do I really want to be a pilot? (trial flights)

[jonnycrimper]

Hello all. Just found this forum and thought it would be the perfect place to ask some of my questions.

I have thought about being a pilot for a while and have just about finished my PhD so I guess its decision time! I realise that I need to be 100% sure this is what I want to do before even trying to learn so I thought, and it has been suggested by my parents pilot friend, that I should do a trial flight to find out if I really did love flying. I'm sure I found an air experience day at Cranfield on a web site that offered a trial flight in a fixed and rotary wing and also some time in a simulator for both over a whole day. Now that my studies have finished and I have time to go and do it I can't find it any more! Does anyone know anything about it or of anything similar? The idea of flying both types of machine in one day really appeals to me as I'm still not sure what I would most like to do: every rotary pilot says it is far better and every fixed wing pilot the same!

Any help would be much appreciated.

[Whirlygig]

If I were you, I'd forget about these organised "Experience Days"; they are usually more expensive than the sum of the parts.

If Cranfield is your nearest airfield, then try some of the schools that are based there directly; Cabair, Bonus, Patriot. Bear in mind that not all schools will offer both fixed-wing and rotary together although I believe Cabair does.

Also bear in mind that rotary wing flying is at least twice as expensive as fixed wing, there is no work in either at the moment and don't be swayed by marketing hype.

Cheers

Whirls