PPL and Western NC Weather

clamshack

clamshack

Filing Flight Plan
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Apr 25, 2019
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clamshack
The best time of day for me is after work which is 17:00-19:00. We always seem to have bad weather. I have flown about 2 out of my last 10 scheduled classes. It's been very frustrating. We're at 2200 MSL, so I guess I should have figured out the weather patterns beforehand :). At 2.5 hrs in I'm thinking this isn't happening. I'm going to try to move my classes to 07:00-09:00, but with early morning fog that can be problematic too.

The instructor seems good, saved up the money, thought I could fit it in before and after work. Oops, the weather might get me.
 
Welcome to aviation.... and spring weather...... @flyingron might have more insight on western Carolina since he is in the Charlotte region.

One suggestion is to not waste any time you scheduled when the flying lesson gets cancelled. Use that time to review the knowledge items you were assigned as homework and do some chair flying. Visualizing what you will do from the point where you get into the airplane to when you shut down and exit can be valuable to an early student. Helps to develop muscle memory, checklist familiarity, and a thing we call flows.

Also practice your radio communication items.

The more you practice away from the aircraft, the more comfortable and proficient you will be when the money meter (aka Hobbs meter) is running.
 
Sorry to hear that. I know you want to make some progress. I live in Raleigh, and we haven't had rain in well over a week. But obviously things are very different here than up where you are. Hopefully it will change for you soon. Hang in there.
 
Yeah it's been pretty tough... my PPL took most of 3 years to complete as a weekend flyer. That, combined with my inability to actually use my PPL due to weather since my checkride has motivated me to get my instruments rating pronto (hopefully not 2.5 more years). I'm basically treating my instruments rating like part 2/2 of the PPL. With the rating my chances of actually doing the flight I want on a given day go from like 20% to... 50%?
 
I hear ya. I was planning to roll right into my IFR rating after getting my private. I would like to be able to fly from AVL to the beach and to RDU. Probably a good way to get stuck taking extra vacation days if flying VFR :). @Fallsrider, we did have ok weather here last week, but my instructor was on vacation :). I did get 1.3 hours in with another instructor, but it's hard to get a feel for the plane when it's windy aloft, at least that was my feeling.

I suppose the good news is is that the cost is more gradual than I expected. However, I imagine, the overall cost will be more if it takes me 6 months. @RingLaserGyroSandwich, how many flight hours did it take you to get a PPL in 3 years?
 
That's too bad. I did most of my instrument training after work. It was mostly winter, and a combination of being a bit tired, darkness increasing the effectiveness of the goggles, watching for ice in actual, etc, made post-certificate solo in actual a breeze!

But summer with the mountains increasing the seasonal tendency to evening instability and thunderstorms can really put a damper in things.

If the early morning flights don't pan out, at least consider waiting until the more stable conditions of autumn and using the summer to build more general experience.
 
This year has been unusual with the large amount of rain we've had in the spring. It's settling down now to just being hot and dry.

Winds and bumps are something you're just going to have to get used to. Be lucky you aren't learning in Colorado like I did. 20G33 was good student solo weather there (but the visibilities were always unlimited).
 
clamshack said:
I suppose the good news is is that the cost is more gradual than I expected. However, I imagine, the overall cost will be more if it takes me 6 months. @RingLaserGyroSandwich, how many flight hours did it take you to get a PPL in 3 years?
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@clamshack, About 90, although to be fair, a chunk of that was sitting on the ground at KHEF waiting for clearance, and another chunk was weekly practice while waiting to schedule my checkride... and reschedule my checkride.
 
When I had 300 hours total time, 200 of it was night.

I was a full time college student and worked two jobs as well as doing airplane maintenance at night for my flying club. The only time I had available was between 7:00pm and 1:00am.
 
Do a lot of chair flying and/or get a simulator.
I use the simulator primarily to do check lists and procedures while flying.
Run up checklist, take off checklist, cruise checklist, approach checklist, etc...etc.
I fly the pattern and replicate the same procedures as if I was actually flying.
I also say the radio calls out loud (quietly).
I fly a Warrior II for training and also on the simulator.
My instructor has noticed that the simulator and chair flying has really helped me.
It has eliminated a lot of wasted time in the cockpit.
Learn what you can at home, where it is cheaper.

Take the weather in stride and don't let it get you down.
Enjoy the time you are flying and try not to put yourself on a time schedule to get to your checkride.

Don J
 
RingLaserGyroSandwich said:
@clamshack, About 90, although to be fair, a chunk of that was sitting on the ground at KHEF waiting for clearance, and another chunk was weekly practice while waiting to schedule my checkride... and reschedule my checkride.
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What FBO do you fly out of at KHEF? Im currently on a PPL track with Aviation Adventures there. Only have 15 hours in so far and hopefully solo'ing soon... :)

f.
 
friskygeek said:
What FBO do you fly out of at KHEF? Im currently on a PPL track with Aviation Adventures there. Only have 15 hours in so far and hopefully solo'ing soon... :)

f.
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I did my training at American Aviation. I've since moved to a new home and am doing my Instruments at Lee Airport (KANP) in Maryland.
 
