SEP Hour Building

[skyprinces]

Hello. I have just started looking into hour building programmes in the US, but so far have read many negative opinions about a lot of places. I would like to do 100-150 hrs for a reasonable price. Would love to hear some advice from people that have done the hour building in the US. Good places, what to be carefull about etc. Thanks in advance for any advice. SP

[A and C]

With the current exchange rate better deals are to be had in the UK.

Check your PM;s

[BHenderson]

Here's your alternative 100hrs:

100hrs Hour Building - Google Maps (http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=101944739565354099079.000468f482cc4f426662d&ll=36.668419,-98.261719&spn=36.556813,77.695312&z=4)

[Eurotraveller]

I did about 25 hours with Sunstate Aviation in Kissimmee, Florida late last year. They have a good, large fleet of Cessna 172 aircraft and don't generally mind you taking the aircraft away overnight or for a few days if you want to. They are not the cheapest option in Florida but the aircraft are fairly new and a good proportion are G1000 equipped. All have a decent GPS fit. Florida may not represent the best value at the moment though as others say, so I'd research all options carefully.

[MartinCh]

Bobby, did you do that yourself??
Nice one anyway.

If the hourbuilding isn't about doing maneuvres or as quickly as possible in local area, then gigantic adventure of such XC is the only choice :-P

[cjuk28]

Sunstate Aviationis a great outfit.
They got me through my FAA IR they are a smaller school but more of a family than a cash cow like some of the others i can mention in florida

[122.85]

An option I found to be an alternative is to buy a share in an aircraft here in the UK, this way I can hour build with 100 hours costing just over £7k which may be slightly more than the US but does ensure that you are more flexible around timings and reduction in travel costs. A better fit for me but am sure others would prefer the sunnier climates :-)

[A and C]

Hour building should be about building basic skills not programing a GPS, the last thing some one who is looking to go on to an ATPL needs is easy navigation.

There are far to many members of the magenta line kindergarten getting into the right hand seat who don't have a clue if the FMC fails! At the 50 to 150 hour stage you should be looking to polish the basic navigation skills because this is the only time you will get to do so.

Why you are no doubt asking as you plan to go onto an EFIS equipped double FMC airliner.............. well basic nav skills are what enables you to detect the gross errors in the FMC rather than follow the magenta line to some place you did not want to go!

[Eurotraveller]

Hi A and C,

I agree with some of what you say, and would certainly not advocate the use of GPS as a sole navigation aid. However, for someone like me who has done all their training in the UK, a GPS is a very useful backup tool to have in the cockpit, especially when your workload is increased trying to get used to another country's procedures, RT and in my case a new a/c type.

[Mickey Kaye]

You can rent a C150 for £78 quid an hour WET near me.

I suspect that if you fly abroad/via jersey you could make it even cheaper than that with the fuel drawback.

At these sorts of prices and the current exchange rate it does make you think if the USA is the cheapest option at the moment.

[A and C]

An astute observation that by the time all the "extras" are added flying in the USA is not cheap as it once was.

To get a good idea about hours building in the UK check out this guy's website:-

index (http://www.zerotoatpl.com)

[Parson]

You're much better off doing your hour building in the UK. Better still, do it in the area where you will doing your CPL course. Get to know the local airspace, procedures etc. - alot of the CPL course is nav exs. Get used to flying P1 and making command decisions in marginal weather conditions.

If you can, get a brief from an instructor at your CPL school on what you should be practising and where. Far, far better than bumming around in blue skies in Florida.