Where to visit when hour building in the UK

[Aspiring Pilot Alex]

Hi guys,

I recently passed my PPL skills test and i'm renting an aircraft for the month in july. Could anyone recommend places to visit that give good days out within the UK? Also how would one plan a flight to the channel islands as the channel islands CTR is class A airspace? Forgive me if this is simple im only a newbie.

Cheers

Alex

P.S im based at netherthorpe EGNF for most of the duration of the hire and the aircraft is a Cessna 152

[Genghis the Engineer]

Lydd

Sandown

Any (or all) airfields in the Hebrides, especially Barra.

Plan on night-stops away, or the flying will get very boring.

G

[Zulu Alpha]

Channel Islands is easy as they will give you a Special VFR clearance.

Well worth going as you can get drawback on the outgoing fuel and fill up at duty free prices for the return

See here: Fly to Alderney - a great place to fly (http://www.flyalderney.com/arrivals.html)

The Channel Islands are very well set up for arriving by air with buses and cheap hire cars. Most people arrive there by air.

[BackPacker]

Why limit yourself to the UK and the CI? You can fly to France, Belgium or Holland and back in a day, and sleep in your own bed afterwards.

Or plan on night-stops like ZA suggests and do a grand tour of Europe. Most grass fields in France will actually allow you to camp next to your aircraft.

[Genghis the Engineer]

For that matter, Ireland can be a very enjoyable flight , with a lot of very hospitable airfields.

G

[Jan Olieslagers]

You can fly to France, Belgium or Holland and back in a day
Need to prepare at least one B-plan, though, given the charming pranks of our lovely lady meteo.

[Rugbyears]

Hi may you kindly provide information on where you are able to hire aircraft for extended durations, four weeks would be ideal. I would certaintly welcome information and contact details. Many thanks :ok:

Feel free to pm contact if you rather.

[Aspiring Pilot Alex]

Thanks for the replies chaps.
Barra looks interesting indeed thanks for that genghis.
Rugbyears: You can lease an aircraft from Big Red Kite for extended periods of time.

Cheers

Alex

[Rugbyears]

Thanks Alex.

[Genghis the Engineer]

SVFR is rarely used, and poorly understood in the British Isles SOCAL - to be honest I've been flying in this country 20+ years and would have to get the books out to remember more than the absolute basics. I really wouldn't blame the OP, being UK trained and based (presumably) for this omission.

It's a little like asking a US trained pilot to show good understanding of how to handle a MATZ penetration.

G

[Aspiring Pilot Alex]

Just to clear this up from my memory I understood that class A was unavailable to VFR. However after Socal's comment I looked up SVFR to refresh my memory and indeed it states that SVFR may be used in less busy class A airspace. Thanks for helping me clear that up. I have less than 1 years flying so forgive me for not everything in detail.:uhoh:

Many thanks

Alex

[flybymike]

I looked up SVFR to refresh my memory and indeed it states that SVFR may be used in less busy class A airspace.
SVFR is available in a CTR only and no other Class A . I think Channel Isles and Heathrow are the only class A CTRs in the UK (?) and also believe that for CIs a potential downgrade to class D has been up for discussion for quite some time.

[BackPacker]

SVFR is available in a CTR only and no other Class A .

AFAIK SVFR is just a provision in the ICAO class A-G definition that allows VFR flight in any of those classes, with reduced minima but with increased ATC vigilance (only one or two aircraft at the same time etc) to keep things safe.

As every country uses the ICAO classes A-G differently, and as every country defines VFR minima differently, SVFR is also used differently from country to country.

In addition to the "flight in a class A CTR" I have also heard high-altitude gliding flight, well into the oxygen levels, and well into (then) class A, being done under SVFR rules. And, specifically in the UK, night flying within a CTR.

And personally I was cleared SVFR to leave a class C CTR (EHRD) when the cloud base was below VFR minima (BKN050 but BECMG SCT060), just a few weeks ago.

So SVFR can happen anywhere in controlled airspace. It just depends on local regulations and the local airspace classes and structure.

[A and C]

If you have not done so take a look at hour (http://www.zerotoatpl.com/hour.html)
The guy rented the aircraft from the same people

[Genghis the Engineer]

If you have not done so take a look at hour (http://www.zerotoatpl.com/hour.html)
The guy rented the aircraft from the same people

Interesting read - the chap writing it has, to me, shown a very sensible approach to his hour building, and writes well too.

G