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destinationsky
27th Apr 2009, 18:41
This year i am finally taking the plunge. After years of saving, i am finally ready to undertake my PPL. The Flyer show at the weekend has given me the kick up the a*se that i needed.
I would love to do the training in Florida due to the obvious weather and money benefits. I am going over in July with my family for a holiday and to look at a few schools. i would like to start training in september. Does anybody have the same plans or would anybody fancy joining me?
Im a 25 year old male and this is the first step to flying professionally. My Dad has Alzheimers, and if anything, this has encouraged me to get on and do the things i want to do. life is too short!:)

wis3384
27th Apr 2009, 18:50
Love your ambitions!!!

i wish you all the luck you need and have fun in flying!!!!

:D

destinationsky
27th Apr 2009, 19:03
thanks very much. its hopefully going to be step 1 on the road to the right hand seat of an airliner! long way to go yet!

johnc21
27th Apr 2009, 20:03
Hi destinationsky

I know you say you are going to view some schools, but any initial thoughts on where you may be thinking of going?

alkatifa
27th Apr 2009, 20:11
Good on ya destinationsky!

I was there myself at Flyer. Just got home today (Portugal) and I am too weighting my choices :)

destinationsky
27th Apr 2009, 20:34
hi johnc21. i ahve been looking at 3 so far. www.flyeft.com (http://www.flyeft.com), ukft.com and flyoba.com. also looking at orlando flight training. im over there for 2 weeks in july so i hope to go around them all and maybe have a trial lesson in each. some of the schools there are afflilated with schools over here eg cabair so they should be pretty good. i think most of the schools are run/owned by ex british pilots anyway.

destinationsky
27th Apr 2009, 20:56
wow alkatifa, thats dedication! did you find it was worth travelling all of that way?
johnc21, i have been looking at orlando flight training, flyoba.com, ukft.com and flyeft.com. i am over there for 2 weeks so i aim to visit all 4 and maybe do a trial lesson at each. the schools i have looked at are either affiliated with training schools in the uk or are operated by ex pat uk pilots. the only reason the ex pat pilot thing is important is because they will have experience of flying here as well as there. the costs range from $4000 to about $7000. waaaay cheaper than here! what are your plans?

johnc21
27th Apr 2009, 21:24
Hi destinationsky

Well my plans at the moment are to study in Ireland for the PPL exams, get them done and then consider flyeft.com to complete the flying and depending on how I get on out there I may consider going back for more advanced training.

destinationsky
27th Apr 2009, 21:54
i have applied for the GAPAN PPL scholarship so if i get that (which i highly doubt!) i will train over here this summer then go over to florida to build up the hours. if i dont get it, the plan is to go to the usa anyway. to be honest, i like the idea of florida so i get to see a bit of the world whilst doing something i enjoy.
i considered starting the ppl here and completing over there but apparently, it looks better to potential employers if you complete your training in one place.
are you doing the ppl for fun or with a view to becoming an airline pilot?

johnc21
27th Apr 2009, 22:02
Hi DS

Yes my hopes are to get an airline position, but not to be negative but speaking for myself trying to get equity or a loan is very difficult at the moment. But my hopes go on, I will get there eventually. I just need this country to get its act together and start a few bob rolling out from the banks again.

All I can say is the dream will never die and one day it will be reality..I know that.

destinationsky
27th Apr 2009, 22:10
yeah its a pain in the backside. i have enough saved for the ppl and possibly enough to build the hours required for the cpl. the other benefit about the usa is most courses include a night rating which is an extra £800 here.
i got an offer to begin training with CTC on their wings icp programme. problem is, i cant get hold of £66k!
my plan is to get the ppl and apply to atlantic airlines' cadet scheme. have you heard of it? how old are you if you dont mind me asking???

johnc21
27th Apr 2009, 23:15
I am 26, I heard of it but I do not know too much about it to be honest.Enlighten me..

destinationsky
28th Apr 2009, 07:24
the airline is based in coventry, they fly a wide range of aircraft ranging from a few ATP's to a few Electra's. not quite sure what else. i also heard that they are taking delivery of their first 737 in the next few weeks. the scheme is a bonded one wherby my understanding is that they take a bond out in your name and when training is completed and upon entering service, you pay the money back over 5 years. little financial risk as far as i can see as everything is arranged for you.
you work for the airline for a certain period, working in ops, the engineering dept, sweeping floors, driving pilots about etc. they pay you a basic wage and provide accomodation foc in coventry. after you have worked for them for awhile, you move up to leeds and train at multiflight for the cpl/ir, mcc and atpl.
the flying is all done by hand as most of the aircraft do not have sophisticated auto pilot systems, which obviously turns you into a better pilot. the flying jobs range from normal transport duties to spraying oil slick dispersant over oil spills in the sea at 50ft asl!
the guy i spoke to was 21 and already a first officer on the electra. it was this that gave me the kick up the a*se, it made me think, what the hell have i been doing for the last 5 years!
entry requirments are the normal educational stuff, a class 1 medical, full driving license and a ppl. the scheme seems to be more about the person than the hours you have in your logbook. have a look at www.multiflight.co.uk (http://www.multiflight.co.uk) (i think!) and have a hunt around the site, the atlantic airlines info is on their somewhere!

destinationsky
28th Apr 2009, 14:43
hi grobmaster
flyairorlando.com rent the cirrus at $229-$249 per hour. i think the $175 (£123) is a bargain! it seems like a cracking deal when you consider that it costs the same if not more to hire a pa28 over here, and you are getting a much nicer aircraft to fly!

Sam Rutherford
28th Apr 2009, 16:08
There is a sticky about training in the US - have a look at it.

The missus did her ppl at OFT just over a year ago, and it went well. You should know, though, that you will ALWAYS pay more than the figure quoted.

Take a look at the sticky, then go for it.

Enjoy, flying is great!

Sam.

destinationsky
28th Apr 2009, 17:12
thanks Sam. i guess even if you train over here, it will always cost more! how long did it take her to complete? any ideas of figures?
thanks!
Mike

destinationsky
28th Apr 2009, 19:25
loads to think about i know! i think the weather factor is a major thing. over here, it may take 3-4months to do 45 hours because of the crap weather we get. i also want to go and get some "life experience" too. i would like to see other countries and i guess it can only be a good thing of getting flight time in other airspace. thanks for the advice though!
dont think i would ever pay upfront for this type of thing. i know a few people who have been bitten by the promise of cheaper flying if they pay their money on booking. waaaay too much risk. ive worked hard enough to get my finances and there is nooooo way i will put any of it in jeopardy!

airborne_artist
28th Apr 2009, 20:18
it may take 3-4months to do 45 hours because of the crap weather we get

If you committed yourself seven days a week for 28 days at an airfield in the East of England in summer I reckon you could easily do 45 hours. I did 44 hours as a student in 18 flying days in June one year, and only flew 0800-1700 Mon-Fri.

hightower1986
28th Apr 2009, 20:45
I came to New Zealand to do my PPL bit cheaper than the Uk but it was more like you say for some life experience and have a change of scenery. only had 3 days of light rain in 2 months but saying that it has Pi**ed it down for about a week now so no flying. Hard work doing all the exams quickly id reckon, but many people do it here or in the USA and spend 3-4 weeks to get there PPL, but if like me you can have longer, 2-3 months then do as it will be far more enjoyable without the stress of time! Flights are obviously a bit cheaper to the US but you have to bonus of no Americans here:ok: :}

Keygrip
28th Apr 2009, 23:10
Weather wise.... be aware that the Atlantic hurricane season officially runs through end of November....


