Thumbs up - Fly in Spain

[mrsizzler]

Just thought I would post a brief recommendation for Fly in Spain and BM Aviation, based in Jerez.

Have just returned from completing my PPL with them, having got as far as solo nav with Cabair at Denham, where I was becoming a bit frustrated with weather delays! I was very impressed by Fly in Spain. Great bunch of instructors, well organised, planes well looked after (Tobias, one of the instructors is also an engineer). They are a CAA registered facility with a resident UK examiner - it wasn't readily clear to me from their website that I could do the CAA PPL there, but that is the case.

Jerez is a great place - good weather, good food, good value etc.

Can thoroughly recommend them. PM me if anyone would like further info.

[EI-MPE]

Thanks for sharing this. I have PM'd you some questions.

[acuba 290]

FIS is a great school! I can also recommend them. I have done my PPL there in only 18 days of flying in 4 weeks period. Very nice locations, planes in good condition, great instructors!

[Happy Wanderer]

Mr S,

Check your PMs.

[Mariner9]

Just come back from a VFR trip to Morocco, flying through Spain each way. Found flying in Spain to be superb, great ATC - effortless zone clearances (including through Class A airspace), Radar Information Service all the way, and a very relaxed but professional attitude towards GA :D :ok:

[LH2]

Mariner... "Fly in Spain" is the name of a PPL registered facility in Jerez :}
And more specifically, it's the facility where I did my PPL, and I can recommend them too.
It was relaxed, easy-going, but professional... friendly but demanding. Cannot complain at all, got my PPL in record time and minimum hours, flew every day but one (due wind), and most importantly, two CPLs since have commended my standard of training (wish they'd commended my standard of flying instead, but that's another story :E ) Unfortunately for you chaps, my instructor (O.B.) is no longer there, but you should be in good hands nevertheless.
Definitely much better than going through the expense, trouble and hassle of going to the U.S. In fact, I've met someone who worked in the UK during the week and did their training in Jerez during the weekends (yup, Ryanair flies there :cool: )

[IO540]

Does anybody do FAA training in Spain?

It would be extremely attractive, compared to the huge hassle of Visa and TSA issues in doing the stuff in the USA. OK, the TSA stuff still applies no matter where you do it but it isn't required for some things like a CPL...

I am looking at doing my CPL this winter.

[Happy Wanderer]

You chaps who PPL'd in Spain - approximately how much did you pay if you don't mind me asking? I was quoted an hour-building rate of €130/hr wet for a PA-28 by F-i-S when I was there (on hols) in June. A bit more expensive than I was expecting if I'm honest (particularly as there are landing fees on top of this as well), but I guess you're getting the consistency of flying which we don't get here in Blightey.

Looking at getting some hour-building done in either the States or Spain next year post-ATPLs. Mrs HW favours Spain as we've been out to the Cadiz/Jerez for the last 3-4 years, and have got to know the area quite well.

Financially, the States probably still makes more sense though given the £/$ rate at the mo.

Any thoughts?

HW

[172driver]

IO540 not to my knowledge, at least not at present. I'm in a similar position (re CPL) and know the scene there pretty well. The thing is that since the introduction of JAR the US licenses have lost a lot of their luster, unless you fly your own N-reg a/c, as I believe you do. Some countries (e.g. Austria) have even discontinued their 'Certificate of Recognition' :(

Wanderer not sure where you got your figures from, but their website lists something like € 84/hr for a C150 excludling landing fees if buying a block of hours and paying in advance.

Aerodynamics Malaga will rent you a C150 for € 94/hr including landing fees, again if you buy block.

In both cases, the prices of course go up with bigger/faster a/c, but are pretty similar if you factor the landing fees in. For whatever reason, Aerodynamics have decided to include them, whereas F-i-S do not. At the end of the day, much of a muchness, really.

[Mariner9]

Mariner... "Fly in Spain" is the name of a PPL registered facility in Jerez :}


T'was already apparent thanks Mr LH2, which was why I added a title "Flying in Spain in General" to my post :ok:

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

the huge hassle of Visa and TSA issues in doing the stuff in the USA

In the context of CPL training, is £120 and a trip to London (or your local Embassy) for half a day very significant?

[IO540]

This subject has been done to death, but one must consider is the tradeoff between

- registering for TSA (not necessary for a CPL but some schools don't know this)
- finding a school which can issue an I-20 so you can get a Visa, and communicating with them, etc, etc (a lot of schools don't read emails)
- doing the paperwork for Visa and TSA (few days total time)
- spending a day hanging around trains, buses, London, the US Embassy
- flying to the USA (a day each end, plus the flights)
- arranging (and paying for) accomodation in the USA
- eating probably really cr*p food in the USA
- renting a car
- learning to drive on the wrong side of the road
- keeping in touch with one's work/business/family
- coping with the time shift on arrival
- getting back to the UK knackered (due to the time shift on return)

(I have a long, complete and current checklist for this, for anybody who really wants it)

and

- doing it in the UK
- living at home
- fitting it within your work/business schedule
- paying way over the top to the FAA training establishment
- paying way way way over the top to the visiting FAA examiner ($1500 per checkride is one example)

etc etc

Well you get what I mean. Training in the USA is far more than just the US Embassy visit.

There is a sizeable market for FAA PPL/CPL/IR training in the UK, and probably also in every other European country with a significant GA activity - because most people that do FAA are doing it for the Euro-wide IFR privileges, which means access to a decent IFR aircraft, which tends to mean full or part ownership, which means having a decent budget, which means you aren't 21 and stacking shelves at Tescos, which is why the training (which can be slotted into the punter's busy lifestyle) is so expensive over here, with $1500 checkrides etc.

My FAA PPL cost me about £3000, a few years ago, and that was about 5 hours' flying, on top of the hundreds of hours I already had. It's worth paying the extra for, for most people that can actually use the privileges afterwards. Unfortunately the scene also attracts a fair number of shysters.

I did my IR in the USA and it was OK as a one-off two-week get-your-head-down dedicated project, but it was on the limit of what I could manage while being in touch with my business and other stuff.

OTOH for somebody who is very young, has no significant work/professional/family commitments, and could just as easily bum around the Amazon for 6 months being chased by rattlesnakes, going to the USA for a few weeks is going to be a fun experience, and (especially if you don't mind living in a very basic cheap motel) will be cheaper than doing it anywhere in Europe.

If one could get FAA training done in Spain, it would do away with the UK ANO problems (article 140 etc). It's trivial for any aircraft owner to pop down there, in their own plane. No Visa and in some cases no TSA either. And the TSA stuff is simple enough if the fingerprints can be done quickly on site (otherwise you have to go to Farnborough to get them done). It's also well away from the UK flight training scene which probably causes a lot of hassle (with the CAA) for anybody doing FAA training here. Should be a nice business opportunity.

[Tall_guy_in_a_152]

I wasn't trying to rake the UK vs US coals again, merely commenting that the Visa and TSA aspects are not a big deal (I have just done it). I am a fairly frequent US visitor and generally enjoy going there. Tacking a holiday with my wife onto the end of the training made the flights free (in my head).

The ability to use your own aircraft in Spain is a plus (mine is maintained to Private cat. standards so not allowed for training) and given a choice of tapas and Rioja vs burger and root beer - well, you might have a point.

[IO540]

I like the USA too, TG152, but flight training isn't much of a holiday IMHO.