Soloflight Humberside

[spinrightround]

I've heard that instructors and aircraft have left. Does anybody know why? Is this a place I should consider flying/training at?

[Hotel Uniform Yankee]

I've also heard they have lost another instructor. Apparently the current owner is not the easiest of people to get on with !
I don't think they are very busy now anyway. Infact all the HUY clubs appear to be quietier then they use to be.
I don't anything about the aircraft going as well.

[Nov71]

I don't know about the state of the flying clubs at Humberside nor the level of commercial traffic but I have fond memories of Kirmington
1967 - driving lessons with Dad on it's disusused runways & taxiways
1974 - someone had plonked a portakabin & flying club there so I continued PPL training whilst at home
1983 - accompanied my Mother for her first flying lesson (suprise 70th birthday present) A nervous car passenger with a pre-war (no test) driving licence, she was totally un-phased & flew better than I did that day.

Binbrook MATZ used to nudge the Kirmington zone with the possibility of low level Lightnings in the vicinity, but no longer.
The airport is well away from pop centres and other civil ATZs but well-marked by the Humber (Bridge is a key view), 2 oil refineries and the white cement factory near the main gate.

My local is now Manchester - Barton, grass strip, enveloped by MAN ATZ with a low level corridor & a hop over the M60 ship canal flyover on finals

If you want intensive PPL type training I would consider a flying holiday in the US. I think it would still work out cheaper Others may wish to comment.

[markflyer6580]

One instructor has left for an airline position,the other is on holiday! Part time instructor defected to the dark side! Bit of a non story really.
Just taken delivery of a Twin star,two aircraft on a c of a,one going next week for one too.Two new warriors coming very soon,just waiting for paperwork to come through.

Is this a place I should consider flying/training at?

Yep!

[porridge]

So if one instructor is on holiday for 3 weeks, one has gone to an airline, one has defected to the the dark side how many does that leave?
Heard that G-BPOM is off the fleet too?

[Hotel Uniform Yankee]

Advert now appeared on their web site for a flying instructor,they would have been better putting this on 3 months ago when the instructor left for the airlines.

[markflyer6580]

G-Bpom is off the fleet because the owner claims he doesn't want it being used by students!?! Fair enough its his a/c, 2 more to replace it any way.
I get the sneaky feeling that the first post in this thread may have something to do with group now operating said a/c:=

If that is the case,then its all a bit sad really,If I am wrong (never happens!)
then accept my apologies.:ok:

[spinrightround]

Thanks for all for the info.

Spoke to somebody else and they told me lots of worrying info. It sounds like a place to avoid. I heard about members leaving who didn't like the owner. Apparantly 2 ground instructors have left, 2 flying examiners, 1 left (or possibly escaped) for commercial work, and an aircraft owner didn't want his plane used (or possibly abused).....surely they all can't be wrong???

Of course this is only part of what I have heard from other people so talk to others and make your own judgement first... but based on what i've heard I think I'll give it a wide berth!!!!

[hollywood285]

I trained at humberside's soloflight, was talking to a member the other day and yes there is only 1 full time instructor left, the owner is not the best bussiness woman around and treats her staff and customers terrible. The place is not the best school/club and the only real asset was its instructors and G-BPOM, the rest of the aircraft are nails.

[markflyer6580]

You are right in saying the instructors are a great asset,as for G-BPOM, I don't agree,it is a very nice a/c and well looked after by its owner but you could walk places faster! You can hardly call a brand new twinstar,a mint bonanza, and 4 very nice warriors(compared to other schools) nails???
Looking at the other ppl schools at humberside I reckon solo have the nicest fleet by a long way along side Triple A's commercial training fleet.
If people choose not to get on with the owner then fine,but since we are all adults here I don't see what is gained by flaming people on an internet forum?

Student pilots will go where they feel most comfortable and happy,there will allways be competition between schools/clubs which is a good thing anyway.
As I mentioned in an earlier post,this thread has more than likely been started by a member of the new club/school/syndicate or whatever operating at humberside,if you need publicity get a big banner to tow,alternatively heres a plug:-

HANGAR NINE! whoo hoo:p

Cheers.

