SA_F_2015_04_

http://www.saflyermag.com

but 172s are renowned for their reliability
and forgiving nature. In fact, incipient spins
are the most you’ll get out of them unless
you really fight the aircraft. Some schools
pride themselves on having their own AMO,
and this is never a bad thing as turn-around
times in terms of annual inspections and
maintenance are shortened significantly. It’s
also reassuring when you know the person
who has been working on the aircraft you’re
about to fly.

INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT
All flying schools should offer an
introductory flight, which is usually a
variation of Exercise 1: Straight and level
flying. The idea behind this is to give you
a feel for the airfield and its surrounds,
a sense of what the aircraft is like and,
if the person taking you up will become
your instructor, what they are like in the
cockpit. These are usually expensive
(roughly R1,600/hour dual) though, so its
best advised to make a short-list of schools
which seem viable and make a decision
from there as to where you’re going to take
a flight.

FLIGHT AND GROUND SCHOOL

INSTRUCTORS

It’s important for the student and the

instructor to have a good working

relationship, although a slight bias towards

friendship makes things all the more

pleasant in the cockpit – after all, a 172 isn’t

known for its space between occupants.

Training flights where the student and

the instructor do not get along are both

dangerous and pointless – learning in a

hostile environment can be very difficult,

especially in the navigation stages of

training. Nav flights can take anything up

to four hours and the last thing the student

wants is a cockpit gradient resembling a

sheer precipice.

HOME BASE – SHOULD YOU LEARN AT

A BIG OR SMALL AIRPORT?

Busy airfields are good for learning

how to deal with traffic on the ground and

the ins and outs of dealing with a ‘serious’

ATC at a controlled airfield, but unmanned

and advisory airfields lend themselves to

training as there isn’t as much pressure

on the student if they stutter or say the

wrong thing on frequency. Taxi time may

take longer at a controlled airfield as large

commercial aircraft are usually given

preference and all this equates to a more

expensive flight. The Hobbs Meter can’t tell

the difference between time spent waiting

on the ground with the engine running and

time spent flying.

You can also learn different things from

different airfields. For example, the weather

at the coast is very different to the weather

in Gauteng.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Unlike many of South Africa’s universities

and schools, very few flying schools are

well known to people outside of the aviation

industry, so talking to someone who is

familiar with the various flying schools is

always very helpful. Many people make the

mistake of choosing a flying school because

of its reputation. In an ever-changing and

dynamic industry like aviation, things can

change quickly and very often a new flying

school will offer a fantastic package with

competitive pricing and all of the attributes

students should be looking for. Driving to

BELOW LEFT - Intro flights are a good way to assess your school and potential instructor. You also often get a chance to see you house from the sky.
BELOW RIGHT - The backbone of any flying school is its fleet. C172s are renowned trainers.

Busy airfields teach you how to handle

ATC and busy airspaces, while quiet

ones allow for focused flying training.

Ray Watts