Time taken to complete PPL within UK

[socialsec1]

Hi All

I understand that this question is subjective but I am interested in other people's experiences in completing the PPL.

I am looking to begin flight training in April/May next year and have looked at a range of schools in the UK and US. I understand that there +/- points for each one but how long it has taken individuals to gain their PPL within the UK??? Did the weather significantly affect your training??? In the UK, I would be doing most of the flying at weekends.

Kind Regards

Social

[Contacttower]

Flying on average about one hour per week I completed my PPL in almost exactly a year. The weather was a problem during the winter, I sometimes went for three weeks without flying, although in the run up to going solo I managed to get flying on a more regular basis.

By the way I'm not sure I'd recommend doing a JAA PPL in the US, the flying is great out there but personally I think if you're doing a licence that's to be used in the UK then it should be done in the UK.

[Shunter]

Did mine commencing Jan '06. Took 4 months total. Weather was terrible until late March. Booked 4 or 5 lessons per week and usually flew 2 or 3. The continuity helped a lot and I passed in 45hrs.

The USA route might look attractive, but you ideally need to do all the exams and R/T license before you go. Also, by the time you've paid for flights there/back, sorted out a visa and all the hassle that goes with it, then had to do some more lessons back in the UK to get used to proper weather and R/T you might not find it as cheap as it initially seems.

[tigerbatics]

I would also caution the US route. We have had a number of people at the club over the last few years who have done their training in the US either a JAA licence or a FAA one.

They have in general needed a large number of hours dual before they were safe to fly solo. The flying environment is just totally different. Unused to grass and in need of the comfort of runway lengths we just do not have. That plus the weather and different R/T makes for them an often unexpected conversion period.

Let me be clear, I'm not in any way knocking US instruction and training, but they are doing it on a large continent and we fly from a small island.

[Contacttower]

For IR training I would recommend the US, purely because the access to approaches is so much better.

But for PPL training the US route is not so good.

[tigerbatics]

Another point.....I do not know why you want a PPL but it is the case that the drop out rate after gaining a licence is very high.

I suggest that it makes sense not to focus on the licence itself but on the flying.

If you have lessons at the rate that you can afford to sustain as a hirer after you have the licence you will not get the 'financial hangover' that stops many from flying for a while after qualification. They then get into the perpetual check situation because they are never current on the occasions they can afford to fly, it all becomes soul destroying and they give up.

If you want to be involved in flying then at a good club you will be, and will feel to be, as soon as you begin to learn. And you will continue to be for as long as you want because you can afford what you are doing in a sustainable way. Solo will arrive; cross country and eventually a licence. You then just carry on.

[Lunchmaster]

I've done the PPL for the fun of flying rather than as a route to the airlines so I took my time over the course and also found the weather interrupted my progress many times. Took just over 60 hours during 18 months of training to get the licence and I now have 85 hours total time. I can see the sense in ploughing in through the PPL on the way to something else but if it's not going to be your career what's the rush?

As one instructor said to me: "It's all about the flying." The cost of hiring the aircraft for the average PPL is only going to be a little bit cheaper than flying dual with your instructor so I found that passing the test was my almost my secondary concern by the time I was ready. It was just another fun sortie with a bit of added pressure.

Since passing I've tried out a few very different aircraft and I'm now investigating a group to try and bring the cost down in future. I would say the training is one of most fun things I've ever done so I wouldn't be in a hurry. It's something to savour.

Lunchmaster

[dontpressthat]

Contacttower.. do you have an IR?

Im not sure what your getting at with that remark..
Theres plenty of facilities in the Uk and if you go galloping of to the states to do your instrument rating you'll need to do a conversion to use it in the Uk, so whats the point?!

By the time youve paid airfares, hotels etc and cost of the conversion you may aswell have stayed home and done it on your doorstep!

DPT

[norton2005]

I did my PPL in the summer just past, It was full time and still took 3 months becasue although we had some good weather this summer, there was a lot of appauling weather too. I literally spent over half of those 3 months on the ground. Plus I don't think I had the most organised school in the world either.

[Contacttower]

Im not sure what your getting at with that remark..
Theres plenty of facilities in the Uk and if you go galloping of to the states to do your instrument rating you'll need to do a conversion to use it in the Uk, so whats the point?!



