PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - After some advice please (learning in the north east)
Old 2nd Oct 2009, 08:31
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worrab
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
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The basic costs vary quite significantly across the UK with an instructed-hour varying from about £105 up to getting on for £200 and given that you need a minimum of 45 hours you can calculate the total. Add a few hundred pounds for medical, exams, training literature, whizz wheel and probably a headset and that's your minimum cost. Heli flying is roughly twice as much

A cheaper route (perhaps 2/3rd the cost) is to get the NPPL which is fine for flying in reasonable conditions in the UK, but can't readily be extended to cover more onerous flying.

As for the weather at this time of year, it's not as inhospitable as you'd think. Many days are flyable in the circuit around the airfield/port and whilst November does tend to be pretty dank up here, there are often extended periods of acceptable weather throughout the autumn and winter.

Your best bet is to find a few local flying schools and chat to the instructors. It can be quite intimidating walking in, but most of the schools are pretty friendly once you're past the front door!!

(Oh, and by the way, don't hurtle off to Florida just before the baby's born. My better half was far from impressed when I had to be abroad just a week before number 1 arrived. I think she spent the time with her fingers (and legs) firmly crossed!!)
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