LTF News Archives - Page 8 of 8 - Learn To Fly Melbourne

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Aircraft Forced Landing Techniques

Posted on January 25, 2018October 22, 2021 by Kai

A situation that requires a forced landing is something that most pilots would rather not experience while flying. But the reality is, that while uncommon, it could happen at any time. It’s a pilot’s job to be prepared. Like anything, practice makes perfect. In this blog we look at aircraft forced landing techniques.

To complicate things a little, there are a couple of different aircraft forced landing techniques a pilot may be instructed to follow. Knowing them all gives you more flexibility to make the right decision should the need arise. Lets take a look at both the traditional and alternative methods.

Traditional High Key / Low Key Forced Landing Technique

The High Key /Low Key technique is the method traditionally taught in most civilian flying schools across the world. This technique depends on your judgement of the trajectory of the flight in order to hit 1500 feet by your low key position, which is normally abeam your IAP (Initial Aiming Point) on a downwind.

Forced-Landing-Technique-High-Key-Low-Key — The High Key / Low Key method is the most commonly taught of the aircraft forced landing techniques

Some believe this technique to be somewhat flawed. There are a lot of factors to process in order to clearly judge the altitude of your aircraft in a glide at a particular arbitrary point. It also requires the pilot to be extremely knowledgeable about surrounding terrains and the elevation of the terrain they are flying over, which sometimes can be challenging.

Constant Aspect Technique

The Royal Air Force has developed a newer method, known as the Constant Aspect Technique. This method combats the issues of different aircraft, and the requirements for some undetermined judgements.

The principle of this aircraft forced landing technique is that it removes all the guessing of altitude and descent angle. It narrows down to one thing, which is called the “Sight Line Angle” or SLA. It is the perceived angle between the IAP of your landing field and the horizon.

Realistically, all you can look at during the forced landing with this technique is airspeed and the SLA.

Forced-Landing-Technique-SLA — The “Sight Line Angle” or SLA is the perceived angle between the horizon and the IAP of your chosen landing field.

The SLA is the “Aspect” which is part of this entire forced landing approach, and the “Constant” is basically the entire technique itself. The ultimate goal of the entire pattern is to keep your SLA constant as you approach the IAP.

How To Conduct The Constant Aspect Technique

The first step to fly this approach is to pick a landing field within safe gliding distance and meet the criteria set out by your instructor. Next, you can choose a sensible IAP within the first third of your landing field. This will be the “fulcrum” where your aircraft will pivot during the entire pattern, which ideally is a round pattern unlike the High/Low Key method with a rectangular pattern.

Forced-Landing-Constant-Aspect-Technique — The Constant Aspect Technique is one of the newer aircraft forced landing techniques.

Ideally, you will join what is equivalent to a crosswind. However, depending on wind direction, it may be a direct downwind or a midfielder crosswind join into the “circuit”. It is important that your bank angle does not exceed 20 degrees during the approach. Otherwise, you may risk the SLA either increasing or losing airspeed and glide ratio due to the reduced vertical component of lift and increased drag.

If your SLA is increasing (getting too high), deviate from best glide speed or increase spacing.

If your SLA is decreasing (getting too low), decrease spacing, fly inwards.

When approaching final, you must make the turn in to directly approach your IAP. This is the time when you decide, using your knowledge of the trend of your SLA, whether you:

1. Cut in short

2. Fly a standard final, or

3. Overshoot and then turn back onto final depending on your height.

If the SLA is high, you have three options to get back onto glide path. You can use flaps, do S-turns or do a steep slip, or you can combine S-turns and steep slips if it is ridiculously high.

This technique is not only used by RAF but also being slowly accepted by flying schools around Europe and the UK.

It is recommended that everyone should practice the entire pattern all the way down into the flare and touchdown. You will find out, if you really are ridiculously high, you can still hold the slip into the flare, centralise the rudder when the aircraft sinks, and then continue to flare.

Experiment With Aircraft Forced Landing Techniques

Chat to your flight instructor about which method they prefer and why. Proactively seek to practice both aircraft forced landing techniques, so that you know which one you feel more comfortable with.

