10 Things To Do With Your Private Pilot's Licence
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You've done it! After all the training, exams and the stress of your skills test, you've finally got your Private Pilot's Licence. So what next? Here are 10 things you can do with your new flying ability...
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- 1. The training and exams are over, youve been awarded your new
pilots licence what next? Here are 10 ideas to help you make the
most of your ability to fly! 10 Things to do with your Private
Pilots Licence
- 2. #1 TAKE FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR A RIDE! Chances are your
friends and family will be very impressed with you for learning to
fly and will be forming a line for the opportunity to fly with you.
Its probably the thing youve most been looking forward to, and is
one of the first things most private pilots do after gaining their
licence. Take those closest to you for a trip theyll never forget,
and let them experience the fun youve been experiencing since you
started flying.
- 3. #2 FLY SOMEWHERE FOR LUNCH The $100 burger is well known
amongst pilots. Now that you have a licence to fly, you have the
ability to fly to a different part of the country just to enjoy
lunch. Who cares that you have the added expense of fuel and time
youre a pilot and it tastes much better knowing that youve
successfully navigated your way to that meal!
- 4. #3 BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE Its really important to realise
that gaining your licence is not the end, but only the start. The
key to becoming the best pilot is to put in the hours to gain
confidence and new skills. Use your flying time to keep on top of
the skills you learnt, and dont be afraid to have extra flights
with your instructor to brush up on areas youre not totally
confident in, such as grass strips or controlled airspace.
- 5. #4 TRY A DIFFERENT PLANE Did you spend all of your time
learning in the same old plane? Well now its time to spread your
wings and find out what different aircraft have to offer. Maybe its
time to try out the flying clubs 4 seater, or upgrade to a modern
glass cockpit with GPS. The more adventurous may like to take
lessons in multi-engine aircraft or tail draggers.
- 6. #5 LEARN TO FLY AT NIGHT One of the most common things newly
qualified pilots do is to add the night rating to their licence,
removing the restrictions of sunrise and sunset. Speak to your
flying club about lessons at night. The rating can be added in as
little as five hours and give you more freedom in your flying.
- 7. #6 ADD AN INSTRUMENT RATING Ask any pilot what their biggest
frustration is and most will tell you its the weather. The basic
Private Pilots Licence allows you to fly in visual (good weather)
conditions. By adding an instrument rating, you will gain a lot
more freedom to fly in many more weather conditions, using the
aircrafts instruments to navigate accurately and safely. Although
it takes some extra training and cost, it is an invaluable asset
for anyone serious about flying.
- 8. #7 TRAVEL TO ANOTHER COUNTRY OR STATE Often the biggest
challenge to a newly qualified pilot is flying away from your
comfort zone namely the airport and area which you trained in. The
ultimate example of this is to fly to another country or state.
This will take you far away from familiar territory, and may
include speaking to controllers with different accents. But it also
opens opportunities to explore, and the thrill of travelling
somewhere using the skills you gained.
- 9. #8 BUY YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT Part of the fun of flying once you
have your licence is to try out all of the gadgets and equipment
available to you. Many new pilots first purchase their own headset
and a cool pair of shades! Other options are GPS equipment (or an
iPad with GPS app) to aid in navigating and flight planning, or a
GoPro camera to record videos of your flights.
- 10. #9 BUY A PLANE! Its easy to gain your licence and then
carry on flying the same aircraft from the same club, but this has
restrictions and can often be expensive. The ultimate goal for many
pilots of to buy their own aircraft which they can use whenever
they like, and for as long as they like. This can obviously be very
expensive, so many pilots choose to buy a share in a plane based at
a nearby airfield, which is cheaper and still offers better
availability than most flying school aircraft.
- 11. #10 BECOME AN INSTRUCTOR Often the best thing to do with
all that newly acquired knowledge is to pass it on! Becoming an
instructor enables you to do a lot of flying, and to share your
passion with those just starting out towards their licence. It is
also a great way to build towards a career flying aircraft, as you
gain a lot of experience and hours in your log.
- 12. Take Your Wings and Fly A Journey Through a Private Pilots
Licence BUY THE BOOK AVAILABLE NOW FROM THESE RETAILERS: Jason
Smart went through the range of emotions when he set out to learn
to fly. In this book he takes the reader on a journey through the
highs and lows of the process, from early lessons to the first
solo, exams, and ultimately gaining his wings.