Bi-plane pleasure flight?

[Flock1]

Hi,

I'm in the process of organising a pleasure flight for my father-in-law for his 70th birthday. He has never been up in a light aircraft but really fancies a flight in a bi-plane,

His location is near Settle, Lancashire, so an airfield around there would be good, I've done a quick search on the net and have been quoted a price of £380 for a 60 min flight. Is this the best deal I can get?

Any help will be welcome.

Regards

Flock1

[Whopity]

Have a look here it should give you a look at prices at the other end of the country:

Tiger Airways - Tiger Moth Flights and Vintage Biplane Flights (http://www.tigerairways.co.uk/index.php?/Tiger-Moth-Flights-Vintage-Biplane-Flights.html)

[Lister Noble]

One hour in a Stearman is £450 in Norfolk

[Pace]

Whopity

Well at least you get 1 Hour for £295 compared to £420. Maybe I am out of touch with renting light aircraft and especially classics.

I know there is an outfit at Gloucester with a couple of Biplanes (Tiger Moth and Stampe) but no idea what they charge?

Maybe the charges are high because they target the public more than pilots with packages sold in the high street stores and can get away with £140 per 20 mins experience?

Are the running costs of a classic/vinatge really that more expensive?

Pace

[Chris Rollings]

Actually, as one of the owners of the Staverton, Gloucestershire, Tiger Airways Biplane outfit; yes it is that expensive to maintain old biplanes. Engine TBO 850 hours (they usually don't make it), overhaul cost around £30,000. Generally about five hours of engineers time for each hour the aircraft flies. But they are fun to fly. Gift Experience companies generally operate on mark-ups of around 20 - 60% on the slightly discounted prices we give them, buying direct from the operator is almost always better value.

[effortless]

Not sure if they are still amenable but Cambridge Flying Group (http://www.cambridgeflyinggroup.co.uk/) used to give flips at a very reasonable fee. Bit of a trek but lively lot of blokes and blokesses.

[possel]

Even further south, the Tiger Club at Headcorn, Kent do Trial Flights in Tiger Moths - prices depend on duration and nothing is cheap!

[Whopity]

Pace,

They are the people in the link. Last time I flew a Tiger Moth it was £4 for the hour!

[Flock1]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated. Will try to look for somewhere up north (Barton? Liverpool? Newcastle?) or else will try Cambridge. Bit of a trek there though from Settle.

Flock1

[Retired Redcap]

Throughout the summer Delta Aviation ran weekend Tiger Moth flights at Barton. Might be an idea to look at their website.

[Christopher_Hunt]

Hi Flock1

If its any help, i've flown with Tiger Airways out of Gloucester a couple of times and must say they are a well run professional organisation.

[JOE-FBS]

Is the timing critical? I guess it is for a birthday present! The Moth Club has one or more rallies per year when they offer trips. They came to Halton in spring this year and seemed to do loads. They also do stuff like balloon bursting and flour bag bombing to add to the amusement.

Calendar of Events of the de Havilland Moth Club (http://www.dhmothclub.co.uk/calendar.htm)