[Hotel Uniform Yankee]

Markflyer,

You seem to be blaming those who fly G-BPOM for the comments made earlier. Why would they be making comments like this when only 2 years ago the owner was on here defending Soloflight. Unless of course he also has fallen out with the club owner !

[markflyer6580]

Ten points for you!:ok:

[Capt Pit Bull]

My memory is hazy. Is soloflight what was ownede by (the late) Glen Stewart before his accident?

CPB

[markflyer6580]

Yes,it is Glen's widow Mel who now runs the place.

[spinrightround]

Wonder what your connection is with soloflight, owner? or just a hopefull employee looking for a job???

POM
RL
WO

Two are no longer on the club,:hmm:

The other has defective avionics:uhoh:

the twinstar belongs to somebody else and AAA actualy do the instruction, the profit goes into the owners pocket,:p

the bonannza belongs to the owners boyfriend and is not suitable for ppl training or anybody with low hours, it costs a fortune to fly and is up for sale.;)

No instructors in the office for 3 weeks (holiday or sick with stress):zzz:
No owner in the office:confused:

Hangar 9 is starting up a flying club:D

WHOS KIDDING WHO?????:ok:

[Polarhero]

Spring, and whats your connection with hanger 9?

Just signed up to pprune, 3 posts, all on this thread?

Sounds to me like you have some kind of agenda? :=

Come on fess up and let everyone know what your real problem is? :ok:

I real thought i had left all this petty bickering behind in Florida.

[hollywood285]

I was talking about the training fleet, not the Beech(does it ever get used??) the twin stars are not the clubs, solo is just handling the bookings.


Training aircraft

POM Gone
RL rubbish radios and no working nav
WO out of C of A with 3 foot of grass growing around it( tell you something??)
FU Old style panel 140 horse slow out dated hack.

Mark what part of soloflight do you work for?:D

[Hotel Uniform Yankee]

So has Richard left or his he just on a long holiday. I know he has made comments on the radio to HUY ATC about the transponder in G-BCRL not working, i.e. saying they should contact the mangement 'Mel'.
Doesn't sound like he happy with the club either.

[markflyer6580]

Mark what part of soloflight do you work for?

Erm? not quite,I pay to fly there,unlike others I get on with the people there:p

Just signed up to pprune, 3 posts, all on this thread?

Sounds to me like you have some kind of agenda?

You are right with your suspicions I think.

Hangar 9 is starting up a flying club

Read: Trying to start a club:rolleyes:

If we are going to continue with the rumour spreading....
I heard that POM will not be staying in Hangar 9 once its 3 month trial is up,something to do with the hangarage fee being there to hangar the a/c not set up a club in there:=

(I heard this from somebody who has nothing to do with solo:p )

As for G-BCRL's transponder occasionally working,I think it has a few hours until its annual at which point it is having new radios,transponder etc.

hopefull employee looking for a job???


You're avin a larf !:ok:

[spinrightround]

Yes these were my first posts, nice of you to spy, am I next for the verbal assault from Soloflight? I'm sorry i've written them as I would of preffered a decent club where I didn't need to ask for feedback. By the responses to my questions I think there are some concerns vsv slander?

As I stated previously to anybody who is interested in learning to fly, ask around and look for a school with experienced instructors, good aircraft which are well maintained, who can provide customer satisfaction without getting ripped off. There is a similar thread for OFT is there not???

If the owner of soloflight wants to slag off individuals, HFC and Hangar 9 then that his her choice. It is also other peoples choice in the democracy in which we live to voice thier own opinions based on thier experiences and facts - from what I have read I don't believe there is anything which has been said which is not the truth.

Thankfully this will be last post before I go and learn to fly in America.... :cool:

[markflyer6580]

as I would of preffered a decent club where I didn't need to ask for feedback.

