Volunteer flying info anyone?

[claudiucho]

Hi!
This is something that has been in my head for a few years now.
How to keep current with your license?
I’m not talking about a license like a CPL that enables the pilot to fly for a living but just for G.A. pilots that just enjoy flying (say PPL or NPPL).
Mind you, I don’t have my PPL license yet but I was thinking that when I do get it, what then? What can I do with my license after and how can I keep flying without having to spend even more thousands of pounds in keeping current or having to retake exams, etc?
So my idea was to do some volunteer flying.
I heard rumors that a pilot could fly sky divers for free, as in for charity organizations and that; or to fly food supplies in Africa (as an example) where the pilot has all paid while in the country (accommodation and travel); or for glider towing.
But since this is all just rumors, could anyone out there actually confirm that there are organizations doing this kind of schemes or how to search for places where a pilot could offer this kind of services?
It would be much appreciated!!:ok:

[foxmoth]

Most of the flying you want to volunteer for will want a considerable amount of experience if not actually still wanting a CPL or better, the most likely to accept without a CPL is Gliding or Parachute flying but they then want you to have a few hours under your belt, plus a fair amount of Gliding or parachute experience. One way is to get a part share in a PFA aircraft, yes you need a bit of cash to start, but this can be quite a small amount - a two seater can be bought for £15,000 or less and with a 20 person group (the maximum allowed) this works out at £750 each, monthly costs would probably run at £50/month or less and you would then be flying at about £25/hr on top of this. If you do this I would recommend a smaller group if possible for best availability but even with 20 in I do not think you will find this too much of a problem.:ok:

[shortstripper]

You can certainly go glider tugging or parachute dropping without a CPL but can't be paid. However, a "certain" amount of experience after PPL is usually required, along with some knowledge of the sport in mention. Tug pilots tend to be gliding club members with experience of gliding and a PPL. Several clubs take on seasonal tuggies, often with no gliding experience, but you are expected to work full time throughout that seasonal period. Rudimentary accomodation and food is usually supplied and maybe a small wage for washing the aircraft and odd jobs when not flying. I have little knowledge of parachute operations, but would guess that very much the same applies. Few would take on someone part time who wasn't an experienced club member ... why should they? There are usually plenty of club members who'd like the role on a part time basis.

Most of the African aid flying is done by Christian organisations and they tend to look for devote Christian pilots. Again, I have little knowledge in this field, but from what I've read over the years, these pilots tend to have vast experience and are usually CPL's working voluntarily.

Other ways to keep current without breaking the bank could be, group flying (either capital or non capital group), buying a small single seat PFA type, microlight or SLMG flying (with a TMG rating, the SLMG time can be used to keep your SEP current) and (very occasionally) you see other PPL/owners advertise for flying buddies, when perhaps they have lost licence priviledges though ill health, but want to continue to fly with a safety pilot. On this latter note, if there are any war bird, exotic twin or vintage biplane owners in such a position ... I'm available ;)

Good luck with your PPL in the meantime :ok:

SS

[shortstripper]

You're up early Foxmoth ... want a farming job? :p

SS

[foxmoth]

No thanks - far too lazy, just got up early to send the wife out to work!;)

[claudiucho]

Thanks for the help guys!
I've noticed that people are not very happy about those that want to fly for free having a CPL, and rightly so; but that's another thread...:oh:

If not through the volunteer flying, how do people keep current without breaking the bank?. I mean, it was mentioned before that through sharing a plane with other people, but surely there must be other ways.
As the old saying goes: "Necessity is the mother of all invention", and knowing the prices to rent a plane or fuel or landing (etc., etc..) I'm sure the need to build up hours is there.:p

[shortstripper]

I can give advice on how to stay current as cheaply as possible, but unless you are very lucky in who you know, have weeks of time where you can glider tug or parachute drop for no pay, what do you expect? :rolleyes: Nothing in life is completely free, especially flying! The fact is, what I said in my previous post is about the sum of it. Other than that, I suggest that if you really want to fly .... learn for the hell of it, but then give up! You will NOT be able to keep current for free, especially to begin with. Realise that, but hope that along the way you will discover ways to make it affordable .... Good Luck!

