How long did it take you to complete your PPL?

[radarcontrol]

Hi guys..

I'm new to PPRUNE so please forgive me if this has been asked before. I have attempted to go through the forums looking and I cannot see that it has, but the search function seems to be disabled so I don't know for sure.

I'm 20 years old, 21 next month. I'm at University studying for an honors degree which I will graduate with in summer 2005. I'm hoping to start looking for sponsorship with the airlines around then (and I figure a PPL will make my CV more attractive).

My question is, how long did it take most of you to get your PPL?

I could arrange to start mine this summer, but I would have to pay for it in stages, probably taking about 12 months to do so, and hoping to get in 2 hours a week during summer and whatever I can during winter (knowing the wx not much). Is this an effective solution or would I be better saving the money and doing it all in one go next summer. Is it better to do it all in 3 or 4 weeks or spread it out over a longer time? I've been listening to R/T since I was about 10, and I've been using simulators since about then too, so while I don't profess to be up to the standards of you guys, I am fairly confident I'll know more than Joe Bloggs before I start.

Thanks for reading.

RC

[AerBabe]

:rolleyes: :D

[radarcontrol]

I guess that means it's been asked and answered. If you know where, plse PM me the link and I'll leave y'all alone.

RC

[Monocock]

Don't worry about her old chap, although it says she's from "darn sarf" she's actually from Sarcasticshire.

Do the licence in as little time as you can. This way you won't spend the first 20 minutes of each lesson refreshing your mind of what you have forgotten since the last lesson.

I would suggest you did it in the UK but that's just my opinion. Many say that the US is the best place to go.

One idea might be to go to the students forum on www.flyer.co.uk and ask around in there. People who you will know are learning will be able to give you their experiences.

Good luck.

[maggioneato]

RC, it's really how long is a piece of string. Depends on so many things, such as weather, ability, etc. I started flying in March, many moons ago, never having seen a light aircraft at close quarters, had'nt a clue about navigation, weather, or what made an aircraft fly, but as I was free anytime to fly, completed the PPl in thirteen months. It varies from person to person. It's not just a question of flying the aircraft, it's about where you can fly it, and all the writtens. Good luck with it, it's fun learning to fly, so take your time and enjoy it.

[expedite_climb]

I agree - try not to string it out - cheaper that way.

I did mine start to finish in 27 days, Summer, albeit ooop noorrff.

(That was 9 yrs ago though - only had to do 40 hours not the 45 it is now.)

[FNG]

It sounds like you have already done some research and have realistic ideas as to what's involved. Doing a PPL in about a year, whilst undertaking full time work or study, is a perfectly realistic goal, and taking your time over it can be a pleasure (albeit that there are many frustrations to be encountered along the way) . If you try to do it all during one UK summer, you might get lucky with the weather and succeed, but you might find that the course ended up taking into six months or a year willy nilly. Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun.

[dublinpilot]

I did mine over about a year and a half.

If you are doing it over more than a few months, then try to start as early in the spring as possible, otherwise you'll get caught in the winter weather far too quickly.

I agree that doing it over a short period would mean that you retain more from each lesson. However, it would not be of much use if you learned to fly over 3 or 4 weeks, and then stopped for a few months as you had no money left.

You need to be able to keep flying after you get your licence, or you will forget what you have learned too quickly.

[AerBabe]

Aww, come on. May 2003 is not "new" and the search function has been working fine since the new server came online. Am I not allowed just a little titter?

[radarcontrol]

Much thanks to those of you who've taken the time to write constructive replies.

It seems to be a mixed bag. Personally I'm leaning towards starting as soon as possible for several reasons. Mostly because I have this insatiable desire to get flying. I've been putting off my start date for a long time already, and it seems like I need to bite the bullet and start the course.

I also like the idea of learning over a period of time, I'm not sure doing it over 3 to 4 weeks will leave me with enough time to really digest all the theory involved. I can see that doing it all in one go would probably result in better retention of information between lessons, but is doing a few hours more than the minimum on revision such a bad thing? One of my primary concerns is safety so going over topics more than once isn't a big deal for me.

No decisions made yet though. Any more for any more?

RC

[Penguina]

If you have limited means, it can, ironically, end up taking a lot longer and costing a lot more. (Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything... :rolleyes: :( )

The fact that you're clued up will help, but I think, if I did it now, I would be inclined to take the plunge, borrow the money and do the PPL over the good 6 months in the British summer with a definite goal to finish by a certain time if at all possible.

