Training scotland

[ecosse]

Hi people i am a newbie so please go easy on me.

I am about to embark on my ppl journey in Ayrshire/west scotland, i am looking for advice of where the best school may be for me.

My plans are to do a ppl then possibly a cpl afterwords, I'm not relay interested in flying for an airline, don't get me wrong i,d love to make a living from flying but i already run a successful garage/mot business close to home so don't want to be away all the time, a part time job flying lighter aircraft or instructing would be good. as i already have an income I'd be doing it for the love of flying.

So the big question is where to learn I'm thinking on a more intensive short term plan, maybe pick a day every week and stick to it doing some morning flying then some study at lunch then back up in afternoon.

Ive got about 15 hours as pic on flex wing microlights and 4 hours solo, I had a bit of an accident at work then my plane got burnt and ended up never getting back to it , so never got to finish my license.

I think i will pick the flying part no problem its the exams i will struggle with, thanks for listening and i await some views of what my best plan may be

Kenny :ok:

[riverrock83]

Hi Kenny
Presuming that you're looking at a PPL(A), at Prestwick there is Prestwick Flying Club (http://www.prestwickflyingclub.co.uk/) (where I'm at) and Prestwick Flight Center (http://www.prestwickflightcentre.com/).
Both do PPLs. The club is - as the name suggests - more of a club environment, where you will find everyone from BA and Easyjet Captains doing some aerobatics to retired folk going out for a bimble. The instructors are all hugely experienced (chief is a current British Airways captain) and do it mainly for the fun of instructing.
As they are all only part time instructors, you may struggle to do a more intensive course - but they match instructor and student together to try and make the best fit. Planes are a PA28 or a Chipmunk. If you are thinking about joining a group, or owning your own plane after completing your PPL, you can probably get much more involved with everything (including the running of the club) than else where, as they don't just teach you to fly to pass a test.

I can't comment as much on the flight centre, other that its a more normal "school" environment (with a secretary to organise everyone / answer the phone etc!). They have been very friendly every time I've gone round and you are more likely to be able to do an intensive course there.

I'd email, rather than phoning the club as there are no permanent staff, and arrange a time to see what its about. With the flight center, give them a ring as they have permanent staff at the end of the phone.

Happy flying!

[ecosse]

Thanks riverrock sounds like i should contact them both and go from there i will get some prices etc and see how it goes, maybe book a trial lesson with both and see where that takes me.

Didn,t even know the prestwick flight centre existed maybe pay them a visit as they are more likely to be there.

I will ring the club too and see where it goes. I was thinking of entering a syndicate or share scheme maybe cheaper to do it sooner rather than later what do you think?

[flystrathclyde]

Ecosse,

Where do you live, and where do you work? There are some other options unless you are already set on Prestwick Airport.

There is a club at Glasgow Airport. We operate a club at Cumbernauld. Both should be considered.

Happy to give more information if required.

Allan

[riverrock83]

Oh - and you should check out these threads:
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/472765-learning-fly-scotland.html
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/501048-jaa-ppl.html

Use the search tool - you will find many others.

I'm not sure how you can have 15hrs pilot in command but only 4 hours solo - but thats me just being pedantic... (15 hours would be P/UT see http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP804rfs.pdf)

[riverrock83]

As for syndicate / share scheme - good if you can get it. I suspect it would be hard to find one that takes in student pilots - although in saying that, I'm in one.

Some syndicates like it as it keeps their aircraft in the air, and so the cost down for others... Schools don't necessarily like them as it could reduce their profits, and I suspect there are very few aircraft in the UK that are being over used. Much more likely to happen on the microlight scene I suspect.

The groups I know about would need a personal recommendation from a current member before you would be invited to join, so I'm not much help. I think there are at least 4 group owned planes at PF Club, two of which have had new starts in them recently, but both have close connections to other group members (both through marriage!). I have no idea about the flight centre.

It is worth looking at other places too (although Prestwick Airport is a great location). If you live near to where you are flying from, you spend less fuel in your car, you can look out the window to determine the current weather, and you wont have so far to go home if there is some reason that stops you flying!

[Dan the weegie]

If you're in Ayrshire, really Prestwick is the place to go, it's not particularly cheap flying but by the time you finish the course you'll have a lot less trips to Glasgow/Cumbernauld and that really does add up.

