Schools near Liverpool?

[Tonic wine]

Hi All
Does any one have any views or on the Helicentre Liverpool good and bad? As i am thinking of doing my PPL and they are the nearest training school to me. Your advise would be a lot of help.

Cheers

[JTobias]

I've not got any personal experience of using them but a colleague of mine has and is very complimentary about them. From what I have heard personally, I would endorse that.

[Tonic wine]

Cheers JTobias

[Crieff-ite]

I have had dealings with Helicentre Liverpool over the past 7 years, with the past owner and the current and in all honesty, I haven't a bad word to say about them.
Personally, I think that doing your training in a nice busy airport in class D airspace will stand you in good stead (that's my opinion, others may say different :o).
Give them a call, pop in for a coffee and let them give you the grand tour.
Wherever you go, I'm sure you'll have fun and enjoy :ok:
Best wishes
C.

[ROTORVATION]

Instructors = First Class.
Fleet = Pretty Impressive
Liverpool Airport = Accomodating For Ga (for A Busy Airfield)

Caution - Watch The Owner, She'll Charge You For The Air You Breath When Your On The Premises.

I've Been Knocking Around There For Long Enough To Know. The're A Good Flying School, Just Make Sure You Keep A Tight Fist Around Your Wallet, And Don't Get Suckered Into Courses That She Charges At 500% The Going Rate Of Everywhere Else.

[cyclic flare]

How much are they charging at Liverpool

You sholuld look at landing fees, circuit costs etc This can add a massive amount on to your overall bill.

Liverpool is an International Airport and No question they do not want GA on the field. Your a pain in the arse to them.

Quote
"I think that doing your training in a nice busy airport in class D airspace will stand you in good stead (that's my opinion, others may say different :o).

It will stand you in good stead you will really master your hovering because you will be hovering on the grass for an eternity waiting for a clearance

Liverpool no you would be much better at Barton several schools to choose from

[Bravo73]

Liverpool no you would be much better at Barton several schools to choose from


Hmmm, you wouldn't happen to instruct at Barton, would you, cf? :hmm:

[Efirmovich]

Strange that CF is suggesting Barton after an earlier post of his ?
Quote,
Barton Airfield Manchester is now charging £18.80 Landing fee and £18.80 per hour or part of to operate on the extremely small helicopter training area.

I occassionally operate on Barton so im not really effected but the home schools are faced with costs £37.60 per hour / or part of.

They are obviously anti helicopter they have also now decided to charge landing fees to all helicopter club members (previously free included in the club subscription of around £200 per year) ??

E. :confused:

[JTobias]

I operate from Barton and will agree that they are don't do any (financial) favours for Helicopters. I have a fixed wing landing contract which allows me to land all day every day for a fixed fee of about £300. Not the same with my helicopter where I pay (in comparison) an extortionate amount for landings. I fly 2/3 times per week from Barton and it costs a fortune when compared to the operating costs of my Heli. They are very friendly and I have absoluteley no problems with the tuition, facilities or the very dedicated team there, but the new owners are squeezing money out of heli operators.

It does annoy me that my heli hardly ever touches the runway but I have to pay a landing fee!!

You will have to balance the facilities at Liverpool and the delays for clearance etc with travelling to Barton and their fees to be able to work out which is better for you.

Joel

[cyclic flare]

Bravo 73

Efirmovich answers your question with my previous post, I occassionally fly from Barton. They have changed it slightly at Barton where you now pay a monthly fee for airfield use plus landing fees. Barton is a good field with friendly people / ATC who actually care about the students but they dont set the charges Peel holdings the airfield owners do. They have seen off Lancs Aero Club one of the longest of established fixed schools in the country

I have been instructing quite a while and flown at one time or another at all the fields and its not good in the north of England

Barton - Nice field bit small excessive fees
Liverpool Too busy excessive fees only one school
Hawarden - Rubbish opening times excessive fees £15 circuit
Blackpool - One of the major training fields. for helicopters in the days of Mike Cull who must of trained 60% of the AFIC's in the late 90's My FTO there although i dont live near it. Now they don't want helicopters on the field, although there stuck with the established FTO's. You have student pilots landing on the apron 100yards from where there unloading Jet 2 passengers. see there point

Still think Barton's a good place for student pilots

[Crieff-ite]

I fly in and out of Liverpool quite regularly and I find them (airport) quite accomodating. I've never been kept hanging around hovering over the grass.....infact it is the opposite, they want to get you in line and get you off as quick as possible. I can't speak for any of the training flights however, maybe they do keep them down at the bottom end hovering away, I honestly don't know on that one.
I'm in and out of Liverpool next week for a couple of days, so if the originator of the post wishes to pm me at the end of the week, then I will give him/her an unbiased and truthful opinion of exactly how long I am kept waiting anywhere.
One other thing to consider is which machine you wish to train on, 22, 300 or Enstrom. Liverpool tend to favour the 300. Blackpool the 22 (one 300 up there also). Barton.....altho I live in the area, I don't know anything about the schools there but I do see various Enstroms and a 22 over my house quite a bit and have seen them parked up there when I have landed at Barton, so I would say they belong at that field.....they call me Sherlock don't you know!

Make the phone calls, do the homework......cough at the bank balance and hope you enjoy

Take care

C.

[gusmagoo]

Hi there,
Firstly lets get one thing straight wherever you train, it's expensive.
I am a student pilot, training at Liverpool Helicentre, i chose the nearest school to my home, and was happy with their approach. Have a trial lesson and see what you think. I have found them to be very professional, friendly and helpful with all aspects of training.
You've got to weigh up costs against travel time and landing fees, (£7.50 at Liverpool) the aircraft you want to learn in and the direction you want to go when you've got your licence (ie pleasure or career)
My personal view is that if your flying for fun only, it doesn't matter where you train or what copter you choose, though remember your rating is for the helicopter model that you learn in, and no other...
I wanted to keep my options open so decided on the R22 (cheaper but harder to master than the Schweiser ALLEGEDLY.....Also i read somewhere that if you can fly a 22 you can fly anything!) I'm convinced that flying from a fairly busy international airport is a bonus for a career pilot, you learn a lot and have to have your RT sorted before you can go solo.
I've never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to get airborne, they seem to me to have a lot of time for GA planes and heli ops at Liverpool. I flew my first solo circuit from there on 1st June and got a "Well done" from the tower on my return. All the hover practice is done at Yankee at the far end of the field. I think the school is competatively priced...
I could go on but if you want to get a students opinion pm me and you can ring me....
Liverpool is the nearest for me and when i rang the schools at barton (during office hours) and left messages on their answer phones i didn't get any replies!