Want to get my PPL - any ideas?

[sophia]

Hi,
I currently work in the pharmaceutical industry and want to obtain my PPL (with the intention of, one day, obtaining my ATPL).

I would like to get my PPL by the end of the year (as cheap as possible)

I have a few hours flying experience in Cessna 152.

Going overseas appears to be the best option, but I'm a bit overwhelmed at the mo, not sure where to go!

I've got exactly 26 days annual leave left(including weekends) in 2003 and would like to take it off in August - could I get my PPL in this space of time and where would be the best place go?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Soph

[email protected]

[ratsarrse]

I went through a similar period of indecision myself. The options seem to be go to Florida (or similar) and do an intensive 4 week PPL, or stay in the UK, and spend more money and time getting your PPL.
I opted to stay in the UK. I reasoned that if you did your PPL abroad, you would still have to have an hour or more with an instructor for the purposes of club check out, getting used to UK procedures, getting used to UK weather. I think that the intensive PPL would be quite hard work - you would do well to get some or all of the exams out of the way before starting. Once committed to the 4 week intensive course, what happens if you find that you don't like it/can't get on with the instructors?
Just my opinion here, but I think you'd be better off doing your PPL over a longer period of time at say Nottingham or East Midlands (you'll benefit from the radio work at EMA!), then look at doing some of the more advanced stuff and hours building in the States or South Africa.
As for being a bit overwhelmed - well that's another good reason to start slowly at first! Have a couple of trial flights and chat with the instructors about your plans and ideas - I'm sure that you'll be better placed to decide after that.

[Keygrip]

sophia - I agree with "rats" 100%.

The training out here is sufficient for you to get the hang of taking off every time and landing reasonably often.

The navigation is awful, the radio work is atrocious.

You do churn out at the end of these intensive courses as a reasonably safe and legal pilot - then you go home....... and learn to fly.

If you want the quick fix - hop on a plane to one of the numerous FTO's. If you want to learn to fly properly, as a basis towards your JAA ATPL - go to East Midlands and/or Nottingham.

There are some excellent schools out here - but not that will take you for a three week quick fix course.

[BEagle]

Don't forget that you could always start with the NPPL which requires a minimum of 32 hours plus about another 3 for the 2 Skill Tests, then upgrade to a JAR-FCL PPL at a later date if money is tight.

See www.nppl.uk.com for more details.

...and don't forget that Florida in August is murderously hot, you'll have jet lag to get over and you'll need to acclimatise.

[Keygrip]

BEagle - p p please...jet lag happens the other way round - when you go back to the UK (or at least it always does to me).

As for the temperatures- when sophia gets hot and sticky she can have a shower or go splash in the swimming pool. :D

[HelenD]

I would recommend Inverness for an intensive course as they usually always get good weather, the scenery is awesome, the locals are friendly. There is also a reasonable deal on acommodation in the area. If you are planning o an intensive course I would suggest you get all your ground exams done before you go maybe with the exception of the radio exams.

[QNH 1013]

From Nottingham you have a very good choice of local schools, at least some of which I know have done intensive courses. Ring them all and ask prices and then visit the promising ones. You have available:
Tatenhill (near Burton on Trent), Derby, Nottingham, Netherthorpe (2-schools with I believe the cheapest rates in the country), East Midlands (2-schools) and there may be others all within daily travelling distance.
Don't forget to ask about "extra" costs that they may forget to mention eg exams costs and membership fees. If you want more info on the clubs mentioned send me a pm, I've trained / hired from most of them.

[englishal]

...and don't forget that Florida in August is murderously hot, you'll have jet lag to get over and you'll need to acclimatise.
And not forgetting of course that August in the UK will be terrible weather, blowing a gale and p*ssing down with rain....

[Evo]

:D :D :D :mad: :D

[Tiger Bob]

Have you thought about South Africa. No jet lag, lots of sun and good weather and also cost effective.

You will find a number of discussions on flying in South Africa in various parts of this forum.

[knobbygb]

Why not start training now at one of your local schools with a view to 'finishing off' in the states in August or whenever.

If you do a couple of hours a week between now and August you'll have 25 hours or so under your belt and a 3 week trip abroad (Florida, S.Africa - wherever) won't be nearly so 'intense'.