I only know instructors at the Club and I have only good things to say about what I've seen. It's all very informal which may or may not be a bit frustrating but the instruction will be from really very experienced guys doing it for fun, you'll learn a lot more :). That said I'd doubt you'd have a bad time at any of the schools within a sensible distance from you :).

As for CPL. I'd keep my mind off that for now, there's a long way between PPL and CPL in terms of flying (and exams!).

There's also a 3-Axis microlight school at Strathaven if I'm not mistaken, something worth considering as well :).

[airpolice]

Kenny has listed his location as Central Scotland which would suggest that Either Perth or Cumbernauld would be suitable.

[ecosse]

thanks for more input guys:ok:

i would def consider cumbernauld or glasgow i went to cumbernauld today exactly one hour from my house and seemed good also it may work out cheaper going there, my plan of doing 4 hours a week would cost me 20 quid in fuel per week and going 13 times is £260 in fuel over a 52hour course (which may be over or under what i need to get ppl) so maybe a good saving could be had going to either.

i live and work in kilwining so prestwick is close it may work out better will need to wait and see:)

as for keeping my mind of cpl i see what you mean though i always aim high, and if i aim for that and end up with a ppl i will still be happy :)

3 axis i have considered and tbh i am still considering it but got a little scared with the old flexwing in the weather so not sure its for me :)

[riverrock83]

He said Ayrshire/ West Scotland in his initial post.

Agreed that you should look at your closest school first. I believe that Glasgow Flying Club still does some lessons but if he is the other side of Glasgow then Cumbernauld would be closer / great.

[ecosse]

i noticed theres another option border air at cumbernauld so may check them out too :) anyone had any dealings with them??

[flystrathclyde]

Kenny,

There are 2 schools at Cumbernauld; did you get a look at both? I works with ACS Flight Training at Perth who conduct the full Commercial Training Program.

I agree with 'Dan' - one step at a time before looking at CPL fully.....but worth looking at future options. Air Service Training at Perth Airport are currently the only Scottish option for the commercial ground school - although many look at Distance Learning.

I suggest a '30 minute trial lesson' at each site. All hours flown will count and at least you will then have a REAL insight and be able to make a good decision. Make sure you let them know you intend to complete a course and it is not only for a taster.

Allan

[cockney steve]

Pedant mode on/ Tut Tut , Ecosse....Kilwinn ing!!! ?mode off.

That haven of calm,made famous by Billy Connoly , when he and his mates used to frequent the "Kings" in Irvine....I digress:O

If you have a good look at stuff like the BMAA and LAA websites, you'll quickly learn that there are several light Aircraft which are either Microlights,or available as Gp."A" or Microlight depending on wing and engine options.
Many of the Composite ones are ,performance and economy-wise , superior to "spamcan" trainers like Cessna152 and Piper Cherokee. They're a totally different beastie to a Flexwing,whilst still being in the same classification...and, as you say, you've already some hours logged on Microlights,which, AFAIK would count toward a License for that group.

Prestwick seems like your sensible option,as it's "just up the road"-believe me, an hour's commuting journey in the car can be very tedious on a regular basis and you're not thinking about all the gormless tourists in the sumer!
'Course, you COULD get your Microlight license locally. then use it to FLY to another Airfield to do a Gp "A" License. :)

[ecosse]

The kings is a great pub been there a few times,

will book 30 min with both prestwick clubs and go from there.

I think thats my best bet, true what you say i used to travel an hour from "kilwinning" to do microlight and maybe thats partly why i don't have a license.

maybe later i will do a few hours conversion and will be able to fly a 3 axis too. :ok:

hope the flying club hasn't so many pedantic's lol!!!! :ok:

[airpolice]

Steve, read the original post, "Kilwining" is the least of his errors.

possibly a cpl afterwords, I'm not relay interested

i,d love to

Ive got about 15 hours as pic on flex wing microlights and 4 hours solo

my license.

I think i will pick the flying part no problem its the exams i will struggle with




"its the exams i will struggle with" ..... no **** Sherlock!


Kenny, I have no doubt that you will be able to get a PPL, but perhaps it's just as well that you don't have your heart set on an airline job.

[ecosse]

Thanks air police for your helpful input on my question. :mad::mad:

Hope the flying school i choose doesn't have people like you in it.

And as for the airline pilot comment that just confirms your a :mad::mad::mad:

to everyone else thanks for the input its appreciated :ok:

[maxred]

Hope the flying school i choose doesn't have people like you in it.