Thanks to LTF student pilot Howard Lau for contributing this article on aircraft forced landing techniques. For information on our flying courses, email [email protected] or go to https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. You can also get more handy flying tips by clicking below and subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Victoria’s First Diamond DA40 Flight Training School

Posted on December 21, 2017April 23, 2023 by Kai

Our first Diamond DA40 has just landed to join our flight training fleet at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne. This means that we are now officially Victoria’s first Diamond DA40 flight training school.

The arrival of the DA40 continues Learn To Fly Melbourne’s successful expansion over the past year. We have committed to building the state-of-the-art Learn To Fly Flight Training Centre on a new larger site, and have received our Part 142 qualification.

About The Diamond DA40

The DA40 is a reliable and durable four-seater aircraft, made out of lightweight and robust composite material. Powered by a Lycoming IO360 engine, and boasting a spectacular balance between performance and durability, the Diamond DA40 is a brilliant flight training aircraft.

Our DA40 has a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, helping LTF students secure a seamless transition from RPL all the way through to CPL training. It also makes the aircraft both efficient and economical. This is particularly handy when completing long navigational flights for PPL, and for CPL hour building.

This state-of-the-art aircraft is decked out with both round instrument panels and the Garmin G1000 avionics. The cockpit has plenty of space, with a comfortable and ergonomic design, and excellent visibility.

We plan to order even more DA40s moving forward, further expanding our fleet. It is our goal to give our flight training students as much flexibility as possible.

Diamond DA40 Specs

Engine: Lycoming IO360

Avionics: Garmin G1000

Cruising Speed: 130 Knots

MTOW: 1,150 Kilograms

Wingspan: 11.9m

Landing Gear: Tricycle

Available Diamond DA40 Flight Training Courses

Given its versatility, the Diamond DA40 can be selected for most of our flight training courses. It is perfect for Recreational Pilot Licence, Private Pilot Licence, and Commercial Pilot Licence students. Its Manual Pitch Propeller Control (MPPC) means that we can now offer this as a design feature endorsement. The DA40’s Garmin G1000 means that it is also equipped for Instrument Ratings.

In addition to this, we have plans to order the DA40’s twin-engine sibling, the Diamond DA42, for multi-engine training. This will provide our students with an even more seamless transition from single engine training to multi engine training. Stay tuned!

Dimaond-DA40-Flight-School — Learn To Fly has become the first Diamond DA40 flight school.

Want to learn more about flying with the only Diamond DA40 flight school in Victoria? Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour.

How Flying Critical Incidents Can Occur

Posted on November 24, 2017November 20, 2024 by Kai

When an aircraft flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) enters Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), flying critical incidents can sometimes occur. In most cases, this is due to reduced visibility or inadvertent entry into clouds. Both of which happen because of the loss of the natural horizon.

Unfortunately, such flying critical incidents have cost the lives of many pilots.

You hope it will never happen to you

Before I began my pilot journey, I always seemed to find the time to read unfortunate accident reports where a non-instrument rated pilot on a VFR flight enters IMC. It is even more unfortunate to realise that many of these incidents become fatal accidents. The more I’ve read, the more I’ve tried to make myself believe, ‘It will never happen to me!’

For non-pilots, all of these accidents seem preventable. Reading the Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) and good weather knowledge are all valid and effective strategies to combat any similar occurrence from happening. However, today I will write about a time when this happened to me on a training flight, nonetheless with an experienced instructor on board.

Before undertaking the task of writing it, I had been wondering about whether or not I should really share my story. However, I made the decision to do so knowing it could help educate other pilots and student pilots about when flying critical incidents can occur.

Cloudy conditions and lower visibility

It was a very cold morning after a cold front came through the day before. I checked the METAR of Hong Kong International Airport and the forecast indicated cloud covers clearing and rising to 2500 feet with 9 kilometres of visibility. However, as I arrived in the flight operations office, we received PIREPs from other pilots of temporary visibility reduction to an estimate of fewer than 3 kilometres near the high ground. I knew this could become an issue upon exiting the airfield area into the training area via a gap in the mountains.

The aircraft from previous slots were rocking the circuit and about to finalise their return. Skies above Shek Kong Airfield were clearing and let in some warm sunlight. However, the area towards the exit route (Kadoorie Gap) into the training area was still rather cloudy. I saw clouds on the other side of the mountains and thought this could really be an issue for our flight today – we had some instrument flying planned.

