UK License, Flying hours in France

[jj97101]

Hi everybody,
Here's my situation, I'm a 14 year old boy and I've always wanted to fly, it's always been my dream since I was 4. Luckily my parents are quite well off and my dad said that he would pay for my PPL. Unfortunately my parents aren't well off enough to do it in Hong Kong as it is very expensive here. I spend most of my summer in France (we have a house there and I'm part French) but I don't speak French well enough to do a French PPL. I am planning to do my PPL summer after next when I'm 16 and I was just wondering if it would be OK if I did my flying hours in France and then do my theory and test in the UK? Would it work? I've done some gliding in the holidays and a trial flight in a light aircraft, both in France. I'd really like some help with this. In the future I'm hoping to do the Cathay Pacific Cadet Programme. I've already started doing some of the theory for my PPL, with the Jeremy Pratt 'The Private Pilots License Course'.
Thanks in advance.
JJ

[Whopity]

Under the EASA rules that will be possible. You can also do your test for a UK issued licence in France here (http://tinyurl.com/cy6zgrp)

Whatever obfuscate means it seems to have worked, pity we can't obfuscate EASA!

[peterh337]

Pr oo n has corrupted that URL, Whopity. You might prefer to use tinyurl.com to obfuscate it :)

[XLC]

jj97101

I also speak French, am based in Hong Kong, fly in Thailand and the UK. Could help you a bit. Am quite familiar with the training program of DragonAir and can for sure give you some pointers. I can introduce you to one of their future introduction evenings, or you could also quite easily meet one of the pilots involved with that program. They can also give you some advice , they are a bunch of nice and professional chaps.

[Genghis the Engineer]

A quick correction.

You really want to do the theory first, then the flying.

Actually in reality, you want to do them in parallel - nav in particular makes very little sense until you've done a reasonable amount of flying, but on the other hand the vast majority of training organisations require you to have passed air law before you go solo.

I think what you might find pragmatic is talk to two flying training organisations - one in France, and one in the UK, and ask if they'd be so good as to collaborate on your "special case". That way they can sort out any special legalities, work out how much you'll need to do in Britain to be able to pass a skill test here, and hopefully leave you largely free to get on with the flying.

There are plenty of friendly flying schools in the UK, and I'm sure in France, so picking the right ones will be difficult but on the whole - be driven by geography. In other words, look local to where you will/can live in both countries.


There is another option - go and do a residential course in the USA; you can generally do a PPL in 4 weeks or so intensively (especially if you've already studied the ground subjects well), for either the UK-issued European Licence, or a US licence, or both. Then go back to where you really plan to fly (HK?) and get a conversion to local flying practices. This might be the cheapest and easiest all round.

G

[Piper.Classique]

If you are anywhere near Chauvigny in the Vienne p.m. me and I can probably help.

[172510]

I don't have the answer to your question but several pieces of information you might find interesting:

- Lilienthal - PPL Exam preparation (http://lilienthal.institut-mermoz.com/DLP5_offline/dlp/default2.htm)

Free PPL Course. The best PPL course I've ever read.

-Some French schools have English speaking instructors. Google
"learning to fly in France"

- It might be possible to take the PPL(A) test in English in France. In Belgium for instance, you may.

- You write you French is not good enough. If you're part French and spend a lot of time in France, I think it would be a good idea for you to improve your knowledge of that language.
PPL(A) questions in French are not difficult, you can easily train for a small fee (Easy-Ppl - QCM - Thorique - pilote priv - avion - hlicoptre - ULM FI BIA Brevet de base (http://easy-ppl.com/)
or
CHEZ GLIGLI - Les examens thoriques aronautiques BB, PPL, FI PPL, ATPL et ULM en ligne (http://www.chezgligli.net/))
or for free
(Pilotez.com : Théorique qcm PPL, révision examen PPL, tests QCM en ligne (http://www.pilotez.com/)).

[jj97101]

Thanks everybody for your answers it has helped me a lot. @172510 I think I was a bit unclear on how bad my French is, my dad is French but he works a lot and my parents are divorced, although I see him every weekend, I can't really learn French from him, especially as he is not the most patient teacher. Don't get me wrong my dad is really nice but I just wouldn't be able to learn French from him, I really thought that this would be the way to go but the problem is I don't think I'll be able to get from the level of French I have now to the level of French I need within two years or even three. I think I could possibly learn enough to do the theory, it's just the level of French needed to fly in France (is there an ICAO French level system). There are English instructors at the flight school I want to study at, it's just the theory and the radio that I cant do. I will ask around if I can do the license tests in France though, the thing I'm most worried about for the license test it the practical part as I don't think I'll be able to do that in France. @Whopity, I do know about that flight school, it's just it's really far away from where I live and therefore if have to get accommodation near to it, which I don't really want to do.
Thanks everyone for their answers, they have really helped.
JJ

[FlyingLapinou]

@172510 That Lilienthal PPL Exam Prep looks good, thanks for posting.

@jj97101: Confirming what 172510 already said - the GIGLI exam prep site is excellent, well worth the small fee.

Bons vols! Enjoy your training, flying in France is génial! :ok:

[Whopity]

Bearing in mind you age, you will be firmly under the EASA system: FCL.025 Theoretical knowledge examinations for the issue of licences
(a) Responsibilities of the applicant
(1) Applicants shall take the entire set of examinations for a specific licence or rating under the responsibility of one Member State.
(2) Applicants shall only take the examination when recommended by the approved training organisation (ATO) responsible for their training, once they have completed the appropriate elements of the training course of theoretical knowledge instruction to a satisfactory standard.
(3) The recommendation by an ATO shall be valid for 12 months. If the applicant has failed to attempt at least one theoretical knowledge examination paper within this period of validity, the need for further training shall be determined by the ATO, based on the needs of the applicant.

[patowalker]

francoflyers: French Radio Calls (http://www.francoflyers.org/2008/03/french-radio-ca.html)