Hour Building to Commercial Pilots License

[terryp]

Hi Everyone,

I obtained my PPL at the beginning of this year and have being doing my best to build my hours to the required level to do my CPL/ATPL. I am now upto a total 47 hours Dual Under Training (due to a couple of years gap in starting my PPL then not finishing till this year, stupid I know) and 40 hours Pilot in Command.

I am starting my ground school training with bristol.gs in the new year and am looking for other ways I can look to build up my hours. Ideally if there is a way I can reduce the cost of building these hours (without the need to go out to the USA or abroad) that would be ideal.

So my question is quite simply any suggestions?

A couple of friends have suggested offering adventure / scenic flights & trips, clearly not for profit given the rules of flying with a PPL. Would this be allowed, could I offer pleasure flights by remaining within the requirements of the PPL (i.e. splitting cost equally)?

All help and suggestions greatly appreciated!!:)

[Whirlygig]

You can't advertise even if you're paying the appropriate percentage. But you can spread the word amongst your friends and family and some may be prepared to pay their share.

And neither are you likely to get quality hour building hours by flying over friends' houses. :} So try to make sure your flights are still interesting - cross a MATZ, use dead reckoning, do your night rating etc.

Cheers

Whirls

[12Watt Tim]

One exception, Whirls, is that it is considered acceptable to advertise at the flying club.

[Whirlygig]

Ah, the flying club, yes you're right ... keep forgetting how sociable you plank pilots are. :ok: :}

Cheers

Whirls

[Mickey Kaye]

Pick up a share in an Evans VP-1. A one eighth share costs around 500 quid. You will the pay somthing like 25 quid per month and 20 quid an hour.

Cheapest way I am aware off.

I have PM you details of C150/2 that are 78 quid wet

[ab33t]

I know of a plane for £80 ph wet pm me and I can give you the details

[terryp]

Thanks for the replies so far guys, appreciate your help.

Whirls, don't worry about the risk of lack of experience with local flying...personally the minute I had my PPL the last thing i wanted to do was stay local or sit in the circuit. Needless to say 30 of my 40 hours in command are cross country including trips to Scotland (with an unplanned diversion back to Carlisle) and Bournemouth. Only way to really build experience and confidence, especially with planning to do ATPL!!:ok:

Ooh and did I mention 5 of those are PIC cross country flights in the USofA:cool:

[JetUStudent]

And this is another reason to not rush your PPL and Instrument ratings into the least amount of hours possible.

What ends up happening is that you have your PPL and Instrument ticket and then you are short the needed hours to get your commercial.

All of those hours you "saved" are going to need to be added back and paid for in order to have enough hours for your commercial ticket.

In the end there is no savings and you would have been much better off using those "saved" hours for your PPL and Instrument training when you really can learn something rather than for "time building".