Climbing to 1500 feet

My instructor had nearly 40 years’ experience in the UK as an aerobatic pilot and warbird pilot. He also holds an Instrument Rating – Restricted on his CAA license – although on his Hong Kong license he does not hold such rating. Even so, his instructor rating allows him to teach basic instrument flying and tracking. On this day, despite the clouds, I put my trust in his judgement and was well aware of his capabilities since we had flown together numerous times.

We taxied out to the runway after our run-up checks, only to notice something very strange. Our slot was supposedly fully booked out with our entire fleet expected to fly. However, there was no action on the aircraft apron. I recall looking to my right as I prepared to shift into full power for takeoff and witnessing all the aircraft sitting idly, waiting for the weather to clear. Still, I thought there was no time to waste and we took off.

We climbed to 1500 feet and tracked towards the exit. As soon as we switched frequencies for traffic information service we heard a rescue helicopter saying, “Visibility deteriorating to less than 3000 meters.” I wasn’t sure where the helicopter was, but in retrospect, it really should’ve been the warning to turn back. We pressed on and exited out of the mountain gap and went on to “the other side,” where all the nasty clouds were, maintaining 1500 feet all the way through.

Scary in-flight sights

As soon as the mountains disappeared from my peripheral vision, my instructor and I realised that visibility was not 9 kilometres, as we had initially projected, and I could only see what was in front of us by looking downwards.

The only visibility I had was of the ground below, including the roads, trees and buildings of Tai Po. I looked back and realised that our only escape route back to the airfield would be obscured if we kept going. Just as I was about to turn back, it became apparent that my instructor had the same idea in mind. “Bring us back,” he said.

Returning through the mountain gap

The direction indicator on that particular Cessna 172 was somewhat defective. This meant I started my timer on my watch and began a rate one turn to the left. I timed for 1 minute, which at 3 degrees a second would be a full 180-degree turn. Fortunately, the mountain gap remained in view this entire time and I instinctively throttled up to return quickly. We were pushed even lower as we entered the airfield airspace, finally descending to 1300 feet. It was very uncomfortable watching the mountains on either side of me come so painfully close.

Lessons learnt

Of course, we were fortunate that despite this being a VFR into IMC incident. The visibility was still sufficient for a safe turn-back manoeuvre.

Among the contributing factors to the success of this was the expertise of my instructor, who holds a restricted instrument rating in the UK, and the fact that at this time I had already completed an hour of instrument flight training. A serious lesson in how flying critical incidents can occur.

After landing, and during the debrief, we narrowed the causes down to the ‘get-there-itis’ that occurred as a result of wanting to squeeze more instrument flying time in for me and also the fact that my instructor was instrument-rated and we put such confidence in his expertise. In retrospect, we shouldn’t have even left the ground in the first place.

This flying incident is proof that pilots with any amount of experience can be sucked into this veil of complacency. They then can make decisions which go against rational and safer judgement. It is an incident my instructor and I will both go on to remember.

Safe flying everyone!

Thanks to LTF student pilot Howard Lau for contributing this article on how flying critical incidents can occur. For information on our flying courses, email [email protected] or go to https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. You can also get more handy flying tips by clicking below and subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Five Benefits of Choosing a Part 142 Accredited Flying School in Australia

Posted on October 5, 2017September 13, 2024 by Kai

Learn to Fly Melbourne is excited to announce that we have become a Part 142 accredited flying school operator under the Civil Aviation Safety Regulation (CASR). This results from our new partnership with Australian Pilot Training Alliance (APTA).

Over the past few years, pilot licencing regulations in Australia have been reorganised and redeveloped. They have changed from older criteria to reflect a more global perspective regarding pilot licencing and standards.

This move may not be obvious to the customer or pilots. Yet it has given rise to new terms and extra regulations and definitions. Flight training organisations across Australia now have two main paths that they can follow when seeking to earn their air operator certificate: Part 141 and Part 142.

Why choose a Part 142 accredited flying school in Australia?

Less than 5% of flight schools in Australia have received the advanced Part 142 flight training qualification. This accreditation means that we can continuously expand our flight training operation to reflect the highest industry standard.