Surely you would have done as I did,and visit many schools before making a choice rather than rely on other peoples biased opinions?

I visited every club at humberside,along with sherburn(very nice but too far away),leven/hull aero club(less said the better with that one!).
I then made a decision based on those trips,believe it or not it was the owner of G-BPOM,who's infectious enthusiasm for soloflight(at the time:E ) and flying in general who swung my decision to go there.
I will not go in to detail as to what put me off the other clubs as I don't want this to degenerate in to another slanging match:p

Enjoy the U.S!:ok:

[Cpt Boresco]

Markflyer, the POM group did not start these threads.
Having spoken to the owners of G-BPOM (there are 4 now) the reason they quit Solofight was due to a dissagreement with getting more share holders into POM to help with the finances and Soloflight were a bit petty and nasty about it. Also we gather they were fed up with the abuse the a/c was getting and Soloflight not giving a dam about it. The crunch came when POM went into Hanger 9 and Mrs Soloflight went ballistic for some reason.

I hear that the POM Group now has 10 members who are all dissenchanted ex Soloflight members - fed up with crap aircraft (apart from POM), absent owner, stressed instructors (poor Richard having the lot dumped on him whilst madam owner was away having a jolly good time abroad with new boyfriend) and a general lack of interest.

Apparently they approached the owner of POM and asked if he would set up as a private group - taking POM off the Sololfight fleet. It's a limited membership and fully comited.
But contrary to popular belief it's not a flying school nor is it in anyway connected to Hanger 9 or the new school there.

Considering the huge amount of loyalty and support that the owner of G-BPOM gave Soloflight over the last 2 years - yes he is a jolly good chap and so enthusiastic - what really happened to make him leave??!!

Was it because Mrs Soloflight eventually hacks everyone off - she uses and abuses and does'nt give a dam.

Markflyer - you ar'nt the one who's bought Solofight their PA28 soon to arrive are you ?- if you are be carefull - I understand that the owner of G-BRWO fell out 6 months ago - and took it off the Solofight fleet - because of abuse of his a/c!!

....and a little bird tells me that Soloflight is up for sale - so what loyalty and security message does that give a/c owners who allow Soloflight the use of their planes?

Wish we could all join the POM Group - sounds like a great little group - but it's a limited membership

[tezzer]

Oh, how I would LOVE to get involved in this one, but or a variety of reasons can't Biting my tongue is killing me though !

[markflyer6580]

Markflyer - you ar'nt the one who's bought Solofight their PA28 soon to arrive are you ?- if you are be carefull - I understand that the owner of G-BRWO fell out 6 months ago - and took it off the Solofight fleet - because of abuse of his a/c!!


I have not bought it,student atpls cannot afford aircraft!(not this one at 26 with a big mortgage,two kids and three cars):(


Message from the top follows:} :

New aircraft arriving today bought by a long standing club member who is putting in a GARMIN 430, as he intends for it to a much better aircraft than POM has ever been.
2 new instructors starting next week, one full time, one part time.
None of the aircraft belong to the club - Twin Star was £350,000, how many clubs can afford that? Of course the owner is going to let other people use it!!
RL is going on C of A and will be getting all avionics sorted.
WO not out of C of A, check G-INFO.
BAFU still faster than POM and is hardly slow and outdated - look at the web site.
I have not slagged anyone off, I always let folk make their own judgements.
Bonanza is rentable, there just aren't many people capable of flying it! (Or paying for it!) It has just done 3 weeks and 16 hours rental round Scandinavia, see the web site. It's for sale, yes, the owner is buying a helicopter.
Going to learn to fly in America?? You'll find out all about being ripped off, unless you're lucky!!
Humberside is quiet because of Football, Wimbledon and Waddington - the rest of the country's flying schools are also quiet or going bust!
On what basis is this "person" making the comments? Have they been to all the clubs at Humberside and in the surrounding area? Looked at aircraft? How many clubs teach on PA28's as opposed to C150's?

I think thats fair enough:ok: