15 Min Aeroplane Trial Lesson

[Whopity]

Couldn't help but notice this company advertising on Pprune Helicopter Lessons and Flights, Super Car Driving, Aeroplane Lessons, Clay Shooting, Adventure001 - Gift Experiences (http://www.adventure001.com/index.htm) especially AA215.
30 min (approx) including a 15 min flight Has anyone done one of these? How do you time it? Obviously not with a Hobbs! What happens if you don't have time to get airborne?

Surely its time the industry rejected such nonsense!

[poss]

At clubs i've been to and know of, these types of things are the best way of getting new student pilots and considering there is a bit of a problem with todays economic climate there are fewer student pilots so probably a good idea, for now. Having said that whats 15 minutes in an aeroplane, i'd have expected at least 30 minutes airborne time.

[madlandrover]

Trial lessons are a great way of getting people started, but doing one in 15 mins is pointless. Even 30 min ones can be tricky to get best training value out of, and I tend to find people who do the full hour get far far more than twice the experience of a 30 min lesson.

[Hansard]

I've done these silly 15 minute Trial Lessons on a Hobbs Meter, however, after a few, I asked the school not to book me for any more. All I could do was a circuit, I had concerns about the pressure affecting my airmanship and I felt as though the customer was being cheated.

[Say again s l o w l y]

It has been suggested to me in the past. A total waste of everyones time and effort. Also financially useless, any profit will soon be swallowed up by the extra cost of blown starter motors!

[ElitePilot]

Yeah totally agree 30 mins chock to chock is tough.
All it takes is a queue in the hold or a delay to rejoin the circuit and your in the :mad: even if your time is initially on the ball.
You run the risk of either short changing the customer or taking the rap overtime.

[Piper.Classique]

We do fifteen minute flights at my base, but it's a grass field with no other traffic, and the timing is take-off to touchdown. Yes, it's short but it is very cheap, and a lot of people come back for more. The flight is charged at member rates, it is just a taste of flight and it gets people through the doors who would hesitate at the idea of shelling out for an hour before they had even seen an aeroplane. Impossible to do at a busy airport I would have thought!

[Whirlybird]

Even 15 minute helicopter TLs are tough! And at least hovering is part of the whole experience, and we can usually depart and return quickly. But I hate them and really struggle to do them to time. In an aeroplane it must be next to impossible.

[VFE]

Coming soon: The 5 minute Trial Flying Lesson...

Open the port door and let them climb straight out the starboard door! :}

VFE.

[VFE]

It'd probably take longer than 5 minutes in most spamcans too once you explain how to clamber into the thing! Do ya recall the time Frank Spencer had a trial flying lesson and asked if he could have a seat next to the window as he walked out to the C152? I make a similar gag to TL punters everytime "you can have a seat next to the window" :}

VFE.

[poss]

Coming soon: The 5 minute Trial Flying Lesson...

Open the port door and let them climb straight out the starboard door! http://static.pprune.org/images/smilies/badteeth.gifHaha!
'Enjoy a 5 minute, life changing experience to see... the cockpit!'
The local helicopter training school had 10 minute trial flights a few weeks back, which I thought to be a complete waste of money. :ugh:

[A Very Civil Pilot]

It sounds a little like getting around the scenic flight/AOC issue to me.

[Say again s l o w l y]

http://www.cargurus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/can-of-worms.jpg