Help....Seeking a 172 & some ME Rating/ Further training Advice???

[Exiled Martian]

Hi Guys,

A bit of background info:



I'm 25 & on a Modular Training path (hold a PPL with night rating to my name)
Recently (well October 2013) completed all 14 ATPL exams via DL route.
Got ~65Hr P1to my name (WX permitting should have 70 by end of month) & due to weather delays looking to amass the remaining 30 or so hours in Florida come back end of February.


Questions:




Can anyone point me to an outfit (in the Midlands) where I can possibly manage to get some172/152 hours under my belt? I have never flown a 172 but did all my PPL training on the 152. Is there a any big significant difference between those two chariots? Reason for this being the fact that I'll be flying a 172 (G1000 equipped) /152 out there in America & well I could really do with getting familiar prior to my trip in Feb.





As stated I'm due to complete my 70P1 time soon & have already forked out some money in advance to start my ME ASAP in a DA42. This will be done part time over the prevailing weekends as I tend to work in the week. So yup, any advice, hints, tips, cheats on what to expect/ prep work for the ME rating would be much appreciated?





Upon my return back from the US (should have 100P1 to my name), I plan on starting my IR or CPL & in all honesty am at a bit of a cross roads as to which one to do first etc....anyone care to share pros & cons in doing IR first then CPL? or vice versa?

[Johnm]

The obvious way to build hours with benefit would be to do the IR if you've already done the exams. Having read this post and the previous thread I really think you need to go and talk to a serious training school and get some guidance on how to move forward sensibly.

[Exiled Martian]

Mid-week greetings to all you Gyro Earth tied people who share the oppression & torment of being confined to a corporate desk on this fine blue sky (in the midlands anyway) afternoon:)

Just thought' I'd bump this thread in the hopes of getting somewhere with the posed questions especially with bullet point one in my OP, seeing as I've just finalised my accommodation & flights to Florida... so I ask again does somebody know where I can charter reasonably priced C152 & C172 just to do some leisurely local nav exercises around the Class G in the Cotswold area?

JohnM - I don't think I have amassed enough hours (50 X-country) to begin IR training just yet & I'm still am in deliberation in which order to pursue (CPL--> IR or vice versa) further training upon returning back from America. I did have a 'serious' word with my school on the matter & have walked away with enough Pros & Cons to ponder over & hopefully these should help in making a decision towards the next phase in my modular journey..... :8.

By the way, my first thread in this sub forum occurred a long time ago during the youthful beginnings of my post PPL endeavors. I simply posted my story to raise awareness amongst the more novice PPL'ers & get substantial feedback from more seasoned aviators on here & to be frank they didn't disappoint one bit :ok:. In hindsight my biggest error was the fact that we opted to use an aircraft I wasn't too familiar with at the time....couple that the fact that its speed/performance was more than what I was use to (previously more time spent on the gauges of Cessna's & Warriors). Anyways you LIVE (not always of course) & you LEARN (Always forever in this game).