Booking Redhill or Bonus Aviation, any tales...

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I am planning to book either of these flying schools later this week for a BCPL followed by AFI course. I think either would be fine but thought I would post this in case some kind soul knows one to be better than the other or (nightmare) which one is going to go bankrupt on me! Cheers, WWW

[CHICKENTRAINER]

WWW,

Your never failing sense of otimism never fails to humor me. http://pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/wink.gif

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ChickenTrainer

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Perhaps my cynical streak comes from being the son of a second hand car dealer... ;-) WWW

[Checkboard]

G'day WWW, follow your posts with interest...

You're an instructor already right? No Commercial Pilot licence yet????

What's AFI?

Yours in aviation....

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Bore Da Checkboard (that's Welsh for Good Day),

Well yes and no. Since I was 20 I have been a volunteer instructor on Military Motor Gliders with the Air Cadets. The aircraft have Group A status with the CAA over here but you fly them under military reg's.

I've had a CAA PPL since I was 17 so I am in a slightly odd position of having several hundred hours on a military licence most of which is teaching 16 years olds to go solo but I have a plain vanilla CAA PPL.

Now I am making the leap into full time commercial aviation I am doing my ATPL by correspondence course (3 weeks left!) and then in Feb I will add the various ratings to my PPL before doing a CPL course followed by an Assistant Flying Instructor course which will allow me to start teaching the paying public in non-military aircraft and, of course, get paid for it.

After building up to around 1,000 hrs it will be time for a multi rating and the big IR then hopefully a job in something big and shiny although I can see the sunny side of most flying jobs I might be able to get.

At the moment I am trapped behind a desk whilst my employer finds ever more rude and amusing ways of enticing me to stay ( I was interviewing for the new secretary job an hour ago - phwoar! well qualified or what ).

You in Perth? Bet its not Cloudbase 500ft, moderate drizzle, 20G27kt/230 with you is it? Jammy dodger. WWW.

[Islander Jock]

G'day WWW,
Here it is - Hot off the press at 0042UTC

JANDAKOT (YPJT)
TAF TAF YPJT 062217Z 0018 12012G20KT 9999 FEW020 FM07 20016KT CAVOK FM14
12014G24KT CAVOK T 18 26 28 24 Q 1014 1013 1011 1011

PERTH (YPPH)

METAR TTF METAR YPPH 0000Z 10015KT 9999 FEW025 19/10 Q1015 RMK RF00.0/000.0
NOSIG

TAF TAF YPPH 062217Z 0024 12012G20KT 9999 FEW020 FM07 20016KT CAVOK FM14
12014G24KT CAVOK T 18 26 28 24 Q 1014 1013 1011 1011

Hmmm... maybe a little too much cloud for this time of year http://pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/wink.gif

[airmail]

WWW

I've also had a PPl since 17 and done a course on military motor gliders (Venture T21's at Halton)-how did you get to teach on them as I am looking to build up hours rapido coz I think I'mgetting past it as a Wannabee!

Regards

Airmail

[airmail]

Sorry WWW forgot to say that I worked for a very sorry aviation company for a year on the ground before going back to earning decent money in IT. During that time I had a reasonable amount of contact with some companies down at Redhill-there were no bad words about Bonus.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Dear Airmail,

To get onto an ATC Gliding school you need to ask. I worked as a Staff Cadet for several years making tea/washing aircraft/standing as crash crew etc. We did sometimes get approached by people and somethimes they would be taken on. Write to the CO of the unit and ask him - if they are short staffed you could find yourself instructing in just a few months.

Things they look for are an awareness of RAF and ATC, flying quals, living locally and are they going to get a return on their investment i.e. if they train you up at HM expense will you stay with the unit for a couple of years. Helps if you can persuade them that you would just love to give up one day of the weekend and both if it would help, Sir. That kind of thing.

Beware it is hard work and it is a military operation so certain standards apply. There is no pay and in the summer the hours are long 8a.m. to 10p.m. is not uncommon. On the plus sides the training is great, morale is brill - you get a real "squadron"atmosphere, the flying and training is free and best of all you get to send 16 year old kids who dream of being fighter pilots solo in their very first aircraft and watch the grin and chest swell as they swagger back accross the pan.

There is an Air Training Corps website somewhere which probably lists the schools with their addresses and background info.

Right, got to go and revise Engines again now, WWW.

[Vigilant Driver]

WWW,
Heard a nasty rumour that the Vigilant is not going to be Group A under JAR wef June 99!
Do you or anyone else know anything about this?
Good luck on your FI(R) course. You should have no problems after teaching on the Vig!
BTW engines is the worst subject on Tech, so keep yer chin up!!

--
Vig Drv

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

As I understand it there will be some SLMG special category under JAR which will knacker the Vigilant option as it stands. However, I am going to start the BCPL course (and finish I hope!) before 1st Jul. Therefore I will be issued with a CAA licenced BCPL under the current regs. Being in the system I can then build to 700hrs and get CAA CPL and then the IR etc.

I will need to beat the 2001 deadline for 1500hrs with 500 multicrew in order to be issued with a JAR ATPL without having to take further exams.

Thats my interpretation and I'm sticking to it but I do wake suddenly in the night screaming about some dream whereby subsection 5 paragraph 3 of JAR regs Volume 17 states I can't do this unless my middle name is Arnold and I have ginger hair and/or a large bushy moustache...

WWW

[Checkboard]

G'day Wee Arnold Gingerman,

Thanks for the info and good luck etc!

Yep. I live in Perth, land of the ever-present CAVOK but my company makes me fly to places where the weather is more challenging. Keeps me IFR current I 'spose!

In a tiny place like the UK, with all those people, and with tons of commercial and military aeroplanes zooming around, how do find enough airspace to go gliding! http://pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/wink.gif

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Well the first 25hrs of flying training on the gliding course is learning how to 'use the force' rather than open your eyes - it is much more effective once you have it mastered ;-) WWW

[pkrispin]

Hello Flying Folks,

I noted with interest the weather in the southern continent. I must say I am green with envy. I am a snow/ice/cold bound flight instructor here in Alberta Canada. The runway has a half inch of ice on it scoured to a fine polish by wind and blowing snow. Drifts keep forming on the edges that have to be beat back with the snow plow. Temperatures here are at about -25°C.

Our hangar is warm and cozy but unless we get into the air fairly soon there won't be any money to pay for the heat and the coffee we are drinking gallons of.

I have a bit of a hate on for the Cessna engineers who designed cabin heaters and defrosters for Florida. My students can see out the left side of the front wind screen and on the right side I'm IMC. This is really intereting with an ab-initio student.

Any good weather realted instructor stories would be appreciated.

Keep the shiney side up

Phil R.

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Phil R.