Single engine a/c hire in the north west

[ElCapitano8]

Hi,

I've got a fresh SEP Rating and I want to hire an aircraft for leisure purposes. Can anyone recommend a decent place near liverpool, manchester or chester?

Also I'll need to do a dual check as I haven't flown a single engine in approx 2 months. What will be involved in the dual check?

I'd appreciate some info on the associated cost too..

Cheers for any help :)

[skerry]

There are a number of schools at Liverpool, which is a great location despite the controlled airspace and commercial traffic. Your choice really depends on whether you want to fly Cessnas ,Tomahawks, PA28s or something more exotic. My choice is Merseyflight, who as well as being a freindly bunch have a a couple of 152s and a nice diesel PA28.
There is a club at Hawarden (Chester), I believe called NWCAS, but the operating hours of the airfield are resricted by BAe, which is a bind.
Manchester International has a flying school still (I think), but the combination of the commercial traffic and the associated airspace restrictions defeat the object in my opinion.
Many people like Manchester Barton, but it is short, sometimes waterlogged, and surrounded by MAN controlled airspace.
The best "open FIR" GA airfield in an area which really lacks them is Sleap - great place to fly into, but a long drive from the cities you mention.
In truth, given the vagaries of the british weather, your best bet is probably to go to whichever is closest! Good luck and happy flying!

[AreWeNearlyThere]

Have you looked at Blackpool? No restricting airspace in the vicinity (A, B, C etc..) to worry about.

They have a variety of a/c there, usual 152's, PA28's, 172's etc but also have a 172 with G1000 glass cockpit and a PA28R Arrow that you can have a go in if you fancied doing some differences training and putting a "complex" tag in your logbook?

They also have a selection of twins if you wanted to look at that a little later on?

How much flying are you planning on doing per month/year? Might be worth looking at somewhere with a group/non-profit shares. That can bring your hourly rate down quite a lot as opposed to "standard" hire rates.

Sleap might be a bit far if your after somewhere in the North West. Lovelly little place but used to take me quite a while to drive there and I was classed as a 'local' !!!

[Andy_20]

Id vouch for Flight Academy Blackpool! im in the cessna 152 group at the moment there. The aircraft are in great shape and the prices are good too. £70 a month then £55 an hour wet!

If not there my mate flies out of ravenair at Liverpool, seems a good place to...

id visit the clubs and see which suits you most.

Take is easy :ok:

[GIZZAJOB]

yep you cant go wrong with aircraftgrouping.com been on here and said it a thousand times they are superb based at barton or blackpool

[ElCapitano8]

Thanks for all the help fellas, think i'll start with the nearest and go from there. My budget will only really allow me to fly once a month

:ok:

[DX Wombat]

There is a club at Hawarden (Chester),
Skerry, Hawarden is NOT Chester :mad: :mad: :mad: (although some anti-Welsh snobs may like to think it is). It isn't even in the same country let alone the same county. Hawarden is in Wales.Chester's airfield was RAF Sealand.

[Legal Beagle]

Not so in fact, RAF Sealand was also in Wales!

And let's put the record straight on EGNR.

Hawarden village is a mile or so from the airfield up the hill and 'Hawarden' was the name given to the airfield by the RAF.

The main factory entrance on the south side of the airfield is right next to Broughton village so 'Broughton' was the name given to the factory site by DH, HS and then BAe, although 'Chester' has also been used by the factory over the years.

In recent years the airfield has changed from being a purely factory based operation to one which also supports a growing GA and business aviation community. It is this which has increasingly led to the airfield being called 'Chester.'

This is not new, however. Starways, Eagle and Cambrian all called the irfield 'Chester' when they ran the LPL - CEG - LHR service in the 60's. Note the designator 'CEG' which relates of course to Chester not any other local town or village.

Yes, the airfield is in Wales, just, but the nearest town or city of any size is Chester, in England yes, but in fact only a few miles away. Few cities in the UK have an airfield so close. So don't be surprised if increasingly the airfield is referred to as 'Chester Airport' because this makes sense commercially and geographically - people know where it is for a start, and can pronounce it!

Time to get over the English/Welsh thing here I think and wake up and smell the coffee, as they say. Airfields are allowed to change their names, you know!

[jellycopter]

You could try Shropshire Aero Club at Sleap. Quiet airfield, freindly members, experienced instructors and decent SFH rates with good availability. Definitely worth the drive.

JJ