Completion of (N)PPL - Based in SW London

[Big Cheese1]

Hi all,

I'm trying to find out as much useful gen regarding decent flying clubs for the completion of my NPPL (to start with) and then at some stage following on to the full PPL.

I currently have 20 hours (including 4 hours solo) from an RAF flying scholarship - albeit this was 10 years ago so I don't know how much I can still use towards the 32 for the NPPL or 45 for the PPL...? (It's been a while but am now keen to get flying again!)

Based in SW London so looking for a half decent commute, and quite keen to get as much value for money as poss (aren't we all...!)

Not sure if certain a/c types will be cheaper but equally good for learning, or whether grass strips (Redhill perhaps?) etc may also help reduce costs...?

Anyway, keen for all suggestions so please fire away!

[letpmar]

There is lots going on at White Waltham though I have no idea how good any of the instruction is. it always seems like a busy club with a good clubhouse. If you are doing NPPL perhaps something Microlight might be cheaper. Popham (not to far) Old Sarum and Sywell have non GA types. Im sure there are others, I think finding somwhere you like and a good club atmosphere is half the battle. I fly a Sportcruiser and live SW side of London if you fancy a flight just PM me

Pete

[mrmum]

BC1

Can't really help with choosing where to go near London, just go and have a good look round a few and talk to their current customers.

Are you sure you want to go for a NPPL with SSEA rating? It will usually work out a bit cheaper than a JAA-PPL with SEP(L) rating, but not as much as you might think by just looking at the minimum requirements. However, if you then subsequently want to upgrade to JAA-PPL, that will probably end up being more expensive than just doing a JAA-PPL from the start.

Where did you do your flying scholarship and on what type of aircraft? Even after a 10 year break, you will find that once you put yourself back into that environment, stuff you thought you'd forgotten will start coming back to you. So it may be worthwhile, but by no means essential, to try and find a RF/FTO that operates the type that you previously flew.

If you have logbook evidence from your scholarship of the flying you did then you will be able to count it towards the requirements for either licence, however, realistically you are going to have to spend time doing those exercises again to some degree. Although if you were awarded a flying scholarship you probably had a decent amount of aptitude for flying! If you don't have a record of your twenty hours, all is not lost as if you can remember where and roughly when, you may be able to get Tayside or whoever it was to track them down for you.

[bern444]

Learning (http://www.ltfc.org.uk/learning.html)