Aircraft Rental around London

[todd424]

I am a US FAA ATP pilot and I spend lots of time sitting around in Europe. I am currently in London would like to do some VFR pleasure flying. I am guessing the easiest way for me to do this is to rent an aircraft and flight instructor.

Extra thanks for warbird or aerobatic offerings!

Can I get some recommendations for this in London?

Thanks!

Todd
[email protected]

[todd424]

Sorry. Can you be a bit more specific. I am after all the product of the US public school system.

Thanks!

[smarthawke]

Try the British Airways Flying Club at Wycombe Air Park (up the M40 a few miles NW of London - 25 mins from Heathrow).

PA28-161 Warriors, PA28-236 Dakota and a DHC.1 Chipmunk to play with:

British Airways Flying Club (http://www.bafc.co.uk)

[172driver]

Todd424, it would help if you were a bit more specific which end of London you will be based at. This is a BIG place (I believe even by US standards ;) ). If you fly for one of the airlines, then you'll probably be somewhere in the west. One of the options out there are the various outfits at Denham airfield (Google it). This is also one of the places you can actually get to quite easily on public transport, which may be a factor in your case.

[AC-DC]

Todd
In what part of London do you stay? If you are at one of the airport hotels then you can go by taxi (I am not aware of any public transport) to Denham or White Waltham. If you are somewhere in West/North West London then you can use the underground and go to Elstree (EGTR). There are 3 clubs there that you will be able to hire:
1. Cab Air - Very good aircraft but ££££££££££
2. Flyteam Aviation - OK'ish but they have a Buldog that you can fly with an instructor.
3. Firecrest - Have no info. however they fly C-152/172.

Tel. numbers you can get from Pilot and Flyer mag's.

Good luck

[172driver]

I am not aware of any public transport) to Denham

Chiltern Rail from Marylebone, then a 10-15 min walk or taxi. AFAIK, you can also connect to this from the LHR area via another train, though never tried this one. There's also a bus going to LHR (takes ages, but gets you there. Tried that only once, years ago, not 100% sure if this still runs).

[DenhamPPL]

You'd have to be an Olympic medal winning long distance runner to get from Denham Railway station to the airfield in 10-15 minutes! Get a taxi;)

Highly recommend The Pilot Centre at Denham www.egld.com (http://www.egld.com)

They fly 172, PA28 and a Citabria.

Adam

[Duchess_Driver]

Olympic medal winner......my ar5e! It isn't that far. Even closer if you get off at the golf course! Busses do run from Uxbridge / Drayton.

...and don't forget the 152's and 182 at The Pilot Centre.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I'm going to guess that as an ATPL you're likely to be sat around near to one of Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. This offers several friendly airfields close to each:

From Heathrow: either Booker (Wycombe Air Park) or White Waltham.

From Gatwick: Biggin Hill

From Stansted: North Weald.


Google any of them and you'll find a reasonable selection of interesting clubs (what you'd know as FBOs, although we don't generally use the term here) with interesting aeroplanes - including a few rather nice warbirds.

An FAA licence will be treated as a UK PPL/day/VFR for G-registered aeroplanes, without any additional paperwork so long as you stay in UK airspace.


For the record, I fly a 1947 Stinson Voyager from Booker and had you posted yesterday, I could have invited you to come and join me for a 5 hour extravaganza to the Welsh coast and back. By all means PM me next you're in the UK and give me an excuse.

You will however, I warn you now, be shocked by the rental prices here compared to the US (although with the weak pound, maybe not quite so frightening as it was).

G

[172driver]

You'd have to be an Olympic medal winning long distance runner to get from Denham Railway station to the airfield in 10-15 minutes!

Great! Where do I apply for inclusion in the next Olympics team? ;)

[todd424]

I'm a corporate guy so I don't usually stay close to the airplane. We usually end up near central London in a Marriott (Kensington, Marble Arch, Swiss Cottage, etc). I am prepared to travel up to 120 minutes via public transport to and from if necessary though that is not preferable.

I appreciate all the help, it is greatly appreciated! Does anyone do flights in the T-6/SNJ or other warbirds?

Sightseeing, light acro, fun is what I'm after.

I appreciate all the help thus far, it is greatly appreciated!
Todd

[Genghis the Engineer]

Well London puts you at the centre of a pretty good rail system. Two possibilities I'd offer that shouldn't be much over an hour: Booker (High Wycombe Railway station then about 10 minutes by taxi) has two clubs (Wycombe Air Centre and British Airways Flying Club) with the usual collection of Pipers and Cessnas, plus BAFC has a rather lovely Chipmunk.

