Cheapest way to obtain a PPL?

[A318_LCY]

Hi, hope everyone has had a nice new year and christmas!!

I've been looking to get my PPL and having looked at prices in the UK (London) and im not sure i can afford it, some flying schools quote £9000-12000. What i ask is, is there another european country where you can get the same training for a realitivly reasonable price. I am looking to gain it during the summer period so wouldnt mind travelling to another counrty if there is a significant price difference.

Thanks alot
:ok:

[AlexXeno]

Wolverhampton does an intensive course for about 6k with accomodation?

[wsmempson]

I t depends what you want to do with your ppl - if you plan to go down the commercial route, the cheapest may not be the best route in the long term.

You may choose to have a look at the possibility of doing a ppl in france, as you wlll get a JAR PPL at a reasonable price. There is an english lady who instructs down at Limoges....

Personally, I think in the UK you get what you pay for in the UK - pay peanuts, you get.....!

I learnt at BAFC at Booker and reckon that the flying school there is terrific; not cheap, but the earlier adage holds true!

[172driver]

The answer to this used to be straightforward - the US. However, since Sterling went diving, this may not be the case anymore. On the continent, there are a few schools in Spain where you can do a CAA/JAR PPL. The main advantage is obviously the wx. Another, often overlooked one, is the fact that (as in the US) you do fly in CAS quite a bit and get exposure to 'flying in the system'. Comes in very handy later in pilot life.

[FantomZorbin]

Flying Scholarship through the CCF/ATC! :E

Happy New Year to all.

[BackPacker]

What do you plan on doing with your PPL?

If you intend to go down the commercial route, then the cost of your PPL will not even be 10% of your total investment. Plus, as others have said, seeking out the cheapest provider might not be the best choice.

If you intend to fly for fun, saving 10% on your PPL will buy you, what, five flight hours once you've got your PPL? That's not a whole lot. Flying, at least spamcan flying on a PPL, is an expensive hobby in any case. If you cannot afford to spend at least some 2000 euros annually, don't even start.

But if you just intend to fly for fun, there are far cheaper methods of doing that than spamcans on a PPL. You can go gliding, paragliding and all other gliding variants. You can get an NPPL instead of a PPL. You can fly microlights. And so forth.

[Whopity]

Have a look here: Have a look here:Flying and riding holidays in the Limousin, France (http://www.nearlyheaven.com/)

[airborne_artist]

A GAPAN Scholarship, surely? Next round of applications are due in by the end of April or thereabouts.

[IO540]

Assuming you value your time at zero value, the cheapest way to do a PPL will always be in the USA.

If however you are learning to fly for a reason, rather than to just tick the "learn to fly" box and move on (as great many people do) this may modify the strategy.

[Mike Parsons]

Leave aside the different choice of countries to choose from and seeing which has the best exchange rate (seeing as euro is nearly 1:1).

Have a think about another factor which will result in gaining your PPL cheap as possible... Save up and do as many lessons per month as you can possibly do, two, three times a week is better than once a month. (This is what I am aiming to do - it's extremely hard work at weekends looking up at the sky and not flying, but I know the wait will be worth it - roll on April for me! :ugh:

This will help to be cheaper as such as you will not be forgetting the last lesson before the next resulting in hopefully lower amount of hours to the pass.

Mike

[vanHorck]

Mike,

Totally agree, however not more than one lesson per day. The intensity is such that doing a second lesson on the same day, I found the absorption levels dropped considerably.

Also do as much theory as early as possible so it does not restrict your flying development.

finally, indeed, doing it in a god weather country will reduce the risk of no-fly days (or weeks!) which could lead you to have "forgotten" some stuff.

In short only start after you ve accumulated the money

[Mike Parsons]

Top tip by vanHorck, thanks. I was contemplating doing a few early lessons 2 on a day, but I will be more patient and spread them out, at least over a weekend ;)

[Slipstream86]

NPPL/Microlights :)

[shortstripper]

As others have said, a lot depends on your ultimate aims. If you simply want to get a PPL as cheaply as possible, and you're in no rush? There are other options. For example ...

