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By: - 10th October 2004 at 22:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
You can't take it with you.
Good luck and well done
MH
By: - 11th October 2004 at 07:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Wise choice.
The aircraft doesn't matter a jot, as long as it stays serviceable, and the PA38 is quite a rugged old beast.
What matters is how comfortable you feel with the organisation you are shovelling huge wads of hard-earned too.
Plus, you can recover fully-developed spins in the Tomahawk in training. Sounds daunting, but if you get your instructor to show you a couple later in your course it's something you'll value for ever.
Enjoy every second of your training. It is a period of concentrated challenge and enjoyment, not a hurdle to be climbed before you can bimble a PA28 in straight lines to Le Touquet :)
Moggy
By: - 11th October 2004 at 11:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Dodrums,
Did you fly in G-BMKG, a white, black and red tomahawk? If so I passed my PPL skills test in it :)
It used to fly from Glasgow, it's a nice aircraft to fly, I'm 6'2" and 16 stone and I felt confortable in it, the Katana is like a model aircraft in my opinion.
The owner is a sound guy to.
DME
By: - 11th October 2004 at 14:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ta muchly for the kind words and encouragement, although I think the intentional spinning may have to wait a wee bit :eek:
Not G-BMKG, but the black and white one (will post reg later), but agree that Alan is a good guy, and David (whose tomahawk I was flying), and Graham, and Euan, and ... :) What can you say when the instruction is to 'bring some buns' when you next visit? :)
edit: G-BSFE
By: - 11th October 2004 at 19:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Cracking stuff Dodrums, if you enjoy it as much as I do then you're on a winner.
Keep us updated.
Neal
By: - 11th October 2004 at 22:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Good luck. keep us informed of your progress(or lack thereof)
Posts: 452
By: dodrums - 10th October 2004 at 22:25
After a couple of weeks with poor weather and so having to call off some trial flights I finally managed to get up on Saturday.
My search for a club in Central Scotland to train for a PPL with had been narrowed down to Tayside at Perth, Flight Academy Scotland at Cumbernauld and Leading Edge Flight Training also at Cumbernauld. Due to the 80 mile trip to Perth, Tayside were 3rd on the list.
Anyway, I had an hour in the Katana with FlightAcademyScotland. A recent startup by 2 instructors from the Cumbernauld Flying Club, I found them to be professional, but, in my view, a bit lacking in atmosphere. I'd liken it to a dentists waiting room. The Katana DA-20 I found to be light and responsive, but cramped. I am broad at the shoulder so using the trim switch entailed shoving the other guy out the way. Also found that the headset was fouling the canopy as I looked around.
After a short break I then had a half hour with Leading Edge FT on a Tomahawk. LE-FT are another new startup at Cumbernauld, with instructors who have moved over from Tayside at Glenrothes. The lesson started well, with an introduction to the walk round, proceeded after startup to taxying, thrown in at the deep end for someone who had never taxied an aircraft before. Although the Tomahawk is quite a bit older than the Katana, being heavier it didn't bounce about as much, and also did not feel as cramped. This, along with a very friendly atmosphere, has persuaded me to start with Leading Edge Flight Training.
So that is it, I've started and now have a whacking 90 minutes in my log :D So I'd like to say thanks to the forum for the encouragement to actually do it.
goodbye wallet, hello poverty ;)
Ken