Quick introduction from a newbie.........

[HercFeend]

Hey all

I’m new here so I thought I’d write a couple of lines of introduction before I start asking questions.

I’m from the UK and have been living in NZ for just over two years now. I spent a number of years as an aircraft engineer in the RAF. I learnt to fly and got my JAR PPL in the UK at the RAF Lyneham Aviation Club, it was very cool having Herc pilots as instructors…. especially during low level navigation!

For various reasons I haven’t really had the opportunity to fly for the last 2 years and as a result I’m ‘out of date’. This puts me in my current position which essentially means I can’t fly  This however is relatively straightforward to solve - by flying practice / revision, sitting the 6 NZ PPL exams and doing the flight test……..bit of a bummer but that’s life! From there it’s straight into CPL, well actually I guess I’ve already started – I’m planning to study and sit the PPL & CPL exams together one subject at a time……..

As for flight training, I’m a member of CAC at CHC as well ANZFC also based at CHC. Does anyone have experience of these clubs, have any suggestions re: instructors or anything else etc……..?

Why am I here? NZFF looks like a great forum with plenty of genuine, helpful advice and people. The ‘Real World Aviation’ forum caught my interest and it’s relevant to NZ (unlike most of the others). The career path some of here are choosing demands a lot of time, effort and money and it’s always useful to have the opportunity to pick the brains and take the advice of more experienced aviators.

That’ll do I think.

Look forward to talking to you.

[HardCorePawn]

You should see if you can find a JAR-Qualified Doc and a JAR-Qualified Flight Examiner and do a renewal... then I imagine converting to a NZ PPL would be Air Law, ICAO English Proficiency (don't get me started on this) and a BFR...

I found this document on the NZ CAA website which tells you some of it.

My advice would be to call the CAA and ask them what you would need to do. If you can find a JAR Doc and Flight examiner to get your JAR qual's current, it could be a lot easier and faster than trying to do all the NZ PPL exams etc...


EDIT: actually reading that PDF file, it would appear you would not even need to do an Air Law exam for a PPL...

[HercFeend]

Hi

Thanks for the advice HardCore. Appreciated.

Believe me I’ve had a good look into all my options and it wasn’t easy getting answers out of some people……! Anyway, the up shot is – there’s a Doc in Auckland that can do the medical and the examiner at CTC in Hamilton is JAR approved. Once JAR current again all I’d have to do is a BFR and I could convert to an NZ PPL. Relatively simple and if I wasn’t intending to progress further I would definitely do it this way.
However taking into account the cost of the return flight to Auckland (around $240 mid week same day return PLUS the JAR Class 2 Medical) and the flight to Hamilton (around $354 mid week same day return PLUS the JAR Skills Test) and that my next goal is CPL, so I’m going to be studying all the subjects again anyway, I figured cost wise (all 6 PPL exams $294 (6x$49)) and educational wise I may as well just bite the exam bullet.

My NZ CAA Class 1 Medical is done so that’s something at least……..

Cheers

[A185F]

QUOTE (HercFeend @ Oct 14 2008, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As for flight training, I’m a member of CAC at CHC as well ANZFC also based at CHC. Does anyone have experience of these clubs, have any suggestions re: instructors or anything else etc……..?

Hi Herc
If you are lucky enough to have membership to the ANZFC I would strongly recommend talking to them. I think you would have a very difficult time coming across better training in NZ especially in your case of getting to know the ins and outs of flying in NZ and our conditions etc. I am not a member nor have I had much to do with them but I do know some of their instructors and their extraordinary backgrounds in New Zealand aviation. To learn from those guys and tap into their wealth of knowledge would be an extremely valuable asset to anyone's flight training of any level.

As well as all that, they are very cheap.
Don't waste an opportunity there !!

[HardCorePawn]

QUOTE (HercFeend @ Oct 14 2008, 03:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Big Dollar Values]

Ouch... I guess I am a bit spoiled being in AKL... the doc is just down the road... and CTC are just a hop, skip and jump away in the 'Tron. I had heard there was an FAA doc down in CHC and figured they might have a JAR as well... guess not.

As you say, probably not a bad idea skills/knowledge-wise to go through the NZ syllabus, just be warned that they are in the process of changing it all as they are aiming to move to computer based testing by the end of June 2009. This is the reason why they have not, as yet, released the exam schedules for 2009.

I see this as good and bad... Good because you get the results immediately, no more sweating for a week or so unless you cough up $30 for priority marking... Bad because knowing ASL they'll screw it up, plus they are 'predicting' up to a $15/paper price hike...

I would get stuck in and sit the PPL papers ASAP if I were you. They are not terribly difficult... I sat all but one (which I already had) over 1 weekend, after spending 8 weekends on a ground course at AFS. They had a 2 week fulltime course, but as I was working, could not take the time off work.



Do I get a prize for the most acronyms in one post?