There are numerous benefits for students, pilots and instructors who fly at a Part 142 accredited flying school.

1. CASA Approved Syllabus

Part 142 organisations must provide a Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approved syllabus of training. This CASA approval caveat for Part 142 initiates the necessity for additional oversight of training programs within organisations.

This results in further internal development and higher levels of safety and training. That subsequently improves standards not just within individual organisations but also within the wider aviation community. Part 142 flying schools benefit from a consistently higher level of governance and checks from CASA.

2. Advanced Flight Training

Our comprehensive CASA approved flight training syllabus includes the following new courses and types of flight training:

Integrated flight training for Private Pilot Licence (PPL) or a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) courses

Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL), Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and Flight Engineer Licence

Multi-Crew Cooperation (MCC) training

Contracted recurrent training and checking

Being able to offer integrated flight training is one of the major points of difference between the Part 141 and Part 142 qualification. What it means for students earning their CPL is that they can cut down their flight training hours from 200 to 150 – a 50-hour flight training discount when compared with Part 141 flying schools.

3. Increased Cost Effectiveness

Integrated flight training – Our 150 hours Integrated CPL syllabus which blends practical flying and theory-based training compared with the 200 hours CPL syllabus offered by other Part 141 schools – is just one of the ways that the Part 142 qualification is extending our commitment to provide students with cost-effective flight training.

4. Internal Training & Checking

Part 142 flight training organisations are required to have a professional development program for all personnel and flight instructors within the school. They must also have a quality assurance manager to ensure ongoing high standards.

This conditional improvement of know-how and standards applies not just to students, but trainers and instructors alike who continually develop their own skills within an organisation.

5. Enhanced Safety

All Part 142 flight training organisations must have:

A Safety Department & Safety Management System

A CASA Approved Safety Manager & Deputy Safety Manager

A Risk Management System

Regular safety meetings, audits and reviews

Safety oversight globally has become one of the main areas of focus in not just maintaining high aviation standards, but improving safety as a whole. This is most visible in the incorporation of formalised procedures for Safety Management Systems.

These systems actively monitor standards and safety within training organisations by promoting an ongoing awareness, attitude and approach towards threats and risk on a daily basis. The net result for pilot candidates is that these systems set a higher standard for all who come in contact with them, making not just the individual pilots safer, but organisations and the industry as a whole.

We are excited for students to enjoy the increased benefits of training with us now that we have achieved the CASA approved syllabus Part 142 qualification.

Want to learn more about the benefits of flying with a Part 142 accredited flight school? Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour.

Pilot and Aircraft Safety at Learn To Fly

Posted on August 31, 2017September 13, 2024 by Kai

At Learn to Fly, pilot and aircraft safety is and always will be our number one priority. It is the cornerstone of our operation, and we strive to maintain a positive and transparent safety culture. We continue to uphold an impeccable safety record as conveyed on the Recreational Aviation Australia (RAAus) Accident and Defect Summaries.

The safety culture at Learn to Fly acknowledges that flying and flight training involves risk. It’s vital that students and instructors alike are educated about these risks and the processes involved in risk minimisation.

See how we carry out pilot and aircraft safety in our flight training operations at Learn To Fly.

Aircraft Maintenance

Each aircraft requires maintenance checks for every 50 and 100 hours of flying. All scheduled maintenance is planned in advance. We will never undertake any flights or flight training on planes requiring maintenance.

Pilots and engineers can write up a defect on the aircraft’s Maintenance Release (MR) at any time. For serious defects, the aircraft will immediately become unserviceable and simply will not go flying until maintenance is completed.

The Maintenance Release is required to be signed by a pilot (instructor or pilot certificate holder) before the first flight of each day to ensure that the aircraft has passed the daily inspection requirements and is suitable to fly.

Instructor Qualifications

Pilot and aircraft safety for us also means company standards require that instructors at Learn to Fly be well-trained. We will only employ instructors who we are confident, focused, alert and ready to respond immediately to any potential situation where the risk outweighs the learning opportunity.

Based on the current guidelines, all of our flight instructors are at an RAAus senior instructor level. This rating can only be achieved if the pilot accumulates certain flight training experiences and passes a flight test that is conducted by external RAAus certified flight testing officers.

