Peter wrote:
Maybe PPL training cannot move on because the whole system uses the same syllabus?
I think it’s because most VFR PPLs in Europe don’t really care about serious cross-country weather because nobody really flies anywhere. Most instructors haven’t done it either so they wouldn’t even know how to teach it!
During my time building after I got my PPL I tried to fly to places 2-3 hours away from my base in every direction. Land, spend a day there and then fly back. And this takes significant weather planning because you want to make sure you can fly and make it back, all while VFR which is very limiting. That’s when one learns the most, when they actually do it! In fact this kind of operation is arguably the most challenging there is for a single pilot flying SEPs. In my opinion it requires commercial-like pre-planning without all the commercial-like tools or having someone else doing all the work for you.
But I haven’t met anyone “in real life” who just had a PPL and did any serious cross country flying. Most time builders will fly in circles over their base airport for 100 hours. The 300 NM triangular seems to be a “big deal” for many, whereas I had completed several of those during my time building, unintentionally even. Flying clubs don’t encourage people flying too far away because they don’t want their planes stranded out of base due to weather (or worse they don’t really trust their members to be able to handle the weather).
In brief, I do believe PPL cross-country instruction is a load of rubbish generally. Too much time and energy wasted on Dead Reckoning techniques which will be of no use to anybody, too much hassle to keep track of wind corrected headings, timings, tracks etc. It’s just too much workload and also plain UNSAFE to try and Dead Reckon your way around the UK airspace system… A moving map (Skydemon) is a de facto requirement for VFR flying in Europe which also frees the pilot of focusing on the tedious navigation log tasks to monitor the bigger picture. Much more focus should be placed on planning realistic VFR “missions”, obtaining a proper weather briefing, having plans in place for when the weather deteriorates etc.
Very good post! Fully agree. Especially with
That’s when one learns the most, when they actually do it! In fact this kind of operation is arguably the most challenging there is for a single pilot flying SEPs.
