Get A PPL In 4 Weeks Or Less

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Member for

11 years

Posts: 1

With the right mindset and a few pre-requisites in place this goal is quite realistic. It would have the added benefit of saving you money while bolstering your self confidence.

After passing your medical examination, you should consider buying a comprehensive interactive private pilot ground course which you can study on your computer at home. When you are doing well on the practice tests and are feeling confident, make an appointment to sit for the PPL written exams.

After passing all subjects contact flying schools at your local airport and tell them that you wish to complete the flight training in 4 weeks or less. You should also make it clear that you will be available to fly every day, weather permitting. On days when you cannot get airborne you could familiarize yourself with the Airplane Flight Manual and revise certain areas of your ground course. Apart from the obvious reasons for doing this, it also prepares you for the oral examination and General Flying Test.

This scenario assumes that you are able to finance the total cost of the flying and that you have 4 weeks available. Realistically you should allow for a 10% overrun in flying hours. That is, you should budget on doing 44 hours of flying instead of the minimum of 40 hours as specified in CARs.

If we also assume that adverse weather keeps you on the ground for 20% of the 28 days you have projected, that means you would be flying 44 hours in 22 days. This equates to only 2 hours flying per day on average.

This is eminently achievable and more particularly because you will not have the added stress of preparing for the PPL written exams which you will have already passed before stepping into an aeroplane.

I am not advocating anything that I have not done myself. The only difference being that I took the FAA CPL written examination at the FAA District Office at Rhine Mein Air Base in Frankfurt with zero hours flight time. After receiving a passing score on the CPL written exam, I took an approved 35 hour PPL course at Southend-on-Sea which I completed very quickly but not without some difficulties.

My instructor explained that naviagation at the PPL level should be done by pilotage. That is, by looking out the window and identifying objects on the ground, preferably close to the course line I had drawn on the chart, rather than by reference to navaids. It was all very well for him to say that as he had an intimate knowledge of the area, whereas I was seeing it for the first time in marginal weather.

The problem with my GFT was that they rolled out an aircraft I had never flown before - A fully aerobatic Beagle Pup with a joystick. This didn't give me any joy! The examiner said that he would take into account the fact that I had never seen a Beagle Pup before. After performing the required maneuvers including spin recovery, he took the controls and demonstrated the limits of the flight envelope, barrel rolling around clouds, doing chandelles and other maneuvers I'd never heard of. At the end I felt quite nauseous and regretted having eaten a steak and kidney pie and apple turnover with fresh cream.

After finishing up at Southend I then went on down to Florida, where the weather is always pretty good, to start training for the FAA CPL/IR.

Subsequently, I used the theory examination before flight training technique to qualify for the FAA instrument rating. I found that concentrated flying leads to a rapid development of self confidence. The trick is not to over do it!

The exception to this method of taking theory exams before flying is at the ATPL level where the FAA scrutinize logbooks very carefully to ensure that the aeronautical experience requirement of 1,500 hours total time with the correct breakdown of night flying, instrument flying, cross-country, and command hours have been met before allowing an applicant to enter the testing room to sit for the ATPL written examination.

I also applied this method for type ratings on jet transport aircraft. I either borrowed or bought the Operations Manuals specific to the airline and aircraft type I would be training on at least 30 days prior to the start of ground school. This greatly enhanced my understanding of the aircraft systems and performance. The ground school in effect was revision, so that I could go out in the evening and have a few beers without feeling guilty about it, or concerned that I would be washed out of the course.

Antony Woodward

Original post

Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

I enjoyed your book. Shame about the crash.

I've taught many people to fly, in general it takes most folk much longer for everything to sink in. There was(is) a flight club at the coast in South Africa which offers 21 day PPL courses. I had some of their graduates come inland to the metropolis of Johannesburg and literally had to spend another 5 or more hours with them getting them used to flying in a busy area, and operating from a hot n high airport (elevation nearly 6,000'). I have sent one very capable young lad solo in 10 hours and a young girl solo just after her 16th birthday which is the minimum age for a student pilot license. A lot depends on aptitude. One other factor depends on how far away the flying training area is away from the airfield.