Popham airfield (Micheldever station then 45 minutes walk, or 5 minutes by taxi) has a range of stuff going on, including a couple of hireable Cessnas, a microlight (closer to LSA than the US ultralight category) school and a small company doing aerobatic training in a Pitts.

Both, needless to say, are in the middle of some great aerial sightseeing.

No doubt somebody can add some other options.

G

[sargon]

When I lived in Central London I used to go to North Weald and the Tiger club at Headcorn.
You can get to North Weald by catching the central line to the end, Epping as I recall, and then catching a taxi.
Headcorn is about an hour out of London from Charing Cross and the airfield is about 3 miles away. I used to take a bicycle but again you can get a taxi.

You can get train timetables online from National Rail Enquiries - Official source for UK train times and timetables (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk)

North Weald has got a number of interesting aircraft as well as the usual Pipers and Cessnas. If you want to fly a Jet Provost Swords Aviation Swords Aviation > UK Premier Jet Operator & Jet Pilot Training Provider (http://www.swordsaviation.co.uk) are based there and for more normal planes there is the North Weald flying group North Weald Flying Group - flying group and flying club for hour building and IMC training taking your PPL further (http://www.northwealdflyinggroup.co.uk).

Headcorn has got the Tiger club Tiger Club.Home (http://www.tigerclub.co.uk) which only deals with tailwheel aircraft ranging from Turbulents through to Tiger Moths and a Cap 10C.

I haven't had anything personally to do with the North Weald clubs, I just googled them but I was a member of the Tiger Club for a while and really enjoyed it. The Tiger clubs prices go from £60 an hour for the Turbulent to £185 an hour for the Cap10C according to their website.

Hope this is of some help. Not quite sure why the links are showing up as they are.

[rv9abuilder]

Here's my 2 cents worth...

North West of London
Denham has already been mentioned but not the fact that there are
Cirrus SR22 aircraft

Panshanger (train to Hertford/Welwyn Garden City & cab 60mins)
Aircraft: Extra 300 / Pitts / PA28 East Herts School of flying

North East of London

North Weald (not sure which train probably take a total of 75mins)
Aircraft: Possibly a T6...needs further investigation

South East of London

Biggin Hill (train from Cannon Street/Victoria +cab 60mins)
Usual spam cans

Slightly further afield is Duxford with their Tiger moth.

Have you checked the spare seats section?

pm me if you want a ride in a chipmink or maule from a farm strip that is 75mins from London

[todd424]

So...here I am again....bored to tears in London (Paddington Station). I will be sitting around until Aug 11 and am looking for some fun flying.

Anything new & different?

[airborne_artist]

Chipmunk at BAFC (http://www.bafc.co.uk/gift-flights/the-classic-lesson.aspx) rock your boat?

http://www.bafc.co.uk/media/14663/20070503-img_3331_med.jpg

[Torque Tonight]

A couple of T-6s at Shoreham.

Jump on a train from London Victoria to Brighton (49mins if you time it right). Short train journey from Brighton to Shoreham. 15 min walk to Shoreham airport or 5 mins in a cab.

Warbird Flying, AT6 Harvard, DeHavilland Chipmunk, Gift Flights, Chipmunk, Texan, Tail Wheel, Royal Flight, Airshow (http://www.warbirdflying.com/)

[todd424]

Thanks for the pointers! British daytime TV is killing me!

Cheers!

[mjc123]

How about White Waltham... Paddington to Maidenhead train station - takes about 40 mins. Maidenhead St to WW Airfield probably around 10mins in a cab. There is quite a lot of aeros going on from the airfield as well. West London Aero Club - Home (http://www.wlac.co.uk/)
If you fly into LHR you will probably have seen it on certain approaches under the left-hand wing...

[smarthawke]

Or try a bit of glass also at the British Airways Flying Club (http://www.bafc.co.uk/), their Piper PA28-236 Dakota is the first European customer aircraft (and available for hire) to be equipped with the Garmin G600 glass cockpit upgrade.

[007helicopter]

Todd, when I was in the US I got some great opprtunities to share flights and be taken out for a few rides so as a return gesture if you want to come to Rochester EGTO , 1 hour from Victoria, I would be pleased to show you the local area VFR in our Cirrus SR22, no Aeros or warbirds but you can see the local countryside. Most evenings after 5pm work ok for an hour or so.

Cheers

Duncan