flying schools in cambridge [Archive]

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23rd Apr 2004, 07:48

There are others around:

One at Bourne airfield - Rural Flying Corps. 7 miles to the west of the city centre. Never been there myself, but the gliders at Grandsen seem to ignore the ATC zone on a regular basis and gravitate to it.
Conington - South of Peterborough, nice and cheap.
Sibson Peterborough.

The main ones at the Cambridge city airport are obvious candidates, although watch out for the landing fee charges at one school - it could get expensive with touch and go's.

I suppose it depends if you have your own transport or not, or else you may be stuck to Cambridge based schools.

FNG

23rd Apr 2004, 08:58

As you are young and sharp, learn on a Tiger Moth at Cambridge. It will make you a very good pilot and will be great fun. Another ppruner who posts as "Tiger-Moth" recently did this. I think that he is now at university in London.

PS: I am very distressed to find that even people at old and learned universities (well, relatively old and relatively learned, albeit not as old or as learned as some) are now using the vile term "uni". Before we know it, educated people will be calling their flying machines "planes". Desist!

PS: if you have a car and are willing to drive 30 minutes to North Weald, you can learn from there on a Beagle Pup or Bulldog, with licensed landings at Andrewsfield, which is itself a pleasant place, but the school is spam-canny.

Boing_737

23rd Apr 2004, 09:02

If you are going to uni in Cambridge, why not try out for the Cambridge UAS? Flyings free, and the booze is cheap:E and its a bloody good laugh.

sixmilehighclub

23rd Apr 2004, 13:10

I may get shot for this but if you can get a permanent job at marshall aerospace, flying lessons are half price. There is a waiting list though. Guess it depends on how long you have left in study.

If you are going fixed wing, try the mid-anglia school of flying, or on the rotaries, try aeromega. If you happen to be wandering down Newmarket road, you can see them both almost opposite the shell garage.

Someone suggested North Weald, (M11, 5 mins drive off Harlow&Epping junction). I beleive they have a good selection there, Cambridge is a little limited so prices for outsiders may not be as competitive.

Good Luck!

bazzaman96

23rd Apr 2004, 16:12

Hi,

Thanks for your help!

I didn't apply for UAS in time, so couldn't do that unfortunately. It would have been great though!

As for the Tiger Moth: I saw that and it looked really interesting, but I wasn't sure whether it would be a good thing to learn on, as it's obviously dated and might not be regarded as such a 'proper' training aircraft as, say, the Cessna. Would this reflect negatively when I take my ppl?

Unfortunately I don't have much money available and so would like to space my lessons out over time in order to save cash (as I'm also quite poor, as a result of university!). I've applied for the GAPAN ppl scholarship, but have four months over the summer in which to learn, and wanted to take a few lessons first to have a go and get a feel for things (and also, I admit, to get away from revision, textbooks and anything associated with Law).

Thank you for your help anyway. If there are any enthusiast clubs in the area it would be good to know about them as I'd like to get involved in that sort of thing.

Best wishes,

Baz

Gertrude the Wombat

23rd Apr 2004, 17:24

Unfortunately I don't have much money available and so would like to space my lessons out over time in order to save cash Spacing your lessons out won't save cash, it will cost you lots more as you spend the first two thirds of each lesson getting back to where you were last time.

If you want to get a PPL for minimum cost, save up the cash first and then do it as fast as possible.

If on the other hand you want to fly, you want to spend cash at minimum rate, and you don't care how many hours, years, and pounds it costs to eventually end up with a PPL, then just fly whenever you can afford a lesson.

A compromise is to save up for a few months, take several lessons close together so that you actually make some progress, rinse and repeat.

FNG

23rd Apr 2004, 17:51

A Tiger Moth not a "proper" aeroplane compared to a....Cessna!!!!!????

Clearly the entrance standards at Cambridge are much reduced these days (or perhaps it is the study of law that has thus addled your brains. It is a foolish pursuit). A Tiger Moth will teach you infinitely more about flying than a Cessna could. You would obtain maximum kudos for obtaining a PPL on a Moth, and could do it slowly (you would have to in any event, as the Moth is more sensitive to wind than are modern aircraft) . After learning on a Moth you could step into any modern single engined piston aircraft and be ready to fly it in minutes. If you learned in a Cessna and then tried to step into a Moth, you'd need several hours to check out.