The syllabus is fluid and generic enough to allow for switching between training organisations without much disruption - you'd probably benefit a lot from learning under two very different 'regeimes' and at the end of it all you'll be a much more rounded pilot with experience of both environments. I see no problem splitting the training like this - it'd certainley be easier to fly over here after coming back if you'd learnt your RT and nav skills here before going abroad. Get all your exams passed before going too!

I sort of intended to take this route, but in the end never got round to it and completed over here. Why wait until August? Get flying now while the weather's nice (light nights = no days off work required for weekday flying) and make the decision where to complete the training later when you've more direct experience.

[Charlie172]

Hi Sophia,

I was exactly in your position. Except I have no aspirations for ATPL ! I did a lot of research for several months and eventually ended up taking 5 weeks off work and spending them here: www.algoafc.co.za - I came back with a PPL that is fully valid in the UK ( and more closely aligned to ours than a US PPL). It is a great place to learn with a very friendly club/school and you will soon get to grips with their windy conditions, full ATC etc.

I have been back again this year and there are lots of UK people currently passing their PLLs there right now. Not just on price but all things considered, I think they are hard to beat. I did it in 46hrs and now have 82.5 (most of the latter in the UK).

Even in the UK it would be hard to do a full PPL course in 5 weeks
(weather) however, you could save 50% or more in SA and then easily convert to JAR upon return. Send them an email and Glynis will answer all your questions.

Whatever you decide, very best of luck.

Charlie.

[Chilli Monster]

Sophia

If you decide to do it here (and as others have said - why wait) I can recommend Truman at Nottingham. I did my PPL (fairly intensive fitting around work), IMC, Night and Multi there - now have a share in an aircraft based there.

Go along and talk to Dick Flanagan the CFI (he's off Mon & Tues but normally there the rest of the time) and have a chat about what you want to do - he'll be totally honest without trying to fleece you. If you want to know any more about the place feel free to drop me a line.

CM

[vancouv]

I did my PPL here, but I've got a friend who did it in America on an intensive course. I guess it's horses for courses, but personally I think here is best.

The American option seems a bit like a way of getting your license, rather than learning to fly. The weather here is such rubbish it's good to get used to making go/no go decisions during your training. If you turn up here with a shiny new PPL these decisions will be left to you, and if you've only flown in glorious sunshine it could be tricky.

I would also recommend a busy airport with full ATC - fly from a small airfield and it can be very tricky to start flying in contolled airspace with controllers giving you vectors, squawks, holds etc.

But that's just my opinion!!

[FlyingForFun]

Sophia,

This is one of those questions where everyone has an opinion - but the only correct answer is the one that's correct for you.

I get the impression that your main reason for looking abroad is to keep the cost down? If that's the case, don't forget to factor in the cost of flights to/from wherever you train, and the cost of accomodation. Also, for any intensive course, in the UK or abroad, factor in the cost of lost salary (or the non-financial cost of lost holiday time).

If you do go abroad, you have two choices. You can do a PPL anywhere in the world, then convert it to a UK (JAR) PPL when you get back. Or you can do a UK-approved JAR PPL at any of the schools listed on the CAA's website (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/srg_fcl_ApprovedFTOs.pdf) - many of them are abroad.

As for going forward to ATPL level, if you are considering keeping your current job while you're training (which would definitely be my recomendation) then you might need to consider this when deciding whether you can take time off for an intensive course.


I won't comment on the various advantages/disadvantages, because others have already done that - besides which, as I said, only you know what's right for you.

FFF
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[springers]

Some good points made already. I would add the following for you to think about:

Getting your licence is about more than having lessons and passing the skills test. You also learn to navigate around the local area and get to know some very experienced people at your airfield who will be helpful to you long after you get your licence. Also at your friendly local club you may be offered the occasional spare seat by other pilots - watching and learning from the passenger seat all adds to your experience.

Also, my experience of UK schools is that they are incredibly supportive in getting you through the exams with the minimum of stress and effort.

Looking at it from a flying club's perspective - if you have spent £5k learning with them they will give you a warmer welcome than if you turn up with your overseas acquired PPL.

