Stocking Up

Flying Hours Today 0:00, Total 2:00

This afternoon I managed to get out of work early and so decided to take a trip to Air Supply in Yeadon, Leeds. The store is just a couple of miles from the airport and a nice touch is that the shop has the live ATC being played out of a small receiver. I was here to buy the equipment that I will require to progress:

• A5 kneeboard and Chinagraph pencils
• Trevor Thom book 2 - Air Law and Meteorology
• Trevor Thom book 3 - Navigation
• A 1:250000 topographical air chart of England East
• A pilot's log book
• A PA28 Checklist

The shopping list came from my instructor at the flying school. I might be getting a little ahead of myself by buying books on navigation and charts but I'm really keen to learn at the moment and want to find out more about this flying lark all the time.


It is worth bearing in mind that the air charts do change on an annual basis in the UK - which stands to reason as they are there not only for navigation but for safety, you wouldn't want to have an unexpected collision with a tall tower, or to find yourself trying to locate a new road on an old map when trying to pin point your position.


Always make sure you buy the latest edition of the chart and that it is up to date - your instructor will be able to tell you which is the latest edition and the charts themselves have their expiry dates printed on them.


I'm pleased that my flying is now back on track. This has been a great week for me, taking off from a major airport was something quite incredible that I didn't think I would be doing so soon. I'm now committed to getting my PPL and have decided to spend more on buying the equipment I will need to help me progress.