Welcome to Pprune. :bored:

Try Prestwick first. If you work in Kilwinning, that would be your easiest commute. When learning to fly there are several factors to consider-

Your availability
Aircraft availability
Instructor availability
Weather
Your budget
Your specific times when you can and cannot go

All can conspire to make the task, a challenge. A local school is preferable, within say 30 minutes travel time. Also the weather can be very local also. If you are fairly near to your chosen airfield/club, it can cut down on wasted ground time.

Good luck.

[mad_jock]

No problem being rubbish at spelling and grammar and flying commercially :p

[ecosse]

Thanks for the input maxred i will take this on board, my comment about "people like you in it" was aimed at the pedantic few bitter people who always seem to pop up on any forum Ive been on, who don't help and only criticize others and are alway right

no body likes a smart ar*e :D

ohh maybe I'm being pedantic but its, "PPRuNe" and not "Pprune" LOL:) :ugh:

[maxred]

I am even reading on other threads that a growing percentage of commercial pilots can't even hand fly a Boeing properly:confused:

Spelling does'nt have a bloody look in:sad:

[ecosse]

I actually know 3 commercial pilots,who fly for "local" small airlines, and trust me spelling would be the least of there worries , if you met 2 of them you would never believe in a million years they were pilots!!! i wouldn't sit in a car beside them :ooh::ooh:

[airpolice]

Last edited by ecosse; 14th Jan 2013 at 21:04. Reason: grammer and spelling

That has to be the funniest thing on pprune this week!

[maxred]

Classic........:D

[Dan the weegie]

Just remember :) you will be going to your flying school more than 13 times, probably more like 26. Things never turn out the way you want them to in training, there'll be a bunch of reasons, not the least of which will be weather. It can get very frustrating not being able to do anything else until the day and when the weather is marginal you end up at the school anyway which may well turn out to be 2 hours of wasted driving.

Most of the schools will give you good training but you have an excellent PPL club on your doorstep at Prestwick, availability might be irritating but on the days when you can't get to fly, at least you'll be close enough to do something else.

Just an observation :) Email Prestwick flying club, go see them and take a lesson.

[maxred]

Yep, good points. There are other issues. Glasgow will certainly assist your holds. Busy airport means multiple holds at Erskine Bridge. Good for holding level altitude, sore on pocket.

CBN limited access to 'big airport' ATC and movements.

Prestwick can give best of both words. Not too busy, but still mixing with the bigger boys, and R/T with an international feel.

Yep Prestwick a must check.

[ecosse]

Nice to see the edit for grammar or should i say grammer and spelling was picked up pmsl!! i should never have doubted you guys would have missed it :ok:

I have mailed both "Prestwick Flying Club" and "Prestwick Flight School"

Will try and get a flight this weekend or before with one or the other hopefully, and see how this goes i will let you all know.

[airpolice]

Prestwick has a lot going for it if you live in Kilwinning rather than Central Scotland. Prestwick, (ATC & School) have been very friendly when I've been there, on my Nav Test, my QXC and when I had to Wx Divert there when Oban got cut off by rain.

A friend of mine is doing his circuit training at Perth as there are no landing fees, so that saves quite a bit of money compared to Cumbernauld or Prestwick. Once he has done his solo he'll go back to Cumbernauld for more lessons, but expects to split his training hours between both airfields as it will give him more experience.

The big advantage, at a price, of training at Prestwick, or any full ATC airport is that you can go to another one without being nervous. I know some people avoid "Edinburgh West" BECAUSE they have ATC rather than using that as a reason to talk to them. Another advantage is the length of the main, big looooong downwind legs, loads of time for checks and height adjustments.

The downside is that at Cumbernauld or Perth, you can almost always, startup and go, and when you rejoin and land, you park right away. Holding at Prestwick can be expensive and makes the paying for the landing fees seem all the more unfair.

There will be days when you arrive and don't fly, but as a student, very few of those trips will be wasted. Sit in the aircraft and run through drills, or just concentrate on looking at the view from the driving seat when on the ground. It helps you know where you are when landing. Practice operating the Trim. Flaps, Carb Heat, Radio and Transponder (with power off) and you will find it easier to do when you are in the air. Doing this stuff is free, and it should reduce the time that you need to pay for.

Ask instructors (and students) if you can sit in on their briefs and debriefs, there will be learning points for you in the work that others do , whether they get it right or wrong.

