question about PPL

rottweiler

Hi all
Hoping someone here can answer my question, im thinking of getting a few flying lessons and depending how i get on maybe going for a PPl.

I was in touch with atlantic air in cork in relation to lessons and prices,i know from looking at other posts 45 hours is the minimum amount of flying hours needed (all going well).the question is do the 45 hours have to be done in a specified time limit e.g 1 year,18 months.

I just want to know how long so i can spread it out to work financially for me,ideally if it was 2 years i could go for it and the day job would be able to fund the lessons.

any advice would be much appreciated.

cheers.

ImDave

rottweiler wrote: »

Hi all
Hoping someone here can answer my question, im thinking of getting a few flying lessons and depending how i get on maybe going for a PPl.

I was in touch with atlantic air in cork in relation to lessons and prices,i know from looking at other posts 45 hours is the minimum amount of flying hours needed (all going well).the question is do the 45 hours have to be done in a specified time limit e.g 1 year,18 months.

I just want to know how long so i can spread it out to work financially for me,ideally if it was 2 years i could go for it and the day job would be able to fund the lessons.

any advice would be much appreciated.

cheers.

Ideally you would do your PPL in as short a time as possible. However, there is no specific time limit imposed on completion of the training as far as I know. The only time limits are that your theory exams are valid for 2 years upon passing them, so you need to pass your flight test within 2 years of passing the exams or you will have to sit them again.

double yellow

A few other points to flesh out in case you are looking into the all-up costs. Nobody gets PPL in 45 hours unless they do it over a very short period of time and the weather in Ireland will put paid to that. You should factor everything from 60 hours minimum. AFT are an FTO and I think as such do not charge for yearly membership so you do save something there. However there are other costs you need to consider. First of all basic items: You need to buy the theoretical knowledge books or dvds. AFT being a FTO might plump for you purchasing all the books or dvds or only some. There are Trevor Thom series, AFE ones, APM ones and the OAT dvds as well as others. You will need to study these to pass your exams and you will also attend a ground school at some stage. Books are all about €40-50 each and the DVDs are more again. The ground school should be about €500 give or take a €100. You also need to get your medical (at least class 2) which could cost as much as €150 and for your first one you need blood tests as well. Then you have the cost of the SPL licence and the written exam fees which are €40 each (4 in total). You also will need to purchase (second hand is usually difficult enough to find so I quote estimates on new prices -

1.)flight computer (usually the Pooleys CRP-1 or CRP-1W but any will actually do. There are ones made by AFE and by ASA which is the ubiquitous E5-B that you will get to hear about on American aviation programs/websites etc. They are about €60ish generally

2.)An ICAO recognised chart which interestingly enough the new 1:250k have no mention of this. A new 1:500k chart is due but so is Xmas. The current 1:500k produced by the IAA is from 2001. This is ICAO but you can't buy it anymore. It may also be inaccurate enough in certain areas of airspace but if you are in Cork nothing really is all that different down there. However the isogonal lines are old on that 2001 chart. You are left with purchasing either the non-ICAO 1:250k chart which has many flaws in my opinion (see comments made on the flyinginireland forum about it) or you could buy the Jeppesen one which portrays things much more sensibly. However even this chart has inaccuracies but as it gets updated every year they work their way out and you quickly get to know little bits on it that are incorrect. I can show you all three if you ever came up to Kilkenny Flying Club.

3.)You also need markers for drawing your track on these charts, a kneeboard,as well as a scale ruler and protractor or better still a rotating plotter which combines the two together saving time and being more intuitive space saving and safe to use in the cockpit if necessary.

4.)I think you would want to have a spare grand or so also when you are ready to sit your flight test by the time you pay the fees for this, pay the examiner, pay for the aircraft and pay for some extra lessons just prior to sitting it with your instructor.

5.)Other items you will need or may already have or even optional: a timer/stopwatch, sunglasses, a bag/case to keep your gear in. Many other things are possible depending on your 'style' e.g you might get yourself your own headset or a scanner to listen to radio traffic or buy Microsoft Flight Simulator to 'get a fix' when the weather closes in. If you don't do it at AFC then you could also be factoring in substantial flying club membership fees. Also what about the cost of travel to/from airfield, the odd treat in a simulator etc.

Mr Benevolent

Also think about why you want to do the PPL and if you want to do it right now. Two new qualifications will be starting in the next 2 years - the Basic Leisure Pilot Licence, which takes 20 hours, and the Leisure Pilot Licence, which takes 30 hours. Your choice.

pclancy

Interesting...have you got any more info about those?

double yellow

The LPL and BLPL are part of the new regulations that EASA have been consulting pilots and aviation personnel on recently in their latest NPA (Notice of Proposed Amendment). The LPL will essentially be the training as covered by the current PPL however it will not be ICAO recognised and therefore will require agreement in countries outside EASA as to its recognition. It is not ICAO I think partly because it will be a 30 hour minimum rather than 45. The BLPL will allow someone to fly solo for up to 50km from their home aerodrome but will not allow someone to land away. I doubt it will go through exactly as drafted or if it did whether an instructor would allow someone to fly solo after 20 hours in just any kind of VFR weather. On the other hand the new regulations will allow a LPL holder to become an instructor for the LPL and the BLPL AFAIK.

Also the NPPL and IMC rating will not be expanded on but will remain a UK exception initially. The UK GA community have been fighting to keep the IMC rating going under EASA.

rottweiler

Thanks for all the helpful info.

im actually thinking about going for a frozen aptl but dont want a financial burden id prefer to pay as i go, the only thing is with the amount of time and money it will cost it might take me 6 or 7 years to get there unless i can save 40,000 and head off to OBA in florida.

the question is would i have a good chance of getting employed at 33 or 34 or do the airlines prefer fresher candidates.