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Advice wanted on learning to fly,anyone got their pilots license ?

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Dead budgie money, i.e. no cheep!

 

Yeah i know about 100 quid a lesson i think but it would be so worth it,first port of call would be an egg and poo bomb on jims house....just kidding or am i :lol:

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For a private pilot's licence course, one of the cheapest is in Bournemouth, but expect to pay around £6000 - £8000 in total. Length is anything from 45 hours-100 hours depending on how far you want to go. The local school here also has the option of going on to complete your Commercial Flying Licence but I can't afford that yet!!

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I'm a ppl holder going cpl this year! 100 an hour is very optimistic. Out of norwich the aircraft hire is around 120 but then instructors are another 50 odd on top. The best place you can go to get a private licence is a flying club.

 

I fly from one near me (one of the best in the UK imho) where the organisation is entirely volunteer run. That means no instructor costs, good rates and to top it off they've kept a third of a usaf ww2 base runway so it's easy to spot and operate from. The end result is around 110 an hour for a fantastic little pa28 archer ii. Regarded as one of the better basic trainers it will cruise around 115 knots (140 ish mph) and even has autopilot!

 

Sent from my GT-I9100

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Yeah i know about 100 quid a lesson i think but it would be so worth it,first port of call would be an egg and poo bomb on jims house....just kidding or am i :lol:

 

That's fine. I'll invest in a Surface to Air Missile installation before you get your pilots license.

 

All joking aside though I'd be interested to know how you got on - in terms of how much it cost for flying lessons, how quickly you progress and so forth. I'd often thought about having some flying lessons just to experience it! :)

Edited by Jim

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For a private pilot's licence course, one of the cheapest is in Bournemouth, but expect to pay around £6000 - £8000 in total. Length is anything from 45 hours-100 hours depending on how far you want to go. The local school here also has the option of going on to complete your Commercial Flying Licence but I can't afford that yet!!

 

I'm a ppl holder going cpl this year! 100 an hour is very optimistic. Out of norwich the aircraft hire is around 120 but then instructors are another 50 odd on top. The best place you can go to get a private licence is a flying club.

 

I fly from one near me (one of the best in the UK imho) where the organisation is entirely volunteer run. That means no instructor costs, good rates and to top it off they've kept a third of a usaf ww2 base runway so it's easy to spot and operate from. The end result is around 110 an hour for a fantastic little pa28 archer ii. Regarded as one of the better basic trainers it will cruise around 115 knots (140 ish mph) and even has autopilot!

 

Sent from my GT-I9100

 

Thanks for the help lads,there is a local school ive been looking at called,st george flight training...anyone know of them?

 

Im going to give them a call today and look into costs and ill let you lot know what they say, £6000-8000 is alot, is a large portion of that down to fees for licences etc or largely lessons aswell?

 

---------- Post added at 11:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:21 AM ----------

 

Right just gave them a call there and its £147 a lesson,all study material and needed inflight gear is £220 quid,

 

flight test fee£120

 

PPL issue-£180 quid

 

so im assuming most of the cost is from lessons

 

The aircraft is a Tomahawk

 

I chose teeside over newcastle as its just not as busy...what ya think

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The thing is that overall cost is just an estimation, it generalises on things like first solo within 15 hours and passing your PPL skills test after 45. In reality this is not uncommon but not everyone meets it, I think my first solo was 19 hours and i passed around 50 hours in. This will add more to your dual time and therefore an extra ~50 notes an hour.

 

The CAA charges will normally be additional the quote, and as is the way with government bodies, you're looking at around £200 iirc just to sign your licence and post it back. The ground exams can be done at the flying school so that should be part of the quote you'd be given. I don't want to discourage you in the slightest as every time i get in the flying seat its just an incredible feeling, but it's not cheap mate!