PPLs can drag on a bit if you rely on the school or instructor to lead as well, so be assertive about what you want to achieve. I very much agree with you that it's good to take the time to be really sure of yourself, though.

Good luck - remembering being at this stage is making me feel all excited for you! That rush to the head when you realise you can just go and do it and the satisfaction of the learning curve. Fantastic! :D

[AIRWAY]

Gidday

Good Friend of mine, all he needs to do now is pass his skills test, but its taken him hmmm almost 4 years :rolleyes: mind you he had several stops 2 of them of 6 months, plus now with the arrival of the new born baby.

I havent finnished mine yet, and i had a string of lessons cancelled :mad: :* :bored:

:hmm:

So i decided to hold the practice for now until i can get some reliable weather ( Not easy in the Uk ) and concentrate more on the theory. ( First exam Air Law, Sat the 3rd )

There's only hope.

Regards

[R1200GS]

Are you happy that you'll be able to get a Class 1 medical? If you haven't already checked I would look into this before setting your heart on flying commercially.

Assuming there's no problem with the medical, I would suggest getting all the exams done first. Then you can enjoy the flying lessons more. It's a lot cheaper learning on the ground!

Not sure it's really relevant to your goal, but you did ask how long it took people to get their ppl, so...

Started in June 2001 and still haven't finished! :{ I won't bore you with the details, but you'll probably finish yours first!

Airway, I know how you feel. I've now had three major breaks in training, once because a fellow student wrote off the plane. Latest break occurred because I didn't get on with the CFI, and now I've left work to set up a business, so no funds available. I'm at the same stage as your friend with only the skills test left, but now I haven't flown for eight months. :mad:

Good luck rc :D

Edited to reply to Airways post.

[J.A.F.O.]

How long did it take?

Depends how you look at it; somewhere between five weeks and eighteen years, but that's another story.

I'd say that it was best to beg, borrow or save and do it all in the shortest time possible.

And good luck to you.

[radarcontrol]

Per the class 1 medical.....

I do have Asthma and Glasses. I have, however, recently written to the CAA and recieved a very helpful reply from one of their Aeromedical advisers. Apparently my eyesight prescription is well within the acceptable limits (-1.25 and -1.00 respectively) and my asthma medication is acceptable. I am currently in the process of arranging for a physicians report to be sent to Gatwick for further analysis, however first indications are that things should be OK. I am a frequent visitor to the gym and can run 10 minutes on the treadmill without developing a shortness of breath.

I am reletively confident that these ailments will not prove a problem to my training. I will, however, be booking my Class 1 for late May and will ensure I pass it before putting myself through the financial stress of a PPL which, if I have no chance of flying commercially, I will likely defer for a few years.

On a different note, does anyone have any idea where sufficient funds can be borrowed (bearing in mind I'm an undergraduate student) to complete the course? I have the first 20 hours covered, and I suspect that I can raise the rest of the money by working my *ss off this summer.. but it wouldn't hurt to look in to it.

Cheers...

RC

[gingernut]

I planned to do mine over 1 yr. Realised that there are several factors outside my control (aircraft availability, weather etc). Took just under 2 yrs eventually- no worries.

Felt as if I spent the 1st year cruising along, became a bit of an (enjoyable) roller coaster ride following 1st solo.

[AerBabe]

I got my PPL while I was an undergrad. I worked part-time as a temp around campus and flew an hour every two weeks. I got my PPL in just under two years and about 55 hours.

Glad to hear you have the money for the first 20 h, but don't be in such a rush to do it that you end up with even bigger debts when you graduate.

[Potter1]

Mine 12 years start to finish, started when I was 17, with a long gap for University and paying off the loan :mad:

P....

[Monocock]

I wonder how many pilots are flying in the UK without a PPL at all.


If there are 9,000 car drivers doing it there must be at least one pilot!:oh:

[scubawasp]

For some reason I it won't let me PM you, but yes there is plenty of accomodation and to your final question, the answer is yes.

[radarcontrol]

I changed my email address and it required authenticating. PM should work again now.

RC

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Seven months elapsed time, 45 hours total flying time. A long time ago.