Some of our students may become junior instructors when they graduate. However, it is a compulsory requirement that they are supervised by senior instructors when they work at the school.

In addition to this, our chief flying instructor (CFI) actively supervises all flight training operations and consistently checks training records and documentation. This ensures that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are complied with for both instructors and students. SOPs compliance is checked at various times. This is usually by attending flights with students to confirm SOPs are maintained, and ensuring all instructors have current qualifications.

Flight Training

We ensure a safe learning environment every time. A student will not fly if the weather is not suitable for that particular lesson. For solo flights, these standards will be even stricter and reflect considerations such as turbulence, wind speed, daylight, student’s abilities etc so that we can provide

Before all flights, the aircraft will be thoroughly inspected. This ensures all controls are functional, check for obvious damage to the engine, airframe or structure before any flight is to take place. After engine start and prior to takeoff further checks are carried out as per the SOPs. This is recommended by both the aircraft manufacturer and in the aircraft’s Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH) to further assure a safe and efficient flight takes place.

Each student’s flights are recorded in detail. Instructors will rate their performance to make sure students reach the standard or competency of that particular lesson. Students who do not meet these standards or competencies will have to redo the lesson sequence until this standard is met. Within the school, we have systems in place to cross-check and ensure that all training records are completed and updated in a timely manner.

Briefings are always done properly and consistently before and after each flight. This ensures that students are both aware of what they are going to do, and of the specific standard that is required for that particular lesson.

Prior to solo flights, instructors will double-check to make sure the students have all the required documents such as a medical certificate, student pilot licence etc. Training records must also show they have achieved all the necessary competencies prior to undertaking any solo operations.

Creating a Pilot and Aircraft Safety Culture

Further to the priorities and procedures outlined, we maintain our own Risk Management Plan and Safety Management System. This enables us to further minimise the potential risks associated with flight training. Despite this comprehensive system, we must not think that we are infallible. We encourage all of our staff and students to form a habit of looking, learning, and discussing potential risks we see as part of our normal day to day operation. This attitude allows us to evolve and update our systems regularly. That then helps to ensure a safe operating culture persists within the Learn To Fly organisation and group.

We encourage instructors and students to go through appropriate channels to advise safety concerns within or outside of our operation.

We believe that technology as a communication tool has great potential to assist safety operations. Flight training software can provide updates on aircraft unserviceability or if an aircraft may need to be grounded; through to communicating safety concerns or topics that instructors or students raise within the organisation.

Exceeding Expectations

We aim to have higher safety standards than other flight schools in Australia.

On top of the Public Liability Insurance and the RAAus Member Liability Insurance, we cover an additional A$5 million in Liability Insurance for all of our students.

We only buy brand new RA-Aus aircraft so we can be certain of the maintenance history for every plane.

All RA aircraft in our fleet is equipped with Rotax engines which have an outstanding reputation and operational safety history.

At Learn to Fly, we believe all these extra steps – combined with the safety culture exhibited by our individual pilots, instructors, and the student group – will allow us to go a long way in providing an extra margin of safety.

Want to fly with us? Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour.

6 Ways to Maintain Pilot Proficiency and Safety

Posted on May 9, 2017June 26, 2023 by Kai

Once you achieve the Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) or Private Pilot Licence (PPL), as well as any endorsement or rating on top of that, you must apply yourself to the tasks required to maintain pilot proficiency and safety.

Commercial pilots do this by flying a lot of hours, but unfortunately, a lot of RPL and PPL pilots don’t have this luxury, which means their skills diminish over time. Here are six ways to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.

1. Know yourself

For the sake of common sense and for safety, a pilot should keep analysing their performances and keep practicing. More than anything, they should be aware of their limitations. It’s your responsibility to assess where you’re with your skills and knowledge at all times and compare it with where you aim to be. If you ever find there’s room for improvement, take the time before your next flight to prepare for it.

2. Show safety in your attitude

Flying is an attitude and a way of thinking. It’s about one thing above all else, and that is a concern for safety. To maintain pilot proficiency and safety means turning up focused for the flight. It’s what will keep you on track to maintain your relevant skills and qualifications down the line. Even better is if you can start putting this attitude into effect while you’re still on the ground.