You could start by joining a gliding club or taking a gliding holiday. A two week gliding course for around (guessing now) £500, should see you go solo. You can then build on this experience to carry on gliding, or use it to go on and do a TMG, microlight or SEP NPPL. Any of these could then be converted cheaply to a full PPL. Convoluted maybe? But I'm sure it would be cheaper, and more importantly, you be a far more "rounded" pilot :ok:

SS

[IO540]

I think 2 a day is OK - after one has cracked the initial aircraft control bit. But not if flying circuits - they are incredibly stressful for most, I think (and largely pointless).

But intensive learning is certainly the key. And this is best done where the weather is nice, of course.

[englishal]

Even at current exchange rates you can get a brand new DA40 (180) with G1000 for £66 per hour dry....so the USA is still cheapest by far for better equipment. $44 will buy you a hotel room, and £340 a flight (California).

2x 2hr lessons per day (3hr flying realistically) is perfectly feasable especially when moving onto the solo phase - 1 session with instructor, 1 solo for example.

[Cricket23]

...and as far as keeping it cheap once you've got your PPL, then strip flying (as opposed to flying when stripped! :E) in a permit to fly jobbie, is probably the cheapest.

Cheers,

C23

[will5023]

Adding on to what Short Stripper said, if you want a cheaper route, go gliding, get to Siver"C" standard, which means cross-country soaring and then do a PPL conversion, 22yrs ago that route was 12hrs for conversion, might be more now but still saves you £'s. Or if CPL route, Australia is a cheaper option, and the only good exchange rate at the momment! Warm weather, beaches,cold beer....hang on i'll pack me bag.

[IO540]

If I was doing it, I would clock up a load of informal (unlogged) flight training with some plane owner, pass the writtens, get the medical, and then sod off to California for a couple of weeks and do the whole JAA PPL out there.

I did my IR in Arizona and flew 2x a day for 2 weeks. Clocked up about 25hrs of seriously hard and brain numbing flying. A PPL, assuming one can already fly VFR, is a piece of cake in comparison and doing 45hrs in 2 weeks is quite feasible if you can already do all the stuff and just need to legalise it. Jan/Feb is perfect in AZ - not too hot. But the JAA schools are all in Florida or SoCal.

It won't be a holiday but it will be an experience :)

[vanHorck]

Then stay on, and have your holiday, flying around at your leisure!

Go say hi in Peachtree Decalb, near Atlanta from me!

[moona]

If it purely for PPL flying with no ambitions of a comercial further down the line how about starting with an NPPL on motorgliders and save ££'s. :ok:

http://www.motorgliderclub.co.uk/ppl.htm
or
Learn to fly with Oxfordshire Sportflying at Enstone (http://www.enstoneaerodrome.co.uk/learntofly.htm)

I did my TMG rating a couple of years ago with Clive from the motorgliderclub, it was great fun. Just remember when you move onto the cessna's / pipers that turning the engine off in flight is normally frowned upon :rolleyes:

[Genghis the Engineer]

ditto microlights.

Or just join a gliding club, pay as you go, and see how far your flying goes.

G

[Captain Smithy]

Just my own opinion as someone who is in the latter stages of a PPL course, so feel free to disagree/criticise, but bear in mind that cheaper is not necissarily better.

I think the best way is to do the training in your own time at your own pace. There's no rush! If you have like me the intentions of going comercial in the future, remember the economic climate is a bit iffy at the moment so it's best not to rush... keeps you away from debt :E

I thought seriously about going to the States for my PPL, but decided I'd rather learn here at my own leisure, at my local airport and pay my own way along the road as I can afford.

