How much did you actually spend on approach fees whilst doing your IR?

[Gin Slinger]

This isn't a lazy 'what's the phone number for such and such-er flying school etc' post - I am aware how much various airports charge for approach/landing fees, and have been given an estimate by a flying school on how much to budget.. .. .I'm just asking for a straw poll on how much peeps with a freshly minted JAR IR done in the UK actually spent.. .. .Thanks.

[Matthewjharvey]

During my IR all approaches at the home airfield were included (EGHI) so in total I would say about £300. Ridiculous really the variation in prices between places, Bournemouth for example charge about £40, Cardiff about £5.

[englishal]

its a bloody rip-off if you ask me !

[DeeTee]

I must admit it was a few years ago, but I did mine with BAe at Prestwick and all fees were included. So where-ever you went there was no extra charge. So got to fly lots of approaches into lots fo different airfields. Belfast, Machrahanish, Edinburgh, Glasgow etc etc.. .. .No help to you though, I suppose, as they've gone to Spain.. .. .Certainly though, some courses seem cheap but when you find out you have to pay for lots of 'extras' like accommodation, approach fees etc. they can soon add up to as much (if not more) than the established, all inclusive schools and courses.. .. .So I guess, do your maths properly. Sometimes it's less stressful to know you can just keep shooting ILS or VOR/DME or NDB approaches to your hearts content and not have to worry about the cost. When I went to Prestwick for the commercial licences, we had guy's with us that had never flown VOR/DME or SRA's. Their training to date had been at the one airfield, flying the same old approach over and over again. I can assure you that is no use to you at all in your training or your hopes for a job/sim ride. You have to be able to pick up an approach plate, brief and fly the approach, and know the go-around having never seen it before. Doing the same thing day after day into the same airport...well it just doesn't prepare you for the reality of a commercial sim assessment or the day to day flying in most comercial operations.. .. .Anyway, best of luck, my advice is to cost it generously based on your worst case assessment, then increase that by a third. That'll be about right. it was for me. I reckoned it would cost me £26-£30k all in....£44k later I got it.. .. .Cheers

[Dan Winterland]

Try phoning and agreeing a rate beforehand. At Norwich in the late eighties, a training approach and landing would cost about £3.50 if booked beforehand. Compared to a visual approach and landing at £5.50, this was good value. . .. .No idea of current prices.

[mad_jock]

I just finished mine at leeds flying school and the total for the 55 hour course was 135 quid.. .. .First landing was free every flight.. .. .MJ

[Gin Slinger]

mad_jock - last landing sometimes free also