Easiest Airfield to get to from Central London (without a car!)

[b-man]

Hello All,

Its been a dream to learn to fly ever since I was a boy and would like to start working towards my PPL but I dont have a car so the airfields are a little difficult to get to and was wondering if anyone else has been in this position and knows an easy flying school to get to by public transport,

many thanks,

Will

[b-man]

ok have just found this thread -

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=275895&highlight=london

which is great but it doesnt really discuss location vs PPL training. Any thoughts on the best combination of PPL instruction and cheapest/fastest transport links from london would be great

[edymonster]

Biggin Hill is realtively easy to get to. You get a train to Bromley South from either Blackfriars or Victoria then get a bus (358 i think) which takes you directly to the airport. The whole journey should take about an hour from the train leaving the station, if all goes well.

[stray10level]

When i was training i cycled from Home to Kings Cross Station, took the train to Sandy then cycled 12 miles through lovely country side to Little Gransden. It helped me prepair mentally for the learning. Driving is a stressfull thing and it doesnt put you in the best frame of mind to take all the info in i found (unless it was raining:(). So if your not against cycling then any of them would be easy to reach. Gerrards Cross station to Denham is only a couple of miles, likewise Boreham Wood to Elstree Etc!

[S-Works]

I flew into Elstree every day during the summer and got the tube to work at Edgeware Road.

They have a couple of training schools on site one of which bought my old 152 . A very in demand aircraft as it is full IFR with GNS430 etc!

[scooter boy]

B-man, I think the answer is that there is no airfield which is quick to get to from central London by public transport :(. I have tried most of them (by helicopter and fixed wing) and they usually involve a flight, a (road) taxi, a slow (zone 4) tube or a fast train and then a fast tube polished off with another taxi or a walk. I include Battersea in this which is far too overpriced and inconveniently located to be of any further use to me.

My current favourite is Denham :ok:. Nice people, good attitude, reasonable transport link but still not in possession of fantastic links.

Can you imagine how succesful a new GA airport would be if it had a rapid and conveniently placed tube stop?

We can dream,
SB

[Arclite01]

North Weald ?

[stray10level]

If you assume your start point to be St Johns Wood, then a ten minute cycle to Marylebone station, followed with a half an hour train to Gerrards cross and another ten minutes on the bike will have you at denham. Door to door in under an hour, not too onerous for someone used to getting around London i would have thought!

[172driver]

Denham is the only one I can think of. Chiltern Trains are among the better train operators and operate from Marylebone Station, so you start/finish pretty centrally. Depends a bit on where in London you live, of course.

[Miserlou]

Shoreham is close to public transport, too. Train to Brighton, change and then Shoreham.

[robin]

>>I flew into Elstree every day during the summer and got the tube to work at Edgeware Road.<<

Bose-X

(Pedant mode on)

I think you mean Edgware tube station. Edgware Road station is a long way into town.

(Pedant mode off)

Elstree gives access to either the BR lines at Elstree or Watford. Alternatively you can acces the tube at Edgware or Stanmore.

The problem is you would need a taxi or a good friend to get there.

[IO540]

Doesn't the Worthing to Victoria train stop at Shoreham? It used to. But anyway that would be a 1hr+ trip.

Elstree is a filthy place. It needs somebody with a broom to sweep the tarmac of the stones. I reckon the residents spend a fortune on prop overhauls. The renters were probably never taught about this so they don't worry. Then somebody should go to B&Q and gets a few bags of cement and fill the holes. No.... it would cost too much, nobody would pay.

[Kolibear]

North Weald ?

N/W is unlicensed so there are no training schools there.

Its also a complete sod to get into as you end up driving in a spiral, up the M11 and then right round the lanes and peri track. :*

All airfields are stuck in the middle of nowhere - I don't believe there is a single one that is easily accessible by public transport. There is a large one to the west of London that doesn't even have a main-line railway connection!

[gcolyer]

I flew into Elstree every day during the summer


Summer of what year???:}

[S-Works]

I worked on Edgware road for LU and got the tube into Baker Street/Edgeware Road.

Summer 2 years ago, I barely missed a day due to weather!

[False Capture]

White Waltham.

London Paddington to Maidenhead by train will take you 32 minutes.

Maidenhead Train Station to White Waltham Airfield by bus (either the 7A or 7B) will take you 15 minutes, one bus departs every 15 minutes. The drivers usually drop you outside the front entrance of the airfield if you ask them. Two minutes later you'll be in the club house of West London Aero Club.

[VFE]

From memory it's about £10 in a taxi from the station to Elstree airfield.

VFE.

[S-Works]

Yep, or about 15 minutes on my folding bike!!!

[pumper_bob]

Theydon Bois on the central line is just over 3 miles from Stapleford, taxi is about £6 and a cycle ride of 10 mins so i would say that is reasonably accessible? Just had a look on Google Earth and its only 2.5 miles from Upminster bridge to Damyns Hall, it has an ATZ on the half mil so does anyone know of any training there?

[trevs99uk]

Damyns Hall has a couple of Microlight schools.

see....

http://www.microlightsport.co.uk

[Thirty06]

Eagle at Luton ?

Thameslink to Luton airport Parkway, station shuttle bus, car park bus, walk a bit.

Fast train from King's Cross is pretty quick.

Pro: Good instruction, well maintained aircraft, reliable operation
Con: Not cheap, not massively pricey, but not cheap. No solo circuits at Luton (do them elsewhere, so not too bad) sometimes long waits to get back in with commercial traffic (very little waiting to depart though).

