Trial Lesson! Where?

[danielwong216]

Hi i have decided to have a trail lesson (1 hr) soon so that I can feel how great flying is. I have searched a few flying school on internet, and the best deal I have found so far is from Cabair, a 1 hr lesson with 2 landings and 2 takeoffs for 135 pounds.
I live in Nottingham, and EMA is the ideal location. Has anyone had a trial lesson in the flying school EMA? Any good?
Any advice, suggestion and story are welcome!
Thanks!

[Chilli Monster]

If you live in Nottingham then Nottingham (Tollerton) airport is closer than East Mids. Trumanair is the main flying school there - might be worth chatting to them.

[danielwong216]

Thanks for the info. It is abit less expensive than Cabair, 99 pounds for 40 mins...better deal? At Cabair, there are 2 takeoffs and landings though.

[--o-o-0-o-o--]

Bit farther North, is Netherthorpe, Notts. Excellent club, and great training for short field practice.

[danielwong216]

30 mins 'hands on', as defined by the Air Navigation Order.
What this mean?

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Really the price of the trial lesson is not the issue. Unless you just want a trial lesson and don't want to fly again afterwards.

Neither is how easily you can afford the £6k or so to get a licence. Unless you just want to get a licence and don't want to fly again afterwards.

The issue, cash-wise, is whether you can afford to keep flying after you've got the licence.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Not sure I'd agree with you completely Gertrude, most people can do a fair bit of flying for, say, £2k/pa, which is a lot easier than coming up with £6k to get your PPL in the first place.

One thing to realise Cabair is a high standard commercial school concentrating on airline pilot training. Unless that's your objective, the local school at Nottingham (which I don't know anything about, but may be good or bad - more than likely good) is likely to be nearer and cheaper, with training more suited to somebody purely aiming to be a recreational PPL.

G

[effortless]

Cambridge isn't quite that close but you will get the best part of an hour in a Tiger Moth for a hundred quid from Cambridge Flying Group.:ok:

[danielwong216]

Well, just booked a trial lesson for tomorrow at 3pm, East Midland Flying School.
99 pounds for 60 mins, C152, I think the price is quite ok!
I am looking to do a PPL very soon, and would like to log my first hour tomorrow. Which logbook is the best to use? Jeppesen JAR FCL or Pooleys JAR FCL?
Can both of them be used for flying in US (JAA PPL)?
Thanks!

[Genghis the Engineer]

To be honest it doesn't really matter - go with one you like, there are a great many to choose from and it's really down to personal preference.

However, generally in the UK they like logbooks which show take-off and landing times, whilst in the US they usually don't record that - so I'd pick one which at-least includes that information (I know that Pooleys does, don't know about Jeppessens, it may not since they are an American company). The odds are the airport or flying school will have a shop - look through what they have and pick one you like.

For what it's worth I have a 15 year old Pooleys (Airtour as they then were) commercial logbook, which is still going strong.

AFE do some nice logbooks too !

G

[slim_slag]

Let us know how it went Daniel. Normally I'd stay clear of any UK airfield like EMA where they have ATC and jets which appear to take priority. Don't be ashamed about wanting to save money, more money you save now means more money to spend later, and the vast majority of us pilots are broke because we spend more on this hobby than is sensible.

[danielwong216]

Yeah sure! The only thing I am worry about is the waiting time for takeoff, as there are jets as you mentioned. Well, maybe I will get a delay for landing = more time in the air ;)

[Genghis the Engineer]

Never works out at way, trust me :(

G

[danielwong216]

Actually, they said it will last 60 mins, choke off to choke on. How can the instructor get this 60 mins exactly? i hope it will not turn out to be a 45 or 50 mins lesson only :(

By the way, just brought the Jeppesen European Logbook from tranairs (ordered before 4pm so it will dispatch today), hopefully I will receive it tomorrow morning :p

[Genghis the Engineer]

Actually, that'll probably be "chock to chock", not "choke to choke" (light aircraft engines usually don't have them, certainly C152s don't). This basically means that it'll be from when the wheels start moving for taxi, until they stop at the end of the flight back in your parking spot.