Be joyful, and fly with wind in your hair, bugs in your teeth, and oil on your trousers.

Crossedcontrols

23rd Apr 2004, 19:03

All in the same area , West of Cambridge.
Bourn (Rural Flying Club) usual stuff and I think there is a Cub available. Nice, small freindly. Hard, lumpy runway.Bourn (http://www.rfcbourn.flyer.co.uk/)

Gliders atGransden Lodge (http://www.glide.co.uk/)

Little Gransden, small farm grass strip, home of Yak UK always intersting things going on Skyline (http://www.skyline.flyer.co.uk/) probably the cheapest hire rates if you join the club. But watch out for away landing fees as there are no crcuits at Little Gransden.

All have good reputations. Ian Austen at Skyline is a particularly good instructor. (Also does aeros in Yaks)

Good luck.

CC

First.officer

23rd Apr 2004, 21:38

Well, i can recommend a school of flying for you in Cambridge - Mid-Anglia School Of Flying - great staff, friendly atmosphere, regular BBQ's, fly-outs to Calais etc., and good hire rates as well !! (contact details 01223 294466)

Hope this is of help !
:O

bazzaman96

23rd Apr 2004, 23:29

I think the Tiger Moth option sounds pretty sexy...!

When I said "proper" I put the quotation marks as I wasn't sure how, as someone interested (in the long term) in commercial aviation, prospective employers would view it (not that it matters, given they'd be interested in future qualifications above the ppl).

If it gives kudos then I'm there ;)

Out of interest (changing the thread slightly), I mentioned that I'm at university and that I don't have any money. This isn't a chance to sound like a poor deprived student (which I'm not!)...but does anyone have any ideas of how someone in my position COULD finance their PPL?

I can't afford much in the way of lessons as my student loan barely covers my debt, and most of my summer is tied to payout off my overdraft and credit card.

I've applied for the GAPAN scholarship, but in the highly likely event that i don't get that are there any opportunities for people to work part time at airfields and get reduced rate lessons, or other opportunities to save money?

In short, how can I get a ppl in the cheapest way possible?

forget the commercial career for now. It's too complicated an issue! All I want is a ppl.

regards,

baz

BeauMan

24th Apr 2004, 00:07

I'm currently approaching the Skills Test at Mid Anglia. They're a very good and friendly bunch, but I do tend to be shuffled around between various instructors, which I don't think is helping.

Ian Austin at Gransden is a very good instructor, but I found Skyline to be rather shabby in terms of organisation.

Bottom line is, you pays your money, you takes your choice...

FNG

24th Apr 2004, 06:33

Baz, you could try sending a Private Message to Tiger_Moth, as he did the PPL on limited funds over a two year period, although he may not have been paying rent at the time. Others here who have done the PPL whilst students include Aerbabe. It might be possible to obtain a dogsbody job at a flying school (my first job, aged 15, involved scraping birtdsh*t off and putting oil into knackered Cessna 150s at Birmingham Airport). Informal places like Bourn (friendly but clapped-out) might be a better bet for this sort of thing than slick and shiny Cambridge airfield, but you never know. If you offered, for example, to clean the oil off the Tiger Moths (a dirty job that needs doing after every day's flying), they might be pleased. These places need smiley people at their booking desks, so that might be worth a try. Failing that, try selling your vital organs over the internet.

Taking time over the course has many virtues but, as pointed out above, one negative aspect of this is that you have to spend time refreshing what you previously learned, particularly in the pre-solo phase. If you can scape up enough for blocks of lessons that may alleviate this problem.

I know little of the ATPL world, but do not think that where and how you obtained your PPL is of great interest to airline recruiting people (although it is possible that training on a Moth might make you stand out from the Cabair crowd, and it ought to give you superior stick and rudder skills).

By the way, law can be dull, as you know, but lawyers earn more than pilots, and can still go flying at the weekend. There is more to life than money, of course, so good luck in your training.