RingLaserGyroSandwich said:
I did my training at American Aviation. I've since moved to a new home and am doing my Instruments at Lee Airport (KANP) in Maryland.
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Right across from you guys on the west apron by Westside Aviation. Since Dulles Aviation closed down, it takes for-ev-er to get gas from APP.

To the OP's topic... yeah i was in your shoes when I started out last summer. Seemed like every weekend it was rainy and low clouds. Because it WAS rainy with low clouds every weekend last year. But I stuck with it and now am almost to checkride time. Just need one more cross country, some night t/o and landings and then brushing up and I'm done.
Point is - stick with it. It's worth it!
 
Yea last summer was especially rainy! So far so good this year... Im trying to get as many hours in as I can before the rains eventually do come in this summer... My hope to get my PPL done by early next year.

f.
 
Thanks, guys for the pep talk. I had a good flight yesterday, but it was bumpy. I don't mind the bumps, it just makes it harder to make nice turns. Anyway, like anything in life, if it was easy everyone would do it :). @DonJinIA, I use FSX and VATSIM. That has really helped with my radio usage. I'm going to try to do more FSX time just using the 172SP and my school checklist and procedures; I think that is an excellent idea. The 172 is what I am training on. @Rgbeard, ya that would be sweet. I'd also love to be learning on a brand new SR22 with airconditioning, but that ain't happening ;-).
 
Your side of the Appalachians tends to be more turbulent than mine. I am based just north of you in Tennessee. not sure if you have noticed yet but the sectional has a warning just east of you for severe turbulence possible in that area. I can attest it is true.
 
I had a fear of ATC and the radio when I first started out, too. I am based inside the DC SFRA, so there is required handoff from tower to approach/departure control every time in and out of my home field. The whole sequence of ATIS, ground to get squawk code, tower, departure, then off to VFR land and repeat on the way back was really daunting. I then read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Radio-Master...communication&qid=1559591025&s=gateway&sr=8-2

The author lays it all out in really easy to understand terms. A little bit of practice (and my wife laughing at me while I talked to myself practicing) and it became no big deal.

Here's the thing important thing that I learned - ATC isn't your enemy. They are really really helpful and if you are new and at least trying to use proper phraseology, they are really super forgiving. Not a flight goes by where I don't screw something up. But if you use the wrong phrase or say that you are cleared for the wrong runway, or taxiway or didn't get the code the first time, they will just correct you until your readback is correct. And if you didn't hear the code or if you forgot to write it down, just ask them to repeat it please. And they will. No problem. Oh, and listen to liveATC.net. I tuned in on my phone and played it in my car for a month when I was starting out. Just listening to pilots talk to controllers will help you.

Just some tips, but just remember ATC is your friend.
 
Im also glad Im learning to fly and getting my PPL from inside the DC SFRA. I find that outbound comms (ground->tower->departure confirming outside SFRA etc) is easier than coming into the SFRA (becuase of the added complication of listening to ATIS whilst flying I guess...). But I feel all this extra work, while making my initial progress a slower, is going to make me a better pilot in the end... I dont, however, like the added Hobbs meter ($$$) time it takes to get out of the SFRA and into the practice area...

ATC is really there to help you out, its ok to make mistakes. My motto is to "make better mistakes the next time." Learn improve from every mistake.

f.
 
clamshack said:
I hear ya. I was planning to roll right into my IFR rating after getting my private. I would like to be able to fly from AVL to the beach and to RDU. Probably a good way to get stuck taking extra vacation days if flying VFR :). @Fallsrider, we did have ok weather here last week, but my instructor was on vacation :). I did get 1.3 hours in with another instructor, but it's hard to get a feel for the plane when it's windy aloft, at least that was my feeling.

I suppose the good news is is that the cost is more gradual than I expected. However, I imagine, the overall cost will be more if it takes me 6 months. @RingLaserGyroSandwich, how many flight hours did it take you to get a PPL in 3 years?
Click to expand...
I did mine in 2 years flying twice a month in 68 hours. I wouldn't think 'dragging it out 6 months' would have much if any effect on your hours required to finish. At that rate you won't have time to gather rust. Use any 'extra' downtime for more reading and thinking about the next lesson. Showing up ready is the best recipe for success.
 
exncsurfer said:
Showing up ready is the best recipe for success.
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A friend of mine (he's GOOD) does specialty instruction including CFI prep. Applicants who can handle his intensity and focus on the details will pass the CFI practical test. However, show up unprepared more than once, and he will fire you as a client.

Which is a good learning opportunity in and of itself.
 
Great weather in the Carolina-Tennessee mountains today. Flew to Elizabethton TN and back from Lake Norman.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Great weather in the Carolina-Tennessee mountains today. Flew to Elizabethton TN and back from Lake Norman.
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Dang, my home base. I was out of state though.
 
FORANE said:
Dang, my home base. I was out of state though.
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I'll keep that in mind. Though I live in the Charlotte area, I am seriously considering retiring in eastern TN and Elizabethton is high on the list. I might solicit some pros, cons, and other info from you.
 
It was a nice weekend. I flew Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. This week has been plagued with thunderstorms though :). Looks like Friday will be the only decent day, but we shall see.
 
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