No I don't have an IR, I did about 15hrs instrument training in the US for my IMC rating. The availability of approaches in the US is much better than the UK which makes it ideal for training...and they are free.

True if you want a JAA IR then it has to be done in the UK but there are a lot of people flying N reg with FAA IRs in the UK so your comment that you need to convert the IR isn't completely accurate.

All I was saying was that licencing issues aside as a pure training enviroment for instrument flying the US is better.

[dontpressthat]

Contacttower...
My point is simply that You cannot compare the IR training in Busy Uk airspace with the 'empty' uncluttered skys over the majority of the US and unless you happen to know somebody with an N Reg you WILL have to get a conversion.
If however cash is more important and you'd rather save a few quid and get yr approaches at exactly the time you want then go ahead.. have a nice day!!
DPT

Edit.. If the US is 'better' why is a conversion required???

[Contacttower]

My point is simply that You cannot compare the IR training in Busy Uk airspace with the 'empty' uncluttered skys over the majority of the US and unless you happen to know somebody with an N Reg you WILL have to get a conversion.



I was in Florida which has an awful lot of traffic...I don't know the actual numbers but my impression was the most of the airports we were using handled a lot more traffic compared to say an airport like Bournemouth which handles a lot of IR training. On some frequencies the talk was quite literally non stop.

You are of course right about the N reg and the current N reg situation could change for the worse in the future.

[TheOddOne]

I did my trial lesson in Feb '82 and got my PPL in Jul '83, so about 18 months and almost 60 hours. I was a shiftworker at the time but was only able to fly at weekends so there were unavailable days for that reason as well as the usual wx etc problems. It seemed about the right pace and I do like the idea of pacing it at a rate you'd expect to hire at, hadn't heard of that one before, excellent concept, well done tiger!

TheOddOne

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Edit.. If the US is 'better' why is a conversion required

Maybe because it is a different country....???

As to high density traffic......England is not the only place on earth that has high density traffic...unless you mean illegal immigrants. :E

[wsmempson]

I learnt at BAFC at high wycombe and went in and out from central London on my scooter 1 or 2 times a week. 1st summer I went solo and then I stopped all lessons then until the following spring - as the weather seemed to conspire against any consistancy. The following summer I got my PPL and came through in about 50hrs.

By contrast, most of the folks who have trained in S/Africa or USA seem to come back from their crash course with part of the sylabus incomplete - Usually the navigation - and seem to need at least 10 hrs to adjust to the rather more restricted environment that is the UK.

Do it here, you'll enjoy it. Don't rush it either - unless you have a pressing need - it's part of the fun.:D

[BRL]

but how long it has taken individuals to gain their PPL within the UK???

Can we just not answer the question without going all around the houses for once........ :ugh:

[dontpressthat]

Chuck... Just for the record, it wasnt me that initially said the training was 'better' one place or the other... Your quoting a quote.
Also, I didnt say the uk was the only place with congested airspace... Hoooowwwever, I would argue that UK airspace IS generally far busier than the majority of US airspace and would suggest that anybody who claims otherwise is simply looking for an argument.

Getting to the point of the thread though.. (sorry mod:ok:) I started my PPL in the Uk and after many weeks of weather related delays I took myself out to the states and completed it there.. bloody good fun it was too!!

My head hurts now!!

DPT

[Mad Girl]

BRL said

Quote:
but how long it has taken individuals to gain their PPL within the UK???
Can we just not answer the question without going all around the houses for once........ :ugh:

Anything for you BRL ;)

First got into a light aircraft 2 years ago.......High 80's in terms of total hours - Did my QXC Thursday - so still going :D - but getting there!!.

Hours include 11 1/2 hours aeros in Bulldogs and a Super Decathlon in the UK and Florida (was on holiday and couldn't resist a throw about :O)

The rest has been in the UK - in a Bus (Ooops sorry! -A PA28 Warrior 161 :rolleyes:) - apart from a quick wizz about in a Tecnam the other week.

I know I've done numerous hours which DIDN'T ADD specifically to my training..... but my poor old instructor couldn't keep me on the ground - I don't think he knows what to do with a sulking female:D. I'd rather be up playing.... even in the circuit :hmm:.... rather than stay on the ground and save my money for better conditions.

I've been up with friends in Luscombes, Warriors and a Seneca and think I've learned a lot from watching them flying - whilst I navigated :ugh: or did the RT.