EDIT: Another idea: try contacting the people who offer pleasure flights/trial lessons (eg Classic Wings at Duxford, Avia Special at Waltham, whoever it is at Sywell) seeking work as a meeter-greeter/strapper-in/prop-swinger/refueller. I did that one summer, not for the (paltry) money, but because I got free Tiger Moth flying on positioning flights.

no sponsor

24th Apr 2004, 10:20

If I remember correctly, the Tiger Moths at Cambridge are very competitively priced. I recall having a conversation with regard to doing a tailwheel conversion there, and was quite impressed with the set-up. As part of the deal in joining the club, I think everyone has to do their fair share of helping out, including swinging the prop duty. I would defintely go for learning on a Tiger Moth (although probably best avoided in the winter). So now is the time!!

eagerbeaver

24th Apr 2004, 10:36

I instruct at MID ANGLIA SCHOOL of FLYING. It is a good friendly school. The aircraft are kept in good condition and the prices are competitive. Come down onw day and have a look about , get a feel for the place. I work monday tuesday and friday.

Beauman - i cant think who you might be. There are no full tim einstructors so the plan tends to get shuffled about - if it is a problem then say

BeauMan

24th Apr 2004, 11:53

Eagerbeaver - Personally I don't find it a major problem, as I'm a previous FAA PPL holder whose licence lapsed. (Should give you an idea who I am). Therefore I've already got the basics under my belt, and what I'm doing at MASF is geared towards getting myself back up to speed to take the Skills Test and get my JAA PPL.

However, if I'd NOT had previous experience, and was a newbie Student Pilot, I guess I'd find it quite difficult to retain continuity as most instructors have slightly different ideas on certain things (such as where to do your power checks - some say go into the engine running pan, some say don't.) Mixed messages like that, while really quite insignificant in the grand scheme of things, tend to confuse students.

I do appreciate that the plan does have to be shuffled depending on instructor availability, and on a plus point, my training record has always been comprehensively written up by each instructor I've flown with, so in that respect it's reasonably easy for the instructors to see what stage I'm at. Like I say, it's not a major issue for me, as I'd like to think I'm sensible enough to take on board all the advice given by all instructors, blend it in with my experiences so far, and select what appears to be the overall best practice.

As far as the condition of the aeroplanes are concerned, I wholeheartedly agree, they are in very good condition, and are without a doubt the cleanest and best-maintained aeroplanes I've flown. Knowing the aeroplanes are maintained in such a condition certainly gives me confidence in MASF's attitude towards providing a good service, and was a factor in my decision to come to MASF.

The friendly atmosphere was also something that hit me straight away when I first turned up there, and of course, there is also Bruno! :ok:

Another St Ivian

24th Apr 2004, 23:03

Last year I was awarded a GAPAN Scholarship and did my training at Bourn. I had a brilliant time with them. Before starting my PPL I had done allot of dual flying with a number of instructors, many of whom were former RAF Central Flying School QFI's and the like, with that in mind I still rate the instruction I received at Bourn as some of the best yet in my experience.

If you compare Bourn directly to other operations, such as those on Cambridge, you may get the feeling that RFC Bourn is a lesser flying school. If you look beyond what you see at first glance however, you will find a number of benefits to learning at a smaller airfield/flying school. There are no landing fees, so costs don't spiral with circuit practise, the field is also primarily used by the flying club so you tend not to have to 'fit in' around larger aircraft or commercial operations. In addition the smaller club can lead to a more personal level of instruction with the club.

Anyway, I am babbling! To sum it up, I am a very satisfied PPL'er! I've posted about GAPAN and Bourn before, so if you take a look through my past posts you will be able to dig out some more.

ASI

bazzaman96

25th Apr 2004, 13:32

Thanks for all your posts in response - this has been really helpful.

Eagerbeaver - i can't seem to access the website (I think my computer is broken), but am definitely interested. I'll have a look later today, and will pm you once i've got an idea of finances.

Best wishes,

Baz

Tiger_ Moth

25th Apr 2004, 19:29

There's no doubt about it, Tiger Moths are god damn sexy.
When I think that I might have got my PPL on some Spam Can it gives me the shivers!
The Tiger Moths at Cambridge are £120 dual and £105 an hour solo.
If you think you'd enjoy learning on Moths more (and you would) then do! Especially as you live in Cambridge so it's only down the road.

I don't know what your financial situations like but I worked and saved up for about 2 years before I took my first lesson and it then took me 2 more years to get the license. I took a gap year before uni(versity) inwhich I worked full time and if it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't have been able to finish off my license.

If you want to fly cheaply then join the UAS next year ( if you have perfect eyesight), I would have if I could, otherwise just work through the holidays, I'm going to try to get a job like FNG described with Avia this summer.