3. Watch the weather

You can download the relevant weather from www.bom.gov.au or NAIPS on a regular basis to see how it is expected to develop during the course of the flight. When you know what to expect from the weather you will automatically start solving related problems prior to the flight. It will set up your in-flight decision making for success and quicken your response time when adjustments are called for.

4. Refresh your knowledge

Maintaining pilot proficiency and safety requires a high level of skill. It’s about doing what you can when you’re not physically in the cockpit, and preparing yourself for the next flight. For example, when a pilot doesn’t fly a particular aircraft for some time, particularly if it is a complex aircraft, they should study critical aspects such as speed, RPM settings and emergency procedures before flying again.

5. Seek out other pilots

Refreshing your accumulated knowledge in aviation should always be self-directed, but this doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to other pilots to get support and advice. If you’re in doubt, ask an instructor at your flying school to test you on the spot or give you ideas about who to contact.

Although things like a check flight will normally be conducted by the flight school automatically, you must be disciplined throughout your training, so that you can later recognise when this is necessary and follow through.

6. Build up your ratings and endorsements

Another way to maintain your proficiency is to go and get a new endorsement or rating. This can take your flying to a whole new level and benefit all areas of your competency to fly. While this training will add to your existing skills, it will also force you to go over what you have learnt already.

Bonus tip! Enjoy the ride!

Pilots have no shortage of things to learn and all of this needs to be maintained in the long term. Hopefully, your competency rewards you with better, easier flying experiences over time. Many pilots come to love the many small details in their regular procedures that allow them to exert an amount of control over a flight, which changes the technical success of every journey.

Pilot-Proficiency-and-Safety — Once you have achieved your licence, you will need to continue to to maintain pilot proficiency and safety.

Want to fly with us? Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. For more great flying tips and the latest flying videos, click below and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Training Beyond the Private Pilot Licence (PPL)

Posted on April 25, 2017July 17, 2023 by Kai

After completing your Private Pilot Licence you might wonder, “what’s next?” As strange as it may sound, many pilots are still keen to do more training after achieving their initial goals. Realistically, if you want to fly regularly or as a job, learning is ongoing. Let’s take a look at training beyond the Private Pilot Licence.

Fly more aircraft types

Why limit yourself to flying just the one aircraft type? Why not fly aircraft that are bigger, faster, have more than one engine, or maybe even can land on water?! There are ratings and endorsements that can open up a whole new range of aircraft to you. These include a Tailwheel Undercarriage Endorsement, Multi-Engine Class Rating, and more.

Having the capability to fly more aircraft types increases your skill level, and gives you a lot more options when organising recreational flying trips.

Tailwheel-Training-PPL — A tailwheel endorsement opens up a range of new aircraft options.

Fly at night

Flying at night is an amazing experience. If you live near a major city, seeing the sparkling lights from above is absolutely spectacular. Completing a Night Visual Flight Rules (VFR) course. will allow you to fly at night, in otherwise good weather and visibility conditions.

Fly in more weather conditions

One of the most important areas of training beyond your Private Pilot Licence will allow you to plan and conduct flights in far more weather and light conditions. Instrument flying is a great skill to have, not just for your own flying abilities, but for added convenience when planning flights. It allows you to fly in inclement weather conditions, cloudy conditions, and at night.

Flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) alone can be quite restrictive, especially in areas with changeable weather like Melbourne. A Private Instrument Flying (PIFR) course can be customised to your needs, making it a great option.

Flight activity endorsements

There are some seriously fun flight activity endorsements that you can add to your repertoire.

Formation flying is an experience that even the most seasoned pilots get a huge thrill from. Taking off, flying, performing manoeuvres and landing with another aircraft right next you is surreal. Flying in formation is also a very good tool for honing your precision skills, with precise control movements required for accuracy.

Another popular endorsement is aerobatics and spinning. Aside from being a huge amount of fun, this type of flying is again great for your skillset. Knowing how your body reacts and how you can recover from high G situations and unusual attitudes is actually very important.

As you can see, there is no shortage of options for training beyond your Private Pilot Licence. Additional endorsements will enhance your ability to get the most out of your PPL, and also help you to keep your skills sharp.

PPL-Formation-Flying — A formation flying endorsement is an exciting way to hone your precision control input skills.