As for how to make it exactly 60 minutes - it's a talent that flying instructors have, I've never quite fathomed it, but they do it with unnerring accuracy.

£99/hr for lessons in the UK by the way, is pretty good value. Personally I don't like C152s much, they are deadly boring - but to be fair, they're an excellent training aeroplane.

G

[danielwong216]

Thanks for the info G! I had the option to choose either C152 for 99 pounds or PA28 for 108 pounds.
I noticed the wing of PA28 is different to C152, will the wing of PA28 obstruct the view from cockpit?
Which is a better aircraft to fly?

[Genghis the Engineer]

I own an share in a PA28 and think it's a lovely touring aeroplane (okay, boring in it's own way), but IMHO the C152 is a perfectly good trainer - learn on what's cheapest if it's good enough. If you want to fly a PA28 (or anything else) later as a qualified pilot you'll only be looking at a couple of hours conversion anyway.

There is an ongoing debate of high-wing versus low-wing. Basically the high wing (C152) will give you a better view down but poorer into turns, the low wing (PA28) will give you a much better view into turns but very poor downards. Neither is perfect, but both are "good enough".

Overall the C152 is probably the better from this viewpoint, because it's got a lovely window in the back that allows you to see clearly behind - something sadly lacking in the PA28. (Then again, the Cessna is slower than many modern microlights, so it needs it :D).

G

[Gertrude the Wombat]

Not sure I'd agree with you completely Gertrude, most people can do a fair bit of flying for, say, £2k/pa, which is a lot easier than coming up with £6k to get your PPL in the first place. Er, no.

The point is that the £6k is a one-off capital cost, you can add that to your mortgage and just have to pay a few hundred a year. That's a fraction of the £2k you estimate (quite reasonable) it'll cost to keep flying after getting the licence. You need more income to keep flying than to get the licence, tick the box, and move on to something else.

airfield like EMA where they have ATC and jets which appear to take priority :) - come to Cambridge then, where they have ATC and jets but where it\'s far from unknown for the jet to be kept waiting for the student in a 152!

[danielwong216]

I was in Cambridge building a bridge in Milton, and it was very close to Cambridge airport. What a shame that I didn't have time to fly there. Looks like a nice airport!

[Whirlybird]

Actually, they said it will last 60 mins, choke off to choke on. How can the instructor get this 60 mins exactly? i hope it will not turn out to be a 45 or 50 mins lesson only

We instructors manage it because we have to, and it's about the hardest part of trial lessons! Well, actually, we manage due to our infinitely superior skill, but I didn't like to say that, modest soul that I am. :) :) :)

Daniel,
It doesn't matter too much what aircraft you learn on, or where you learn. However, make sure it's a school you feel comfortable with, and an instructor you get on with - these things will save you money in the long run. :ok:

[Chequeredflag]

I am learning at East Mids Flying school on a Warrior ('cos I'm too heavy at 15 stone for the 152?!). I chose EMA as much as anything, BECAUSE of it's commercial traffic - it's good to be flying amongst it, in my view, from day one, as is flying in/around controlled airspace.

The ATC are of course of the highest calibre and they do not seem to treat GA as an imposition, always trying to assist in any way they can. Of course, we have to defer to the Easyjets/Ryanairs et al, but realistically it is not a problem except perhaps early or late on if you are trying to do circuits, when the commercial boys are mostly coming or going. Where else can you take off behind a giant Antanov that regularly leaves with RR engines for Toulouse, or hold for a landing EVA 747 (it makes you think very carefully about wake turbulance!!)

Of course there are times when orbiting can be a bit of a pain (like on my recent first solo), but I look on it all as good experience,

They are a good bunch of instructors at E. Mid School, and I would recommend it thoroughly.

By the way, allowing for taxi and ATC, a 60 minute lesson normally means about 45 minutes in the air.