Listen to ATC on a scanner (don't buy one without a full numeric keypad) and become familiar with the chatter so that you can pick it up easier in the aircraft.

There is an emotional cycle of change during your training, and at times you will find yourself on top of the world and at other times you will be in the well of despair. No matter how you feel after a lesson, bear in mind that the phrase, "This too will pass" is very relevant.

If you want to do it cheaply, do it often, flying is a perishable skill, especially when you are a novice.

I took a video camera with me and recorded my instructor doing a "perfect" circuit. I watched it for hours that night and went solo on my next day at the airfield.

My final tip for today is this: Write up your logbook when you get into the clubhouse. Don't leave it for when you get home. But, get a diary, (a big A4 page a day jobby) and when you do get home, write after each day's flying, what you did, and more importantly, how you feel about it.

[ecosse]

Thanks airpolice for the advice its appreciated and i will take some time to mull it over and soak it in.

The landing fees and holding may be a bit of a pain thats why Cumbernauld seemed a good option as surely the waiting and fees would be less than say Prestwick?

Perth is a bit too far for me to travel i think:hmm:

The best option may be Prestwick flight school if they can offer a good discount for landing fees and or block booking's don't know how busy they are or if they are hungry for business but i will find out.

Are the flight schools busy is business booming?? who knows maybe some haggling would help :)

And i am going to try and do as much as possible, in the least amount of time, as it will save me money, as less learned skills will need to be gone over ,and i will spend more time at the garage making money:)

[airpolice]

if they can offer a good discount for landing fees and or block booking's don't know how busy they are or if they are hungry for business but i will find out.


Here are the five top tips for someone in your frame of mind.

1 Do not pay up front!

2 Avoid, at all costs, any attempt to entice you to pay up front!

3 Resist the temptation of any discount offered for paying up front!

4 Bear in mind that if you pay up front, and the company behind the school should go bust, the school, the planes and instructors may still be there next week, but your money is in the wind!

5 Read through loads of pprune pages for horror stories about folk who paid up front, the Inverness story is a really good read.



p.s. Don't pay up front.

[piperboy84]

I wonder what the differences are between the East coast and West coast (not in the way rappers view it) but in regards to actual VFR flying/training days available. When picking a school, consideration of driving a little further to an east (or central) coast location may offer more vfr weather flying. It’s pretty apparent that it pisses of rain lot more on the West coast (not that the smarmy, big city, Weegie bastards don’t deserve it) as compared to East and if a trainee was wanting to do an accelerated training schedule this would have to be a consideration.

[airpolice]

Very true Piperboy, I lost count of the times I was phoned from Leuchars to be told I should attend when even the ****ehawks in Bathgate were walking to work.

After crossing the Forth and seeing brighter skies, I eventually got used to leaving the rain behind by the time I was turning off the motorway after Balado and then having a few hours flying between Montrose, Perth & Pittenweem, which had seemed very unlikely over breakfast.

[Crash one]

Yr right Piperboy, I tried it for a few times driving to Prestwick taking precicely 100 minutes one way & watching the weather deteriorate on the way, severely off pissing. After driving for 100 miles I felt, & prob looked, more like a cheeseburger than an hours flying.

[piperboy84]

There was an interesting post on another thread where it was suggested that most of the rural (non instrument equipped) West coast Scottish airstrips were laid out in a more N/S heading as opposed to the East coast which are predominately in a W/E direction. The reason being that although some have geographic constraints the main consideration is that even though the majority of days the winds are westerly the most VFR flying days are when the wind is from the S S/W.

Any thoughts as to the accuracy of this theory?

[ecosse]

so paying up fronts bad, OK will bear that in mind :) maybe blocks of five?:eek:

I did think of a trip to where the weather is more suitable:)

[ecosse]

The other thing is, i am my own boss, so when theres a good day i can take time off and be at prestwick in under 15 Min's, when i was flying from strathaven it was at least an hour there and then back, plus the prep time, food etc, so 5 hours or half a day off work and only 1 hours flying time.

so def going to have a look at the flight school first, they seem more of a 9 to 5 outfit and this may suit me better:)

When i went to strathaven, the money i spent on travel and work not done whilst away waiting for weather could have helped pay for my PPL(A) now that i think about it, it's prob, my cheapest option :)

[piperboy84]

