To buy or not to buy!!

[SpeedBird 001]

Good evening all,

Can you give me some advice on this please? I have recently started my 3 yr UNI course at Leeds doing the BSc Aviation degree. I completed my PPL before I got there and have already obtained my class one medical. My ATPL ground studies run alongside my course so I am nearly ready for my CPL flight training. But as you can see no hours building. In everyones honest opinion is it better to go away for a while to the states or somewhere cheap and rack up the extra 100 PIC's or buy a cheap plane with some friends who are also in the same boat - (VP-1, ect ect) to get the hours? As you might be able to guess I want the hours yesturday and would like to get them done ASAP. I also want the right hours and need to know exactly what type of hours will do me best for the rest of my career. Dont wanna do 150 hours in a 152 if people wanna see multi hours ect. But on the other hand cant really afford 150 hours in the King Air

Thanks again for your time.:ok: :ok: :ok:

[mad_jock]

Go and speak to Dylan.

If you need the hours fast you going to have problems based in Leeds because the wx is pretty crap most of the time.

Remember that the hour building is meant to be productive so banging in the hours then sitting twiddeling your thumbs waiting until your ATPLs are finished dosn't help.

Go away on a holiday with your m8's and go and enjoy yourselves
for the first 50 hours. Then go and speak to Kevin and Dylan and see what they think you should work on. Even if it means going for a check ride with Kevin to see how crap you are. Then with the remaining 50 hours go and practise what they have told you. It would be better if you could save 10 -20 hours until just before starting the Cpl so that your hands and feet are still working together. From personal experence if you are intending doing your CPL at Leeds being able to navigate round the Vale of York in 5K viz before your CPL is going to help no end.

MJ

[SpeedBird 001]

Right - Got it!!

Course @ uni runs for 3 years. 50 hours a summer for 3 summers gives me my 150 hrs. First summer (2004), take girlfriend and friends to States to do some cross country flying and check out the sights for a few weeks. Second summer, concentrate on the flying and make some notes on what needs brushing up. Take girlfriend, but make this more of formal. Third summer (2006) sit ATPLs, would have done ground school by then and finish off the 150 hrs with some ATPL knowledge and can really concentrate on the flying with my new found ATPL knowledge. Return to england and get job with some electrical company or computer firm if nothing comes up in the aviation engineering and complete CPL. Finish CPL and continue working full time to fund IR. To be continued..................................:D

This isn't such a crazy plan is it?? ;) ;)

------------------Plans are meant to be broken right-------------------


MJ - thanks for the advice. I've already been in touch with Dylan. It was good to hear from an instructor:ok: :ok:

[FlyingForFun]

Speedbird,

I've done both, so probably in a good position to compare them. What I did was more in the name of having fun than hour-building, but there was certainly an hour-building element to what I've done too.

Advantages of going to the US: Good weather (assuming you choose somewhere appropriate of course). You get exposed to a different flying environment. There are also advantages that come from the fact that you're renting - you can try out lots of different things. In two months, I flew a Warrior, did a tail-wheel conversion on a Super Cub, a complex converstion on an Arrow, some twin time on an Aztec, some aeros in a Great Lakes, and also had a go in a Pitts Special - you can't get this kind of experience by buying your own aircraft because you'd be reluctant to fly anything other than the one type that you've bought.

Advantages of buying: You get a sense of ownership. This makes a real difference to the way you fly. It suddently seems far more practical to go away for a few days, or to make a last-minute decision to go flying when you see blue skies. The ownership lasts past the hour-building, so hopefully you will enjoy flying your aircraft for many more years even after you find a commercial job. You get to know your aircraft intimately. You can buy any obscure type of aircraft you fancy rather than being restricted to what your local club has on offer. There are few disadvantages of this route, though: lots of money needed up front (although you can get this back if you decide to sell), as well as all the other costs, hassle and potentially down-time that come with ownership.

If you're planning on doing 50 hours per summer over three summers, I'd suggest spending the first summer in the US, then buying a share in something in time for the second summer (you'll need to start looking in the New Year - you definitely don't want to rush into buying an aircraft).

Hope that helps,

FFF
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[LFS]

SpeedBird 001

Not sure if I talked to you at the welcome thing last week, but my best advice for the moment is to get in touch with the Secon Years on the course. Their big thing at the moment is trying to organise a flying society at the University for all the students on the BSc Aviation Technology course ( and other Leeds Uni students that may wish to join). One of there plans is to try and purchase a club aircraft which you can all go and fly very cheaply, but this will need a lot of you to chip in so go and see them, round up all the rest of the first years and keep pushing until they have got the society up and running. If you need any more advice on other hour building then give me a ring or pop in to the school.

Dylan