Moving to London! Need a flying club!

[Irishwingz]

I'm moving to London next week and I will probably end up living in the Chiswick/Ealing area. I'll be looking to join a flying club that wont be too hard to get to (by car) from there at weekends and maybe in the evenings.

I'm looking for a sociable, value for money, friendly place. It doesnt have to be fancy, just a place where you can go to rent a single engine for an hour or else sit around and talk aeros over a cup of tea!

Any suggestions would be appreciated:}

[Dan Dare]

WHITE WALTHAM!!! End of debate.

[Laundryman]

Oh come on now Elstree is not a million miles away and its not that bad.

Mind you I've not been to White Waltham so I can't say which is best.

[Snakecharmer]

Some places advertize a warm welcome... but the Pilot Centre at Denham provides a welcome that is genuinely warm. Beatrice, Amy and Eva are a class act - they deserve the business!

[Flying Lawyer]

Beatrice?? :eek: Blimey, she must have changed a lot since I was a regular at Denham.

____________


If all you want to do is arrive, fly and then go home, Denham is fine. There's no clubhouse and it has no 'atmosphere' IMHO.

West London Aero Club at White Waltam - WW2 grass airfield, very friendly flying club, IMHO the best clubhouse in the country (not that I've been to them all) and a wonderful atmosphere.

Both easily accessible from Chiswick/Ealing.

[AIRWAY]

BAFC and loving it :ok:

Did my initial PPL training with Stapleford and it was worth it, good atmosphere certainly plenty of aero chat with a nice cup of tea, and flying prices reasonably cheap when i was there.

[BroomstickPilot]

Irishwingz,

Nowhere within 50 miles of London is going to be cheap. Since you will be living on the West of London, I suggest you visit all the places my fellow Ppruners have suggested and examine them all with the mark one eyeball. They all have advantages and disadvantages.

White Waltham does indeed have the best clubhouse in the business, but membership subs are expensive and it has noise abatement issues.

The outfits at Blackbushe and Booker are also good but dear and there is no club atmosphere.

Pilot Centre at Denham seems to offer good training in nice aircraft, but I too found there was little club atmosphere.

Firecrest Club at Elstree is very reasonably priced and there is some club atmosphere. I certainly suggest you have a look at that one.

Alan Mann at Fairoaks is expensive and there is no club atmosphere.

Finally, don't forget the little London Transport Flying Club at Fairoaks, (which is open to all comers and not just LT staff). It only has 2 aircraft and runs on a volunteers only basis (more like a syndicate), but it is a real club, not a business pretending to be a club. It is very hard to find and there is not always someone there, so contact them first, make an appointment to meet someone and get directions.

Good luck, Irishwingz

Broomstick

[A and C]

BAFC or WAC at Booker.

WLAC at White Waltham

Firecrest at Elstree.

Are all good, Don't touch anything with Cabair writen on it.

[Superpilot]

value for money

..how does between £95-125 an hour sound for a Warrior? ;)

[EL SID]

Whatever you do stay clear of Panshangar. A seach of the forums will tell you why!

[Scottishjockey]

Try Blackbushe, Redair are good. The earlier Cabair comment is unfair unless solely related to price.

[Laundryman]

I've had to take avoiding action twice in less than a year and both cases involved Cabair owned aircraft. I don't know if they were training for IFR and the safety pilot wasn't looking out properly or what but in both instances they just flew on straight and level as if I hadn't been there.
So the moral is keep a sharp eye out and if you see the familiar blue and white paint job be prepared to alter your course.

[BroomstickPilot]

Superpilot,

Assuming your quoted price range includes landing fees and instruction, and assuming we are speaking about an FTO Pa 28 161 in the South of England then £95/hr is exceptional and £125 is still very good.

For a syndicate aircraft, or an aircraft hired for solo flight, especially dry, then this price range would not particularly impress me.

Broomstick.

[Rupert S]

Cabair are VERY good. They have plenty of excellent, well equipped aircraft and are very professional. However, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. I trained with them at Elstree and although I certainly paid for it, the training was excellent, bar the weather I flew when I wanted and the aircraft were all new and in fantastic condition with full IFR panels.
WW will be quite difficult to get to. It's not that close to central London. Elstree is fairly accessible and don't fancy Cabair, Firecest are a friendly bunch and I can certainly praise their CFI.

[Flying Lawyer]

"WW will be quite difficult to get to. It's not that close to central London."

:confused:

It depends where you live in London. Irishwingz said he'll probably end up living in the Chiswick/Ealing area. From there it's motorway all the way to WW apart from the last mile or so.

I reckon on half an hour or so from Chelsea to WW and Denham, and about 40 mins to Wycombe. All will be even quicker from Chiswick/Ealing.

[Warped Factor]

WLAC at WW may appear expensive but remember you pay zero landing fees as a member. Go and do twenty circuits and it'll cost you nothing every time your wheels touch the silky (:p ) grass.

At some of the other places mentioned you'll be paying a not insignificant amount every time you land or for a landing card.

There are minor niggles but when taken as a whole...the clubhouse, atmosphere, variety of aircraft based there, sitting out on the grass with a beer as the sun sets etc etc and it is very hard to beat.

I currently fly out of Blackbushe and Waltham. When I'm flying the Blackbushe one if my route home takes me past WW I'll drop in there for a cuppa just for the sake of it. I wouldn't drop in to Blackbushe if flying past to take the WW based aircraft back to Waltham though :)

WF.

[Irishwingz]

Hey Guys

The pprune fellas have delivered again. Thanks a lot for all these word of advice and caution and near misses! I have some reconnaissance missions to run as soon as I start work and get some wheels.

Safe flying. I'll be at the bar.

:p

[CaptainMoore]

I'm training at The Pilot Centre at Denham.

Takes me around 30 minutes to drive there from my home in Fulham - M4/M25/M40 for one junction (Probably quicker from Ealing/Acton as you can go straight there on the A40/M40).

Very friendly although as others have posted it doesn't have a bar/restaurant so haven't found much of a club atmosphere as yet. Instructors are excellent and the aircraft are very clean and well-maintained (especially the ageing 152's which look immaculate!).

Did consider White Waltham but its a bit further away and expensive. I save around £30 per hour with The Pilot Centre.

Hope this helps. PM me if you want anymore info.

AD

[Morgo]

WLAC at WW may appear expensive but remember you pay zero landing fees as a member. Go and do twenty circuits and it'll cost you nothing every time your wheels touch the silky ( ) grass.

does that apply even if you don't base your aircraft there? I'm based at Elstree and as one is not allowed to perform proper circuit practice there (unless a student at Cabair/Firecrest) then this could be a suitable alternative.

[Warped Factor]

Members landing fee for non-based aircraft at WW currently £3.

If you wanted, as a member, to do a few circuits in a non-based aircraft I believe they're open to negotiation ;)

WF.