PPL Training anywhere other than Scotland

[paton400]

Hi, i have renently decided to start training for a PPL. I booked a lesson up at Perth Airport, but was cancled 5 times due to weather. Instead of booked a 6th attempt, i decided to go elswhere!

So can anyone reccomend a decent flight school where i can go and get a PPL withing 3-4 weeks! preferrably JAA.

I have family in Brisbane, Toronto and Johannesburgh, so a decent school in these places would be a bonus, but not essential!

I was looking at Ormond Beach FL, my dad (who is an 737 captain) warned me not to go there as they will rip you off, however i have also heard some good reviews!

Cheers! Chris

[BackPacker]

Brisbane, Toronto and Johannesburgh

No JAA schools in those places.

There's four in Florida (OBA, OFT, Naples and EFT) and one in California (AAA). The one in Moncton, Canada, seems to have disappeared off the list.

http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/Training%20Orgs_Doc%2031_v97.pdf

There's also a school in Jerez, Spain, which specializes in intensive courses, although their program seems to be more geared towards people who happen to gain their PPL on the way to CPL or ATPL, rather than towards standalone PPLs.

And of course you can just get an ICAO PPL somewhere in the world (Brisbane, Toronto, Jo'burg for instance) and convert that to a JAA PPL. You will have to re-sit most (all?) JAA theory exams and do the JAA flight test though for the conversion.

You've seen this thread too, not?

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/278995-guide-obtaining-jaa-ppl-us-part-1-a.html

[fisbangwollop]

Why not give "Leading Edge" or the other club at Cumbernauld a try. I have no connection with them but I provide an ATC service to aircraft over Scotland ( Scottish Info ) and the Cumbernauld aircraft are one of our best customers ( maybe though thats because they like talking to cheery ATC folk :cool: )...they seem to fly most days and it seems pretty rare that they are stuffed for weather...they seem a cheery bunch so that may help. That said every man and his dog flying over Scotland today!! :):):) :cool:

[worrab]

Is that most excellent instructor John Allan still with Cumbernauld Flying Centre?

[Wee Jock McPlop]

fisbangwallop,

You're not wrong there about every man and his dog flying in Scotland today:eek:. Where the ..... did they all come from? Blimey, I thought things would quieten down now that we're heading into Autumn - how wrong! Busy today at Edi with a very good and hearty mix of IFR and VFR late morning and early afternoon. Still, it made an hour and forty five minutes pass fairly swiftly:\


Paton,

Give the Scottish flying schools another chance. The weather may sometimes be s..te:hmm:. However, when the sun shines, I know where I would rather be flying. Besides which, you would miss out on us cheery air traffickers:ok:;).

Best wishes with whatever you choose to do,

Jock

[PH-UKU]

OK we're heading into winter, but if you get the right people and weather Scotland can be a delight ....

I was lucky with both about ten years ago up in Inverness. Took time off work and did the PPL in 3 weeks. Moray Firth has probably the best weather in Scotland in May - and the X-Country is to Orkney !! Don't know how the set up Highland AeroClub is for doing intensive courses after the Flying School folded. I also hear Moray Flying Club (at Kinloss) might be worth a look.

Personally, I reckon if you wanna fly in Scotland, learn in Scotland. It teaches you to respect the weather from Day 1, and 2, and 3 etc... ;)

However, if you have a burning desire to get it done before next summer then I quite understand your thoughts about going abroad.

[PH-UKU]

That said every man and his dog flying over Scotland today

WOOF WOOF !! :E

[fisbangwollop]

PH...Think I watched you creep back from Loch Lomond through the PF zone early eve........you just squeezed east of Hunterston RA if that was you...:cool::cool::cool:

[PH-UKU]

that wasn't squeezing ... 2 miles east of the zone . . bloody stupid place to put a zone - forces you out over the sea if the cloud is below 2200' - not that that ever happens in scotland

[fisbangwollop]

Would agree with that...never mind once it becomes a coal powered power station the RA will be lifted as it will no longer be a threat from kami Kazi pilots!! :cool::cool::cool:

[Oldpilot55]

There was a plan to dig into the cliffs to the south of the main Hunterston site to construct a 3rd nuke station. I surveyed it in the late 1970's. Torness has room for another two reactors...not that I am against progress, its what the politicians don't tell us I find scarey.

[BackPacker]

the RA will be lifted as it will no longer be a threat from kami Kazi pilots!!

I still have to meet the first kamikaze pilot who abandoned his plan because it would be illegal.:ugh:

[silverknapper]

I wouldn't rule out Scotland if that's your first preference. I did my CPL in Perth around this time of year a while back - it was horrendous. Managed 3 weeks with no flying due Wx.
Go north. there are two schools at INV. i am not linked to either and have experience of both. I would heartily recommend Highland aviation. A lot of decent instructors, motivated managment and most importantly no bloody politics! They would be well geared for an intensive course if that's your thing.
other than that Go south! SA is a cracking place, and summer is nearly here. There used to be a couple of schools in mid rand, you also have Lanseria available. I would personally get away from Jo'burg and go to Stellenbosch.
If you do go SA do a search on any schools, and their owners. There are a few dodgy ones around, and the politics can make aviation in the highlands look like a walk in the park. I could name 2 guys off the top of my head with a reputation for relieving you of your cash which makes westminster look like Oxfam.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Worrab, no he isn't. He moved to LE at Cumbernauld, but he left a year or so ago. Not sure where he is or what he's doing now.

[Unusual Attitude]

Did my PPL in Scotland (13 years ago) and my CPL in Florida (5 years ago) and would agree with what others have said, if you intend to fly in Scotland then its better to learn in Scotland.
The rapidly changing weather here and high terrain make for some unique problems to consider which you wont be prepared for if you learn in Florida which is flat as a pancake!

Perth is a great place to fly from and with 3 runways you stand a good chance of getting flown even on windy days, sounds like you've just has some bad luck with the weather!