Instrument flying refresher training locations in UK

[Zonkor]

I recently obtained a UK IMC rating though paper conversion from FAA IR. I want to use it to stay current and maintain FAA IR currency.

Since I don't have any instrument-flying experience in UK airspace, I'd like to take some refresher training or just take along an instructor (SEP aircraft).

I'm thus looking for recommendations of a good instructor or flying club close to London or Birmingham (e.g., easy to reach from a UK airport). Thanks!

Related question: If your FAA IR currency is lapsed but you are still UK IMCR current, are you legally able to regain FAA IR currency without an IPC by using the UK IMCR to fulfill the FAA IR currency requirements (in UK airspace, of course)?

[thing]

You could try Frank Morgan at Humberside, don't know if you can get an easy flight into Humberside from where you are.

[Stretchwell]

Turweston. A couple of instructors with oodles of experience at a very friendly club with a great cafe ! :D

[thing]

You can get a flight into Humberside though. Just jump off the plane, do what you need to do then bugger off back home.

Although the caff is nice at Turweston. I have to keep reminding myself whether I've been there or not because I always mix it up with Tollerton and Tatenhill.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I had a very good experience training with with a fellow called Andy Chester who teaches part time with Billins Air Services at Cranfield. That is about halfway between London and Birmingham. Milton Keynes, a few miles from Cranfield is an easy train trip from Birmingham airport.

G

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi Zonkor,

OK, let's talk about London.

London is a very big place and travel within London is very expensive and time consuming. So you need to choose either, somewhere to fly that is close to where you will be staying, or somewhere to stay that is near to where you will be flying. You don't want to be travelling for much more than about an hour in either direction to and from the airfield.

There are probably good places to do instrument flying in a ring of flying establishments that extends all around London. In the West there are places at White Waltham and Booker , Denham and probably Elstree . In the North there is Stapleford and North Weald aerodromes. In the South there should be good places at Biggin Hill and Redhill. I don't know the good places on the Eastern border of London, but I'm sure there will be people here who will.

Be careful of some of the advice you get here. You ask for places near London or Birmingham and someone suggests Humberside!

Regards,

BP.

[MrAverage]

Zonkor

You should be able to get help at Elstree, depending on when your FAA IR runs out and how long you are in the country.

Please feel free to send me a p.m.

[Zonkor]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions.

Humberside is indeed hard to reach by the airlines for me, so I'll check out Cranfield and Elstree. An advantage of Cranfield over Elstree seems to be the available IAPs on-site (RNAV, LOC, ILS) [1], so not much repositioning would necessary.

On the other hand, the goal is to transition to instrument flying in Europe, so maybe I should look more which location has the more challenging instrument approaches closeby ...

By the way, how do you practice instrument flying in the UK? Do you also ask ATC for "practice approaches" (like in the US) and simulate the radio calls but stay VFR; or do you go "real IFR"?

[1] NATS | AIS - Home (http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/index.php%3Foption=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=48&Itemid=97.html)

[Genghis the Engineer]

Generally we do them for real, operating IFR, making all the normal calls but remaining VMC with the instructor providing the safety pilot role.

Check your PMs.

G

[thing]

Be careful of some of the advice you get here. You ask for places near London or Birmingham and someone suggests Humberside!

What difference does it make? If he's coming from EG Amsterdam then Humberside would be an easy trip. If he's not familiar with the UK then I suppose he just thought of the two largest cities.