PPL theories over!

Okay, now we have studied the whole PPL theory package with the exception of a few lessons of COM, which are due a little later when we've already flown a bit. My success has been quite good, with grades averaging something over 90% or so.

The quality of SL Flight Training's PPL theory course was really good in my opinion. I have to say I learned a lot of important new things I can now start implementing in sailplane flying and ultralights too. Whereas our ultralight theory package consisted of 60 hours of studies, SL Flight Training's PPL course included over 125 hours of work and very little of the subjects involved are those that have little practical relevance regarding general aviation. This is why I can recommend studying a PPL theory course even though you'd only like to get an ultralight pilot's licence. There's so much relevant information that many necessary things may be left in the shadows if studying only the 60-hour theory package regardless of the quality of that course.

The last week of PPL theories

So, the introductionary flight's now behind me. It didn't leave feelings as great I hoped, mainly because I felt the instructor was in a real rush and didn't quite focuss on the job at hand. Also, I couldn't get the intercom to work properly so I didn't really hear anyhting my instructor said to me during the flight!
But well, this was my first official flight with a "real" motorized airplane!

The Cessna 152 seems very easy to fly, being quite the same as the Fk9 ELA ultralight I've flown a lot. The main difference was the old school looks, a degraded view outside and the increased balance and lazyness due to higher weight. Landing is also way easier and the main gear is really flexible apologizing for errors. With the Fk9, if the touchdown isn't 100% perfect, the plane lets you know!

So we flew about 20 minutes over the coast of southern Helsinki and then came straight to final runway 36 and landed. That's it! :)

There it is, my first entry... :)

We've been going through some theories again and last weeks exams didn't turn out so well I'd hoped for. They were GEN, FPP and COM, and I made some stupid errors in each of them. Still scored over 90% in each one though.

More theories

Okay, now we are on the better side of things. The fifth week of theoretical studies is going by and after that we should start flying. We are going to have some introductionary flights this weeks friday, flown with three planes in three groups. My plane is going to be OH-CVP, which I get to fly the day after tomorrow! 

Last week we studied many subjects and had the school exam for POF and Air Law. I thankfully got quite good grades from both of the subjects.

Some flight planning we had to practise during navigation lessons.

Half of PPL theories studied!

So, now we've studied about half of the PPL theory lessons. Exactly three weeks have passed since the beginning of school and I've heard that there's about three more weeks to go. We have gone through AGK, MET and OPS and had exams on all of the three subjects. I got about 93% from meteorology and 95% from AGK so at the moment I've been quite successful. Also, we have gone through the whole POF subject and next week we should have an exam. Requires some studying, I suppose..

Some new subjects we have been going through are FPP - flight planning & performance and air law, so there's enough material and information to go through. Navigation should begin next week along with HPL - human performance & limitations. The latter interests me quite much, since I have been interested in psychology before.

Our flight training should begin in the middle of August. Waiting for that eagerly :)

The first week has passed...

From last tuesday onwards we've been going through PPL theories intensively. Our first subject was AGK, which stands for aircraft general knowledge and deals with all the technical aspects of airplanes. We studied the whole subject in the first three days of school. The exam should be next week then. Last friday we started meteorology and that continues next week.

The PPL theory course must include at least 100 hours of theoretical studies but at SL Flight Training we are going to study at least 125 hours of theories. Very reasonable, since these theories cover all the most essential things one needs to know about flying. Ten different subjects should be covered by these 125 hours, and we have six weeks to go!

Seven books and a lot to learn.

Here's a short list of subjects included in the PPL theory course:

AGK, Aircraft General Knowledge
MET, Meteorology
POF, Principles of Flight
OPS, Operational Procedures
FPP, Flight Planning & Performance
GEN, General Safety
NAV, Navigation
COM, Communications
HPL, Human Performance & Limitations
AL, Air Law

First day in school

Today was my first day of school in SL Flight Training, where I'll be spending the next two and a half years. The day began at 12:00 when we gathered in the so-called SL class. This would be our main theory class during the PPL theory course, which starts tomorrow and lasts for about seven weeks. None of the other candidates from my aptitude tests seemed to be present but a few other students were gathered around the yard. We have 15 people in the PPL course, ten of which are students of the Finnish Aviation Academy (who study the PPL phase in our school due to the lack of resources of the Aviation Academy) and five are our own students. We got all of our studying material today and there sure was a lot of it, luckily I bought a larger school bag than I originally intended!

The school's main building

At first we were shown a little bit of the school's history and its status today. The head of training, the school's owner, our chief flight instructor and other flight instructors introduced themselves to us and at the same time we were told about all the study material and what's included. We got a little information package about the school's rules and regulations and all the general study-related things, a plotter, flight computer, the Cessna 152 flight manual, a Jeppesen professional pilot's logbook and Pooley's PPL -series consisting of eight books. We also got a few additional finnish books.
Lastly we got handed this weeks schedule and starting tomorrow at nine, the PPL theory course begins with full throttle :)
Here's a description of our 2.5 year course structure stolen and translated from SL Flight Training's website:

• Integrated Commercial Pilot Training CPL(A)
  • 300 hours of theoretical studies
  • 98 hours of school flights (C152/C172/P28RT)
  • 82 hours of PIC-flights (C152/C172) 
    
• Airline Pilot's Theory Course ATPL(A)
  • 450 hours of theoretical studies
• Instrument Rating IR(A)
  • 35 hours of simulator flying (FNPT II)
  • 15 hours of school flights (P28RT)
• Beechcraft King Air -Type Rating and Multi-Engine Rating
  • 20 hours of theoretical studies
  • 11 hours of school flights (BE90)
• Multi-Crew Coordination Course MCC
  • 25 hours of theoretical studies
  • 20 hours of simulator flying (FNPT II) 

So all in all, about 250 hours of flying and about 1000 hours of theories :)