London PPL Flight School
Hello!
Apologies, I have searched and can see this topic has come up before, but not recently and not with the specific fields I have in mind.
I'm based in West London and am considering finally taking the leap and doing my PPL as a long time avgeek (not considering a career at this point, just as a hobby and life experience). I recently did a discovery flight with Flight Training London at Elstree and enjoyed it, however its not actually the closest field to me, with both Denham and White Waltham a bit closer by car that would make them an easier logistical choice over the long term. I know there is also a couple of different schools based at Elstree so overall there's a few different options there as well as others I maybe haven't even considered.
In terms of cost they aren't miles apart and I think I would need to do a more detailed comparison to get the full picture, although The Pilot Centre at Denham seems cheapest. White Waltham seems like it has a really nice community around it as well as training available on tail draggers and aerobatics, but it only has grass strips which I guess would be an issue after significant amounts of rain(?). All the schools have a couple of different aircraft available for training, and as I'm 6'3" I'm not sure if I will be able to manage in the standard 152.
To summarise some questions after the above background information:
* Does anyone have any experience at any of the above airfields/flight schools and have feedback on their own experience?
* Is there any other key factors I need to consider in terms of choosing the right flight school?
* Is it common practice to take a lesson at a couple of different places to help choose a location and instructor you're comfortable with?
Thanks in advance anyone who can give some advice!