He's right, it does....and the hurricanes have caused some six, maybe seven, days of "No Fly at base" weather over the last four years.

shaun.s
29th Apr 2009, 13:10
I was at the Flyer show as well and came back with exactly the same plan! So perhaps I'll be seeing you at the next Atlantic selection after this summer.
I'm deciding between staying at home and doing the PPL over the summer with a local school (probably Prestwick) or getting myself over to Florida. Let us know what you think of the various schools, unfortunately I'm not able to go out first and check them out. The guy we would both have spoken to from Atlantic did his at Ormond Beach, his opinion being that you were very much getting what you paid for.
Good luck anyway!

destinationsky
29th Apr 2009, 13:28
was it John you spoke to? i think that was his name anyway!
the only problem i have with going to florida is getting the time off work. im trying to approach the subject with my employer at the moment!
have you applied to any other scheme yet?

destinationsky
29th Apr 2009, 13:30
hi hightower
did you go out there alone or did you find somebody else to go with?

shaun.s
29th Apr 2009, 15:44
I just got my letter from GAPAN today saying I'm not shortlisted for the PPL scholarship, which was obviously disappointing- clearly I didn't dazzle them enough on Saturday with the aptitude test!
I think it was John, Irish accent? Seemed like a nice guy, certainly very helpful. I've got an application on hold with OA/Netjets, but even if/when they do start recruiting again I doubt I'll find £60k. Ditto CTC. I'm going to hold off on Atlantic etc. until I've (hopefully) got the PPL this summer. A potential benefit of Florida is most of them do the night rating alongside the PPL which will be desirable for Atlantic in particular.
I'm lucky in the time off respect, I'm off uni for the summer and my p/t employer is pretty understanding about it if I decide do go away for a month, provided I decide ASAP! After I've got my exams out of the way I'll see about the Class 1 and settle on a school.

Asianberry
29th Apr 2009, 15:52
hey if get my qualifications in america will i be able to work in britain?

destinationsky
29th Apr 2009, 15:56
yeah that was my logic for florida too. the night rating here is an extra £800.
thats a shame about GAPAN. i sent my application off a few weeks back so im still waiting to hear. i didnt see them at the flyer show. was too busy dodging people to pay any attention!
you will have to email me and let me know if you are going to florida after your exams! [email protected] . i will let you know what i find when i go over in july ( if you havent already decided on a school in that time!)

destinationsky
29th Apr 2009, 15:58
hi asianberry
aslong as you do a JAR/JAA PPL it should be fine. even if you do an FAA one i think you can get it converted?! im sure somebody will correct me if i am wrong!

BackPacker
29th Apr 2009, 16:47
the night rating here is an extra £800.

The night rating does not have to be an extra. It can be integrated into the 45 hours you need to fly for the JAA PPL regardless of where you do the PPL. In fact, the five night hours are a mandatory element of the FAA PPL, and that's 45 hours too.

In Florida, or basically with any intensive course, you can expect to be ready for your PPL skills test with a little less than 45 hours so you can use some of the "extra" hours till the 45 to do the night hours.

OTOH, if you do a part-time course over a year you will find that there will be large periods (three weeks plus) where you don't fly because of weather, vacation or other external factors. This will cause you to lose proficiency and may lead to needing 60 hours or more to be ready for the basic PPL, without having flown at night. In that case the night rating is indeed an extra five hours, most of them dual. Plus in Europe you've got to worry about landing fees, which are sometimes higher at night. Hence the £800 price tag.

So it all depends on your aptitude and commitment whether you can do the night rating as part of the 45, or whether you need to do extra hours for it.

hey if get my qualifications in america will i be able to work in britain?
aslong as you do a JAR/JAA PPL it should be fine. even if you do an FAA one i think you can get it converted?

To work commercially you need a CPL or ATPL. For carriers in Europe, most likely a JAA CPL/ATPL. The entry for a JAA CPL/ATPL is an ICAO PPL. It does not have to be a JAA PPL, it can be an FAA PPL as well. Or even one from Botswana. So if you intend to go commercial anyway, and if you want to do your PPL + hour building in the US, you might as well go for an FAA PPL. It's probably a bit cheaper and it allows you to start hour building straight after passing the skills test (since the examiner will write you a temporary FAA PPL license on the spot, with the final one coming via mail a few weeks later). Plus, it gives you a much greater choice of schools - there's only four or five JAA schools in the US, and maybe hundreds of FAA schools.

