Flight Schools In Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

[derby_matt]

Hello,

I'm planning to start my PPL in the next few weeks. I live very close to J28 of the M1. This is about half an hour from Derby Airfield, Nottingham Airport, East Midlands Airport and Netherthorpe Airfield.

I've flown an hour from Nottingham Airport a few years ago and think it is my first choice at the moment. It's the most expensive but I've been impressed with the staff and the atmosphere when I've been there.

Reading some posts on here has slightly put me off East Midlands. It seems that a lot of time is spent holding on the ground whilst waiting for commercial planes to land. I'm not sure if this is as much of a problem as I've been thinking though.

Derby and Netherthope are smaller and have grass runways. I've not visted these yet. I'm concerned that the weather would have more of an affect at these airfields.

Has anyone got any experience of learning to fly at any of these airports? Some opinions from students would help me make my decision.

Thanks.

[nadders]

Alright Derby Matt,

I am currently about 30ish hours into my JAA PPL at Phoenix flying school at Netherthorpe and I can thoroughly recommend it. I have done all my flying with the chief flying instructor who I find to be an excellent tutor. Very friendly and approachable.

I too was torn between a number of schools and was unsure about flying from a grass runway rather than a tarmac one. I figured that I may be less confident when visiting large airports after spending all my time flying from a small grass field, however my fears it would seem are completely unfounded.

Phoenix is the smaller of the two on the airfield but in my opinion the more friendly. There has been a rolling program of upgrading all the clubs aircraft to newly refitted and resprayed C-150 Aerobats which are maintained on site by the clubs own aircraft maintanence firm. This helps them keep the costs down to be one of, if not the cheapest flying club in the country, £92 per hour for instruction and only £72 per hour for PPL hire, this makes a sizeable difference in price from other clubs over the course of 45 hours. Oh, another bonus is that the club has no joining/membership fees which has the potential to save you an extra few quid.

I actually started my flying at a local gliding club and can asure you that Netherthorpe airfield offers possibly the most challenging flying I've done yet. The general consensus on the airfield is that if you can fly in and out of netherthorpe (especially runway 36/18, the shortest registered runway in the country:eek: ) then you can fly in and out of anywhere, which is good for the confidence when you finally are able to go and visit other airfields on your own.

With regards weather, I've had no real problems that have resulted from the fact that the airfield is grass, its very well maintained, unless of course you can order high cloud over tarmac runways:} .

A/C availability is always excellent and this would appear to be the case for PPL hire. Another bonus is that the club will allow extended hire of an A/C without any hassle and as i understand it you only pay for hours flown.

I'm selling it to myself all over again :)

Have a look at this link to see what other people say about Netherthorpe
www.ukga.com/aerodrome/reviews.cfm?aerodromeId=1328 (http://www.ukga.com/aerodrome/reviews.cfm?aerodromeId=1328)

Good luck with the flying, get ready to be skint :ok:

[spernkey]

I get my fleet maintained at Derby airfield purely for the high level of attention to detail. As a result i can report the following advantages.
1. Good instruction from career instructors not hour builders!
2. Challenging airfield means you will be taught to really fly accurately.
3. No mincers - just practical aviators who actually do a lot of flying.
4. In house maintenence giving good availability of A/C which while cosmetically challenged are in good condition.
You'll be OK at Netherthorpe as well though.
Good luck, SB

[tacpot]

I can echo all of spernkey's comments. Derby is challenging but not desperately so. If you learn at Derby you will be able to land at most airfields in the UK. Although Derby has six runways, in practise only three of them are used on a regular basis (two are v. short and one is rarely favoured by the wind). As a grass airfield, taxing can involve steering around muddy patches but that's no problem!

East Midlands is a totally different environemnt. One concrete runway means lots of cross-wind practise! Full Air Traffic Control means you don't feel like you have quite the same responsiblity as you do at Derby (of course, you do!). But if you learn at a small grass airfield outside controlled airspace you might struggle to operate into a big airfield with full Air Traffic and controlled airspace to negotiate.

In summary, in the short term you will be happier operating in the sort of environment you trained. in. I trained at Deerby and was very happy with the quality of the instruction. I have also trained at East Midlands, and can say that the staff at East Midlands Flying School are very professional. The Air Traffic Control at East Midlands is very efficient, and while there might be odd occasion when you have to orbit on the downwind leg waiting for wake turbulence to subside, the experience of being No 2 to a 737 is worth it! I've often been cleared to take-off ahead of commercial traffic because we can be out of their way quicker than they can be out of ours (again due to wake turbulence). My experience is that delays at East Midlands are no different to delays at Derby.

All the comments for Derby also apply to Netherthorpe (except for the quality of the instruction as I have no experience of the schools at Netherthorpe).

I would advise making your decision based on the reason you want to fly: If you want to fly as a career and are looking to get into commerical operations as soon as you can, learn at East Midlands. If you are looking to do anything else, learn at Derby and then try East Midlnds for your IMC or Night Rating when you are ready to do these.

[Chilli Monster]

You really are spoilt for choice to be honest.

I learnt to fly at Nottingham. Instructor turnover isn't that high, it's a good standard of instruction, and there is the equipment to "move up" if you so wish. (I went from being a student PPL to having Night, IMC and a Twin rating there).

Derby - Can't knock the Jones family at all. I used to have the aircraft I had a share in maintained there. Challenging airfield but not difficult with the fleet you'll learn on. Standard of instruction is superb

East Midlands Flying School - I know a few of the instructors, and work at East Mids. Again - good fleet (albeit all single engined) and good standard of instruction. Delays are minimal (but I would say that ;) )

I'd pop along to each one - not necessarily to fly, but to see how each one "feels" to you and base your decision on this as well as what is said here.

