Flight schools for Londoners?

[girl friday]

Hi All

As you can see i'm fairly new here so please don't bite if i've missed something really obvious here!

i currently live in London and have just recently had my first flying lesson - hurrah! i took the lesson up in yorkshire whilst staying with my parents (St George's at Durham Tees Valley) but am trying to find out where i could start on my ppl down here. i don't own a car, and i realise that i may have to move out of london just to be able to afford to start down the long training road (final goal is fATPL. well, preferably followed by a job i suppose!) but a lot of googling and searching on here and i'm struggling to find anything that's acessible.

ideally i suppose i'd like to do my ppl at a school that i could continue on to cpl etc with, but realistically i suppose i may go abroad for the rest of my licence (from what i've read on here) for financial reasons.

So, to get to the point! Can anyone tell me where i can find a list of all the schools that provide this type of training in the UK, where i could find the london options? or does anyone have any personal recommendations? is it going to be a nightmare getting anywhere without my own transport around here?

Might i be better biting the bullet and moving back to my parents (at the ripe old age of 26) to carry on up there? (please please say no:eek::eek:)

thanks very much - very grateful for any help received

Girl Friday
x

[BA123]

Hi somebody gave me a link to the CAA website where they have a list of approved flight schools in the Uk and abroad. That could be helpful. its on the site somewhere. try looking in documents. Also pilot magazines from your newsagents have plenty of adverts in the back of them of flying schools to give you lots of ideas.

Hope this was helpful
Chris

[FlyingForFun]

somebody gave me a link to the CAA website where they have a list of approved flight schools in the Uk and abroadThere are two lists.

This one (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG_FCL_REGISTEREDFACILITIES.PDF) lists schools which offer training for the PPL in the UK, known as "registered facilities". For schools outside the UK, and for further training including CPL and IR, and also including integrated courses which take you from where you are now right up to fATPL, your school needs to be "approved" (rather than registered), and a list of approved schools can be found here (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG_FCL_APPROVEDFTOS.PDF).

I would suggest that you start your PPL at a school near home - there are plenty of schools around London, and you're sure to find one you like. Some of them are approved for advanced training, but I think it would be wrong to make the decision based purely on whether the school is approved or not - all you need right now is PPL training at a school you are comfortable with.

Where in London are you? Especially since you don't have a car, knowing where you are will help us suggest which airfields have good transports links from your area.

FFF
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[girl friday]

thanks very much guys - those are exactly the links i've been looking for!

i live in stoke newington - N16 so my nearest main stations would be kings x/euston and liverpool street


Girl Friday
x

[FlyingForFun]

In that case, GF, try Elstree aerodrome - get the train from Kings Cross Thameslink to Elstree, then it's a walk or a taxi to the airfield. There are a couple of schools there - the big one is Cabair, but do a search and read up on their reputation before signing up, or else try Firecrest.

According to the school's website (http://www.flysfc.com/new/printableairfieldinfo.html), Stapleford airfield is a bus-ride away from Romford train station, on the Liverpool St line. I know very little about them, but they do offer CPL training which might be a positive factor for you?

FFF
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[girl friday]

Great FFF, thanks very much

Cabair is the only one of those that i've heard of but wouldn't really expect to know any more. Think i'll read up on them and then go pay a few of them a visit!

has anyone out there got personal experience of any of these schools they'd be willing to share? i appreciate that what's right for one person isn't for another, but any pro's, con's or names of instructors to be recommended would be great.

thanks again

Girl Friday
x

[CapCon]

Girl Friday,

I would definately recommend checking out Stapleford, which as Flying For Fun says just a bus ride from Romford. They have a great reputation and their modular course is cheaper than some of the other FTOs. I'm training there at the moment and can't fault anything!

There are several FTOs around London and my advice would be to look around any schools that catch your eye.

Start with Stapleford at http://www.flysfc.com/ :ok:

Cheers,

CapCon

[planeshipcar]

CapCon is right!

If you want to study/train in London Stapleford is the best location choice for 0-fATPL.

It is accessable by the underground or train or you pay £70 a night at the airfield and you have London on your door step the other way. The theory is done at London Met so you'll have to live approx 9 months in the capital anyway.

I hope this helpss

[oby]

there are a few schools out of Elstree.....cabair are a big player, well established etc but on the pricey side. good equipemnt though. however, when i went over to check them out, i found them very standofish. you may want to look up firecrest aviation though.

stapleford is very well recommended and i know a few atpl guys who started on that route.

personally i'm doing my PPL at from pangshanger (mainly for the location as its 10 mins drive from both home and work).

as the UK weather is ****ty i'd pick the closest place to get the PPL and then move up from there.

[Big_Mach]

There are many schools on the outskirts of London that offer PPLs. However as you progress with your training the numbers that offer CPLs and IRs get fewer.

As has already been mentioned the only two that I can think of in North / East London are Stapleford (http://www.flysfc.com/)and Cabair (http://www.cabair.com/) - both offering a "joined up" modular course.

Stapleford is convenient because it is cheaper and easily reachable - either by train to Romford then a bus, or the Central Line to Theydon Bois then a bus or cycle. The groundschool is done at London Met (Tower Bridge) so, if you are still living in Stoke Newington, that's just a short bus/bike ride away.