SS

[spittingimage]

Not too sure about that, shortstripper. When I came to sell my aircraft some years back I had a string of folks coming to view it and, of course, wanting to have a quick test flight. I had the distinct feeling with some of them that their principal though unstated objective was to get some free flying and keep their licence valid ! := Only one person ever offered to pay for fuel - even when I had positioned to their local airfield. But there .. maybe I am just being a cynical old sod.

[shortstripper]

Sad innit? I'm getting more cynical myself as I get older. Perhaps a new tv program is in order ... "Grumpy old pilots" :E

SS

[BFMD]

claudiucho,

You really need to ask yourself why you want to get a PPL. The minimum hours to keep current really are minimal and if you're going to struggle to pay for them, then you really need to think long and hard before you invest in any training.

As far as a hobby goes, it's got to be up there with the top 10 most expensive.

[Andy_RR]

The cheapest way to increase currency is to daydream your way through all your procedures. In fact, spend time remembering and imagining as much as you can. Sure, you can't log any of it, but it will massively speed up your re-learning curve when you get back behind the stick.

A

[claudiucho]

Thanks all!

I guess is not to do with how to keep current for "free" but more to do with trying many different flying experiences in my piloting life. After all, I don't think there isn't one pilot that stayed current by flying the same route on the same plane over and over again. I'm sure that as soon as I get my licence will want to try other planes and visit different places and if there is an affordable way of doing this without breaking the bank it would be great.

[Fraggle Rock]

Hi claudiucho,

Have you considered volunteering with the air cadets?

They have a number of schools up and down the country where civilian instructors offer time for free and in return can become pilots on the gliding school.

Two types, conventional gliding using Vikings and powered gliding using the Grob 109, or as the RAF call them, Vigilant.

It’s all free, you get to work as part of a team, trained by pilots from both the RAF and commercial aviation and introduce…mostly keen young people to aviation.

It really taught me how to fly after I got my PPL

Here’s a link, it could be what your looking for as the hours you fly in the Vigilant count toward your PPL.

http://www.aircadets.org/ (http://www.aircadets.org/)

PM if you want further info

Best of luck

:ok:

[robin]

Nice ideas, but you do need to be aware that are many other pilots with better qualifications than the bog-standard PPL who would be willing to take on these jobs

Glider tugging means becoming a member of the club and usually they insist on at least a Silver C qualification or a BCPL. The same will go for parachute pilots, I'd think.

You really will need to think about extending your basic knowledge once the PPL is out of the way - IMC and Night Rating, tailwheel, multi-engine experience etc.

Most organisations consider people who ask your original question as a form of parasite - they want to know what you can offer them, not what you intend to get from them. This applies to any job you may interview for.

I don't mean to insult, but the days when a basic PPL could walk into an instructional job or spend a season tugging to build hours is long gone.

Airlines now recruit from pre-trained pilots and there are many out of a job

[gasax]

Well claudiucho now you are beginning to see why these fora are full of people asking if they can log time in the right hand set of a Cherokee as 'P2' or if under some strange circumstance they could get their company to pay business travel costs when they fly or how they can run a raffle where the prize is surprise surprise the privelege of flying with them.

To some extent this is why the vast majority of PPLs fail to keep their licence for more than a couple of years, once the 'achievement' of getting a PPL has faded the practicalities kick in and shopping on a Saturday is easier and cheaper than flying.

My suggest if you really want to continue is get involved with a group of similarly minded people. They may be in your flying club - although that is unsual, you could try the local PFA Strut, certainly try local strips, consider joining a group - preferably one with a cheap PFA type aircraft. You may find those poeple in the local gliding or microlight clubs. The enthusiasm of these people are what makes things happen. as you are already thinking turning up and paying your money to a 'flying club' has a limited appeal.

[ChampChump]

There is one way to volunteer your fairly new skills when they're official: Skywatch. I've read some interesting and diverse opinions about it, so suggest you look into it independently, but one thing it doesn't require per se is a squillion hours or a CPL. It does rather favour those with their own machine (or part of one), though, being practical, so you're back to the unavoidable expense of flying, however you progress beyond the PPL or NPPL.
I'd thoroughly endorse the suggestion to join the PFA and fly something appropriately certificated (not that I have any bias....:E ).
Have fun!

