Irv Lee - Higherplane Aviation Training ltd

• YOUR area of the country - Many Masterclasses start by pilot demand - once 5 or 6 register interest (independently or in groups) for a given area of the country, a hosting location is identified, and these interested pilots are polled for dates. Register now via the email address below to help have on scheduled in your area without commitment to attend.
• Sherburn March 2020 Completed
• Compton Abbas January 2020 - Two (NOW COMPLETED)
• A27 S.E. Hants Dec 2019 - (NOW COMPLETED)
• Hampshire near Winchester -NOW COMPLETED
• Hampshire. Repeat of above for "wait list -NOW COMPLETED
• South Midlands near M5/M42. (Now Completed)
• Compton Abbas -NOW COMPLETED
• Compton Abbas. Repeat of above for "wait list -NOW COMPLETED
• Near Redhill (M25/M23). (Now Completed)
• Hampshire/Surrey Border (M3 Jn 5)- (Now Completed)
• Sherburn, Yorkshire -(Two separate offerings, both completed)

Overview: The Masterclasses are held around the country, often in a seminar room in a hotel or pub, typically 09:15 for coffee/tea and start soon after, finishing between 16:45 - 17:00, on a single day, (workday or weekend day chosen by attendees) with refreshments and lunch provided, located for easy access near population centres rather than at remote airfields. They can also be held at airfields by request of the clubs and schools, indeed, club CFIs in the past have reported increased rentals by attendees, as qualified pilots found 'flying partners' to share costs and thereby extend destination horizons (and experiences). As pilots of a certain safety mindset and attitude tend to sign up for the Masterclass, it is not surprising that one or two arrangements develop during the day for future flying.

Pilots often arrive thinking that as licence holders, they really should already know a lot more than they do and hope that no-one discovers the truth!, and then, by first coffee break, they realise everyone is in the same... boat(???). The presenter certainly wondered if he had somehow fooled the system when he first gained a PPL, hence the Masterclasses, which cover much of what the PPL course misses, and many of the things you need to know to stay safe and enjoy hobby flying, all adding a modern layer on top of the physical aircraft handling and 50 year old navigation techniques that you were taught.

Attendees bring nothing except their enthusiasm to know more about staying safe and keeping legal (and sometimes their own questions or problems) whilst flying for fun in the UK. There are no embarrassing questions to answer. Handouts are written to be used as aide-memoires, leaving the attendee free to keep the head up taking everything in, rather than head down taking notes. No atttendee is asked anything except perhaps the type of flying they prefer, ambitions, and their general flying patterns – for example, yours may be slow historic aircraft, standard rental aircraft, aeros, farm strips, syndicates, tailwheel - even non-pilot partners have attended to know more as the spare brain and extra pair of eyes/hands in the passenger seat. The enthusiasm by an attendee for one area of flying may be a factor in introducing another attendee to it during seminar breaks. Clubs have reported that students attending are often motivated to increase lesson frequency to qualify quicker than they had previously planned. Each module during the day is designed not only to deconfuse known confusions, but to bring pilots up to speed on 'what catches others out' and what to do about it. Typical content:

• A brief look at untangling the current incredibly confusing air law and often illogical licensing situation, future changes known about, and how to make it easier to understand, or even, work around legally if necessary. (Note, the topic is not laboured, as it is rather 'dry' and the day is meant to be informative, safety based, and enjoyable. Any individual problems with licensing are dealt with during the day during breaks, or followed up if not solved immediately.) The presenter is constantly dealing successfully with individual problem licensing issues every week.
• A brief deconfusing look at rules such as VFR, using easy-to-remember 'triggers' to recall values. When rules like VFR become easier to understand, pilots often realise that some regulatory minimum limits may be set far too low for their own personal safety – just because something is legal, it definitely does not mean it is safe. Pilots need no longer get into trouble via common misunderstandings, for example, what is Special VFR really, and why (and why wouldn't) you want it? (This will be even more important if the UK exemption on cloud separation during VFR transits in Class D disappears possibly in 2020.) – as previous attendees know, there are simple ways to explain concepts that few seem to understand.
• Preflight Planning – how to do it efficiently and better, and what misconceptions some pilots have that could leave them exposed.
• Avoiding en-route problems, including, but not limited to, infringement avoidance, how to understand UK weather better, how to stop it catching you out focussed on making you a much safer pilot – and become a better navigator, with tips they do not normally include in PPL courses. Navigation is also a lot easier when you realise there are ways to predict wind directions better than students have been taught for decades (and still are!). The presenter has lectured on Pilot Meteorology to first and second degree courses at a major UK University for almost ten years, and looked after the anti-infringement site FlyOnTrack for a similar time. The authorities are getting very concerned about infringments, so protect yourself from licence suspension or the expensive post-infringement classes by learning about common causes, self-protection measures, etc.
• Landing Tips – do you realise how many incidents are minor accidents during landing? Probably not, as the authorities now do not publish public monthly summaries. A large percentage are landing accidents, once infringement incidents are filtered out. You know that at least one landing per flight is compulsory, yet so many pilots don't realise how to make them easier and safer than maybe they have been taught in the past. Give your future insurance premiums a break, not your undercarriage.
• Modern Navigation – how to safely combine traditional VFR navigation with GPS, whether this is 'built-in panel GPS' (20+ years old now), or 'tablet GPS' (not yet 10 years old now). This includes safety tips whatever the brand, how to avoid elephant traps, and how to safely integrate GPS with VFR navigation whilst improving spatial awareness. The latest on traffic detection and future weather data for tablets is also covered.

All Seminars: Clearly the PPL Masterclasses cannot be held during the Covid19 lockdowns, but by registering interest now (without commitment) you will help to bring one to your area soon after life returns to something more normal. The day includes coffee/tea refreshments through the day and a lunchtime hot meal or a buffet depending on location. Prices compare very well with the single hour for a 'SEP biennial training hour', (or the CAA's new Post Infringement Course for infringers) both of which often costs around 50% more. Bookings will open when the date is announced, the date is set by a poll amongst pre-registered members, to register, see email address below.
Any club/school wishing to host a Masterclass for members please use the contact the hotmail email address below. If you do not have the facilities on site for a whole day seminar with catering, I will locate one nearby.)
If you wish to find out more, book a place, or register 'demand' for a Masterclass elsewhere, please either email the Higherplane Aviation Training registration address which is:
HPATREGISTER found on HOTMAIL.COM
or see the business card below.

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Higherplane Aviation Training Limited
Registered Engand & Wales Company No. 04339387