Cabair is good because it offers you the chance to go abroad for your PPL / groundschool / CPL if you wish. However, in the UK, the CPL / groundschool / IR is done at Cranfield which is about 1:30h - 1:45h drive up the M1 if you were wanting to commute. There is B&B accommodation available in the local town.

I trained at both establishments so, if you need any further advice, send me a PM.

[WHBM]

Another vote for Stapleford :)

[squawkident.]

Hi- just to add my two pence here.
If your ultimate goal is to acquire your fATPL, then why not consider an integrated course at Cabair/OAT/FTE/CTC etc. This way you'd still qualify within 2 years and be that much more "employable" with regards to your age. (im not trying to stir up another age limitation discussion here just something to bear in mind thats all).

Good luck anyways

[balhambob]

Age is not an issue at all if you are 26

[ChocksAwayUK]

As well as what has been mentioned so far you might like to consider The Pilot Centre at Denham. It's a 30 minute train from Marylebone followed by a 20 minute walk. No commercial training there though. I was very happy with my PPL there.

Personally I found public transport a bit awkward with Stapleford so bought a cheap car. From what I remember the bus from Romford is only once an hour and doesn't run on Sundays. I didn't know there was a bus from Theydon Bois - this may well be more convenient.

Also, I know that this topic has come a few times so do a search for lots more info.

Here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/search.php?searchid=570347) is a start.

[squawkident.]

the only reason i mentioned the age thing is that CTC have an upper limit of 30 and OAT 35(i think but dont quote me) for their integrated courses.

[GusHoneybun]

GF, I was in the exact same situation as you a few years back, but lived a bit further up the road in N22. Anyhoo, here is my tuppence worth from the research I did all those years ago......

Stapleford: Only one school on site called, funnily enough, Stapleford Flight Centre. They offer training from PPL training to CPL/IR. Got a tie in the London Met Uni for the ATPL theory. Good school as they managed to get me through CPL/FI without too much fuss. However, a real ballache to get to without transport. The nearest train station will be Romford (depart Liverpool Street), over 7 miles away and the bus that runs from there to the airfield is not a very frequent service to say the least.

Elstree: Two schools, Firecrest Aviation and Cabair. Firecrest only do PPL level training, and Cabair do do commercial training, however, this is done at a different airfield to elstree. Does suffer from the neighbours and sometimes your circuits end up as mini cross countries. Getting to it is a little easier than Stapleford. Tube to Borehamwood (about 3 miles away) or train to Elstree (from Kings X) and about a 2 mile walk.

Having said that, if you travel outside peak time on the railway, you can take a bike on the train, which will take some of the hassle out of getting to and from the airfield.

Other places to consider.

Denham: Only one school there, conducting PPL level training. Much easier to get to on public transport as the train station is less than a mile from the aerodrome. Train runs from Marylebone or alternatively it's about 4 miles from Uxbridge tube.

Panshanger: Again, only one school. Watch yourself around the owner as he has quite a reputation. However, the instructors there are good so you will get the same quiality of training. Only trains up to PPL level. Train goes from Finsbury Park to Hertford North and a 2 mile trek to the field.

Wycombe: Two schools there. British Airways Flying Club and Wycombe Air Centre (just bought by Cabair I believe). Anyway, BAFC run up to PPL level and Wycombe Air Centre runs (did run!) a full commercial suite of training. Three miles from High Wycombe choo choo station and quite well served with buses.

Southend: Probably a bit too far out but still reachable in an hours train ride from Liverpool Street. Nearest train station is Rochford and it is on the airfield boundary so no long walks. Last time they were counted, there were three schools on site. Southend Flying Club, Willowair and Seawings. Cracking airfield with the best facilities of all with a full ILS, Lights and a lovely radar unit on site. Anyway, Southend Flying Club runs the full commercial package and are a fairly successful school. Seawings and Willowair run PPL level training only.


Good luck in whichever you choose, however, if you are considering going Commercial, please get yourself a Class One medical (only done at Gatwick) before you commence any commercial training (including ATPL ground school).


Websites

Stapleford Flight Centre (http://www.flysfc.com)
Cabair (http://www.cabair.com)
Firecrest Aviation (http://www.firecrestaviation.co.uk)
Denham, The Pilot Centre (http://www.egld.com/tpc)
Panshanger (http://www.northlondonflyingschool.com)
British Airways Flying Club (http://www.bafc.co.uk)
Wycombe Air Centre (http://www.www.wycombeaircentre.co.uk)
Southend Flying Club (http://www.southendflyingclub.co.uk)
Willowair (http://www.willowair.co.uk)
Seawings (http://www.seawingfc.co.uk)

[WHBM]

Stapleford ......... However, a real ballache to get to without transport. The nearest train station will be Romford (depart Liverpool Street), over 7 miles away and the bus that runs from there to the airfield is not a very frequent service to say the least.
This is one thing that has changed in recent years, there is now a regular hourly bus, route 500, which connects Theydon Bois station (on the Central Line), Stapleford Airfield gates, and Romford station (served from Liverpool Street). It's only a 10 minute run on the bus from Theydon station to the airfield, which I would use in preference to Romford, if you fly the Stapleford 04 circuit a bit wide downwind you pass over the station.

http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/500.htm