Bear in mind though that you will probably need an M-1 VISA. For this you need some paperwork, which can only be issued by a SEVIS approved school. All part 141 schools are SEVIS approved, but not all part 61 schools are. This will limit your choice of schools quite a bit. Not as much as the choice for a JAA school will limit you, but still something to consider.

Leezyjet
30th Apr 2009, 00:15
Don't rule out South Africa.

Competetive prices, and NO visa required for PPL training. Weather in their winter is similar to what we get in the UK in summer and you will be issued with an ICAO ppl which is valid to start cpl/me/ir training in the UK. You can also fly a 'G' reg a/c in the UK with NO conversions, just a standard club check out - providing you stay in UK airspace. Also NO hurricanes to worry about and you get to do a little bit of "bush" flying, in terrain slightly more challenging than a flat Florida.

Do a search for some of the following South African flight schools to see what has been said about them on here :-

Algoa Flying Club
APTRAC
43 Air School
Progress Flight Academy

Just a suggestion.

:ok:

shaun.s
30th Apr 2009, 01:12
I've sent off a few emails about these schools, any idea of current prices there?
Although the SA PPL is valid here in the UK for general aviation, recreational flying, what would be involved in converting it properly into a full UK PPL?
Cheers for the information!

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 07:06
to be honest, i didnt consider south africa! i will give them a look!
thanks for the info!

BackPacker
30th Apr 2009, 08:06
Although the SA PPL is valid here in the UK for general aviation, recreational flying, what would be involved in converting it properly into a full UK PPL?

To convert a SA PPL (or any other non-JAA ICAO PPL for that matter) to a UK-issued JAA PPL essentially requires you to do all the ground exams plus the skills test again.

Only when you have more than 100 hours PIC experience are some of the ground exams waived.

Details in LASORS, section C1.2 and C1.3.

steve_uniacke
30th Apr 2009, 08:18
hey guys,

im in a similar position. I've been flying since january on and off, firstly in Cork, but because of "problems" with the Irish Aviation Authority not accepting my UK-JAR Class 1 medical (even though they are meant to according to JAR-FCL-1, but thats a different story.)

I went for a brief stint in the Ulster Flying Club in newtownards, UK, but the sheer expense and 5 hours travelling everyday for 45 mins flying due to weather, just wasn't worth it. So i packed it in for now and put the money back in the bank.

So... now i'm gonna working all summer but im free for a month in September, and I plan to go to florida to complete my training.

I have about 28 hours on C172s, a plane i really like. But to be honest I just wanna get the PPL outta the way and on to the hard stuff. :)

Ormond Beach seems to do a good deal, with a night rating included, seem relatively cheap and easy to get to on C152s/ Piper Warriors.

Naples and OFT seem to be other likely choices (with 172s and a slightly higher price), but i'd like to get some opinions from people....

Cheers

Steve

BackPacker
30th Apr 2009, 08:27
Steve, sounds like you have it all figured out already. Go for it!

One tip: don't wait too long for applying for the M-1 visa. I don't know about Ireland but the beginning of summer here in NL is the busiest time for the American embassy: All the Dutch students who passed their exams are then applying for their M-1 visas for their one-year college. Wait times of three months to get a visa interview are not that uncommon.

maxred
30th Apr 2009, 08:39
I have no experience of Ormond, but did quite a bit at Naples a few years ago. Good club, but one criticism, a number of instructors were South American. I found it difficult to understand what some were saying. Flying in new air space, in a new and unfamiliar plane, with perhaps complicated IFR training going on, and unable to make out what your instructor is bloody talking about, can raise the stress levels. It may well have changed, and I may just have been unlucky, but worth enquiring.:)

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 09:08
Hi Steve
have you done any research on the schools? i am getting alot of positive feedback about naples so im seriously considering applying there. i am going in July so i will look at 3 or 4 different schools then.
i am going to have a few lessons before i go though as i have very limited experience on the pa28.

steve_uniacke
30th Apr 2009, 09:20
hey,

Well, After 6 hours travelling with a dead iPod to belfast for just 45 mins flying the realistation that you really need VFR weather for a PPL sank in quickly.