I'm not doing it for an immediate career move (maybe FI one day) - I'm having great FUN & made LOTS of friends!!!!!

[WaspJunior]

11 weeks. June-August 1983. C150, 3 different instructors. Brilliant weather, and I can still remember the first solo grin like it was yesterday.

Good luck, socialsec1 and enjoy your flying :)

[SkyHawk-N]

I would also warn people about going the USA route.

I did most of my training over in the USA and enjoyed every single minute of it. Now that I'm flying back here in the UK nothing seems to measure up to the flying over there (for me at least) and many things are disappointing and fustrating. I would never have experienced the choice of many hundreds of airfields and strips, the lack of controlled airspace, no landing fees, airport courtesy cars, self service pumps, super friendly FBOs, etc.

If I hadn't gone the USA route I'd probably be a lot more content with the UK GA scene.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

dontpressthat:

Don't take what I said to heart,

I am very well aware of what you have to endure in England as I have flown there quite a lot.....

I'm sitting at home on Vancouver Island in a snow storm bored out of my mind....

I was hoping one of you Brits would note my comment on immigration as high density traffic....we have the same problem here with the " Multiculturalism " P.C. crowd in our government looking for votes while the country spirals into utter chaos trying to pay for it.

Maybe my sense of humor is not noted here?

[Contacttower]

Maybe my sense of humor is not noted here?

We're just a bit slow sometimes....

[SkyHawk-N]

BRL said ...
Can we just not answer the question without going all around the houses for once........

Where's the fun in that? :E

[BRL]

:ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

[wsmempson]

what was wrong with my answer??:eek:

[IO540]

It took me 1 year. There was a 3 month period when I booked every day (i.e. 90 bookings) and I got just 3 flights done, due to the weather.

The OP says he can fly weekends, which appears to rule out the U.S. option.

[dontpressthat]

Snowstorms chuck... we used to have those here years ago!! I think mr blair sold our snow rights to the up north folk as part of his super green eco global carbon footprint reduction strategy.

Its just so unfair, Why cant we have fun weather!!

Oh and no offence taken or intended previously..:ok::ok:

DPT

[Mikehotel152]

I started in Feb '07 and finished at the end of July. Bar a 2-week holiday, I was available 7 days a week for over 5 months, aircraft availability was good, my FI was available 5 days a week, and I passed my test first time on about 50 hours. It still took aaaaaages...

Mind you, we did have the wettest Summer on record didn't we? :rolleyes:

[Fournier Boy]

Well I must be a record then - 13 years to get my SEP!!!

Started December 1994 at Booker with a birthday flight. Took 3 paperrounds at the time to save money to afford a flight every couple of months. Eventually moved over to gliding (1997) after about 12 hours of SEP as i just could not afford it. Got distracted by gliding until 2001 when foot and mouth stopped X country flying. Saved up some cash and took a SLMG rating. Retrained as an engineer after the 911 downturn in flightdeck recruitment and again couldn't afford SEP time. Managed to scrounge a few hours here and there but kept up the Gliding and SLMG. Finally got round to converting (via TMG) to SEP in August this year (just short of 13 years). Of course the distraction from SEP in that time amounts to about 120 hrs SLMG and about 800 hrs gliding, including 2 years as an instructor....

Just an alternative to the who dunnit it quickest....

FB

[First_Principal]

At the risk of contributing to the thread drift I'm interested why you would only consider the US as an alternative to doing your training in the UK?

I was reading this thread just as an ex-UK student walked past the computer, which prompted me to make a comment. She is completing her CPL & multi ratings here and a brief discussion has revealed the cost is approximately half that of the UK (Intitial multi rating is not much more than 1000 euros). Looking at the UK prices for aircraft hire etc it would seem similar differences exist for someone wanting to do their PPL....

New Zealand is also quite a varied country in terms of its landscape - we have spectacular mountains as well as some quite reasonable expanses of flat land. Our weather is probably a bit less flight-inhibiting than what I've seen described for the UK but not so different that you'd wonder where you were if you were to come here! We have quite a few country strips along with some reasonably busy international airports (admittedly nowhere near as busy as the UK) so there is a good range of flying available to students and seasoned Pilots alike. Also the people are great :-)

As far as I know, from the number of UK-based people I've met through aviation, there is no problem with regard to transfer of licence but obviously one should check all that out beforehand!

