimore-Washington International. The BWI Class B controlled airspace extends from 1500 ft upwards over my airport and out to the Chesapeake Bay. Most training maneuvers are performed at 3000 ft (for safety reasons), hence the neeed to fly 20-minutes to get into clear airspace.

Platapus · 10-27-11, 08:15 PM

One of the reasons I stopped flying was that upon moving to North Virginia it did not seem that flying would be as much fun as in the unrestricted airspace over Nebraska.

Did you find things different up there in MD?

Bill Nichols · 10-28-11, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

One of the reasons I stopped flying was that upon moving to North Virginia it did not seem that flying would be as much fun as in the unrestricted airspace over Nebraska.

Did you find things different up there in MD?

There is a pain-in-the-butt factor about all the various restrictions in the DC area. I've enjoyed flying on the other side of the Chesapeake, over the Maryland Eastern Shore region.

I'll soon be moving to northern Alabama, where flying should be a lot less of a hassle.

Alex · 10-29-11, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Nichols

Nothing specifically prohibits training maneuvers in the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area. However, my airport is situated between DC and Baltimore-Washington International. The BWI Class B controlled airspace extends from 1500 ft upwards over my airport and out to the Chesapeake Bay. Most training maneuvers are performed at 3000 ft (for safety reasons), hence the neeed to fly 20-minutes to get into clear airspace.

That makes sense, thanks for your clear explanation Sir !

10-24-11, 10:28 AM	#1
Alex Dominant Wolf Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,143 Downloads: 30 Uploads: 0	@ Bill, Platapus, Highbury & other aviators : By the way, just out of curiosity, what is the average number of lessons/hours of training required before taking the pilot exam ? __________________

10-24-11, 10:39 AM	#2
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,303 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Congratulations Bill! If you want to see a F-16 up close and personal find a no fly zone ! Have fun! __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

10-24-11, 10:51 AM	#3
Sledgehammer427 Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Drinking coffee and staring at trees in Massachusetts Posts: 2,908 Downloads: 287 Uploads: 0	Congrats Bill! I'm working on getting some schooling for a pilots license too __________________ Cold Waters Voice Crew - Fire Control Officer Cmdr O. Myers - C/O USS Nautilus (SS-168) 114,000 tons sunk - 4 Spec Ops completed V-boat Nutcase - Need supplies? Japanese garrison on a small island in the way? Just give us a call! D4C!

10-24-11, 07:02 PM	#6
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,729 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	Congrats Sir! your hard work and effort has paid off. __________________

10-25-11, 07:58 AM	#7
Alex Dominant Wolf Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,143 Downloads: 30 Uploads: 0	@ Bill & Platapus : thanks for letting me know. @ Bill : training manoeuvres being very simple ones (to experienced pilots I mean) I'm sure, and thereby considered as safe ones, may I ask you what would happen if you ever practice them in one of your so-called restricted areas, concretely ? Just out of curiosity, once again. Take note, Achmed. __________________

10-25-11, 11:24 AM	#8
Osmium Steele Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Upper midwest USA Posts: 1,101 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Did you find that a 360 deg. coordinated turn is much easier to do IRL than on Microsoft Flight Simulator? Congrats! __________________ In the month of July of the year 1348, between the feasts of St. Benedict and of St. Swithin, a strange thing came upon England... My U297 build thread

10-27-11, 08:15 PM	#11
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,438 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	One of the reasons I stopped flying was that upon moving to North Virginia it did not seem that flying would be as much fun as in the unrestricted airspace over Nebraska. Did you find things different up there in MD? __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.