Flying Hours: what do they mean?
As many have indicated, sheer number of hours isn't a guarantee that someone has certain level of skill however as hours go up so does the likelyhood. Every flight is unique & forces you to practice & develop some skill or other. The greater the number of hours the greater the opportunity that a broad range of skills has had to improve.
Also skill learnt in one area has crossover benefits in other areas eg an aerobatic endorsement can be expected to improve general handling, an IR or IMC improve procedures/navigation including getting somewhere VFR in min. VMC conditions etc etc.
People disparage those who have spent a lot of time doing say, circuits instead of X-country or whatever happens to be their 'pet' favourite. It's highly unlikely that a high number of circuit hours won't be allied with a variety of conditions. That experience & skill development is damned useful for a low level circling approach in strong winds.
RW flying will still have benefits for your FW skills even if it's just by developing the automation of common skills, allowing more of your conscious thought process to be applied to less skilled tasks.
That's part of the reasoning why RW & FW pilots get credits for their experience when they train for the other type of machine eg RW to FW or vica versa.
My opinion is that ANY flying experience has consequential benefits for the rest of your flying skills.
Also skill learnt in one area has crossover benefits in other areas eg an aerobatic endorsement can be expected to improve general handling, an IR or IMC improve procedures/navigation including getting somewhere VFR in min. VMC conditions etc etc.
People disparage those who have spent a lot of time doing say, circuits instead of X-country or whatever happens to be their 'pet' favourite. It's highly unlikely that a high number of circuit hours won't be allied with a variety of conditions. That experience & skill development is damned useful for a low level circling approach in strong winds.
RW flying will still have benefits for your FW skills even if it's just by developing the automation of common skills, allowing more of your conscious thought process to be applied to less skilled tasks.
That's part of the reasoning why RW & FW pilots get credits for their experience when they train for the other type of machine eg RW to FW or vica versa.
My opinion is that ANY flying experience has consequential benefits for the rest of your flying skills.
Whirly, I'm with you. I know that you mostly fly helicopters, and you probably recall that I mostly fly microlights. Yet we both hold SEP licenses. The "system" doesn't count either your rotary hours or my microlight hours, at-all, towards SEP currency. Re-arrange this into many variations, the answer is generally the same - the powers that be want to see all the hours, on a specific class, for currency or to do a course in that class.
Does this makes sense, no it bloody doesn't. Why can't somebody flying 100 hrs PA in gliders, SEP, microlights, helicopters, gyroplanes, etc. count at least a large part of that towards currency on another class. Makes little sense to me.
Perhaps we should just bin hours altogether and do everything - currency or proficiency, entirely by test ?
G
Does this makes sense, no it bloody doesn't. Why can't somebody flying 100 hrs PA in gliders, SEP, microlights, helicopters, gyroplanes, etc. count at least a large part of that towards currency on another class. Makes little sense to me.
Perhaps we should just bin hours altogether and do everything - currency or proficiency, entirely by test ?
G
