Thanks everyone for the responses. Loads of great info to digest.
Originally Posted by
TheOddOne
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1. Never pay up-front for flying training
2. Never pay up-front for flying training
3. Never pay up-front for flying training
...
50% will get cancelled by weather
Originally Posted by
MaxR
Book as often as you can, plan to lose half of those booked.
Never pay more upfront for flying than you can afford to lose..
Originally Posted by
MrAverage
Don't pay upfront!
I am confused here. My expectation is that if I pre book say 10 lessons to get a cheaper rate, then why would cancellations outside my control mean I might lose them? Weather is weather, maintenance of aircraft is not my fault. If I don't turn up, I'd expect to lose out, but is there something I'm missing about the way flight schools operate?
Originally Posted by
rudestuff
What is your end goal? If you're thinking about ever going commercial (and having a 20 year career at a pilot ahead of you) then definitely get a class one medical sooner rather than later.
I think a lot of people have this dream to become a professional. But I cant see myself in the position of having the funding to go to that. (Euromillions win aside
) But the option to add extra parts to any licence over time has significant appeal on a personal level.
Originally Posted by
rudestuff
As for flying, go for the PA28 - it's not expensive but will save you money in the long run.
3. Don't plan on learning anything in the aircraft - you should get in knowing what you're going to be doing. That's where a good brief is with its weight in gold. Use the time in the aircraft to watch the demo then practice, that's all your brain will have capacity to do.
4. Chair-fly every day. This is the best piece of advice you'll ever get and it's free. Your instructor is simply looking for you to demonstrate competency in each manoeuvre: if you forget to put the carb heat on, or do a checklist on downwind - you'll have to do that manoeuvre again. You give yourself the best chance of getting it right sooner if you chair fly and turn up prepared.
5. Learn in a 4 seater. Pick a buddy to learn with and back-seat as many of each others flights as you can.
You will learn as much if not more from the back seat watching someone else struggle as you will from the front - because the pressure is off and you have spare capacity. You'll have much more exposure to radio calls, traffic patterns and especially navigation and area familiarity. For free.
Like the idea of back seat observation. Do many schools encourage this or help people find others to do this with if you don't know anyone personally?
Originally Posted by
TheOddOne
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Book at least one flight a week, 2 if you can.. It'll still take you a year, unless you can invest mid-week time and make 4 bookings a week.
There are 2 popular sets of manuals, AFE and Pooley's. If you want to do some reading ahead of time, buy book one, either one will do. This describes the flying exercises in accordance with the syllabus. If you can find out which syllabus each school uses, then you can get that book. I wouldn't buy any of the other text books just yet, until you've discussed it with your instructor.
Honestly, I don't think I'll be able to do 4 bookings a week. But I'll investigate 2 per week. Especially during the summer, when presumably it's possible to fly in the early evening daylight hours.
Originally Posted by
MrAverage
... but don't forget to include Redhill Aviation in your search if you're determined to go there. They have a longstanding and envious reputation.
You have many other airfield options if you are mobile, lots within an hour or so. Commuting cost is peanuts compared to the cost of flying. Following any training event and it's debrief, you will self debrief for some time after anyway and some of this can be done on the way home.
I'm open to options regarding locations
But tbh I'm mentally discounting Biggin due to the extra traffic as much as anything. There's a vid on Youtube of someone going to BH and even they were delayed landing due to the congestion which makes me think the stories are true.
Which brings me to
Originally Posted by
Duchess_Driver
...you could be at Fairoaks...
I don't know why, but I always assumed Fairoaks was a) Grass and b) Helicopters only.
But clearly Flysynergy.com operate Pipers from there so they are definitely on my list. Especially since I work closer to there than I do to Redhill. Meaning flying after work would be an option. I would guess very few schools would allow lessons to start at 6am during the week, but maybe I'm wrong.
Thanks again everyone