I thought about learning abroad but decided to persevere with the UK weather. I was fortunate in that I could schedule a lesson every day (either first in the morning or late afternoon) and averaged about three lessons a week between February and April.

If you start having evening lessons after work you could make substantial progress. Otherwise could you book half day holidays that you don't take if the weather is unfavourable?

As FFF says, cost of flights, eating out and accommodation can erode the saving that you make learning abroad.

Hope this helps

Springers

[Julian]

This discussion reappears every now and then on here. At the end of the day, as said earlier, its horses for courses. Do you have the time off to do a full time course for a 4-6 wks? If so then go for it, else you may have to fall back on the weekend flying option.

There are lots of myths regarding getting an overseas licence. A few are :

1) 'Its always sunny'
Hmmm maybe if you stick to Florida it is but the you can fly where you want in the US. I did mine in the LA Basin, Californa, but before you go ahead thinking its a beach resort again you can basically find any sort of weather you want there, sun, rain, thunderstorms and we even flew into a ski resort 45mins from the West Coast (and yes it had snow!). A few times on my course and subsequently since going there PPL students have been grounded due to bad viz. Wind is also a major factor on this area of the coast with students making a no-go decision due to excessive crosswinds.

2) 'You will not be as good as someone who did their licence in the UK'
Love this one, but try telling that to the guys in the pointy end of the jet that brings you back from US hols next time, sure they will see the funny side!

3) 'You learnt in the US <<Sucks teeth>> , well thats going to be 10-15hrs retraining straight away!'
Another good one, I did an hour checkout with Bournemouth and White Waltham on my return and was signed off for club use on both. Clubs that start off by saying things such as this should really have you turning on your heels and heading for the door!!! The radio and airspace IS different but its not wild! You can cover it during your check rides, sitting with an instructor on a groundschool or even by sitting in with other guys from the club. I have flown with about 5 clubs and not encountered this although I have a couple of friends who have, they have switched to others clubs with no problems.

4) 'Its more expensive!'
This depends how you look at in my books, I did a month over there with 62 hours flying, hotel, food and beer(!) and it worked out at about £4500. Now if you compare this to someone in UK who has taken a year, or even 2 as some have, to complete due to weather, personal circumstances, etc. it can soon start t look very promising instead. It doesnt take much of a gap from flying due to weather for you to forget what you have been taught and have to redo a lesson. Plus dont forget no landing, approach, ILS, etc fees to pay in the US!!

5) 'Ooooohhh dodgy flights schools over there!'
True, but there again there are over here as well and the dodgy ones tend to get weeded out. Dont forget you will find not so friendly school over here in good old blighty as well. If you want to know about a school abroad ask for testimonials from previous students and also dont forget PPrune is a good source of info.

Since I took mine South Africa has become a very popular location , especially as someone said earlier the PPL closely mirrors ours. I have even seen mentioned JAA licence training avaliable in Checzh!

At the end of the day you have to make a choice on where you feel is right and most comfortable for yourself and also an environment you progress in. Which ever method you pick you wont look back....

[golfbug72]

Sophia,

Having relatively recently completed my PPL - went to Florida in Nov/Dec last year - should say that I was only doing it for fun and no intentions of going on to ATPL/CPL etc... I set out to do all in 4 weeks - from zero time - and do all the exams at the same time - I found that it was not as much fun as I thought it would be - possible, yes, but too intensive to actually enjoy it along the way.

I had planned to be in Florida for a further few weeks anyway so took the opportunity to extend my course by a couple of weeks - should say that I still gained my PPL at 48 hours - and feel by taking a little more time, actually got through some of the flying quicker as I had the exams done and had a basic understanding of some things which I was then being taught in the air.

I actually found that when I added up the flights to and from/accom etc and the flying that I was about the same cost as doing my PPL here - the main advantage was the weather meant we could fly every day - so if it is an intensive course you need to do because of limited holidays etc, then go for the weather, just alow a few hours when you pass to get familiar back home again.

wherever you decide to do I would strongly recommend having as many of the exams done before you go- certainly do get yourself the PPL Confuser - and RTFQ when sitting the exams!!

Have fun