 

Also remember it's not over once you have the licence, you need to keep current from both an insurance and a type rating point of view. Insurance is always the most restrictive, and the two places I fly from have 6 week and 8 week limits. This means if you haven't flown for that period of time, you aren't insured and are required a 'refresher' with an instructor to clear you to fly solo again. To take passengers you must complete 3 take offs and landings within the last 90 days (licence restriction), and then there's the type rating currency which is 12 months but I can't remember how much flying you need to have done within that period.

 

It's better to know what you're getting into mate!

 

---------- Post added at 11:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 AM ----------

 

Tomahawk...Hmm there's mixed opinions on that, it's the two seater I believe, tiny little thing! PA-38 if you want to look it up.

 

is that £147 dual? That's not bad at all if it is, I'd check to see what the solo hire rate is too!

 

Make sure you check what inflight gear they're chucking at you, I made the mistake of letting my flight school get me all the gear. Was a bit pricey what they bought (nothing basic all the mid premium stuff which is expensive!) but as I didn't see this until the bill at the month's end it was a bit too late. If you find out let me know what they've itemised and I'll let you know if you can get it cheaper! I'd get a run down printed off before you commit.

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The thing is that overall cost is just an estimation, it generalises on things like first solo within 15 hours and passing your PPL skills test after 45. In reality this is not uncommon but not everyone meets it, I think my first solo was 19 hours and i passed around 50 hours in. This will add more to your dual time and therefore an extra ~50 notes an hour.

 

The CAA charges will normally be additional the quote, and as is the way with government bodies, you're looking at around £200 iirc just to sign your licence and post it back. The ground exams can be done at the flying school so that should be part of the quote you'd be given. I don't want to discourage you in the slightest as every time i get in the flying seat its just an incredible feeling, but it's not cheap mate!

 

Also remember it's not over once you have the licence, you need to keep current from both an insurance and a type rating point of view. Insurance is always the most restrictive, and the two places I fly from have 6 week and 8 week limits. This means if you haven't flown for that period of time, you aren't insured and are required a 'refresher' with an instructor to clear you to fly solo again. To take passengers you must complete 3 take offs and landings within the last 90 days (licence restriction), and then there's the type rating currency which is 12 months but I can't remember how much flying you need to have done within that period.

 

It's better to know what you're getting into mate!

 

---------- Post added at 11:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:41 AM ----------

 

Tomahawk...Hmm there's mixed opinions on that, it's the two seater I believe, tiny little thing! PA-38 if you want to look it up.

 

is that £147 dual? That's not bad at all if it is, I'd check to see what the solo hire rate is too!

 

Make sure you check what inflight gear they're chucking at you, I made the mistake of letting my flight school get me all the gear. Was a bit pricey what they bought (nothing basic all the mid premium stuff which is expensive!) but as I didn't see this until the bill at the month's end it was a bit too late. If you find out let me know what they've itemised and I'll let you know if you can get it cheaper! I'd get a run down printed off before you commit.

 

Yup 150 is dual time :)

 

 

well still the majority of costs is merely lessons so im up for that most certainly :) and whats the type rating? and insurance costs like then?

 

Ive been reading about the PA 38 and it seems to have a reputation for killing people in spins haha,according to the report it suggests that people dont follow the piper guidelines on what to do and panic as the spin increases rate when in fact its starting to correct.Well i like to grab the bull by the horns so lets hope im not another statistic and pull it off ok :lol:

 

Thanks for the heads up though,ill get a list of the gear and let you know but all in all it seems lessons are the huge chunk until your £200 quid license fee once you pass ya £20 quid test so not too bad compared to becoming a driving instructor for example where the exam is 2k and if ya fail,ya fail....another 2k needed

 

My dream is to out day get it a pitts of extra so i guess im nuts to start with :lol:

 

http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfarticles/sp9702.html

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"Today - I will mainly be building an air-raid shelter."

 

Best of luck with your ambition, anyway, CSund!

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Good luck with the flying - the insurance and flying recency are definitely worth taking note of - it isn't cheap - but also worth bearing in mind you will need to fly more than that just to stay safe. I would have thought at least 2 hours a month.

