Leading Edge Glasgow (PPL)

[matjr79]

Recently moved to the Glasgow area and am looking to start my PPL.
Have done a bit of research and found leading edge at cumbernauld.

Sounds like a good school, without travelling further to tayside aviation..

Any advice, reports??

Also, at 80 kgs and 5ft 9 would i need to look at upgrading from C150 / tomahawk..

[DB6]

As a Tayside instructor I am biased, and I would recommend them to you. However, realistically you would have a 2 hour drive to get to Dundee so, with weather cancellations/aircraft going tech, the nearer school is often the best bet. Leading Edge also has a presence at Perth so that could give some variety too. Tayside may be a better bet for further training as they do CPL/IR/multi but that is for the future, try LE and see how you get on. Your weight isn't really an issue, the school will determine if you need a bigger aircraft - your instructor may be tiny.

[TicketyBlue]

Have a go in the Archer III.....

[fireflier]

I have recently completed my PPL with Leading Edge at Cumbernauld, can not fault them. Very good friendly set up where you are made to feel very welcome.

Your weight and height should not be a problem, im heavier and taller than you and still managed to do PPL in C152.

Best advice is take a trip out to the club and meet the ops staff, instructors, club members and other PPL students they will be more than happy to answer any questions.

Anything else you want to know just ask and I will try my best to help.

['India-Mike]

Echo DB6's comments, but seems as though you've settled on LE. They're very enthusiastic and that's half the battle.

I CPL'd at Tayside, and regard them highly. But if you're in the Glasgow area you're looking at a 180 mile round trip to Dundee. Can be done, if lucky, in 90 mins each way. But it's 30 quids-worth of car fuel added to your flying cost.

Can't see you going far wrong with LE though. Good luck!

[xrayalpha]

Hi,

You could also try the C42 microlight at Strathaven if you are not planning to go down the commercial route.

In fact, everyone should try it. So we are giving free 30 minute flights to anyone with a Scottish address and a licence (lapsed or current) in Sept and Oct.

Just as well it has low runing costs :-)

Very best,

XA

[PD210]

Echo India Mike's comments.


I've heard pretty good reports of Tayside and Leading Edge. With regards to L.Edge, it's run by a very very enthusiastic team who are very much in to aviation and you will be hard pressed to find a better team of dedicated British instructors at Leading Edge than anywhere else in Scotland. They have two new aircraft (PA28 Archer III) at both Cumbernauld and Perth and they are very, very nice indeed.

[Glasgow_Flyer]

Other option to consider is Prestwick Flying Club?

['India-Mike]

The usual debate about 'which flying club' usually revolves around cost/nicest, newest aeroplanes/location and travel time. They're now all of secondary consideration - your primary consideration nowadays has to be instructor availability. No instructor - no fly. Simple as that. Choose your club on that basis alone.

[Big Burd]

Best flying is at Perth - no doubt. However, from Glasgow I would seriously think about travel time and availability of aircraft. Strong advice would be to look at PIK. Nice bunch, always available and easy to get to. My personal experience of Cumbernauld is not great but you should go and look - its a bit, agricultural?

Leading Edge also operate at Perth but I've heard all sorts of gossip so check that out too. Tayside used to be very good but Dundee isn't easy to get to and Fife worse. Instructors are sometimes a bit arrogant - for no good reason. If they still do the RAF flying scholarship - get used to waiting!

[17thhour]

As far as training and location goes Cumbernauld looks great, being in a central location to the whole of Scotland. I wouldn't call it "agricultural" atall- whatever that means.

I've heard great things about both the Perth and Cumbernauld sectors of Leading Edge, both of which have just taken delivery of some very nice Archer III's with autopilot etc I believe...and I've been told their aircraft availiability is great as they have quite a few Cessna's that are shared between both Perth and Cumbernauld.

Go have a look around them all and see which one you like best !

[olster]

can you still get aero training in the Pitts @ Perth/leading edge?

b/rgds

[dont overfil]

Olster,
You sure can. I'm not sure if it's booked through LE or if you need to contact D H-H direct.
DO.

[fireflier]

aeros training at cumbernauld is now done in the super decathlon,can be booked with leading edge at cumbernauld.

[Say again s l o w l y]

I'm seriously biased having been CFI at LE in CBN. So obviously I'm going to say it's the best place possible!

The attitude at LE is what drew me to the place and the enthusiasm is second to none. You won't get ripped off and you won't get sunshine blown up your bum to make you part with more cash or pay upfront.

There are other good schools around Scotland, but I'd be very surprised and disappointed if you had a bad experience at LE. There's a great team of both instructors and members with lots of things going on all the time.

[NorthSouth]

matjr79: if you're in Glasgow, why not go to Glasgow Flying Club? Probably more expensive in landing fees but you'll be training in controlled airspace under full ATC from the start so you'll end up a more rounded and competent pilot. Glasgow still has two runways available so delays due to commercial traffic shouldn't be significant. Plus if people stop training at regional airports they will ultimately chuck out all light aircraft and that's in no-one's interests.
NS

[17thhour]

Glasgow still has two runways available so delays due to commercial traffic shouldn't be significant.

I believe runway 27/09 is out of use now, so your stuck on the same runway as the big boys.

