Cranfield - Night Rating

[Airbusboy]

Hello, I am hoping to start a NR. I was looking into OAA as Im doing my ATPLs there, but instructor/aircraft availability is an issue.

I have decided Cranfield, as I have friends on campus, so I could complete the 5 hours within 1-2weeks.

My options are Cranfield Flying School, Bonus Aviation & Billins Air Services.(Any others?)

I've done a few searches, and Bonus seem to have alot of positive comments.

I fly PA28s, and would prefer to keep flying Pipers. Any one done their Night rating at Cranfield? Any advice on which school?

[A and C]

Billins Air Services would get my vote, honest realistic prices and no attitude.

Treat the change to a Cessna as a chance to widen your experience.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I've flown with all three for one reason or another, and would also recommend Billins FOR WHAT YOU WANT. On the other hand, if you are planning a CPL, go with Bonus as they are a well regarded CPL school and it gives you a chance to decide if you like them or not.

Billins has a C150 and a couple of Grumman AA5s, so either way, you'll get a change from the PA28. I'm biased and prefer the AA5 (having about 140 hours in PA28s, it took me about 2 hour to become a thorough Grumman convert), but they are more expensive than the Cessna.

Bonus is likely to use a PA38, which I confess I do have a soft spot for as an aeroplane, particularly for training - although many people don't like them much. But make your own mind up.

I agree, Billins will be cheaper, and is a lot less formal. On the other hand Bonus will get you closer to the CPL training environment if you're heading in that direction anyway.

You may detect that I'm avoiding mentioning CFT. That is correct, I am.

G

[Teddy Robinson]

Bonus would get my vote .. and business .. then I have to admit bias .. I loved flying the PA38 :-)

[italianjon]

I'd vote Billins and have just gone through and done IMC and Night there; I liked it as it was very much "what you see is what", so you get and none of the crap and politics that I have seen elsewhere.

Also felt I was taught to fly with the IMC and Night, not just pass an exam and tick boxes and that for me was the BIG positive!!!

[Airbusboy]

Thanks for the input guys. Now its between Bonus and Billins. Genghis appreciate the hint about CFT :)

italianjon, did you fly in the Grumman for the NR?

I have approx 150 TT. Between the AA5 and the Tomahawk, without going into tonnes of detail, which aircraft do you feel transition is better from a Cherokee/Archer. I've heard about the aggressive stall characteristics of the Tomahawk, but that doesn't scare me and would not affect my choice.

[Genghis the Engineer]

You are not going to have trouble converting to any of the C150, AA5 or the Tomahawk from the PA28, although the AA5 is probably the closest to the PA28 in terms of ergonomics and handling, and the C150 and PA38 pretty similar in terms of magnitude of differences.

The Tomahawk doesn't have "aggressive" stall characteristics - it has plenty of warning, a good solid back stick force to stall it - it just tends to drop a wing and make you do the recovery right. More that the PA28 has incredibly benign stalling characteristics.

With 150 hours, presumably over less than 4 years, and hopefully a willingness to spend an evening with the manual before you fly any new aeroplane, you'll not have a problem.

G

[italianjon]

I did it in the 150, but really only because that is what I was using for the IMC so it was nice to have the same plane.

A word of advice though, that someone offered me and it turned out to be so true... Never, Never, Never go flying at night unless you have at least a torch in EVERY single pocket you own...

I learnt a comical lesson when the Dome Light Bulb went at 2000 feet over Milton Keynes... luckily the person who gave me that advice did have that many torches and offered some help (after he stopped laughing when my one torch had a flat battery - I bet he's reading this in which case thanks mate, I'll drop you a line after I've looked at the flying clubs this weekend and let you know what I think of our German Cousins and Aviation!)...

Oh and also some other stuff I learned, is if you are fond of red filters, make sure you can easily remove it, or carry a white torch... because the CAA maps are crap under red light.

And make sure you have a camera.... quite simple stunning views of North London and things!!!!!!

After I finished the IMC And Night, my only regret is not doing it sooner!!!! Was really enjoyable getting those!!!

[thing]

I'll second the torch in every pocket. I use a head torch, one of the ones that you can flick between red and white LED's, I carry spare batteries for it and the small mag light I keep in my pocket (not in your flight bag, you don't want to be fiddling about in the dark looking for something by touch). I did mine in a PA28 for the simple reason that it has the best instrument lighting of any of our club a/c.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Nowadays, I also keep half a dozen cylumes (yellow works best) in my flight bag. They are brilliant whilst night flying - and bought on eBay in a pack, about a quid each.

G

[italianjon]

a quid of ebay???? I hope they are Certified and Approved Yellow things :D haha!

[Airbusboy]

lol..Thanks for the torch/lighting advice. Will let you know how everything goes.