First Solo and Total Hours Flown

Part of the problem with the car analogy is that in a plane we are flying
through an unseen medium. Some people, I think can have a hard time
viscerally comprehending that. You cna see a road and any bumps in it. Some
can "see" the air pretty well and know what to expect, but some never really
develope that sense.

I learned in a hang glider, and I think that helped me a lot with my PPL
since I was much more intimately aware of what the wind does. It really
needs to become instinctive. If you could teach some of these "unteachables"
in perfectly calm winds all the time, anybody who can handle a car should be
able to handle a plane. Just teach to the numbers. Throw in some wind, which
is almost always (if not always) present, and their reactions aren't there.

Most should get it at some point, but there may be a few who never will.

mike

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...

As far as what it says about motor skills goes, I agree that just because
she didn't "get it" in 30 hours doesn't necessarily mean she won't after
more training. Assuming she can drive a car, it's likely that with the
right instructor and situation, she can learn to land in far less time
than 30 hours.

And just because this is Usenet, I should amend my previous post to
clarify: yes, there are some people who are physically incapable of the
motor skills to land an airplane (due to a physical handicap, for
example). But the average human being, especially one that has already
successfully been taught to drive a car, should have no trouble handling
an airplane given proper and sufficient training. Motor skills just
shouldn't normally be an impediment to being a pilot.

Pete

My perspective:

I have yet to solo.

I have 5 hours under my belt and in my logbook, starting with no prior
experience.
I've done everything the FAA wants at least once (except land the
plane).
My CFI tells me I'll solo by 10.

I'm about 50, I'm having fun, and I see no reason to push it faster
than I can handle it. It's all confidence and practice (aside from the
money).

Fred

There is no REAL problem I am trying to solve.

Then don't solve it with legislation.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

I'm about 50, I'm having fun, and I see no reason to push it faster
than I can handle it. It's all confidence and practice (aside from the
money).

An excellent attitude toward training in any endeavor, Fred. I wish I
could have done the same.

Unfortunately, that money thing prevented me (and many more like me)
from taking such a relaxed approach to flight training. When I learned
to fly I had a finite amount of money that could be devoted to the
endeavor, setting in an account that I set up specifically for the
purpose of learning to fly.

When that money was gone, I knew my training would be finished --
certificate or not. I had two little kids, a house, and a wife working
part-time so that she could raise our kids. There was NO margin for
error.

This gave me a great incentive to finish up, and -- as a result -- I
really kept my nose to the grindstone. Although this approach served
me well, I truly wish I could have had the luxury of taking it a bit
slower. I would have learned a lot more, IMHO.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Not only shouldnt there be a minimum, or maximum, but I can tell you it
should not even be a topic of conversation. What happens is all the
people who soloed in short hours brag, post, tell and maybe lie. And
all the people who took a long time cringe. It does NO ONE any good.
Especially dont ask your instructor how many hours it took him to solo
and if he starts to tell you avoid the guy. Avoid him entirely if he
brags about it.

Just find a good instructor, concentrate on the tasks at hand and fly
the best you can.

"Doug" wrote in message
ups.com...
Not only shouldnt there be a minimum, or maximum, but I can tell you it
should not even be a topic of conversation. What happens is all the
people who soloed in short hours brag, post, tell and maybe lie. And
all the people who took a long time cringe. It does NO ONE any good.
Especially dont ask your instructor how many hours it took him to solo
and if he starts to tell you avoid the guy. Avoid him entirely if he
brags about it.

Just find a good instructor, concentrate on the tasks at hand and fly
the best you can.


Bingo!

Hours logged are pretty much meaningless. I'm a perfect example of that.
Did I learn to fly in 2 hours and 5 minutes? No way.

Besides, the objective is go flying, right? What's the rush? You are already
flying. (Unless your insructor has B.O. or something...)

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

Although this approach served
me well, I truly wish I could have had the luxury of taking it a bit
slower. I would have learned a lot more, IMHO.

Well, I don't think this is true. No matter when you actually get the
ticket, after 200 hours, you'd be in pretty much the same shape.
Whatever you didn't pick up before your ticket (going slowly) you'd be
likely to pick up after your ticket (flying around).

Flying is flying.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"fred" wrote:

My perspective:

I have yet to solo.

I have 5 hours under my belt and in my logbook, starting with no prior
experience.
I've done everything the FAA wants at least once (except land the
plane).
My CFI tells me I'll solo by 10.

I'm about 50, I'm having fun, and I see no reason to push it faster
than I can handle it. It's all confidence and practice (aside from the
money).

Fred


Excellent attitude.

Ron Lee

Cody Dawg wrote:
No more than 20 hours to solo??? That's a little rough. I currently have
26.5 (yes, and I'm proud of that .5!) hours and although my CFI says I'm
ready to solo after a couple more lessons, I'm in no rush. The weather in
the northeast is getting problematic so a lot of cancelled lessons and on
those days I do fly, no 2 days are ever the same weather-wise. Not even
close! As everyone except you has agreed, we solo when the CFI and I agree
regardless of the hours.

If I lived in Phoenix, I would have soloed by now has the weather is always
good, especially for flying. Makes it a lot easier to learn to fly.

Weather, finances, and other events can definately have a big impact, especially early in
your training. I started my training in late July 2001, just before my senior year in
high school. In between pop-up summer thunderstorms and going to work to pay for my next
lesson, I managed to get to about 10 hours over the next couple weeks. I was was getting
close, and one day my instructor told me we could probably knock out the solo on my next
lesson. I figured "this would be a nice birthday present," so I scheduled said lesson for
my birthday (September 12). Needless to say, I didn't get to fly again until October or
so. By then, I'd lost all of my feel for landings, and had to spend a few more hours
working back up before I could solo.

A few months later, I went through a stretch where I didn't fly for six weeks--every time
I showed up at the field for a lesson, it rained.

As an aside, does anyone else remember the odd rule from shortly after 9/11, when no VFR
traffic was allowed under "enhanced class B" airspace (class B and anywhere underneath it)
except for training? The airport I flew from (FFC) is under the Atlanta class B, and I
found it interesting that I could go up and fly around (even solo, since that was
considered training) whereas my dad (an airline pilot) could not...

I think it's a valid topic. My instructor was milking me big-time. I
practically had to throw him out of the plane. He was very much overly
worried about HIS ticket and was exceedingly cautious. I dumped him after I
finally soloed.

mike

"Doug" wrote in message
ups.com...
Not only shouldnt there be a minimum, or maximum, but I can tell you it
should not even be a topic of conversation. What happens is all the
people who soloed in short hours brag, post, tell and maybe lie. And
all the people who took a long time cringe. It does NO ONE any good.
Especially dont ask your instructor how many hours it took him to solo
and if he starts to tell you avoid the guy. Avoid him entirely if he
brags about it.

Just find a good instructor, concentrate on the tasks at hand and fly
the best you can.