Find out about our extensive range of ratings and endorsements for PPL holders! Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. For more great flying tips and the latest flying videos, click below and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

6 Ways to Improve Flight Training Efficiency

Posted on April 12, 2017July 17, 2023 by Kai

We are always thinking about ways to help our students get the most out of their flight training course. We believe it’s so important for students to be able to motivate themselves as they work through their training hours. Part of this is applying efficient learning tactics that keep everything progressing at a healthy rate. We are always looking for ways to improve flight training efficiency.

Efficient flight training results in less money and time spent, as well as an overall boost in learning gains over a period. So from every angle, there’s a benefit to the student who finds ways to learn more efficiently. Here are five to get the ball rolling!

1. Preparation

Make it a goal to come prepared. Student pilots who do preparation before their training get more out of their lessons. It makes sense that you have tried to improve your theoretical understanding of flying in between training sessions, you can more or less just work that into practice when you arrive on your training days.

Preparation can mean:

Doing practice radio calls
Studying theory
Knowing the flying pattern
Learning procedures at the training airport

Ask your instructor for details about your next lessons, and for ideas on any extra study that could help you get the most out of it. They will be happy to help!

2. Flight Simulation

Technology has a lot to do with efficiency. If your flying school has a Flight Simulator, you should be making use of it. For the first few lessons of flight training in particular, a Flight Simulator can help you get used to flying procedures. Learning these procedures in the simulated environment first means that time spent in the real cockpit can be used to test this knowledge rather than build its foundation, and it gives you more of an opportunity to hone other aspects of flying.

3. Teamwork

Find a peer to connect with over the course of your flight training. The enthusiasm generated between fellow enthusiasts becomes self-perpetuating and the interaction, both in the air and on the ground, can be highly motivating. If you’re generally quite hard on yourself, this is a great way to get another perspective on the training process and a greater boost from each of your achievements along the way.

4. Reflection

As a student, you should be thinking about the process of flying while on the ground as one of the ways to improve flight training efficiency. This will help you to focus your mind during flight, and get used what to expect and how the flight should progress. It will also help you to get ahead of the aircraft when transitioning to different stages of the flight, such as from take-off to the climb and then cruise.

5. Look for schools offering value

Look for a good flying school with high standards, and when comparing different schools think about them based on the value they offer you. Value doesn’t just mean finding the cheapest course. It combines quality of instruction, aircraft, facilities and of course, pricing. Find out if the school you’re looking at has instructors with a passion for mentoring others, and are not only accruing their teaching hours in order to get into other jobs. High standard flying schools all have one thing in common: they’re there for you, the student!

AL42-Diamond-DA42-Simulator-Learn-To-Fly-Melbourne-Hero — Making good use of flight simulators is a great way to improve flight training efficiency.

Find out how we can improve your flight training efficiency! Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. For more great flying tips and the latest flying videos, click below and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

4 Important Tips to Help You Prepare For Your First Solo Flight

Posted on March 31, 2017November 3, 2023 by Kai

The time is here! Your very first solo flight! Just like the time you first drove your car alone after getting your licence, the feeling of flying solo can be exhilarating, but very overwhelming. There’s also a higher margin of error, as your instructor will not be next to you to guide you. But, once you’ve read these few tips to help you prepare for your first solo flight and completed all the solo flight training requirements, you’re ready to feel the independence that comes from flying solo!

Go easy on yourself

Remember, you are still learning. Just as when you were first learning how to drive, your reflexes were much slower, you weren’t that good at changing lanes or braking smoothly or at the dreaded parallel parking. That first solo drive must have been nerve-wracking, and you might have wanted to stop the car in the middle of the road and take off running.

Learning how to fly is much the same. You might get frustrated at the time it is taking you to master a new skill or learning how to land safely. But it is important to remember that calm and collected pilots make safe pilots. Stress and anxiety can affect our decision-making powers, thus putting us at risk of making even more mistakes! Remember to take a deep breath before each lesson and remind yourself that you’ve got this, even if it seems like it is taking forever!

Listen to your instructor

Your first solo flight will typically involve successfully taking off, completing a circuit pattern and safely touching back down on the ground without the help of an instructor. To prepare for your first solo flight, you will complete this exact same flight many times with your instructor sitting next to you. Use that time to soak up as much information you can, and use your instructor’s experience.