I researched Ormond Beach a bit and a friend trained there too, also have a friend who trained in Naples, so its just a matter of deciding. I'll apply for the visa as soon as i know where i'm gonna go and get dates for it, etc.

Do naples/ormond beach do airport transfers does anyone know, or is it always the case of needing to get a car?

Steve

steve_uniacke
30th Apr 2009, 09:25
oh i also saw that UKFT place in Long Beach... anybody have any thoughts on the place?

Steve

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 09:53
they will do transfers if you ask them. what alot of people do is go there, get to their accomodation and then buy a pushbike from walmart. the schools are normally only about a mile away from their reccommended hotels. but saying that, the car hire there is so cheap. the other benefit of getting a car is you can explore the area a bit more, got to the beach on your days off etc. petrol cost is not even worth considering. its half the cost here. i went to florida on holiday last year, travelled 1000miles and it cost me about £40 in fuel. that was when the fuel over there was about $3.50 per us galon. my girlfriends dad came back from there last week and its now less than $2 per gallon. obscene! just shows how we are ripped off!

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 09:55
had a look at ukft also. its one of the schools i plan on visiting when im there!

hightower1986
30th Apr 2009, 10:31
Id seriously consider NZ myself, glad i decided to come here rather than the states, its as cheap, cost of living is at least half of the uk, yeah the flights to NZ a bit more expensive than USA, well its under £600. after seeing some of the sights here I wouldnt want to train anywhere else(apart from UK if the weather was more predictable!), just a personal opinion and it probably wouldnt suit anyone but for me its all good!

steve_uniacke
30th Apr 2009, 10:48
just randomly had a look at the new zealand flying there. It seems to be a good option if you are hour building and have a PPL already...

Euro Flight International - Flight Training in New Zealand (http://www.euroflight.co.nz/hour%20building.htm)


16,000.00 NZD

=

6,850.29 EUR



16,000 NZD will get you 100 hours in a C150...

Definately a tempting option but I have to get my PPL(A) first! :D

Asianberry
30th Apr 2009, 12:08
Hey Destinationsky and Backpacker
Thanks for the information.

Can anyone suggest me what to do. I am in like a really confused situation atm. I am finishing my A-levels this june and really don't know what to do next, I mean I applied for univeristy on "Aviation studies for commercial pilot" but unfortunately didn't get a place (because it was housefull) and I don't know if I should start my PPL or find a job and apply for a scholarship or re-apply in univeristy for next year.

BackPacker
30th Apr 2009, 14:48
Asianberry, that sort of questions can better be asked in the Professional Studies forum.

Still my two cents worth: In one of the latest editions of Flyer magazine there was an article about GAPAN aptitude tests or something like that. These are tests plus interviews that are delivered by professional pilot recruiters but are done *before* you commit any money into your professional pilot education. They will give you a reasonably good advise on whether you should pursue a commercial career or not.

You need to consider that becoming a professional pilot is something that's going to cost you around 100.000 euros in total, give or take, and at the end of that journey the only thing you are able to do is drive an aluminium tube from A to B. It's not a broad education like a university degree, so if you ever want or need to find a job outside flying an airplane, all you will have to show are your A-levels.

So jumping into such an education path based on the advice of a few anonymous guys (girls?) on an internet forum might not be the best idea.

kalleh
30th Apr 2009, 15:40
Did my PPL at Ormond (OBA) and had a great time there - they do what they say they will do - no more, no less :) Sad to see they don't train on the Liberty anymore though - I think it is a great aircraft and a lot more fun than C152/PA28.