[Mini fan]

Damyns Hall is about 10 mins away from me. Not very big. New Helicopter training opened there.

Potentially quite easy to get to London if you could get someone to give you a quick lift to Upminster station.

From there it's 15-20 mins c2c train into Fenchurch Street.

Non motorised/public transport to station is not really an option as it's a narrow country lane into Upminster. I wouldn't recommend cycling as it's also used as a bit of a traffic beating commuter road so people hammer down there 60+ enjoying the twisties. Myself included :E

[sheesh123]

A tube to stanmore station and a 10 minute taxi journey to elstree

[Keef]

Liverpool Street to Rochford, bike or taxi to London Southend Airport.

There is a plan, timing I don't know, to build a railway terminal next to the field. That may, of course, drive out all the flying clubs.

You get full ATC, radar, NDB and ILS, and several clubs to choose from.

[Kyprianos Biris]

Theydon Bois on the central line is just over 3 miles from Stapleford, taxi is about £6 and a cycle ride of 10 mins so i would say that is reasonably accessible?
That was the very reason I chose Stapleford in 1990 for my PPL training.

http://hellasga.com/gallery/albums/athens_london/DSC00500s.sized.jpg

I had no car to drive and I had to take the tube each time to get there and then a 5' mini cab ride to the airfield. Nowadays it is easier to get a mini cab from Debden, the station before TB on the Central line.
Just call Stapleford and they'll give you the phone number to call.
On some sunny days when I got there earlier I walked all the way from TB station to the airfield. I believe it was some 45' walk through nice country roads of Essex !
I can still remember these endless hours in the tube as well as the days when I went there and got some flights canceled due to marginal weather and had to take the train back to c. London :*

[Kyprianos Biris]

Theydon Bois on the central line is just over 3 miles from Stapleford, taxi is about £6 and a cycle ride of 10 mins so i would say that is reasonably accessible?
That was the very reason I chose Stapleford in 1990 for my PPL training.
http://hellasga.com/gallery/albums/athens_london/DSC00500s.sized.jpg
I had no car to drive and I had to take the tube each time to get there and then a 5' mini cab ride to the airfield. Nowadays it is easier to get a mini cab from Debden, the station before TB on the Central line.
Just call Stapleford and they'll give you the phone number to call.
On some sunny days when I got there earlier I walked all the way from TB station to the airfield. I believe it was some 45' walk through nice country roads of Essex !
I can still remember these endless hours in the tube as well as the days when I went there and got some flights canceled due to marginal weather and had to take the train back to c. London :*

[b-man]

I've spent hours looking at the sites and phoning round on the basis of all the reccomendations, so first off, thanks very much for all the suggestions.

just for the benefit of others reading this thread in the future, I have come to several conculsions

1. From central london (holborn) Stapleford is by far the easiest to get to - Direct on the central line - no changes - 30 mins. then cab ride.

2. I definately would like to learn on a low wing piper rather than a high wing cessna due to the visability, and (if we ever have any!) to be in the sun.

however as nothing in live is perfect i have also found the following about stapleford http://www.flysfc.com/ -

1. They dont have any 2 seater piper pa-38s
2. For the seems to be really bloody expensive in comparison to lots of the other places ive looked at (160ph dual on a piper pa-28 warrior) - is there any reason for this that I am missing?

the only reason i ask this as biggin hill schools seem to have Pa-38s availiable for between 110-120 ph - thats quite a significant difference per hour. All I can think is that the other prices at the other airfields dont include landing fees? is there anything else im missing?

[tmmorris]

160/hour dual in a Warrior's not that bad - it's a much more expensive aircraft to operate than a Tomahawk. Perhaps you should get over your C152 prejudice (I used to have one too - I learned on the Tomahawk)...

Tim

[Thirty06]

160 GBP per hour, it seems a little above average at first glance, but only a little.

I note that the costs at Stapleford include landing fees at Stapleford. that can be quite a saving on circuit details.

Alouette flying club are listing 7GBP per touch and go and 18GBp for a full stop.
a typical circuit detail might involve six landings in an hour. that would add about fifty quid to a one hour circuit detail.

I just looked at my log book and there's a lot of excercise 12 and 13.

A total of approximately 159 landings during the course. They weren't charged for, so I used to keep it tight and practice a lot of landing. (okay so I took a fair bit more than minimum time to pass too.)

All in all, the pounds per hour you save might be offset by landing fees.

You might want to revise your opinion of the c152, yes they are a bit cramped, but they're easy to fly and low wings have their problems too. A bit of shade can be nice in the summer.

I see that Stapleford have a Super Cub...

It might be worth checking the exact basis of the rates that are being charged. It's usually brakes off to brakes on, that will include taxi time and waiting at the hold while a load of other people have all the fun.

Some schools charge tacho hours, which are different in length to regular hours.

I've seen charges based on take off to landing plus fifteen minutes which takes care of the taxying and holding.

Holding can be particularly annoying, I recall lining up for on my GFT and realising that it had already cost me forty quid. Orbiting on return is annoying too, but at least you get a bit of practice doing maths (one two minute turn = four quid, two two minute turns = eight quid).

[Redbird72]

Further to the earlier response, Southend Airport is just over a mile and a half from Rochford Station, which is a very manageable distance on foot (As the line runs past the Airport perimeter - even less from a slam-door train!!). Trains from Liverpool St. are pretty regular seven days per week.

It really depends on what side of London you live in?

[lc_aerobatics]

Victoria - Bromley about 18 min on fast train.
Bromley to Biggin about 20 min, Busses 320 and 246.
Cheers
LC
Give us a call 01959 540054/540400