It’s very important that you listen to everything your instructor tells you, and that you are open to their advice and suggestions. Flight instructors have seen many pilots before you, all with different learning styles and different strengths and weaknesses. When an instructor identifies a weakness in your flying, this is the best opportunity to listen, learn, and make it into a strength.

Mental rehearsal and practice on the ground

In the days leading up to your first solo flight, practice flying mentally. This involves sitting on a chair and visualising that you are flying the circuit and thinking of how to fly the plane. It’s not even a bad idea to do this after every flight lesson, in order to make your movements muscle memory. This will save you time trying to figure out what comes next when you actually fly solo when it comes to procedures, radio talk and check as these things will already have become automatic by then. This method of training is also known as “chair flying”.

You can also prepare for your first solo flight by using a flight simulator. A flight simulator allows you to understand the controls and mechanics of the cockpit and repetitively practise taking off, manoeuvring, and touching down without ever leaving the ground. This is a safe way to gain the skills and expertise required to be able to fly solo.

Trust yourself

Finally, once you have successfully completed your solo flight training and your instructor deems that you are ready to take the aircraft on your first solo flight, it is important to trust yourself and trust the skills you have been taught. Get some good sleep every time before a solo flight and don’t let the negative thoughts take over. You know what you are doing and you have practised hours upon hours for this, both physically and mentally.

It might seem daunting at first, but once you step into the cockpit, you are likely to remember everything you have been taught and you will successfully complete your first solo flight like a bird flying in the sky—naturally and effortlessly. You’ve got this!

Prepare-for-your-First-Solo-Flight — As you prepare for your first solo flight, just remember… You got this!

Want to experience flying solo? We have a range of courses to get you there. Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. For more great flying tips and the latest flying videos, click below and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

What is the Difference Between RPL and PPL?

Posted on November 3, 2016November 3, 2023 by Kai

It’s a common misconception that you must choose to between completing a Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) or a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) when you start flight training. But they’re actually two milestones on the same flight training journey. But what is the difference between RPL and PPL?

It’s less about which licence you choose, but rather how far you want to take your flight training. Each licence and endorsement you earn along the journey will give you different skills and expand your freedom when you’re up in the air. It can be helpful to know what each licence entails so you can start planning your own flight training journey.

First stop: Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL)

A Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) is the starting point for your pilot training. Whether you are training for fun or for a career in aviation, the Recreational Pilot Licence will be your first major milestone.

The RPL program will teach you basic flying techniques including climbing and descending, take-off and landing, dealing with emergencies etc. Every flight lesson will start with a classroom briefing on the techniques before they’re put into practice. You’ll need to pass several theory exams as well as complete practical flight training.

With a Recreational Pilot Licence, you’ll be able to fly as a Pilot in Command of a single-engine aircraft under the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 1500kgs, within a boundary of 25 nautical miles from the departure airport. This distance limitation is the main difference between RPL and PPL.

Next stop: Private Pilot Licence (PPL)

After completing your RPL, you can continue on to get your Private Pilot Licence (PPL). The PPL training focuses mainly on navigation. During the PPL training, you will learn how to navigate to and from different airports. You will go through the following steps:

1. Take-off, navigate around the ranges and control steps
2. Fly to a different airport and land
3. Take-off and navigate back to the original airport

Similar to the RPL program, you will need to pass several theory exams as well as complete practical flight training.

Once you have received your Private Pilot Licence, you will be allowed to act as a Pilot in Command and be endorsed to fly anywhere in Australia. You will also be able to carry up to five passengers and fly all over Australia.

If you decide that you want to continue towards a career as a pilot, your next step will be Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training syllabus.

It’s up to you how far you take your flight training, and you don’t need to have your journey planned when you first start out. Now you know the difference between RPL and PPL. But be warned, once you’ve gotten a taste for flying through the RPL it’s hard not to catch the bug and want to keep going!

PPL-Navigation-Flight — The main difference between RPL and PPL is the distance you can fly. A PPL allows you to see some pretty amazing sights around Australia!

Complete your RPL or PPL with us! Email [email protected]. You can also visit https://drift.me/learntofly/meeting to book a meeting and school tour. For more great flying tips and the latest flying videos, click below and subscribe to our YouTube channel!