Be prepared to work hard and maintain a disciplined and professional attitude towards the school and the training and you'll have a great time.

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 16:00
Hi Asianberry
the GAPAN aptitude test may be a good thing to try to see if you are suited to a career as a pilot. research all of the "sponsored" routes thoroughly and also look into the modular path where you do each stage in your own time. getting the funds will be the main issue i think (unless you have alot of savings!). even if you get on a sponsored course, you will still need to secure a loan against property. you can no longer get a secured loan for above £30k. speak to natwest/hsbc about loans etc if you want to go that route. all loan applications are considered on their own merits.
Try applying to CTC Wings also. even if you dont get accepted for the course, you will still do the PILAPT test and group excercises and get thorough feedback after. i know CTC and Oxford run open days where you can see the facilities and talk to real people as opposed to trawling the internet for hours. do not focus on one school, as i mentioned, DO YOUR RESEARCH!
even ask for trial flying lesson vouchers for birthdays/christmas etc and make sure you maintain a keen interest in all types of aviation, networking with people where possible. it all looks good on your applications! oh, and if you do the lessons, make sure you get a logbook so you can record your hours. they all count!
even try a few jobs out before you commit to a flying career. i have been out of school/college now for 8 years and i have tried 3 different jobs. although none of them are flying, i have experience of other industries. if anything, this time has reinforced my decision to become a pilot - i have tried other things and i now know all i want to do is fly!
Get yourself out there and dont give up. you may be rejected but make sure you bounce back!

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 16:57
sorry, i meant you can no longer get an un-secured loan above £30k!

Asianberry
30th Apr 2009, 17:21
Yet again, Thanks to both of you. I am gathering as many information I can, from everywhere.

destinationsky
30th Apr 2009, 17:58
pprune is very good for info finding but be aware that there are alot of people on here who will fill you full of negativity. my advice, ignore them! i have felt very dis-heartened by alot of people on here but i have just gone with my instincts. you dont know till you try, and to date, i have had an offer from CTC. its only the money that is stopping me from joining CTC. i have found other ways to get where i want to be. do not give up.

destinationsky
1st May 2009, 13:29
woohoo, i have just been given the ok by my employer to have 3 weeks off in september! florida (hopefully!) here i come!

BigGrecian
2nd May 2009, 00:09
Trouble is with the 152 prices at around $6000 is the compulsary upgrade fee if you weigh more than 170lbs - which is 80% of the male population; so expect to have to pay the compulsary aircraft upgrade fee to the piper etc and of course, the accommodation and car - YOU will need a car in the USA - there is no public transport in Florida.

Make sure you compare every little cost from flying hours, to compulsary upgrade fees, accommodation cost, car rental, airport pickup.

Those who don't will find out the hard, and very expensive way that they did not do their research properly, that the cheapest price isn't the cheapest at all! (Having done so my self when 17 :ugh: with my visit to OBA )

Francie81
2nd May 2009, 17:03
Hey Destination,

Good to hear your going to go for it hopefully like myself when I take my trial flight in the summer, but just be very careful of the school you pick and such because at the end of the day its your hard earned savings.

Good Luck

destinationsky
4th May 2009, 20:45
hi Francie81
so what are your plans?

Asianberry
5th May 2009, 11:51
Hey Destinationsky. Good Luck with your PPL training. :ok:

axl76fg
7th May 2009, 12:58
i suggest you FLORIDA FLYERS AT ST AUGUSTINE IN FLOTIDA

shaun.s
7th May 2009, 14:16
Florida Flyers don't appear to do JAA training unfortunately, or am I missing something?
Destinationsky- how much are you estimating it to cost at the moment for OBA? I've got:
Course fees: £3,961.38
Books/Equip: £200.00
TSA: £85.90
Embassy Interview: £70.00
Flights (GLA-Sanford) £340.00
Accomodation (28 nights): £536.55
Total: £5,193.83
Excluding
Food: £300?
Looking at September as well, might need to miss the first week back at uni.. what a terrible shame :)

SweetChariotXV
7th May 2009, 17:52
i am getting alot of positive feedback about naples so im seriously considering applying there

i would seriously recommend avoiding naples air centre (if that is the school you are referring to above). I did my PPL there a couple years ago. To be fair did it in minimum time, although I was lucky to have a very good instructor. Having said that he left the time I finished as he could not stand the place - or actually more so the owners.