SSD

[Capt. Manuvar]

radarcontrol,
You'll save a lot of money if you do it in as short a time as possible. I did mine (46hrs) in 3 months last year in the UK and i was working full time. I had only three WX cancellations (i am lucky or what). It can be frustrating if you drag things out. I'm a huge fan of "accelerated" training.
Good luck with the Class 1
Capt. Manuvar

[Another St Ivian]

Just dug my logbook out to take a look.

First flight for PPL was on 04/07/2003 and the Skills Test was on 18/08/2003. In that period I actually flew on 19 days. Total time was 45:30.

By the sounds of things I was lucky, I was fortunate to have good weather, a good instructor, lots of spare time and all my flying was prepaid so there was no financial issues.

ASI

[shortstripper]

Not sure if this is the best advice in your case but...

Why not forget the PPL for now and join a gliding club?

That way you get a nice social pastime that will teach you to fly very well and give you a good grounding in aviation without breaking the bank. Your gliding can reduce the time needed for a PPL by up to 50% once you have a bit more money to play with and it will still look good on a CV.

Although the advice about learning over a short period of time is very valid, I found that with my gliding background the PPL came very easily even though I spread it over a two-year period. I passed my PPL with 34 hours, which was only 9 hours over the minimum I could have done it in (with the gliding dispensation).

SS

[Mr Wolfie]

About 46 or 47 hours over 10 months in the UK, averaging approximately 1 lesson per week. It was about the right intensity for me, without work and family commitments (Mrs W & 2 wolf cubs) suffering.

10 months also allowed plenty of time to steadily work through my ground exams.

My work is very flexible and I am very close to my local airfield which meant I could book lessons often at very short notice when the wx was good. Weather therefore did not greatly hinder my progress except a long spell of high pressure induced haze that put paid to my QXC for a couple of weeks or so.

If however, you, your work, or your flying club are not so flexible and you have to book lessons a long time in advance be prepared for weather related cancellations.

Good luck and enjoy :ok: .

Mr. W.

[IO540]

Having been hanging around the scene for 3-4 years, I think one could summarise:

The min hours is 45.

The quickest rate at which a normal person can knock this off is two 1-hour lessons per day. Perhaps a very bright and technically apt teenager could do more but 2 lessons per day is tiring enough. That comes to say 23 flying days, and make no mistake about it, it will be quite an endurance exercise. If you do it in the USA (looks cheaper on the face of it, weather can be more predictable) it won't be a holiday!

How long does it take to find 23 days with excellent weather in the UK? An honest instructor who isn't out to rip you off won't let you fly in rough weather, and no instructor will let you fly solo unless it is a very clear day indeed, and the forecasts are immaculate too.

If you can take a holiday, and get lucky on weather, you could do it in a month. That would be VERY unusual.

Most people can manage just one lesson per day, which makes two months. It is very rare to get two months of good weather here. Last summer was great but actually a lot of the days were hazy (OK for for people with some hours and alternative means of navigation); haze is OK for basic training but not for solo, and until you get the solo flights in, the training can't progress past a certain point.

That is why the average time is perhaps 6-12 months.

Also, very very few people do it in 45hrs. The average varies according to who you ask but is certainly between 50-70hrs. Older people take longer, as do those less technically apt. If you fall out with an instructor and have to change (not unusual) or happen to pick a naff one (plenty of them about; you don't go to a teacher training college for this job) that alone can add 50% to your total time.

The type of plane must also affect it. Everybody has their favourites so best not go down there :O But I bet a decrepit PA38 will take you longer than a PA28 in good condition, and a lot more of the latter are about for subsequent hire.

I once booked every day for 3 months, and managed three flights! My PPL took 10 months (66 hours total) despite almost complete freedom to take time off work.

I would ensure I had the do$h up front (say £8k, less in some places), a job where I could take half-days off at short notice, and allow 6 months.

Start in the spring, i.e. about now. You get clear days, perhaps windy but without the summer haze.

[FNG]

Good Lord, IO540, one, or both of us, must be mellowing in old age. Two remarkable occurrences:-

(1) I actually find myself agreeing with something you've posted.

(2) You have posted something which cannot be summarised as: "UK GA is crap. All flying schools are crap. All rentable UK GA aircraft are crap. All old aeroplanes are crap. All UK PPLs without their own kitted out IFR machines and ratings to match are crap. Anyone who cannot see that this is the case is crap".

