good airclubs around London?

[StExupery]

Hello everyone!

I'm a young PPL pilot licenced in France since september, and I'd like to do some flying here...

I've seen it's pretty expensive, plus I live in London and I haven't brought my car...

anyone knows a good club with competitive fares and of convenient access for a guy without a car?

I think I'll have to convert my licence to a UK issued... anyone knows how I do this?

What I'd like in a club would be to build some qualifications (night and IMC) and be able to rent a plane for WE back to france...)

(Indeed... I spend so much on the Eurostar and air fares... I would rather spend on renting a plane, even if it's more expensive and less reliable for the time schedule: at least I'd fly!!!)

thank you all for your help... :-)

[Genghis the Engineer]

Headcorn? Nice place, reasonably cheap, and next to a mainline railway station right out of London.


For that matter, Popham is further out of London, much cheaper, and has a mainline station a mile away (suggest a PM to PPruner "Irv" who instructs there.) I know of a couple of 152 shares going cheap there (£2.2k purchase, £25/mth, £35/hr) if you want details drop me a line.


If your licence is French, you'd be okay for day-VMC rental in the UK only, if it's a JAR-FCL licence you'd be only limited by your ratings and be fine flying to France.


G

[BRL]

Hi there. Type in London into the search here, make sure 'Search Titles Only and Show Results as Topics are checked and only search the Private Flying forum. Some good old threads in the results that should help you out. :)

[Sleeve Wing]

Welcome to England, St.Exupery.

Try the West London Aero Club at White Waltham near Maidenhead. 01628 823272.

Straight down the M4 and turn off down the A404M.
Or get a train to Maidenhead - then its a short taxi journey.

Safe Flying. :ok:

[Genghis the Engineer]

Saint-X said:

I haven't brought my car

G

[OpenCirrus619]

Headcorn is good - its certainly got variety there:
Headcorn Aerodrome (http://www.headcornaerodrome.co.uk/)
Tiger Club (Based at Headcorn) (http://www.tigerclub.co.uk)

but for about the same walk from the station there is also The Pilot Centre at Denham (not to be confused with the others on the "South Side"):
The Pilot Centre (Denham) (http://www.egld.com/tpc/)

I think you'll find Denham very slightly cheaper to hire from - but, of course, Headcorn is a much shorter trip to France.

[Kolibear]

anyone knows a good club with competitive fares and of convenient access for a guy without a car?

When you find it, please let us know :O

It might be worth getting hold of last month's Pilot magazine, ( or was it the month before??) as they published a 'Where to learn' supplement covering all the flying clubs in the UK , with their fleet, rental costs, contact details etc.

[Aussie Andy]

Denham is definitely closest and easiest to get to from Central London via train (from Marylebone)... it's probably about 1 1/2 mile walk from the station to the airfield, but for a young fellow like you this shouldn't be a problem!

Alternatively, my own airfield at Wycombe can also be reached by train, but it's too far to walk from the station and you'd have to get a taxi.

Andy :ok:

[StExupery]

Well!
this is a great forum indeed!
thanks all to be so quick to answer... that's providing useful leads...

[Genghis the Engineer]

By the way, just emphasising what I said about Popham...

http://www.popham-airfield.co.uk/Aircraft_groups.htm (The 152 I mentioned is the "152 group"'s, I know there aren't any shares going in their Warrior. I'm pretty certain I've seen shares going recently in the Popham Flying Group aircraft - which is a little more expensive, but not much.

and

http://www.popham-airfield.co.uk/Aircraft_Rental.htm

The nearest station is Micheldever, which takes about 10 minutes on a bike, and I'd guess half an hour's walk.

G

[High Wing Drifter]

No car: Waterloo to Farnbourgh is 30mins. A taxi to Blackbushe would be another 15mins. It should be equally easy to travel to Redhill (Redhill station) and Fairoaks (Woking station).

Another alternative is EasyCar (http://www.easyrentacar.com/aspx/nossl/default.aspx)

[buzzc152]

Elstree has a mainline station nearby.

Stapleford, Redhill, White Waltham, Blackbushe can be gotten to via train or tube and a short cab ride.

A little further out Shoreham has a station right next door and can be reached from central London in 45 mins (there is also a share available in a very cheap C150 at Shoreham.... PM me if you want to know more).

[egld0624]

Would agree with Aussie Andy, Denham was for me the easiest public transport destination from Tower Bridge, Central London; did my PPL this way...without ownership of a car and just using the Marylebone line (which puts the Heathrow express to shame in terms of punctuality) to Denham Station (takes 20-25 mins costs about £6-6.50 return www.chilternrailways.co.uk). Taxi either end is about £5 each way unless you can get a lift from one of the clubs/pilots there. (Taxi number: 01895 270270).

Elstree isn't too bad either I believe, but distances are a little further from the rail lines to the aerodrome.

Good luck.

EG:ok:

[Penguina]

Wouldn't recommend White Waltham without a car unless you don't mind expense. It's costly to keep getting cabs from Maidenhead, I've tried it! Expensive club, too, if you're trying to keep it cheap.

Elstree is quick if you put a bike on the train - the train service is good and also cheap. I think Denham is as well. Stapleford, I don't know, but it might be a bit further; you'd probably need to get a cab. Redhill is very close to Nutfield Station (walkable, even), but the train service is quite infrequent.

Biggin Hill is a train journey from London Bridge to either Orpington and then a R2 bus or to Bromley South and a 320 or 246 bus. Probably the quickest I've found, especially if you're SE based, but more expensive. Might be worth a look though - I think Alouette are quite cheap.

[Brooklands]

Aussie Andy said:
Alternatively, my own airfield at Wycombe can also be reached by train, but it's too far to walk from the station and you'd have to get a taxi.
There is also a bus service from the centre of Wycombe past the airfield which runs hourly, and another which runs every 15 minutes which would drop you about half a mile away. I've never used it myself, as I drive in from Oxfordshire.

Brooklands