Escosse sorry to hijack your thread,

If I may offer a tip regarding training that has worked for me and is extremely cost effective. I would like to give a caveat prior to imparting with my advice, I am not a book worm nor what is considered fully educated, nor could I ever be mistaken as an expert on mechanics or science, in fact throughout my career I have been described as being a “as thick as **** in the neck of a bottle” ,” a lump of wid” and as “dumb as a post” however there is one area that has probably trained me more than any other about flying (as much as actually flying the plane and perhaps even more) and this is the plethora of quality, easy to read and graphically simple books available. I am not taking about the ones that are given out or suggested as part of the PPl curriculum ( the “how to pass your PPL ones” or the ones about some old pilot bugger reliving his glory days but ones that really giving meaning to what your flight instructor is teaching you.
The following are some examples:

The Compleat Taildragger (although you may never fly a TD the theories are good to know)

Emergency Maneuver Training by Rich Stowell

Stick and Rudder ( The must know basics)

Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge by the FAA ( This one is essential reading and it costs a tenner)

The US Dept. of Transportation/ FAA publish many excellent books that cover all aspects of GA from flying, weather, mechanical and systems etc with easy to read and understand explanations with pictures included, 99% of the stuff in their books is applicable regardless of which country you are located in. And all four books above can be purchased for less than a half hour in a 152 with infinitely more training value

I find that reading those books makes me a far better pilot and the icing on the cake is the hobbs meter is not running while you are really learning.

[Crash one]

Good advice there Piperboy, And as for education, whoever wrote "The Compleat Taildragger" couldn't spell "Complete" properly, according to the English dictionary. So Mad Jock & the rest of youse thicko's is ok innit?:ok:

[ecosse]

Thanks piperboy, i will look in to those books for sure,

Ive been looking at costs also, at prestwick v others and think it might well be worth traveling further afield. Based on last years prices, on the flying club web site, with 50 hours flying and all other medical/paperwork/books etc
including only 1 landing fee per lesson(no holding fee's are included in this) its coming in at 12K. There are some company's offering full packages based on 45 hour's, for around 7k, some of which you don't need to pay up front. also 5 hours extra may only cost under a £1000:hmm:

I understand that better training, can save your life and is invaluable, but 4-5k saving may be worth a look, and also the extra money could be spent on some advanced technique's with another instructor which would be much more fun.

[maxred]

Has someone got their sums seriously wrong???

They cannot be that far adrift from others in the market.:eek:

Also holding fees???? What are they?:confused:

[maxred]

Well I popped over to PiK Flying Club website. Lot of info, however, relevant bits

45 hours JAA PPL, 200.25 per hour, including instructor, and landing. I calculate that at 9011.25. Books can be bought on e bay, plus the club had a number in their archive from memory.

They state on their site, add about 250.00 for initial costs. Sounds fair.

Beware of people who promise a great deal, it generally never is.

Look, flying, in relative terms is expensive. No getting away from it. If you start by trying to cut corners, looking for cheaper avenues, well, you may never get there. Previous advice, you asked for it, was to consider ALL variations and options. There is an awful lot more than cost to consider.

[ecosse]

Learn to Fly Liverpool flying lessons North west - JAA PPL Private Pilots Licence (http://www.targetaviation.co.uk/targetaviation/?referer=googlepackcheapestad&gclid=CIeI5-Ci67QCFUbKtAodRGYAKQHi)


maxred i was figuring it out at £210 per hour (oops!!) over 50 lessons (£10500):confused: @200.25 over 50 its£10,012.50

club membership books medical etc £500 so £10500.50 plus, any landing fees extra, and other stuff Ive probably missed also payment for exams and ground school is not included in this which may be another £1000?, so £11500 sound about right?

Looking at the above link, if there were any places that, offer this sort of thing, that were known to be good, i may consider them thats all.

I would much rather have a decent instructor and pay a little more for it but a saving of £3000-£4500 is a share in an aircraft?

£8555.70 would get 50 hours at ACS cumbernauld not sure if landing is included but a good saving none the less.

I don't intend to cut corners, I did say safety and better training is the main thing, as my life is worth more than £3-£4k

Thanks for the advice guys :ok:

[bingofuel]

When you compare hourly costs make sure you are comparing like for like.

Is the 'hour'

1 hour tacho
1 hours brakes off to brakes on
1 hour take off to landing
50 minutes flight time plus mandatory 10 minutes taxi time

As you can see one hour at one establishment may not be one hour at another, beware!

