Hi all,
I've been interested in learning to fly for a long time but it's always seen to be a far off dream. Although recently all the peices having seemingly been coming together.
After starting a new job last year I finally found myself in a position to seriously consider starting training for a PPL. I soon found myself overwhelmed by analysis paralysis with the sheer number of different potential aerodromes and flight schools.
During this period I actually got an offer from a member of this forum to have a look around a club and so off I went for a chat. It was lovely at that stage to meet up face to face and talk about flying with someone. They were also kind enough to introduce me to a group of other club members including some current students and also some other forumites. I was really rather deep into conversation when I was suddenly confronted with the question: "How about we continue the conversation in Wellesbourne?". To say I was taken aback was probably an understatement, I was not at all prepared for any impromptu flying that day. Unfortunately I had to decline the very kind offer, but I've now learnt my lesson. Don't go over to the airfield when you're due back home to celebrate your anniversary later. After plenty of cajoling by all involved I was convinced that maybe a quick local flight could still be on the cards. So a quick trip to loo (obligatory we don't have them on board jokes duly made), and we were sky bound.
I don't think I can adequately describe how overwhelming the experience was. Perhaps it was in part due to how unexpected it was but I found it all profoundly moving. It was a perfectly clear day as I remember and looking out at various recognisable towns and cities made me appreciate just how small the country seems from the sky. Had the chance to hold straight an level and can rember how shockingly mentally taxing I found trying to keep the altitude constant seemed - let alone imagining try to navigate and communicate. Eventually though we finished playing in the clouds and had to come back down to earth. After landing I finally realised how mentally fatigued I'd ended up. As we bid farewell the pack of biscuits I'd brought as a token of appreciation for meeting me for tea seemed inappropriately trivial. I was dropped off as fresh meat at ops but was seemingly completely incomprehensible. I decided that I would return the next weekend to speak to them when I was capable of assembling basic sentences. I sat in the car for a while for the andrenaline to wear off before driving home. A bit too close for my partner's comfort, but I did manage to make it through the door 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave again for the evening.
As these things seems to go I never made it back the next weekend. Life (read finances) got in the way, but my little air experience really solidified in my mind my desire to finally get on with it. After a lot of soul searching, I realised that actually a full PPL was probably not necessary to scratch the aviation itch. And anyway, I probably would find it hard to keep current on things like IR(R) rating which would be the main reason to go for a PPL. It now seemed that microlighting was the way to go. Not only is the training a fair bit more affordable, but keeping it up afterwards is too do I should hopefully be able to keep more current post licence. If I had gone for a PPL I imagine that I probably would have spent most of my time in the future flying microlights anyway as it's so much more affordable. Plenty of listening to the AOPA Air Safety has drummed into my head the importance of proper familiarisation on "Light Sport Aircraft", so why not just learn on them the first time around?
Running the numbers for an NPPL microlight actually turns out to be goer for me - for now at least. Let's hope inflation doesn't run anyway too much.
Having already dithered enough I've decided that there's no point hanging around now. If I did, I imagine GA may well be a very different thing when I do finally come to retire. At least going the microlight route means there may be more places to land after all the airport's have been turned into factories and housing estates too.
Looking through the BMAA website immediately cut down my rather excessive spreadsheet of options down to a more manageable list of two aerodromes, both mutually inconvenient locations. After trial flights at both I settled on Blackbushe.
Fast forward to today and I've now got 5:15 hours under my belt. Sadly holiday, weather and COVID have kept me from the last 4 weeks of lessons, but hopefully I'll be back up there soon.
I've been interested in learning to fly for a long time but it's always seen to be a far off dream. Although recently all the peices having seemingly been coming together.
After starting a new job last year I finally found myself in a position to seriously consider starting training for a PPL. I soon found myself overwhelmed by analysis paralysis with the sheer number of different potential aerodromes and flight schools.
During this period I actually got an offer from a member of this forum to have a look around a club and so off I went for a chat. It was lovely at that stage to meet up face to face and talk about flying with someone. They were also kind enough to introduce me to a group of other club members including some current students and also some other forumites. I was really rather deep into conversation when I was suddenly confronted with the question: "How about we continue the conversation in Wellesbourne?". To say I was taken aback was probably an understatement, I was not at all prepared for any impromptu flying that day. Unfortunately I had to decline the very kind offer, but I've now learnt my lesson. Don't go over to the airfield when you're due back home to celebrate your anniversary later. After plenty of cajoling by all involved I was convinced that maybe a quick local flight could still be on the cards. So a quick trip to loo (obligatory we don't have them on board jokes duly made), and we were sky bound.
I don't think I can adequately describe how overwhelming the experience was. Perhaps it was in part due to how unexpected it was but I found it all profoundly moving. It was a perfectly clear day as I remember and looking out at various recognisable towns and cities made me appreciate just how small the country seems from the sky. Had the chance to hold straight an level and can rember how shockingly mentally taxing I found trying to keep the altitude constant seemed - let alone imagining try to navigate and communicate. Eventually though we finished playing in the clouds and had to come back down to earth. After landing I finally realised how mentally fatigued I'd ended up. As we bid farewell the pack of biscuits I'd brought as a token of appreciation for meeting me for tea seemed inappropriately trivial. I was dropped off as fresh meat at ops but was seemingly completely incomprehensible. I decided that I would return the next weekend to speak to them when I was capable of assembling basic sentences. I sat in the car for a while for the andrenaline to wear off before driving home. A bit too close for my partner's comfort, but I did manage to make it through the door 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave again for the evening.
As these things seems to go I never made it back the next weekend. Life (read finances) got in the way, but my little air experience really solidified in my mind my desire to finally get on with it. After a lot of soul searching, I realised that actually a full PPL was probably not necessary to scratch the aviation itch. And anyway, I probably would find it hard to keep current on things like IR(R) rating which would be the main reason to go for a PPL. It now seemed that microlighting was the way to go. Not only is the training a fair bit more affordable, but keeping it up afterwards is too do I should hopefully be able to keep more current post licence. If I had gone for a PPL I imagine that I probably would have spent most of my time in the future flying microlights anyway as it's so much more affordable. Plenty of listening to the AOPA Air Safety has drummed into my head the importance of proper familiarisation on "Light Sport Aircraft", so why not just learn on them the first time around?
Running the numbers for an NPPL microlight actually turns out to be goer for me - for now at least. Let's hope inflation doesn't run anyway too much.
Having already dithered enough I've decided that there's no point hanging around now. If I did, I imagine GA may well be a very different thing when I do finally come to retire. At least going the microlight route means there may be more places to land after all the airport's have been turned into factories and housing estates too.
Looking through the BMAA website immediately cut down my rather excessive spreadsheet of options down to a more manageable list of two aerodromes, both mutually inconvenient locations. After trial flights at both I settled on Blackbushe.
Fast forward to today and I've now got 5:15 hours under my belt. Sadly holiday, weather and COVID have kept me from the last 4 weeks of lessons, but hopefully I'll be back up there soon.
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