Wonder if (1) and (2) are in any way related?*

As they say on another (non flying) forum which I occasionally infest in a different persona: "A glass of wine with you, Sir"



*if not obvious, this is intended at least partly in jest. I take on board some of your usual points, although sometimes think you express them too starkly, and too often.

[IO540]

FNG

I get the joke, of course.

The reason I frequently write, in a forthright manner, about the decrepit state of UK GA, is because I feel flying is a great privilege, and I can very clearly see it is going to disappear, well within what I hope to be my flying lifetime (say 20-30 yrs to go). My kids will have to go elsewhere to do this.

That much is clear to most outsiders who look at the way it's going (yes, I do know many of them) and who spend 5 minutes looking at the financial and social picture. The huge traditionalist population in GA merely accelerates the process. But, as I've said, farm strip operations will probably always survive.

Today I went up to 7000ft for an hour or two, among truly spectacular scenery (and a little ice) and came back to an airport which is great but whose running costs cannot possibly be met by the resident fleet and where there are about 5x more schools than one needs for the students. But you could build say 1000 houses on it, at £250k each.

Incidentally, nothing wrong with VFR flight. The time I have a go at spamcans with decrepit avionics is when somebody has a go at the IMC Rating (which is another great privilege). Or pretends they can navigate on dead reckoning in 3km vis. Or...

[Mr Wolfie]

IO540 - I agree with FNG - I can't fault your advice in your last but one post - a good summary of what you can expect during your PPL that might cause unexpected delays and frustrations.

Mr. W

[Evo]

As they say on another (non flying) forum which I occasionally infest in a different persona: "A glass of wine with you, Sir"


Sounds like a very civilised place. I tried to track it down with Google to see what it was, but just found a lot of Mark Knopfler lyrics - so either I missed or you're hanging out on the Dire Straits Rumour Network :)

[FNG]

Evo, nothing to do with Dire Straits , I assure you! In fact, if in this other forum you suggested that someone might be an enthusiast for such stuff you would probably be invited to meet them in a foggy field at dawn with a couple of friends (not being a flying forum, the meeting is not for the purpose of eating butties and bitching about the weather) . Clues: no flying, but some Doctor Bernoulli. No golf, but quite a lot of balls. No gardening, but some weevils.

IO, thanks for taking my comments in good part. Much of the decrepitude and cack handedness of GA in this country is indeed depressing, although I hope and believe that your gloomy prognosis for the future is a little too pessimistic.

Returning slightly towards the thread, with apologies to Radarcontrol for the diversion, IO is right to make the point here and elsewhere that it is difficult to engage in this pastime (or to use it as a route to a career) on the cheap. Even doing things the cheap PFA way is only cheap in a relative sense. I'm not saying "this is for us guys with cash and all you povs and students should stick to the flight sims", but there's no use pretending that everyone can do it just because they want to (and this is true whether you are talking about financial resources, about weighing more than your aeroplane, or about being witless and timid). I want to own a formula one team and a string of polo ponies (roughly similar costs for these two hobbies) , but I can't. Tough luck on me.

[radarcontrol]

FNG

I am, of course, under no illusion regarding the price of flying. I am also, however, a firm believer that with a bit of willpower, anything can be achieved.

GA flying really is not that expensive in the grand scheme of things. £5000 for a license and £80 to fly after that. I don't deem that to be an insurmountable achievement. It's certainly one I am up to. At the end of the day, most people spend over £5000 on a new car and a lot of money on insurance. You just have to decide where your priorities lie.

RC

[NinjaBill]

I passed mine in 8 months, from june to febuary, by booking far more lessons than i needed, that way, you are not as badly affected by bad weather. I turned up for all the slots that i had booked, and sat my exams during the days that the wx prevented me from flying. That way, the exams never held up my progress, and the last one was passed towards the end on december.

Good luck,

NB

[FNG]

I'm sure that you can do it RC. I was making a general observation, not suggesting you're too skint and should forget it. You seem to have your ideas sorted out and I hope you have a great time learning to fly.

[ratsarrse]

I started in January 2003 and I'm still absolutely nowhere near completion. As a student you have the advantage of plenty of spare time and the disadvantage of usually being cash-challenged. I know that I spent the majority of my time as a student in the pub, or sitting at home smoking weed. No regrets as I had a great time, but when I think of all that time that could have been spent productively...