[Fraggle Rock]

Just a quick point,

The VGS (volunteer gliding school) will look for a sign of commitment, good bloke, team player etc. Each school is slightly different depending on staffing levels but if you could manage one day per weekend, or every second weekend that would be sufficient.

They take on people who have very little flying experience and people with a PPL are very welcome!! You don’t need a CPL or advanced PPl ratings. You will get out what you put in.

Seriously, I cant think of a better way to really learn about flying (teaching itself is a great lesson) to put a little back and promote aviation without paying a fortune.

Id suggest a visit to a school and se for yourself what’s involved, its not for everyone but it was for me.

Any other VGS pilots like to comment?

[Heliport]

claudiucho..... or to fly food supplies in Africa (as an example) .....
Pilots engaged in aid/relief work do some of the most challenging flying in the world - extensive cross-country flying over inhospitable and often mountainous terrain to rough dirt strips etc - definitely not for low hours PPLs.

One of the biggest organisations doing such work is the Mission Aviation Fellowship. The minimum entry requirement (Cessna 206 and 210 in VMC only) is a CPL and 500 hours including 300 hours PIC, or 350 hours if the pilot has attended an approved college programme which includes obtaining a mechanics licence.
Applicants also have to take a flight test and demonstrate an aptitude for operating in a harsh and inhospitable environment with minimal technical support.

[High Wing Drifter]

One of the biggest organisations doing such work is the Mission Aviation Fellowship. The minimum entry requirement is a CPL and 500 hours including 300 hours PIC.
Plus references from your church and Bible training. If you are a committed Christian (which I am not), it looks like fabulous life and something I would love to do ( http://www.maf-uk.org/ ).

However, there are other jobs to be had but the details are sketchy. It seems that most pilots need to just travel over on spec, mill around finding a way to feed themselves until they come across somebody hiring. Most don't advertise. For the committed wannabe ATPLs mainly I think.

AndyRR,

Sounds quite odd but I totally agree with you. Flight Sim simply can't complete with the issues and emergencies that a comfy chair and a quiet room can generate.

[Flying Lawyer]

HWD

I agree, it does seem like wonderful flying - although challenging and obviously for experienced pilots only.

There's an interesting article about MAF flying by an old UAS friend of mine in the current issue of Guild News, the journal of the Guild of Air Pilots.

Derek Reeh, who is a Liveryman of the Guild, joined MAF in 2005. Before that he was an RAF fighter pilot for 13 years and then, after ETPS, a BAe test pilot for almost 20 years, working on the development of a number of military aircraft projects including the Eurofighter, becoming Chief Test Pilot in 1995. He was Flight Operations Director when he left to join MAF.

Link: Reliant on the Plane (http://www.gapan.org/news/febnews.pdf)
The article is on page 8.
It may be necessary to adjust the zoom to fit screen size.

From this .....
http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/frtypen/FRfotmil/EF20004.JPG
Flying the maiden flight of Eurofighter Development Aircraft 4 (first British 2-seater) 1997

..... to flying a Cessna Caravan on aid missions in and out of dirt strips.

Quite a change!

FL

[High Wing Drifter]

FL,

Thanks for the link and the read. I'll browse the remainder of the publication later. I'm sure Mr Reeh will be in his element by the sound of it. However, I do lament my non-applicability for MAF though, they are very pro-family and I think not only would a 4 year tour be be fantastic experience for me, but the wife is keen for a bit of an adventure and what an incredible experience it would be for the children too.

The original idea of flying the bucket and spade brigade just doesn't seem to compare somehow.

Oh well, back to chugging around in the Vagabond :)

[TommyOv]

Fraggle check your PMs!

:ok:

[PridiYungThang]

I must concur with Fraggle Rock,I joined a VGS having had a PPL for a few years,they turned me into a better pilot,the flying was fun the social side was just as good,and I was flying for free,also got travel expenses and fed too.It was with a very heavy heart that I left as the flying only at weekends took me close to divorce,they do want commitment from you,quite rightly,but unless you are single or have a very understanding wife the VGS is not really an option.

PYT