The place is run by Richard, his wife Nikki, and her mum Bea. They are sharks when it comes to money. Be VERY careful if you go there. Richard is extremelly patronising. Although that does not bother me, what does is his complete disregard for anything except the money they can take off you. They will be very accomodating on the phone, and give you a good vibe. They probably will be when you go there too. But be warned once there, service disappears.

I dont want to put you off, but think you should be forewarned of this place. I am surprised your search found alot of positive feedback. Most comments I have seen of NAC here on this forum seem to reflect my views and experience.

The only positives I can say of NAC (not from my experience) that I have heard from other friends who stayed and did ATPL theory there was that it was good, run by a good CGI. But this is run seprately to the flying and Richard and co do not have much if any influence on ATPL ground school. Again as I did not study ATPL there cannot speak from experience on that side of things.

In any case, wherever you go I am sure you will love the flying, and once you have the bug, you're hooked. Florida can be great fun, not too challenging, and wherever you decide to go in Fla, you should try make a flight to key west. Good fun.

Oh one last note, you better like cats, as their cats most definately take priority! :ugh:

Best of luck

destinationsky
7th May 2009, 18:56
Thanks Sweetchariot. i dont think i meant to write Naples. think i meant somebody else in the vicinity of Naples! i cant remember! Blonde moment!
OBA or EFT are my top two so far!
Thanks for the advice though, and for the record, i prefer dogs anyway!:ok:

Wingwisher
19th May 2009, 10:00
hey destinationsky

Haven't been on here in a long time and i've just been reading your post about training in the Florida.

I have just finished my ppl in OBA and firstly, yes what others have said is true definitely budget for a little bit more then the price they quote you.

The one thing I would advise you to do is get as many of the written exams done before you go because believe me you'll be glad of it when you get there. I had all mine done bar the navigation and off course the RT but I watched how other students got so stressed and overworked themselves to get everything done in 3 weeks. Also the staff can harp on to you a bit about doing the exams and then while your stuck in a room doing an exam the weather outside is perfect for flying. When you have most of the exams done 3 weeks (with good weather off course) is enough time to get it all done, i've seen it done :)

The school it's self does exactly what it says on the tin, nothing more and nothing less. If you want them to give you 100% you gotta put in 100%. Also i'm sure you know but the most important thing is that your happy with your instructor. I witnessed many people not been happy with instructors and left it quite late to say anything which then ended up costing them a lot more money and time. So make sure the instructor is right for you it's vital.

The accommodation isn't the worse thats for sure and to be honest I had a blast when I was there. The good thing about living with the other students is there is a mix of training levels (ppl, cpl, hour building etc) but everyone helps each other out and its great fun. You can walk to the school in about 20 mins. Although when I was there a few of the guys had managed (maybe through prune) to find out they where all arriving and departing the same time so they organised hiring a car together to cut the cost. I personally hired a car because as you said car hire is for nothing and so is gas.

Well the best of luck with your training wherever you decide to go and if I can answer any questions for you about OBA please don't hesitate to contact me. Also if you do decide to go there I can highly recommend 2 or 3 of the instructors and let you know which ones you need to watch out for.

Wingwisher

tonyc182p
19th May 2009, 11:22
I have just got back from Florida. Completed the FAA CPL, having done the FAA IR in Tulsa in February.

