Yorkshire/Northern England places to get licence

[Jonnyx10]

Looking to get my pilots licence privately, I'm based in Yorkshire. Does anyone have any recommendations where I can do lessons and get my licence near by?
(Or anywhere in the north!)

Thanks

[7of9]

Depends where you live & how far you are willing to travel.

I learn at Sandtoft Near Doncaster & still fly there.

Reasonable rates & Nice instructors.

Friendly place too.

Give Nikki or Mike a ring on 01427 872 034

Sandtoft Flying Club - - EGCF, Sandtoft Airfield, Doncaster (http://www.sandtoftflyingclub.co.uk)

Trev

[ak7274]

Live near York?

Sherburn..........Breighton........Full Sutton.

All different places/atmospheres/prices

[juliet india mike]

thegreatcircle.com will do it quickly
Yorkflyingschool will do it cheaply.
Both well taught and friendly. Check them out, both within 20 mins drive of York

[Lagentium]

Plus one vote for Sherburn, I'm a member there and have an aircraft there, it's a decent place to learn and the instructors that taught me to fly were brilliant, although I don't know all of them. Everybody is always willing to give you a hand aswell, Dr Mark can do your medical on site too. But it wouldn't be fair to not mention other places such as Breighton, Sandtoft and Full Sutton especially with Cas' reputation as a brilliant instructor. I'd get in the car and drive around them all, because there are quite a few variables with cost and distance to travel to being a couple of factors. But one thing that meant a lot to me was how the place made me feel and the atmosphere there. I will be at Sherburn over the weekend if you would like being shown around.

Cheers, Jim:ok:

[flybymike]

If you want to learn in a full ATC environment (and can afford to) there is always Multiflight at Leeds.

[Lagentium]

Flybymike, I've often wondered if I would have benefitted from getting my PPL at Multiflight, I'd have thought if your plans were to go down the commercial route then yes definitely, but not if your just flying for fun. I'd like to see the two figures for obtaining PPLs at a full international airport with full ATC as opposed to somewhere like Sherburn with an A/G service.

Cheers, Jim:ok:

[flybymike]

Costs aside , there are other issues and differences between the two options; RT in particular.

Those who learn at an A/g unit are often flummoxed when dealing with CAS transits and talking to ATC on the radio etc, whereas those like me who learned with full ATC, had much to learn when the time came, about the rather more laid back approach of FIS, A/G, or farmstrip flying.

[rcalvert]

Did my PPL at MultiFlight in 2008/2009. My 2 cents..

Positives:


You learn quickly
Very professional setup
Many aircraft of the same type - few cancellations
Full ATC means you're not as apprehensive about 'big' airports
(for me) Very close to home, so no wasted travel
Easy to hire aircraft after PPL (good availability)

Negatives:


Multiple instructors
Windy (no x wind runway any more) and on the top of a hill
Busy airport
Not a 'club', definately a 'school'
Leeds charge a landing fee per circuit


If you're considering it...


Be clear to them which instructor you prefer and make sure they always book them (unless you prefer a mix, I know some people do)
It is a busy airport, but so long as you avoid the really busy commercial times then there's not much holding/orbiting (avoid before 10am and after 4pm). Looking at the logbook, 7 circuits in 1 hour was standard. I found that once ATC know your voice and that you can land/take-off reliably then they'll slot you in tightly before commercial traffic
The hourly cost at MultiFlight was much the same as elsewhere (+/- a couple of quid), it was only the circuits which cost more due to the landing fees; but this was outweighed by not having to travel 1 hour to get to the airfield
It is a business-lke setup. If you want to sit swilling tea and talking about pprune postings for hours then it's not the place

All-in-all, I'd recommend it for PPL to anyone on 'that side' of Leeds.

R.

[flybymike]

Sad reflection on life I suppose, but 30 years ago at Leeds it really was a "club"; to be precise the Yorkshire Aeroplane club.:)

[Lagentium]

Fair play gentlemen, I see your points!

Jim:ok:

[md 600 driver]

Yorkflying school at Breighton get my vote nice friendly outfit

[Jonnyx10]

Thanks for all the feed back, it's helped me out a lot. I'm going to look into York flying school and multiflight at Leeds/Bradford! Should probably get my medical sorted early so I don't waste my time and money also.

[ak7274]

I would try all of those suggested if they are close enough to you.
Sherburn is certainly worth a trip as is Full Sutton.

[thing]

Out of them all I would say Breighton would be the most interesting place to fly from; but to choose one to learn at I think it would have to be Sherburn purely because it has a hard runway (I know Sandtoft does but Sherburn is a much bigger operation) so you're not going to be stuck with waterlogged/soft runways. Plus they do homemade steak pie, veg and mash for £4.50.

[DX Wombat]

I would opt for Full Sutton any day. If you are further towards the coast then Breighton. If Bagby still does training that could also be another place to check out.

[thing]

OT DX but I've never been to Full Sutton, do they have a caff and stuff, is it worth a visit? It's only about 30-40 minutes from my place.

[LeeP-PA28]

I started my flight training career with MultiFlight and just couldn't gel with it.
In 3 months of my training, I had managed 6 hours of lessons. This was down to the weather at Leeds being generally quite poor - you'll be used to crosswind landings and holds for sure!

There was a lack of continuity between instructors for me - no real structure to the training either.

In January 2012 I found myself at Sherburn and felt at home straight away. I gained my PPL some 7 weeks later - having got used to MATZ crossings and Class D airspace courtesy of Doncaster. The QXC to East Mids was great also - as was having a mass of class G airspace available to you.

I have since gained my IMC, night and MEP ratings at Sherburn and have started my ATPL's with them also.

I can state from experience that other clubs don't have the facilities, range of aircraft and membership base that Sherburn does. I've made some great friends here, flying companions and sorted myself a share in an aircraft.

Come view the club - will guarantee you'll be a signed up member in no time :)

[thing]

Must be time for another Prune fly in to Sherburn I think!

[L'aviateur]

Your are spoilt for choice with all of the great airfields around in Yorkshire, and most of them would be excellent places to learn.

[Flyingmac]

WHERE ARE YOU? You're going to have to be a bit more precise if you want to be a pilot. 'Yorkshire' is a bit vague. It's a very big county.

You could be in Yorkshire and have Durham-Tees Valley, Humberside, Beverley or Leeds as your nearest training base. Help us out here.

[Lagentium]

Let me know if you're coming in thing, I shall get the drinks in!

[thing]

We lease some of our a/c from Les so we're always up there getting something sorted or serviced. Was up there last week actually.

[JB007]

Did my PPL at Sherburn! Although not been back for a few years, it was great - good atmosphere/good training...getting misty eyed just thinking about it...

Oh well, back to my straight, boring 8 hour long magenta line...

[adambsmith]

I am 14 and a bit hours in at Sherburn and loving the place.

Friendly people and great instructors.

I was a refugee from Multiflight at Leeds/Bradford Airport. I was bought a trial lesson in Jan 2012 and could only use it in Aug 2012. Weather is a big problem there it seems.

I went to Sherburn after having had enough of cancelled lessons. A few weeks later a mate of mine came over from Leeds to Sherburn for the very same reason.

I have had the same instructor and nearly the same plane every time at Sherburn. :ok:

[jmparis]

I would suggest ALH Skytrain at Gamston Airfield. I did my night rating there and can highly recommend them. Phone Tony (instructor) on 01777 838202.