 

Go and have a helicopter lesson as much more fun than planes ;) - be warned though it costs about twice as much and is addictive , but a 30 min trial lesson would be a good laugh.

 

Micro lights are lots cheaper and some of the new ones are effectively light aircraft with cockpit and proper controls and control surfaces(I.e. not just a hanglider with an engine) - defo worth looking into. Also gyro copters are an option (little Nelly in James Bond!) a friend has one but I don't really fancy those:)

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well still the majority of costs is merely lessons so im up for that most certainly :) and whats the type rating? and insurance costs like then?

 

The type rating is just the part of your licence which permits you to fly a certain type of aircraft. Yours will be SEP (single engined piston) land planes. The actual licence has a long validity, its the type rating which is the first to go if you don't keep current. For me not flying for 2 years did it!

 

The insurance is covered in the hourly, but they have a lot of conditions to accept that you are insured like the aforementioned keeping current. Other things like not exceeding 'demonstrated' crosswind limits - the aircraft may well easily land in crosswinds far higher than this, but if the manufacturer didn't demonstrate it could do it, you're not insured. Gotta love insurance!

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Respect the weather and high ground at all times and don't disbelieve your instruments.

Thousands have failed to and paid the ultimate price - even instructors. Knew one or two.

It's a huge step up from driving a fast car.

(Craigowl - ex-aviation forecaster.)

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(Craigowl - ex-aviation forecaster.)

 

And part time builder of air raid shelters.

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And part time builder of air raid shelters.

 

Ha! Ha! - Like you Wullie, I guess, part-time faffer aboot at loadsa things!

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Oh yes indeed.. Currently experimenting with candle making and scrap art. In addition to organising loads of events for the Mental Health Arts and Film festival, Pitenweem Arts Festival, attempting to produce a play, involved in a film at the moment, running Read Raw Ltd etc. Oh and working in an Alzheimers home. Since I stopped working I have not stopped working.

 

Oh and as this is Sunderland's thread go for it. You'll only hate yourself later if you don't give it a try.

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Thanks for the advice lads its all been very helpful,a microlight is definetly on the cards for me in future :p,one thing I did want to ask though is how much is insurance roughly cost wise then?

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I'm a ppl holder going cpl this year! 100 an hour is very optimistic. Out of norwich the aircraft hire is around 120 but then instructors are another 50 odd on top. The best place you can go to get a private licence is a flying club.

 

I fly from one near me (one of the best in the UK imho) where the organisation is entirely volunteer run. That means no instructor costs, good rates and to top it off they've kept a third of a usaf ww2 base runway so it's easy to spot and operate from. The end result is around 110 an hour for a fantastic little pa28 archer ii. Regarded as one of the better basic trainers it will cruise around 115 knots (140 ish mph) and even has autopilot!

 

Sent from my GT-I9100

£110 an hour feck - if only.........

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Micro light is def worth a go as it is far cheaper it is a separate rating to to light airplane. A PPL will take 40-60 hours and you will need good weather so summer is the best time in the UK. You could consider learning in the US it is a lot cheaper and some schools can give you a UK PPL (well at least they did not sure if that is still the case but should be). Btw You will have to do your ground school and radio exams here if you do take the US option.

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Its included in the hourly

 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

what about once ya have your ppl? and im been looking at light aircraft and i would kill for a vans rv8,are they classes as a microlight? they appear if your search for them

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You talking about owning a plane? Not sure at all sorry. Ill be hiring for a long time to come!

 

I don't thin it is a microlight mate. I've been up in an rv7a and its quite a machine! I think if not just a light aircraft itd be classified as a vla which is still heavier than a microlight.

 

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The rv8 is not a microlight, too heavy I'm afraid the max takeoff wieght for a microlight is 450 kg for a 2 seat and 300 kg for a single seater . The rv8 is around 900 kg.

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