I was fairly confident of finishing the PPL course in about a year. I work a fairly cushy shift pattern - two 60-70 hour weeks followed by a week off. When I'm at work, that's all I do - there just isn't the time and energy to do anything else. The week off, you would think, would be ideal for getting some consistent flying in. It's surprising how often you have 2 weeks of seemingly perfect weather followed by a week of low cloudbase, how often there are frontal systems that arrive just at the hour you've booked your lesson, and how often there are seemingly nice days that are in fact hazy and unflyable.

In October, I had appendicitis - a month off work and a month off flying. Since then, my time off has been sparse. The weeks off have evaporated covering other people's holidays and sickness. This week is the first proper week off I've had since November and I've come down with 'flu. The first time I've had any kind of cold or 'flu for three years, which serves me right for gloating when other people were ill. In short, expect some setbacks and try not to be too disappointed when it doesn't all go quite according to plan. I certainly didn't reckon on a 6 month layoff, but it's happened.

[Andy_R]

First lesson in January 2000 - yes 2000!!!

From someone who has tried it both the slow way and the more condensed way, do it in as short a time period as you can.

As Monocock and others will know I decided this year to get my PPL finished (at last :O ) and I cannot believe how much easier it all becomes when lessons are close together and you don't spend half the lesson remembering how to do what you were taught last time.

Winter time does NOT have to be a no-no either. Though cloudbase/wind can be a problem, the visibility over the past couple of weeks has been wonderful. And at least I know how to handle an aircraft in typically English weather. How many US PPL's have flown in showers (well, dodging them anyway?). And done basic instrument training in real cloud?

And before anybody jumps on me for having an irresponsible instructor, the CB's of the last week have stopped me from doing solo nav exercises but haven't stopped me from having lessons, now revision for the Skills test, but lessons none the less.

And in the last month, with 4 lessons a week booked I have managed 20 hours, so don't discount flying in winter.

Best of luck, whichever way you decide to jump.

Cloud

[radarcontrol]

Much though it pains me to say it, I can see the merit in the opinions of those who have posted advising me to do it in the shortest time possible.

The difficulty I will have is convincing myself in my own mind, especially during the hot summer days with blue skies (yes, we do get SOME) when I look up to see a DR200 flitting around overhead, that I'm really doing the right thing. I put it off for 2 years in a row already and right now, summer 2005 looks like a million miles away.

RC

[Andy_R]

So do it in the winter after you,ve slaved away all summer :D :D :D

[radarcontrol]

Possibly! Although my time will be more constrained over the winter months, and the weather will be no where near as good. Certainly winter would be a good time to do the theoretical elements of the course however!

RC

[FNG]

Do it now RC! I started in late April and finished 11 months later, with one longish layoff around Jan-Feb and a couple of shorter ones along the way. One problem with putting things off is that you can't tell what turns your life might take. I meant to get a PPL when I was in my mid 20s, but didn't; planned it again again just after turning 30; but did nothing, and finally knuckled down and got it in my late 30s on the basis that otherwise I'd have kids and would never do the thing.

[radarcontrol]

FNG

Thanks for your words of support. With the best will in the world I think that it may be too hard for me to watch all you guys having your fun this summer and not be involved myself. I think around 10-12 months is a reasonable time to take over something as important as this.

RC

[MichaelJP59]

My view on it, and the way I'm proceeding, is to take flying lessons at about the rate I expect to be flying once I (hopefully) get my PPL.

Both financial and other time commitments dictate that in my case, that's about 1 lesson per week. Done about 18 hours so far, and I started in October 2003.

I'm not in a real rush to complete my PPL as I'm only going to be doing recreational flying anyway. I hope it will take about 14 months.

However, if you're looking to make this your career, you may want to accelerate the process and start getting those hours under your belt.

- Michael

[Slim20]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned doing your PPL in the US if you want to get it done quickly.

I got my UK/JAA PPL - it took me three weeks from zero hours and cost $6000 incl. accommodation and flights, .

(Am I going to get stoned to death now for suggesting this heresy?)

[Mr Wolfie]

Slim20 - It's horses for courses - If you are able to take 3 weeks off in one go; want to do it on the cheap; or intend to go pro and therefore want to get going as quickly as possible then a trip to the US is probably a sound idea.

If you're ambitions lie only with recreational flying, or you are in no hurry (radar control is still young and got a degree to finish) then might as well extend the enjoyment of your £,000 pounds investment over the best part of a year rather than one 3 week hit.

