Wycombe for CPL/IR

[felixflyer]

I am starting my IR soon and have been looking at PAT or Bonus.

I live roughly between the two and Wycombe would be the nearest but I am put off by the fact that you need to do the test at Cranfield. Its not so much the cost invloved in flying there but it just seems that schools based on airfields where the tests are carried out seem to have a benefit over schools that dont. It would seem to me that you would be more familiar with the area and there is less chance of making any silly mistakes in the test due to being unfamiliar with the field. Is this true or am I just being stupid.

I would be interested to here from anyone that has done the IR at Wycombe and whether this caused any problems. I will be doing the IR part time so being able to use the sim on weekday evenings would be a plus.

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Hello mate,

I dont have any experience of Wycombe, however I did do my IR from Blackbushe, which has no test centre and no instrument approaches.

To be honest it didnt cause any real problems. One thing you have to realise, it the IR is a numbers game. Once you have got the hang of flying on instruments and learnt how to cope and manage the high workload of SPA operations, flying one approach is much like flying another, its a numbers game. If you chose Wycombe and your test was going to be at Cranfield, you would have flown all their routes and approaches in the sim many times, so you will be familiar. The only thing it having to deal with the 'real' aeroplane and 'real' ATC.

I suppose the only disadvantage would be having to 'position' the aircraft to the airfield while on your practical training, and you wouldnt get as much time actually flying approaches. However, on saying that, when I did it, it wasnt a problem.

All the best with it.

[felixflyer]

Thanks for the reply.

I think I'll go and have a look at their sim etc.

[Finals19]

Flexiflyer - you have a PM re: Wycombe and other choices...