Perhaps the US-based schools advertise very extensively in the UK than do other countries? Obviously the US is much closer but if you're looking for an alternative that could perhaps be a little more like home, and at a reasonable cost, NZ may be worth a look.

[Oldpilot55]

I have had to learn to fly three times.

PPL in Scotland 1.5 years. I was in my early 30s

PPL(M) in Scotland/England 1.5 years. I was in my late 30s.

PPL(SEP) in Florida a leisurely 2.5 weeks. I had about 20 hours to upgrade. By that time I had about 100 hours on microlights. I was in my early 40s.

Everyone on the Florida course was doing the course in 45 hours or so. The continuity of flying helps immeasurably. You could do the same in the UK in summer if you got a good spell but folk don't usually fly two or three times a day. The Florida schools are geared to getting you past your test in the allotted time but I have heard of folk having to go back, maybe they didn't meet the standard.

[Contacttower]

Perhaps the US-based schools advertise very extensively in the UK than do other countries? Obviously the US is much closer but if you're looking for an alternative that could perhaps be a little more like home, and at a reasonable cost, NZ may be worth a look.

I might add South Africa to that as well. Thing is though I don't know of any JAA schools outside Europe that are not in America, I don't even know if any JAA schools exist outside Europe and America.

If there are then they keep fairly quite about it.

[radicalrabit]

While I was at Leming when it was still a flying training school, the RAF and Navy Pilots seemed to fly every day despite our English weather, though Dishforth and Topcliffe suffered more from the Vale of York fog. What is wrong with us flying two three or four flights a day and getting stuck into a thorough flying training programme. Surely it makes more sense to get the hours in while you can rather than flying once in a blue moon?:confused: Ok there was one Trainee from Uganda who should never have been let out on his own with anything more technical than a balsa wood glider to throw into the sky but most of them seemed to thrive on it. (Does any one else remember the Bulldog taking off from the taxiway at Dishforth after a woman in high heels decided to wander accross the airfield pushing a pram?) Think that was the first short field take off I ever saw.

[socialsec1]

Thank you to everyone who replied to this post. It certainly has given me plenty to think about and there were some really interesting view points which I had not considered before. I particularly like the point that flying training is something to be enjoyed and not rushed through as well as Tiger's idea of hiring the plane at a £ rate you would expect. I was strongly on the side of the US but have moved back towards the UK on the premise that I can find a good flying school that won't cost the earth. Cabair have quoted around £7500.

Many thanks

Social

[Monocock]

26 weeks.
That was every weekend committed to it for that period of time during the summer of 1990.
Wet days were spent in books.
Sunny days were spent in the air.
Don't bother with the US. Start your groundwork now, get the exams out of the way and go for it in April. You will be qualified by the end of August.
Don't go to the pub and don't buy a pilot's watch. Buy a decent headset and get to know Trevor Thom like a teenage boy gets to know his right hand. Stay concentrated. There will be days when you wonder why the hell you started it. DON'T give in.
When you have your licence you will be complete and will be able to experience a unique thing whenever you want to.
If I died tomorrow I can safely say that my flying will have given me the most contentment I could ever have found and there's not many who can say that.

[kevmusic]

Fournier boy said
Well I must be a record then - 13 years to get my SEP!!!
Erm, excyooooose ME!

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=216764

26 years, anybody?

:p:p

[RudeNot2]

Took me from 08/01/06 until 29/09/07 to complete the JAR PPL in Scotland with a week's worth of flying from Dunkeswell (whilst on holiday - managed about 5 hours due weather).

This period was interspersed with weeks and occasionally months of no flying due to a variety of reasons.

I completed in approx. 53hrs - longer than some - shorter than others but who cares.. Once I was flying consistently it became a lot easier.

Just looking forward to meeting new folk and visiting new places with this wonderfully extravagant hobby!!

RudeNot2

[First_Principal]

Kevmusic - Interesting thread to which I may contribute.

For the interest of others here some time ago one of the local instructors had a student complete a PPL from whoa to go in just on 2 weeks. More recently one of the overseas students completed his CPL in exactly 90 days. Given some of that was during our winter he did well methinks.

[PompeyPaul]

9 months, 45 hours on the money. Flying mostly weekends but took a week off work and went full time.