By the way, is it true that you aren't allowed jobs during term time at Cambridge?

bazzaman96

25th Apr 2004, 20:38

Well...that's true to an extent. However, I'm launching my own company there in September - what they don't know won't hurt them!

To be honest, there isn't enough time to have a job on top of studies. It's fairly busy here at the quiet times! I'm doing 60+ hours a week of work during term, rising to about 80+ this time in preparation for exams...and that's about average here.

I should have chosen somewhere a bit less pressured!

AerBabe

25th Apr 2004, 22:37

Others here who have done the PPL whilst students include Aerbabe Very nice of you to remember, FNG. ;)

No, it's not easy studying full-time as well as doing a PPL, but in some ways it's easier than working full-time and doing same. Why? Because if the weather's good and you have no lectures/lab work, you can escape to the airfield for a few hours. :ok:

How to pay for it? There are no short cuts. If you try and save a few pounds during your training, you will pay for it many times over later. I was fairly lucky in that my university has a temping agency on campus, so I was able to work for ca. 10 hours a week at £6-7 an hour, and fly almost every other weekend. There wasn't always work available, so I also ate very cheaply and didn't socialise every night. I seriously lived pretty much on Tescos value pasta, value tomatoes, cheap veg from the local greengrocer and the occasional bit of meat when it was reduced. I limited myself to one night out a week & took say £10 with me in my pocket and left my wallet at home. It sounds terribly boring, but: a) you soon get used to it; and b) you forget all about it when you get airborn.

It took me about (not having my logbook to hand) 18 months and 55 hours to get my licence.

Good luck. :)

Sultan Ismail

26th Apr 2004, 03:03

MASF

A point worth considering is the state of the aircraft and the accord to maintenance. MASF obviously has its supporters here and I would like to add myself to that group.

I have been there several times over the last couple of years and have flown their -181 G-MASF. This is a very well equipped aircraft with all the bells and whistles and in excellent condition.

If anyone has a complaint address it to the management, they do listen, and the ops manager who is around on Thursdays and Fridays makes a nice cup of tea.

And they do a very good T-shirt, subtle, not in your face, and it shows you fly.

As for learning to fly in a Tiger Moth, people who preach that probably recommend learning to drive in a Ford Model T.

FNG

26th Apr 2004, 06:31

A genuine question, Sultan Ismail. Have you tried a Tiger Moth, or any other non spam can type?

Sultan Ismail

26th Apr 2004, 09:26

FNG

An interesting question that had me looking back through 35 years PPL flying.

De Havilland Rapide - pax

Percival Provost – the one with the Alvis Leonides engine. LHS as a cadet

Avro Anson (do twins count?) – RHS as a cadet

Fairchild Argus with the inline Franklin engine – RHS offered by the owner who then took me up in his Turbo Stationair (C206)

Bucher Jungmann – Front seat or back seat can’t remember.

Auster 5 with Lycoming 150hp conversion

Cessna 140 – Is this a spam can?

The point I was making, somewhat obliquely, in today’s world of FBW and Glass cockpits, the aspirant pilot wants to be exposed to modern “systems”. The more knobs and whistles the better. Just look at the discussions here on GPS, is it a no-go item.

I don’t believe that a Tiger Moth really offers any advantage to the aspirant pilot whether it is technical or spiritual.

I am not knocking Tiger Moths, in fact a long time ago there was an Air Raid Shelter just outside the Marshalls perimeter fence not 50 yards from the Tiger Moth hangar and I spent many a weekend sitting on the concrete roof looking at those same aircraft that fly today. And dreaming of the day I would fly….

And that was many, very many years later in a PA28-140, far away from Cambridge, in the arid Karoo of South Africa. But in a spam can no less.

What to fly? It comes down to personal choice, thank goodness.

FNG

26th Apr 2004, 09:34

That's an interesting list, Sultan. My point about a Moth is that it will inculcate fundamental flying skills superior to those provided by, say, a Cessna 152. The Moth requires co-ordinated use of the controls and lots of liveliness with the feet. Landing it requires precision (no floating along five knots too fast). Learning how to operate cockpit systems is easy, and can be done later. To be honest, a Tiger Moth is not the ideal trainer, as it is quite tiring to fly, but it's a lot better as a basic trainer than the average spam can. A Chipmunk would be better (a Chipmunk is, after all, an improved monoplane Moth) but I do not know of anywhere offering Chipmunk ab initio courses.