Part of me wishes I'd gone to the States - I'd have had my PPL way before now and it probably would've been cheaper - but I'm not convinced I would've received the same standard of training I've had (not a bad word against schools in the States, rather a reflection of the excellent training I've had at my club here), I'd have had to cough up the £££ in one go rather than spending as I go, spreading it out more, and besides I've had plenty fun seeing my own country from the air as I learn. Not only do you learn about flying, you also learn a lot about your own country. I know I have.

It's your decision, but be aware of the advantages and disadvantages!

P.S. Some advice repeated Ad Nauseum, but nonetheless vital... NEVER HAND OVER LARGE SUMS OF MONEY IN ONE GO! Too risky.

Good luck whatever decision you make!

Smithy.

[Big Pistons Forever]

As an Instructor my experience has been that the greatest cost variable is how many hours it takes to complete the training, not the per hour cost, as most PPL's do not complete the course in the mandated minimum hours. Therefore the quoted costs usually understate the eventual actual costs. However I also feel that the number of hours required to complete the PPL is largely determined by how hard the student wants to work.

[IO540]

That is very true. The UK average is 55-65 depending on who one talks to. I did my JAA PPL in 2000/2001 in 65hrs and it cost me £8500 I think. Today it would be over £10000. It was also mega frustrating; one Oct-Dec period I booked a lesson a day (i.e. 90 lessons) and got just 3 lessons, mostly due to poor wx (OVC007 kind of stuff). This would drive anybody bonkers, as well as swelling the costs. Very few people have done it in 45hrs in the UK.

If one sticks to the thread subject, it is like I said earlier: if you value your time at nil, go to the USA. If OTOH you have to fit the training between "life" (which is what nearly all UK students do) then you have to accept the cost will swell and it is likely to take a whole year.

[englishal]

and do the whole JAA PPL out there.
Had I known what I know now, I wouldn't do the JAA PPL in the USA, but just the FAA PPL ;)

Typical cost for a nice new aeroplane (DA40-180 G1000 for ex) is about £5800 including accomodation and flight from LHR and 50 hrs based at $150 per hour. It'd probably cost less than this though (take off £300 for solo flights for example). Do it during a holiday.

My JAA PPL in Cali cost me $5000 back in 2000 with 63hrs old C172 (+ flights and accomodation at $40 per night).

[Davis1991]

I can honestly say that I've searched the web, and pretty much every flying club for the cheapest way to gain a PPL. But, the only way that has
proved succesful so far was joining the Air Training Corps and doing a flying scholarship, all of which is paid for by the organisation.

Or,

I'd go onto the Air League website and look at their scholarships and sponsorship. They can have some good offers and again, it's possible to get free training.

[Davis1991]

To be honest the cheapest and easiest way is to join the ATC and do a flying scholarship. It's paid for, includes accomodation and all flying training up to solo status.

www.aircadets.org.uk (http://www.aircadets.org.uk)

Apart from the Air league, I haven't come across an easier way yet.

:)

[E-n-i-g-m-a-8-3]

I did my NPPL over at Mona, on Anglesey in Wales. Total cost was around £4500, although you would have to add on the cost of accommodation to that. I did mine in an intensive course - I had allowed for two weeks, with the hope of having most of it done by then. I actually managed it in 10 days. The weather was on my side though, which allwed us to fly right through most days, and cover the theory in the evenings. The odd bad weather day allowed us to concentrate on exams.

CFI at Mona is highly recommended by me, indeed he was highly recommended to me by a colleague who was also trained by him.

Would I change anything if I could do it all again? Not a chance. It'll cost you a similar amount in america, and its just not the same. If you are looking to fly in the UK in the future, then train here. Makes sense.

Welcome to Mona Flying Club (http://www.flymona.com/mona.html) is the website. Rates are slightly out, it was £105 per hour (student) in G-BILS. That was back in July. (I think most of the rates are just +£10 on top of the rates on the site.)

And although it is a military aerodrome, the club is civilian, and members are mostly civilian there.

Hope that helps.