FTO recommendations required

[RedKnight]

I am currently a JAA PPL holder (UK-issued JAR FCL) based outside the UK. My license is entirely vanilla at this stage - just a SEP (land) rating that expires later this month. I have been following recent developments relating to the looming EASA regulations and based on the latest available information, it seems like I have until 30th June 2012 to obtain the IMCR before the CAA ceases to issue them. Therefore I have decided to return to the UK within the near future to obtain the rating, and I am seeking recommendations on which FTO I should register my interest with.

The FTO should be based within ~2hrs of London and at an airport that is sufficiently equipped to deal with adverse weather conditions throughout the day (read: ice), as well as an ILS and other relevant approach aids to facilitate the IMCR training. It should ideally also have simulator facilities that I may be able to utilise as part of the training programme, especially when flying conditions are not appropriate/conducive.

Here's the crunch: I will only be able to spend about a week in the UK to complete the necessary training (full-time), probably in mid-April. Within this period, I will first need to complete a skills test with a JAA examiner to renew my SEP rating, before then commencing the IMCR training. I intend to simultaneously obtain the night qualification during this period.

I fully understand that this is an ambitious objective, but I am hoping to find a FTO that may be able to accommodate my needs. Spending more time in the UK is regrettably not a feasible option.

If anyone is able to point me in the right direction, I will be most grateful.

Thank you in advance.

[peterh337]

You don't need an FTO to do the IMCR.

Any RF (any flying school) can do it.

An FTO is mandatory for the JAA CPL or for the JAA IR.

[RedKnight]

Thanks for the note Peter, and please pardon my careless usage of the 'FTO' term. I was basically referring to any (registered) training organisation capable of assisting in fulfilling my objectives detailed above - renewal of the SEP rating as well as the acquisition of the IMCR and night qualification.

[peterh337]

OK... how much time do you want to sink into it?

If you want to do it "properly" ;) then there is only one way which is to pitch up a tent next to the school and fly 2x a day :)

If you want to do that, you ought to consider an airport with an ILS. The options within 2hrs of London are considerable, but I would suggest a 2hr drive is a very long way and you won't be much good for flying afterwards, never mind instrument flying for which you need to be as fresh as a cucumber to get any benefit from it.

Within a 1hr driving radius (and it hugely depends on where in London you live, because it can take 1hr just to get out of the damned place) you have Southend, Manston, Bournemouth. I know there are some well organised (if not cheap) schools at Bournemouth, but can't speak for the others.

That should give you a 90%+ despatch rate for instrument lessons. All have NDB approaches also. You can fly fake VOR approaches at various VORs, or a real one at Southampton (SAM) without landing there.

The IMCR is done wholly at very low altitudes (say 3000ft or lower, all OCAS) and in spring/summer icing won't be an issue at those, so no need for a de-iced plane. Anyway, if you are flying a de-iced plane and you start collecting serious ice, that would be the lesson over anyway.

You could also do it out of Shoreham, which is perhaps the next best thing. No ILS but 2 trains out of London will do it (I don't think there is a direct one anymore but there might be) and it has the NDB and GPS approaches and you can do fake VOR ones around SFD. Being coastal, it is fairly easy to get back in bad weather.

You can do the IMCR at a proper FTO too but frankly I think that is just a waste of money.

If you have no instrument skills at all then I suggest buying FSX and a cheap joystick, because you should never try to fly any procedure unless (a) you can fully understand the plate and (b) fly it on a sim. A sim saved me £thousands back in 2002 on the IMCR, but I never used one since.

[RedKnight]

Thank you Peter.

I'm wholly prepared to live right by the flying school if there are accommodation facilities. The only reason I specified that location restriction (~2hrs from London) is to enable me to commute to meet a couple of friends there during any available spare time. I suspect that my objective(s) still fall within the boundaries of reality and I am resolutely determined to achieve them, insofar as an organisation/school is able to support me in this process.

Unfortunately I have no instrument experience, so I will certainly take you up on your recommendation. On that note:

(i) Given that I use a Macbook, would you be able to recommend any native simulator applications?

(ii) I have been searching extensively for guides on interpreting approach plates but have yet to identify a sufficiently thorough and credible resource. Are there any that you would recommend?

Any further guidance is most appreciated.

[RedKnight]

Apologies for bumping this thread from a while ago, but I'm now on the hunt again for a flight school that can meet my training needs. Specifically, I intend to train towards the EASA IR(R) (i.e. IMCR) and night ratings over the span of a week anywhere in the UK, at some point over the next quarter. I will be flying full-time and will base myself as close as feasible to the airfield to facilitate the training schedule (so there should be basic accommodation facilities in the vicinity). BFC was able to accommodate me last year, but unfortunately unforeseen personal circumstances left me with only enough time to renew my SEP(L) rating, which now expires in the second quarter of 2014. To recap, I have very limited instrument experience at the moment (nothing beyond the mandatory training that is part of the PPL programme). I appreciate that this is a long shot, but any guidance would be much appreciated.

[Level Attitude]

RK
Doing the IMC course in one week would be demanding, doing the Night Rating
as well.............and you would need to be lucky with the weather.

If this is your chosen course your options become limited to those
airfields which will be open at night (remember British Summer Time comes
in to effect at the end of March)

For the IMC, make sure you have studied for the written exam before you
start flying. However I would suggest you don't actually sit the exam until
you have started flying approaches. Just my opinion but, like the PPL exams,
you would find it easier once you have some practical experience
to help with Nav, decoding plates, etc

[RedKnight]

I appreciate the advice mate. Unfortunately that is all the time I'm able to spend in the UK.

Please keep the suggestions, if any, rolling in. I am happy to consider locations outside the UK as well (essentially anywhere in continental Europe) but am determined to work towards the IMCR which is specific to the UK CAA's licensing regime, so I suspect that's going to be the impeding factor in preventing me from training abroad.

[Cows getting bigger]

In no particular order:

TPC Denham
Booker Aviation
Stapleford Flight Centre

There are many others but the ones above all have a good name.

[Level Attitude]

TPC Denham
Booker Aviation
Stapleford Flight Centre

Agree all good schools, but won't be possible to do Night Rating
with them until clocks change again next autumn.

Even Cambridge usually shuts at 21:00 Local but Southend is H24.

RK
Understand you will need to return to UK to do IMC course, but can
you not do your Night "Qualification" beforehand where you are now.

Although not 100% certain, I am fairly sure you can complete the
Night "Qualification" in any JAA member state. Can even Print Off and
get them to complete the UK CAA application form.

As any new application to UK CAA will trigger the requirement to apply
for an EASA Part-FCL Licence I would suggest you wait until you have
completed both, and then apply at same time.
NB: The JAA Night "Qualification" will be issued as a Part-FCL Night "Rating"; and the IMC as an IR(R)>