Training for PPL

[turbo911boy]

Can someone help me! I am new to the scene and along with my wife and brother want to do our PPL abroad in 3 weeks (intense course). Having read 100's of adverts for USA schools etc where do we start?

Can you recommend any long established schools that provide the training IN 21 DAYS (subject offcourse to our skills) rather than a longer 'get your wallet out' time and has good accomodation (we dont mind paying a decent rate)

Thanks guys and girls! :ok:

[FNG]

Try searching these fora using search terms such as "USA" and "training in Florida". NB the Visa rules (details at the top of the page). As you appreciate, there can be no guarantee of completing the PPL course in 21 days. What's the rush?

[TonyR]

Could I suggest that you all do about 10 hours in the UK before you go to the US, this will get you all used to the aircraft etc.

There are many schools in the US but remember you can be robbed there just as well as here.

I met a young lady in florida in 2003 and she had run out of her paid hours and was having to find another $2,000 to finish. You must find out how much each extra hour will cost, including the instructor (they PAY their instructors) and accommodation if included in the deal.

Best of luck

Tony

PS. IMOP it takes hours + years to become a pilot and sometimes the best fun is learning at a nice friendly school or club.

Too many PPLs never continue after geting the licence because they don't know why they learned to fly

[Flyin'Dutch']

Naples Air Centre in, you guessed that right, Naples Florida did me proud in January.

One hears rarely a bad thing about them and there are tons of folk on here that have been to them time and time again for training of different sorts from JAA PPLs to FAA CPL/IRs.

FD

[foxmoth]

Personally I would recommend trying to do some of the groundschool before going rather than flying, it is frustrating to be stuck in the classroom if the wx is good as flying is the expensive stuff. Even if you don't actually attend lessons, at least get the books and make sure you have read through them beforehand so you are halfway ready for the exams.
Another tip, don't go now - the wx can be appauling with heavy thunderstorms. Best time is around November (when it is usually horrible here anyway).:ok:

[Charlie Zulu]

Hi Turbo911boy,

Welcome to PPRUNE.

Yup I'll second the recommendation that Flyin'Dutch gave in his post above. They did me proud last year and I'm about to go back in less than two weeks time for a multi engine rating.

If you do decide on Naples then they have Cessna 152 / 172 and Piper Warrior (PA28) aircraft for for PPL students. I would certainly suggest you do a few hours on the type your interested in learning on at a local flying club before you travel to the States, just so you're not bewildered with everything on your first few days at the (or any) school. This'll ensure you don't have the niggling "can I do it" feeling as much during your first few days.

Also try and have the written exams passed before you go, or at least be ready to take the written exams when you get there. It'll release a lot of stress from the course if you were to study for the exams whilst over there. Especially in a three week course.

If you do pass some of the exams before you go, don't forget to get a CAA PPL application form with your exam results entered and signed for by the Examiner. Otherwise you'll probably be doing the exams again out in the States!!!

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.

[turbo911boy]

Thanks for all the advise on getting my PPL. I take on board the fact that getting the ground exams etc before I go to the USA is a good idea. Is the £399 Oxford CD Rom package any good?

Also Naples sounds like a trust worthy centre to learn. Any others worth trying?

Many thanks to all that have helped so far! :D

[Ian_Wannabe]

Very little input... but I wouldnt recommend going to Anglo American Aviation, west coast San Diego (if you happen to have seen the adverts) - Just from personal experience, great place, poor school - I wont go further into it here.

Hope this helps, good luck!

[G-Foxtrot Oscar 69]

I think 2 good points were made. Speaking from experience I went to the US to finish off and had all exams.

1). Get the exams. Other wise you will have a hard 3 weeks.

2). Do some hours in the UK. One of you may find you do not like the pilot stuff as much as you first thought. I feel you are taught the basics in less of a rush in the UK and I found my first 5 hours really counted right through. Before I start a debate of UK v US I am saying that they only have 21 days to get you passed so have to assume a quicker uptake of knowledge. I am not saying the UK is better or worse than the US. Sorry I do not want to start US v UK debate again............

Florida is great though and I am sure you will have a great time. Airfields are excellent and the mentality towards flying is very different, much more relaxed and the norm.

Have fun, get flying and get a tan. God I must go back soon:D

[BEagle]

Firstly, why do you want to learn to fly? Is it to hire an a/c from your local flying club to take you and your friends flying?

If so, imagine the reception you'd get:

"Hello, I'd like to take the JAR-FCL PPL exams please"

"Of course Sir - you can do that during your PPL course"

"Ahh - I'll be doing that in the US"

"Oh really? And when you get back...??"

"Well, then I'll hire one of your a/c"

"So - let me get this right - you think you can come here, do the exams, then bugger off to the US to do a cheap course, then come back and fly our a/c?"

"Err, well yes, I guess so"

"In that case, sir, you'll find that our exams are the same price as the CAA would charge - that's £41 per paper plus the Examiner's expenses. Then when you come back, you'll have to do a flight check with one of our FIs to assess whether we'd be happy for you to hire one of our a/c....."

"Hmmmm, is there an easier way?"

