Instruction Given – FlyerDavidUK

14th May 2021 Instruction Given

Easing back into the saddle

Lockdown restrictions eased on 29th March to allow solo flights and subsequently on12th April to allow flight training. From 17th May passengers could be flown who are not in our family bubbles. Following the success of the vaccination program and lockdown measures, the GA industry is winding up towards what might be quite a busy summer season. For some there has been relatively little downtime – commercial training schools have

Scottish Adventure 2020 Part 5 – Stornoway and Kirkwall

We flew from Inverness to Kirkwall via Stornoway in the Cessna 182, flying some more unusual instrument approaches. Stornoway has many commercial flights each day but is one of the few commercial UK airports without a precision instrument approach. Pilots don’t get a glideslope and have to interpret that based on the DME distance from the runway. Adding a little further complexity, there are two DMEs – one on the

28th July 2020 Instruction Given / Landaways

Scottish Adventure 2020 Part 3 – Aberdeen and Dundee

The forecast for the day certainly was for strong winds, with a SIGMET warning covering the Highland region. Definitely a good decision not to stay in Orkney overnight. Reviewing the forecast, I thought it feasible to fly a triangle across to Aberdeen, down to Dundee and back to Inverness. We had more than enough fuel onboard not to need to land elsewhere, although I did intend to stop for lunch

27th July 2020 Instruction Given / Landaways

Scottish Adventure 2020 Part 2 – Orkney Island Hopping

Inverness to Kirkwall Almost five hours logged today in my student’s Cessna 182, flown north from Inverness to Kirkwall for some holds and practice approaches followed by serious VFR island hopping around the Orkneys. There’s always plenty of weather in Scotland and today was no exception, but north of Inverness looked (and was) far better. Rain was forecast to arrive mid afternoon and we had originally planned to stay overnight

18th August 2019 Instruction Given

First year of flight instruction

As my total flight time clocks over 1100 hours and my Unrestricted Flight Instructor rating enjoys its first anniversary, I thought it a good time to reflect on what its been like to have joined the ranks of Instructors. I’ve logged 360 hours of instruction to date. In 2016 I qualified as a CRI (Class Rating Instructor) and logged about 50 hours instruction in the two years thereafter. I championed

12th December 2018 Instruction Given

My first CB-IR Student

Having taught quite a few hours of PPL instruction, it was quite a contrast to be able to instruct for the CB-IR (Competency Based Instrument Rating). I’d known my first student for some time, having given him an RNAV/G1000 training session in the Redbird simulator and later mentored him on his first cross channel flight. Andrew has a share in a Turbo Arrow based at Bournemouth, so would need to

31st August 2018 Instruction Given

Flight Instructor Removal of Supervisory Restriction

Probation In Europe under EASA, newly qualified flight instructors must first operate under the supervision of more experienced instructors until they have instructed for 100 hours and signed off 25 solo flights. During this time, they can’t sign off a first solo or a first solo nav away from the circuit. Typically the supervising instructor is the Chief Flying Instructor at a flying school, but it can be any unrestricted

24th June 2018 Instruction Given / Landaways

Club flyout to Mona, Anglesey

Gloucester – Sleap – Mona – Welshpool – Gloucester The Bristol Aero Club monthly flyout in June flew to Mona (EGOQ) in Anglesey, North Wales. I had advertised my availability to come along in my role as instructor and two students were quite keen to fly a leg each. We made clear it wouldn’t count as part of their formal syllabus, but the hours did count towards the 45 minimum

26th April 2018 Foreign / Instruction Given / Landaways

Another Cross Channel Checkout to Le Touquet

From groundschool to practical application After running several successful VFR Cross Channel Groundschool courses, it’s been good to take things a step further and sit beside pilots making the trip for the first time. Our club requires that unless already experienced, each member’s first cross channel flight is taken with an instructor, thereafter pilots can fly almost wherever they like. I’d hope my day long groundschool covers most of the

31st August 2017 Foreign / Instruction Given

Cross Channel Flight Mentoring

I’ve been keen to encourage more qualified PPL’s to make more use of their hard-earned licences and fly themselves to France, which takes between one and two hours from our base at Gloucester. I’ve done this over the summer with various pilots, both through the Bristol Aero Club (which insists on a cross-channel club checkout for less experienced members) and directly with a couple of aircraft owners in their own