[olster]

thanks for info,don't overspil

b/rgds

[Munnyspinner]

Matjr69,

Although I have never flown with LE at Cumbernauld I have heard very positive things about the company. Their wesbite will give you info on fleet and locations and I believe Allan Falconer (?) the MD is actually very committed to providing an excellent service to customers.

My memory is a bit hazy but I seem to recall they had a base at Aberdeen too - although this was a few years ago.

Depending on the type of flying you hope to do Cumbernauld and Perth are both good locations. If you want to think about a career in aviation then I would always suggest learning in that environment and Glasgow flying club is the nearest you will get in Scotland. Full ATC with zone entry and exit procedures.

I have heard that LE have recently acquired new a/c which is always a good sign. I assume they are based both at Cumbernauld and Perth but check it out.

Maybe someone from GFC can advise on a/c type and availability.

With reference to 'gossip' about LE in Perth, I have flown there a bit and suspect its not LE but SAC they are talking about . The SAC are the resident club and LE are the FTO. Often LE get the flak when SAC are responsible. Latest I heard was that the owner at Scone was cranking up hangar /landing charges with a view to getting rid of SAC in favour of a more commercial operation - although I can't think where they would go? I think they have a website too - check it out. At Scone I remember there was a bit of a cock up either last year or earlier this when the airfield licence expired or something like that but it all seems to be fixed now. Kingsfield operate a very good Heli school and there are lost of microlights.

Must fly!

[xrayalpha]

Munneyspinner wrote:

"and there are lost of microlights"

It is my understanding that there will be eight fewer after this weekend, since Marcus Dalgetty is moving his microlight school to Balado Bridge.

Seems strange since Marcus and at least two other microlighters are on the SAC committee.

Apparantly, as MS tells, there are financial pressures at Scone and the microlight school feels it is being asked to contribute too much, so I am told.

Presumably, everyone else will now have to pay more to make up for the lost revenue to Balado?

Very best,

XA

[Say again s l o w l y]

I didn't know Marcus had moved to Balado. That's a shame. I always liked having him about. He's got a good head on his shoulders about flying as well as being a thoroughly nice bloke.

LE have NEVER had a base in Aberdeen, you may be confusing them with a certain defunct operation who did nothing but drag the reputation of flying schools even further into the mud.

The "fun and games" at Perth a year ago was due to the licensee deciding that they didn't want to do it any longer and cutting back. It caused a few issues, but it was all sorted pretty quickly and everything is tickety-boo now.

LE do have a base at each Perth and Cbn. Lots of aircraft, some news ones on stream, others coming on line soon etc. So it's doing well.

Allan who owns LE often posts here, and I can assure you he is an aviation enthusiast. He's passionate about "doing the right thing" and in all my dealings with him, he's about the only genuinely honest flying school owner I've worked with. He's usually trying to do 600 things at once, but amazingly succeeds most of the time. How he keeps up his work rate I have absolutely no idea!

[NorthSouth]

17thhour:I believe runway 27/09 is out of use now, so your stuck on the same runway as the big boysStill in the Glasgow AIP entry as of today and in the next AIRAC cycle (valid from 28 Sept) so no sign of 09/27 being closed just yet.
NS

[17thhour]

Quote:
I believe runway 27/09 is out of use now, so your stuck on the same runway as the big boys
Still in the Glasgow AIP entry as of today and in the next AIRAC cycle (valid from 28 Sept) so no sign of 09/27 being closed just yet.
NS

Oh right, im pretty sure its on its way out due to degrading of the runways and BAA do not want to resurface it. This is from the mouth of a NATS official in Glasgow.

It may not be closed yet then but they certainly don't allow its use for takeoff/landing right now unless I heard incorrectly.

I'm sure others from glasgow will be able confirm this but im pretty sure its going out of use in the very near future and they are already denying its use.

:)

['India-Mike]

Keeping runways is incompatible with their core business activity which is to sell over-expensive tat in their shopping malls. They'd get rid of 05/23 as well if they could continue to sell said tat.

I always used to enjoy seeing ATP's, SAAB's, even the odd Q400 and UGSAS making a 27 approach over the city. Liked to think they were making a point to BAA rather than really having to due to the wind:E

[Charlie Zulu]

I too have just moved to Scotland, having been living in Stirling for two months now. As such Cumbernauld has become my local airfield and after two years of no flying activity, today I was checked out in Leading Edge's new Acher III at Cumbernauld and have also been cleaed to fly their Tomahawk / Cessna 152 fleet.

I personally chose LE as I had met one of their instructors through a friend who used to fly with them. He's also (one of) their examiners and is a thoroughly nice guy and a pleasure to fly with.

The school seems to be well run and very frienly (the club reminds me of the school I originally learnt to fly at in Cardiff). They don't try to extract more cash than necessary from ones wallet, in fact quite the opposite although it ain't like the old days when AVGAS cost .75p per litre as well as NVQ's being available for budding career pilots... ah they were the days.

However I have no knowledge of any other clubs in Scotland and am sure they are all prett good around these parts of the country.

I learnt to fly at Cardiff where we enjoy full ATC 24 hours a day with Class D airspace etc. This does help when it comes to communicating with ATC but I don't think you'd go too wrong with flying from Cumbernauld as the airfield is sandwiched between the two big airports with ATC being very accommodating and friendly on both sides.