[ecosse]

Thanks bingofuel i am grateful, for your input and indeed everyone Else's, on these matters, :D

Glad i found it and hopefully i will someday put something back in, and automotive questions i can answer, if anyone needs some help there please ask:)

I have contacted via email both Prestwick Flying Club and the Prestwick Flight School and await there reply :)

[airpolice]

Kenny, try this:

Hello, I'd like to buy a nice wee car. How much will it cost?

£62,500 and it's all leather.

I was looking at a Corsa for £11,750, wtf are you selling?

This is an Audi S5.

I just want a wee car!

Well, there's not a lot of room inside this one.



Nobody is going to tell you how much your training will cost, until you have passed your skills test. And even then, you will still be trying to figure out just how good your training has been, and that can't be measured in hours. You need someone who can teach you to fly, not teach you to pass the test within financial limits.

You have started out well by asking for advice, let's not dilute that by making money the prime consideration.

If you don't already have one, buy a logbook. Go and take a lesson at Prestwick (both) Cumbernauld (both) and Perth. You now have 5 hours towards your total and a range of experience on which to base your decisions.

If you want to learn in a short period of time, you need to go to a School, not a Club. You need to be able to fly and be taught when it suits you, and that's not happening on a one or two instructor, two aircraft outfit with other clients.

Trust me, I did it and suffered. Gaps of three or four months were not unusual, while the aircraft went sick the day before my instructor returned from a detachment to the Falklands. I believe I had some excellent instruction from a very experienced (thousands of hours) instructor, but only when he had the time, and an aircraft.

You should also consider the NPPL. I can't add a night or instrument rating, so I can't fly in ****ty weather. That's not holding me back from enjoying my flying and I can sit my PPL skills test later, after I pay out hundreds of pounds (a few hours of flying) for a medical (every year) instead of just asking my GP to sign a form, which he did in exchange for £25 and I took him on a jolly once I had passed.


Think about what kind of flying you will do in your first two years, if we are looking at day VFR in the UK, the NPPL will be good enough.

[ecosse]

Thanks air police that's some good pointers:ok:

I hadn't thought nppl dont know why, so, i can do nppl and then later, upgrade if i want, to full ppl and night flying with instrument. etc:confused:

I may still go down the 3 axis microlight route too.

[marcus1290]

Hi ecosse,

I looked at doing my PPL with Border at Cumbernauld. Nice enough guys, but with only one 152 and one instructor, it would have been hard to get booked in and do the amount of flying i was looking for. Instead i went with Leading Edge up the stairs. They have two 152s at Cumbernauld and another two at their other base in Perth so booking an aircraft isn't an issue.

I really enjoyed my training with them. The instructors were good guys, many of them now good friends of mine. There is a mix of full time and part time instructors, all of whom are very accommodating so im sure you're training needs could be met fully at Leading Edge. Also, there is a good club/school vibe there. We have had some good days out recently which gives people a chance to meet other studnets and once you've got your licence, find some people to share the cost of flying with. We are heading to the tower at Edinburgh at the end of the month. And if you were looking to continue onto the CPL or FI, the Perth base offer both courses. One last thing from me, the landing fees at Prestwick are quite expensive at around £20. Cumbernauld is £12 which might balance out your fuel costs. Especially when you get into the circuit and could be doing 10+ landings at a time.

Im just giving my own personal experience of Leading edge for your consideration, i don't want to out you off going anywhere else. A few of my friends have done their PPLs at Prestwick and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I hope my experience is of some use to you.

[ecosse]

Thanks marcus for yor input :ok:

The landing fees are down as £8.25 on PFC website:confused:

[mfalcon]

The landing fees at Prestwick for the club are indeed £8.25, and for aircraft hire the rate is calculated at flight time + 5 minutes (so no huge costs for taxying etc.!)

[ecosse]

Just bought stick and rudder, so will get some reding done at the weekend.

:)

[garethep]

I currently fly with Leading Edge and they are indeed a good bunch however, having some experience of both the outfits at prestwick, I think that your location and desire to progress quickly point at prestwick flight centre being the most likely "best fit" Do not underestimate the grind of an hour plus driving too and from the airport. Please don't think ive anything against prestwick flying club....they are about th e only true flying club ive found in the area and I would be a member if I lived closer but that informality and part time operation may not suit if you want to fly on a regular basis midweek.

PS. if you do choose leading edge, you may find it worth the extra 15 pounds per hour to fly the pa28....its just so much nicer!

[ecosse]

Thanks for the input, I will take it on board