Member for

12 years 5 months

Posts: 172

Can't argue with what he says though, get all the exams done ASAP and get your head down with the flying. I did my PPL in about four months but that was with working full time as well (and British weather!) I had the money up front and just flew whenever I could, I did it in about the minimum time too. I'm convinced that flying as often as possible during your training period pays dividends in that it doesn't cost as much in the long run.

That's right Dave, you shouldn't leave it too long between flights either.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

I don't think there is a one route fits all path to the PPL.

The requirements of somebody who is planning a commercial career differ greatly from those of the hobby pilot.

Why the rush to 'get your ppl in four weeks'? The PPL training is some of the most rewarding and enjoyable flying you will ever do and there is no particular need to rush through it. After all, you are flying solo, the object of the exercise, from somewhere between hour ten and hour twenty - it's not like car driving where you aren't allowed out on our own until you have passed.

Flying was always going to be an enjoyable hobby to me, so when I started learning at age 40 I just slotted it into the rest of my life.

I booked two lessons in a weekend, and then missed two weekends doing other social stuff, then booked another two for weekend four.

Often one was scrubbed because of the weather, sometimes I could squeeze in an extra lesson.

Ground school was at the club, a friendly group of fellow trainees working together, usually finishing down at the pub. One subject tackled at a time.

It spread my training out over 18 deeply enjoyable months, and despite the dire warnings about how if you don't have a lesson every half hour your skills will degrade and you will have to be constantly relearning stuff, I finished the course in 47 hours.

So rush at it if that is what you want. But there are other ways.

Moggy

Member for

12 years 5 months

Posts: 172

I'm not an instructor so this is pure speculation on my part Moggy but the general consensus amongst the instructors at my club is that the more you fly the easier it is. Sounds obvious actually when you see it written down! I would say, again without qualification, that you were probably a rarity.

I did mine in four months not for no other reason than I loved doing it and wanted to do it as often as possible! The fact that the more you do something the better you get at it was a side issue really.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

I'm not an instructor so this is pure speculation on my part Moggy but the general consensus amongst the instructors at my club is that the more you fly the easier it is.

Obviously in no way turnover related.

Like I say Dave, there's no one route ideal for everyone.

The fact that the more you do something the better you get at it was a side issue really.

Why doesn't that work with landings? ;)

Moggy

Member for

14 years 9 months

Posts: 84

Pretty much wot Moggy said. I would add one other thought about doing a PPL quickly abroad if your goal is to be a UK based leisure pilot. When I did my PPL five years ago, I did have the funds to go abroad and do it quickly. Then my thought process went something like: learn to fly quickly in perfect weather with no controlled airspace (the two things usuallly in the ad's for the American / Spanish / South African schools) then come come back to fly in the south of England with its unpredictable weather and controlled airspace then kill myself (assuming that someone would rent me an aeroplane at all). So I spent eighteen months learning here which I thoroughly enjoyed and made me a suitable pilot for the task in hand. If you want to go commercial the arguments are very different.

Member for

12 years 5 months

Posts: 172

As you and Moggy both say, different strokes for different folks. I've just come back from my club and was talking to a guy who has been nibbling away at it for about two years now, he's happy enough.

The instructors at my club Mog are part time, nearly all ex RAF instructors so there's no financial pressure put on anyone to do it in any particular way. Most of the students (in fact all at the moment I think) are serving members of the RAF. It's a RAFFCA club so as long as it financially breaks even everyone is happy. http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafflyingclubs/

By the way we're having a GA fly in on the 12th May. Free landings, plus a tour of ATC and speak to the Waddo zone guys which I'm sure a lot of you have talked to at some time or another. There's a question and answer session on flying through MATZ and CMATZ safely and a tour of an E3. I'll even make you a bacon/sausage butty when you land! If you've ever wanted to get Waddo in your log book now's your chance. It's all free free free, fill yer boots! You have to book a slot with ATC by the way, don't just pitch up.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Contact details for ATC?

Moggy

Member for

12 years 5 months

Posts: 172

01522 727451.