"Yes. Do your course with us!"

[FNG]

BEagle has a point. There are some places that just do ground exams, however (Eg Guildhall University in London). As for nearly 400 quid's worth of CR Rom: that money might be better spent on flying. The exams can be prepared for with self-guided study. See other recent threads for suggested reading.

[boomerangben]

It is in theory possible to do the PPL in the uk in three weeks - I managed it in 4 winter weeks and that was not flying at weekends.

I'm not up to speed on the cost differences between here and there, but I doubt that there will be much in it (when you include flights, accomodation, check rides when you get home etc). Learning locally will get you familiar with local procedures, landmarks and radio work. That will make a big difference to your first few post ppl trips.

Also if you get to the end of your three weeks and you are not ready for the test, how would you complete the course?

And if you are going for a PPL and a holiday - three weeks is not nearly long enough.

[Capt. Manuvar]

Why bother with a JAA license in the first place? Go and get an FAA PPL and IR (part 141) for the price of a JAA PPL in the UK, you'll still be able to fly G-Reg as well as N-reg aircraft which are becoming quite common nowadays. When you eventually get 100 hrs TT, swop then both for a JAA PPL and IMCR. There are bad schools in every country, UK schools aren't better US schools or vice versa. howmany UK schools teach you how to use the mixture control? There have been lots of threads on declining standards of instructon in the UK, so wherever you go you've got to be careful and don't pay up front. Aeroplanes fly the same whether your in scotland or nicaragua, navigation is the same, ATC is relatively the same. Unfortunately, UK clubs try to 'punish' people for training abroad by making them do unnecessarilty long checkouts. The FAA PPL i believe has much content in it than the syllabus. There is a school in the US that has a course that gives you both licenses, but i don't know about their reputation.
If you've got the cash handy then try and do it as quickly as possible, this way you won't spend the first 30 minutes of each lesson trying to remember what you did last time. at the end of the day a PPL in the US plus the UK conversion will cost you no more than a PPL in the UK, and you'll end up with more hours.
As for ground school just get Trevor thoms books and the PPL confuser by that nong-rong-song-something guy.
Capt. M

[Charlie Zulu]

Beagle has a point in regards to the exams. But as for the exam fees... the local flying club here charges thirty notes per exam and that is for fully paid up student ppl members. So another £11 wouldn't break the bank.

You may have to join the club in order to take the exams but you would be upon returning from the USA in any case as you'll be hiring aircraft from the same club within a month of your return to the UK.

When I did my PPL I used the Trevor Thom and PPL Confuser probably because they were the only material that were aimed at students back in those days... Now in this day and age you can purchase a couple of different sets of Textbooks and even a fancy CD-Rom package. I personally would stick to the books as it'll save you something like £250!! Another good point about books... you can read them on the bus / train if you don't drive to work...

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.

[wbryce]

i was thinking of doing the whole learning in the USA thing.

But i never, im now learning at my local flying club, may take longer and may cost a bit more.

Ive got lessons booked every week, and its a joy, knowing the weekend is coming around because i have lessons.

Since it takes longer, then the payments are spread out, i pay on a monthly basis, and ive still got enough left over to live life.

The mains reasons i choose to do the flying here is, i want to train further on becoming a commercial pilot, so i choose to learn in the enviroment i would be doing my flying in.

Ive done 10hrs so far, and i feel, that if all the work im doing just now is crammed into 3 weeks, with the reading of all those books, i would feel a bit ill.

Flying can be very good and rewarding, but it can also be very dangerous if little things arn't learned, which i believe you can't learn all the little things in 3 weeks.

[G-Foxtrot Oscar 69]

You do not have to do your exams with a club.

I did mine with a ground school just out side Birmingham.

I found I actually learnt more being taught as I was taught what I needed to know. Not to pass the exam but to be a pilot.

I can not mention the name of the school on here as I think the mods may get upset but if you PM me I can give you the web address etc.

[IO540]

There are probably as many jobs going for an FAA ATPL as there are for a JAA ATPL. Not many bizjets are G-reg.

BTW, what's the latest on the Irish CAA and the FAA Class 3 medical?

[taglo]

"Why go to the USA when the overall price with accom and flights works out to the same as the UK...."

Because the weather is virtually guaranteed!

June 2 years ago I started my PPL training in the UK by taking a week of work to try and fly every day. Supprise supprise got only 3 hours flying in that week!

I went to California for 4 1/2 weeks, did all my exams out there, got the PPL with 55hrs flying, had a great holiday and a tremendous experience.

There were three Brits there trying to do the "21 days" PPL and none of them achieved it, due mainly to aircraft and instructor availability at the school.

What I'm trying to say is that it is achievable, especially if you do most of the exams before hand but be prepared for anything!

Books - "Learning to Fly in 21 days" by Phil Stone is

a \'must read\' if you are considering this. He gives a step by step

account of obtaining his PPL in Florida.

I think Amazon.co.uk have 2 copies left for about £5 - do I get commission for this?

(Florida = afternoon thunderstorms; California = morning misty marine layer to 9am -ish)