If you are set on Florida then have a look at Tailwheelsetc.com I think they do a PPL for a fixed price in 2 weeks in a PA28. The field is uncontrolled so no delays and my instructor Chris Ryan is a young guy who would be ideal for you. They arrange accommodation just a few minutes walk away(the condo has bikes) and the room is $300-350 per week . Share with other pilots and have a good time. The school has an old banger which they let you use. They are just getting the part 141 so you will get an M1 visa.They also are a written test staion so you do that there, much cheaper than in the UK. If the embassy in london is difficult to get an interview try another country. I had mine issued in New Zealand and it only took a couple of days, very straight forward. Fingerprints can be done at Farnborough or Oxford for the TSA side. I have been through the whole thing so pm me if you need to know anything more. Try to get your ground study all done before you go so that you just concentrate on the flying and oral exam. I think the PA28 was $108 /hour and $50 for the instructor. The examiner was $300. The school has a nice veranda with comfy sofas to chill out on when you need to.

GBB
19th May 2009, 11:42
tonyc182p,

Which school in Tulsa you went to for your FAA IR?
How was it overall?

destinationsky
16th Jun 2009, 21:43
class one medical in the bag... now, time for that license!

dsanjuan
18th Jul 2009, 13:45
destinationsky which school did you decide on? im in the same position, just finalising details. I will probs be going out early august, visa appointment is next week

epsomepp
23rd Jul 2009, 17:53
hey mate,

Im 24 and planning to head down to Florida and train with Orlando Flight Training. They seem like a good recognised school and are affiliated with Cabair. The plan is to get onto the October course. Just trying to secure financing now. Let me know what you think about OFT. Hope to see you there.


Ryan

destinationsky
24th Jul 2009, 14:17
i have just got back from Florida and had a look at Ormond beach aviation. I will hopefully be joining them in september/october some time. They seem like a very good school and are undergoing a refurbishment at the mo. they have their own maintenance facility and parts dept so the aircraft can be fixed pretty swiftly! The accomodation is about 5 mins drive from the airfield and the staff are really friendly.
I had a look at Orlando flight training and they are expensive in comparison!
PM me if you want any specifics!
Mike

nh2301
29th Jul 2009, 15:58
My tip would be, ask yourself f you really need a JAA PPL and not a FAA certificate. Doing an FAA certificate opens up hundreds more schools, which generally offer better quality of training, and are certainly cheaper.

destinationsky
6th Aug 2009, 16:35
thanks for the thought but i will stick to the JAA license. a vast majority of my flying will be done in the uk so i would rather have a European license.

trigger0071
6th Aug 2009, 17:02
Hi guys, just a little bit of info regarding PPL in florida. I done mine at OBA last year.

It states you can do PPL in 3 weeks, it took me 7 weeks in total. This was due to the weather and that the school was busy. I dont think they are busy at present, but i'd factor in another week for weather issues. You will also have to pay for extra accomadation if you go over 3 wks. The accomadation is about 20 mins or so walk to school, you might be lucky and grab one of the left over bikes. Also, the accomadation is basically in the middle of nowhere, which means you need to get taxi's everywhere. For example to go food shopping. In the end this got on my nerves so I hired a car.
Study, study and study before you go. Make sure you are ready to sit your PPL exams when you turn up, will take the pressure off you when
you are there. Nothing worse than studying for exam plus preparing for your following mornings lesson!
I have a friend who also done PPL at OBA and has just completed CPL at EFT. He highly recommends EFT over OBA...food for thought.
Finally, if your thinking of doing some hour building later on I highly recommend AirAmerica at Daytona int'l. Great set-up and I was paying $70 hr for a 150, much cheaper than hr building from JAA schools. It was also great experiance as it was a busy int'l airport. All you need to do is apply for a FAA PPL prior to going.
Happy flying!!

destinationsky
6th Aug 2009, 21:50
hi trigger. thanks for your advice. i have been lucky enough to visit OBA so i got a feel for the school before i commit. EFT did come highly reccommended but they are full now untill mid to late october. i have issues with getting time off work so i have to go where there are available slots!
i saw the accomodation too. i will definatley get a car as i like my own independence and i dont fancy cycling in the heat. nice cool air con does it for me every time!
happy flying to you too!