Firstly, I conducted a good proportion of my ab-initio training for the PPL in the US, Southern California at Long Beach. I chose this location, as it was competitively priced, and offered the chance of good continuity of training, and learning in busy class B airspace. The field is shared by Mcdonnel, and is frequently busy with C17s MD80s, and MD heavy metal, including scheduled airlines. I certainly was given no quarter by my instructor, who was ex RN, and expected me to perform correctly. I learnt correct airmanship from a variety of instructors, both US nationals, and UK ex-pats, and found very few to be un-professional. Radio discipline was strict, (If different - it took me a short while to adapt to the more precise UK standards) and I came away as a reasonably competent pilot, having been checked out by various instructors at various clubs over the years - and none of them ever commented that my flying was not up to scratch.
I would welcome HMG reducing the VAT/Duty on fuel...perhaps if flying was cheaper, more pilots would remain in currency and would then excercise a better standard of airmanship
Tailwinds
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