Mr. W

[scubawasp]

Why does people think its going to be cheaper in the States? On paper YES, but......

[radarcontrol]

I did wonder this myself. Here, I can live rent free, food provided, free use of a car. If I wanted to train in the states I need to pay for the transatlantic airfare, which during the summer (when I have time off) is likely to be astronomical. I then have living costs to consider... etc.

It's about £5000 here. In the states it is about £3000. Add to that the airfare and the living expenses.. and the gap closes fast. You probably could save some money, and indisputably if you want hour building packages.. do it in the US. The difference between the actual training however, seems to be neither here nor there. On top of that, you get to train in UK airspace with UK R/T, both of which are going to be central to your future flying.

Just my opinion, I'm sure there are those who've had great experiences out in the US, and I'm not especially qualified to talk on the subject. For me though, there is not much contest.

RC

[IO540]

The gap closes even quicker when you consider

a) the cost of conversion training to fly around the UK

b) if saving some £1000-2000 is that important, the person will certainly not do much flying after they get their PPL.

[Evo]

I agree - b) is the real issue. FFF has been saying it for years (and I agree) but nobody ever listens. :)

If you fly regularly (say more than 30 hrs a year) then after a couple of years a thousand or so saved on the PPL is a fairly small fraction of what you have spent on flying. After five years it's peanuts. It's much better IMHO to learn at a decent school* in the environment you are going to fly in than to save 5% of your five-year spend by learning on a shagged-out C150 at the el-cheapo school of flying.


* you know, well maintained aeroplanes, good instructors, well-organized, that sort of thing...

[Capt. Manuvar]

I believe it can be cheaper to do it abroad. Most of those against foreign training tend to compare worst case scenarios abroad with best case scenarios in the UK. If you intend on receational flying you can get an ICAO PPL at about half the price of the JAA equivalent and you'll be able to fly G-reg day VFR. N-reg aircraft are becoming increasingly common nowadays. you could do a FAA part 141 PPL and IR (70hrsTT Minimum) in as little as a month if you are brave enough, and at a similar price as a JAA PPL given the exchange rate. You will also be able to convert to a JAA PPL/NQ/IMC very easily.
i agree that there are differences but a lot of them are exagerated. For example, the issue of RT. You'll be much better at Rt and ATC procedures if you train at certain busy regional airports in the US or in certain busy areas e.g. LA basin, Northeast USA. a lot of UK PPLs will find it hard to cope in some of these environments. You can get Mountain flying thrown in for free if you train in certain areas.
Unfortunately UK FTOs are tied down by red tape and high operating costs. Some of them have resorted to spreading myths about foreign training to protect their own interests.
RULE NO.1 of flight training: Don't believe everything flying schools in or outside the UK say.
Aeroplanes fly the same all around the world, RT is similar (all based on ICAO guidelines), navigation is the same, airspace is similar (Uk VFR airspace is not the busiest in the world). There are some differences in RT and procedures but its not worth sweating about. When you listen on the radio in UK for the 1st time, you will be shocked by the quality (or lack of it).
In the end of the day don't be swayed by what FTOs say, speak to as many people as you can and try to make a judgement for yourself and see what type of training suits you.
I might some pro-foreign training but i'm just trying to show you the other side of the coin. remember, there are lots of planes flying in UK airspace as we speak crewed by foreing trained pilots. Even BA train their cadets in the US.
Evo
"shagged-out" describes 75% of the UK training fleet IMHO
Radarcontrol
£5000 is a bare minimum in the UK. I did mine in one of the cheapest Uk schools and in mimimum time and it cost me about that amount.
Capt. Manuvar

[MikeeB]

I started in January and finished at the end of August 2003. Basically booked 1 lesson per week to start with, and then once my solo circuit work was coming up, I started to book double slots. I also took a couple of weeks off and booked a double slot each day. Needed a few triple slots for QXC and GFT.

I only lost 2-3 weekend slots because of weather, however in the two weeks that I booked off, on one of them, I only flew once, as it was sh1ty all week. Those lost days did come in handy, as I still pitched up at the a/f for some of the day, and spent time with instructors doing work for exams etc. (and drinking coffee)

I'd go along with the other people who say "go for it" and do it as quick as you can.

[S-Works]

4 weeks in the middle of a summer in the UK.