Good luck,

Mike n

[danielwong216]

Well, just had the lesson today although the weather wasn't too nice. Turned up to the airport 50 mins early so spend some time in the aviation shop in the terminal (a good place!) and had a lift from the school.
Prebriefed, checked the aircraft and took off, didn't wait for any traffic on the ground. The instructor introduced the basics to me and had control for quite a while (turned, climbed, increased throttle etc). It was really fun and I enjoyed it. It lasted 1hr and 1 min, very good timing from the instructor!
The school is nice and people are nice as well!
Now need to think how i fund my training:{
Mike, it was nice to talk to you! The world is small! Hope you will get your PPL soon, and more pleasant solos.
Thanks everyone for your support!

[benhurr]

From an instructor point of view...

Monday 4.00pm -

Instructor's Boss:"Ben, you have a student tomorrow who will be posting on pprune on how his trial lesson goes. He has booked in with you at 3.00pm. Come read his posts..."

"Erm, thanks "Instructor's Boss" no pressure then?"

Tuesday: Instructor (after a sleepless night) first circuit session with a student and three other flights meets Daniel....

Instructor: "Daniel, we have a few rain showers in the vicinity, might have to delay departure for a few minutes."

Daniel: "Ok"

Pre-flight briefing goes well, aircraft check goes well, Instructor books out the flight, answers all questions and taxies out.

O.K. so no pressure on the instructor then - knowing that Daniel is going to post his experience here...

Daniel gets airborne, instructor takes over to steer through rain showers then hands back control.

In a 1 hour trial lesson Daniel experienced the following exercises:

4(i), 4(ii), 6, 7, 8, 9, 12 (he got us airborne), 13, 10A (slow flight), 15 (steep turns).

And what gets mentioned on pprune?

I over-ran by 1 minute. (Thanks Daniel my Boss reads this!)


Daniel, you flew well and I am glad you enjoyed it and it was a pleasure to fly with you.


regards

Ben
(Your Instructor)

[danielwong216]

Haha the world is small isn't it? I though you called Martin...well Ben, it was a wonderful flight, thanks for that!, and i didnt think the landing was bad, so didn't mention it:p
So your boss is the CFI who gave me a lift to terminal after the lesson today?

[benhurr]

Daniel - PPrune is meant to be anonymous:)

Looks like I will need a new username, now Mike (aka ChequeredFlag) also knows who I am in the real world...

I will allow my boss to remain anonymous but he didnt give you the lift.

[Chequeredflag]

..."CharltonHeston" perhaps???

[benhurr]

I am too short and too fat to even attempt that Mike...

Keep pulling back in the hold off and HWMBO will be happy!

[Chequeredflag]

Benhurr,

Don't YOU start as well.....!!

[benhurr]

Well we instructor's do tend to stick together...!

Amd for what it is worth I had exactly the same problem when I did my PPL too.

[Chequeredflag]

The thing is Benhurr, when I did my solo, my landing was supreme - it was so smooth, I did not even realise I was down!! (no, really, honestly), but HWMBO will not believe me!!

[benhurr]

We all have a landing like that during our flying.

Unfortunately it tends to be just the one!!:)

[ThePirateKing]

My first solo landing was exactly like that too! :)

TPK:ok:

[Whirlybird]

Landings like that are always when you're on your own, and nobody is watching. :{

[Genghis the Engineer]

Hey I did one like that the other day with another PPruner sat next to me.

Wyvern just turned to me as we rolled out and said "that was a fluke wasn't it".

"Yep".

:O

G

[Chequeredflag]

Fresh from my elation at my first solo success, I was looking to build on that and progress......it seems it's not going that way!!

After two weeks of delays due to bad weather, I finally got back into the circuits on Tuesday (with the instructor, the winds being too high for any solo consolidation). What happened?? Well, after my brilliant solo landing, I regressed into my old habits, and of four landings, one was acceptable, the other three were crap!!! I was tired after a hectic long weekend overseas, but that's the only excuse I can find at present. All was well with the other aspects (practice shortfield/3 stage of flap, flapless and turning onto a very tight final etc), but the landings..........!!!!

To cap it all, I have today managed to fail my metereology exam (70%) today, after making three very basic errors on three relatively easy questions. All the ones I considered the most difficult, I got right!!

Very frustrated!! (I'll take it again next Tuesday, when I'll be sure to read the questions properly)