[bigfoot01]

I must put in a vote for my place of Sheffield City Flying School. They have a good variety of planes to fly and it is a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The runway is nice and hard also, which I appreciate. :}

[derby_matt]

Thanks for all the replys. I'm going to have a look at a couple of them this week.

I'm not planning on flying for a living. I just want to be able to go flying with friends every couple of weeks. I think a smaller airport might suit me better but I've not ruled any out yet.

[Local Variation]

EMA can, if not careful, lead you into dropping it (excuse term) anywhere along the great length of 27/09 tarmac without major concern, which in turn can provide you with problems when you then visit shorter field.....I think I would struggle to get in first time round at Netherthorpe.

For this reason, students at EMFS pop across to Tollerton and Hucknall to practive circuits and landing into shorter strips. This also helps reduce the effects of congestion at EMA in holding on the ground and in the circuit. That said and has already been said, you won't find anyone at EMA who can't handle crosswinds as well as windsheer from the DHL building on 09.

".........the experience of being No 2 to a 737 is worth it!"

Even better, when you have BA Concorde at Alpha, being told to wait whilst you potter overhead the M1 down short finals.;)

East Mids ATC are very very good and patient with us all - eh Chilli Monster.:D

[Rod1]

Hi Matt,

You have a PM,

Good luck wherever you learn!

BR,
Rod

[combineharvester]

The quality of the Cafe has to be a big consideration, popped into tollerton last week on a nav ex with a student. The flapjack on offer was second to none. Good atmosphere about the place too! give them a visit!

[camaro]

Derby Matt
As a long-time, active member of Sheffield Aero Club I can highly recommend Netherthorpe as a great place to learn to fly. Either with Phoenix (Aerobats and good value for money) or with Sheffield Aero Club (C152s/C172, slightly more expensive but with restaurant & bar and great social side).
If you want to pay us a visit, PM me and I'll gladly show you around.
Camaro

[derby_matt]

I'll be at Tollerton friday afternoon. I'm going to have a half hour flight to see what I think of it. Netherthorpe does seem like a good choice as well, so I'll probably have to go for a look round.

Hearing other peoples opinions has been really helpful. Its nice that no ones said anything bad about anywhere I was considering.

[EGBM]

Hi Matt, just to endorse the other comments you've received, good responses you've got there.

Briefly, I learnt at Derby, loved it. As a student from scratch I didn't realise it was a "challenging field" till people pointed out the runways were "short", I knew no different and thought them normal, though like Netherthorpe it makes the flying more accurate (a good thing) and keeps you on your toes (a good thing too). Petty downside is your flaps used to get a decent covering of sheep droppings (not a problem if you're not the owner) and last flights were at 6pm, though tonight I heard a 172 calling in to land well past 6.

We moved to Tatenhill to reduce "mud" problems and to allow late-evening access, which is also a nice field, and Margaret does great hot sandwiches and cakes. We like it there too and the instructors (some ex-Derby, incidentally) are fine in my opinion. Just when they thought they'd got rid of me...

We visit Netherthorpe for maintenance and that also is a nice field with a great clubhouse and very friendly service from the Bonsall brothers up there. So to summarise, yes, nothing bad to say about any but I'd personally rather choose fields like these than a big place, but that's just me.

Wherever you go, enjoy the experience, may bump into you one day (in a clubhouse preferably, on the ground).

Cheers!

[G-KELS]

Good Morning Derby Matt, You might say "I would say that" but I have been flying from Netherthorpe for 12 years and I have flown all over the country and some of europe and I have never found a better flying club. The Airfield is just right, learn to fly here and you will be capable of flying into and out of virtually any other airfield in europe (Netherthorpe has the shortest licenced runway in europe) The SAC instructors are superb and you can take advantage of the Student Frequent Flyer Scheme and train from al little as £94 per hour.
The Social side is also very good and the food is excellent in fact its worth joining just to use the resteraunt.
So there it is come and give is a try you wont regret it.
G-KELS:)

[fireflybob]

I would like also to put a plug in for the Sherwood Flying Club at Tollerton. We operate part-time on Thursdays and weekends although the aircraft are available during the week to PPLs. Currently we have two PA38s and a Warrior, althought the latter is currently mothballed as we are trialling a diesel powered Robin for three months which may lead to purchase of same and disposal of the Warrior.

We like to think we are a friendly club. In fact, we celebrate our 50th anniversary in July this year and are planning a "bash" to mark same. We have a diversity of experienced instructors, some of whom are or have been professional aviators.

We are tenants of Truman Aviation who have their own flying school. I dont think we see each other as rivals but rather as trusted colleagues. The aerodrome is under new management and, I happen to know, some quite big changes for the better are planned!

[ShyTorque]

G-KELS?
Aha! A totally unashamed, unbiased plug from the chairman of the committee of the SAC! :ok:

[rondon9897]

Dont go to any of them, go to a nice quiet airfield TATENHILL, only ONE flying school and not very busy at all, with plenty of uncontrolled airspace around.

Dont pick an airfield with short runways to learn to fly if you do not have too, is my advice and I would rule some of those choices mentioned above out.

Only downside of Tatenhill is its poor pilot facilities as with Derby they need some customer service advice on providing some customer accomodation that reflects the high price of learning to fly, they could both start with a comparison trip to a local golf club where members spend about a quarter of the money you will each year!

[captain_rossco]

Did a few of my exams at sherwood, very relaxed atmosphere and very nice crowd, a welath of exerience (in Peter and co), will be poppping back in soon before i forget what a plane looks like!

Regards
Rossco