Any School recommendations in West Midlands?

[supersammy]

I have this crazy idea in my head. Of becoming a pilot. So I've spent the last 2 days dreaming and watching youtube videos. I've always been interested - but until now didn't think it was possible for a 'normal' person. I am currently a PhD student - but drive HGV's part time. I can earn/save £3k/month and live very frugally to make it happen. So financially I should be able to do it if I save.

Now I realise that I shouldn't get ahead of myself until I've done a test flight. Or doing a medical - no point investing a small fortune and then not passing that. One question - I was reading online you should log any test flights as you can use them for the 45 hours (I expect to take a fair amount more than this) - so should I buy a log book before doing the test flight?

So I wondered if anyone had any advice on a good school in that area? Or if you know of a great one further afield would be okay. I'd rather have a good tester flight so I have some idea if it's for me or not.

Also if anyone in this sort of area is willing to let me come up for a ride I'd really appreciate that. I'd obviously pay whatever is allowed and buy the coffee. I just want to see if it's for me or not.

[Glider Steve]

Hi Supersammy. Well, I'm not really much help but I can tell you that I have started my training at the tender age of 52. I have joined my local glider club which is an awesome way to start. You will have a few clubs close to you. the beauty of glider flying is that it is a very pure way to learn how to control stick/rudder and get some good skills for not much money. My club costs about £400 per year to join and then instruction is free. You pay around a tenner for a winch launch and then about 40-50p per minute you are in the air. Most of the time that's around 15 minutes per launch, but gliders can travel 1000km or more when you know what you're doing ;-)

So a good day at the gliding club could see you having 3 winch launches and about 45 minutes of instruction.....not bad value! If you get to a certain standard in gliding (Bronze plus Cross Country I think) you can count a lot of your time towards a PPL so many people say it's a good method.

However, I have fallen in love with flying and I just cannot wait that long, so in parallel I am learning to fly microlights.....and I am not talking here about a kite with a fan on it, but a proper fixed wing aircraft that looks every bit the part (check out the Eurostar microlight!) and can cruise at 100mph.

If you go for your microlight PPL first, it takes a minimum of 25 hours rather than 45 for a standard PPL. you can then take steps from there towards PPL if you so desire, but a few people I have spoken to say flying a cessna after a microlight is like driving a family hatchback after a sports car.

Also, flying lessons are extremely expensive, whereas microlight lessons are much cheaper, and once qualified you can join a syndicate or lease share for around £1000 and hire the plane for about £70 per flying hour WITH fuel (which incidentally is unleaded rather than Avgas).

Ive started at KEBLE Flying Club near Tetbury. Not huge distance from where you are, and they seem excellent.

Others will be more knowledgeable than me, but I just wanted to share my enthusiasm and my early experiences with you.....

Cheers
Steve

[supersammy]

Cheers for that Steve.

I'm not one to really hang about - so I've booked a trial flight for this weekend. They had options ranging from a circuit to 30 to 45 to an hour. I decided I wanted to actually know what it's all about so I've gone from an hour. Even if I don't like it I'm sure it will be a great experience and something I can say I've done.

After that I have some thinking to do.

From January 1st to the 1st May I'm going to be abroad so can't learn there. So I'm not really sure if it's worth me having a chunk of lessons before I go and then taking 4 months off. One plan is to to have a few lessons - then knock out the exams if I enjoy it. Then come back and do it semi intensively over the summer.

[BigEndBob]

Around Brum you have three or four airfields, Coventry, Wellesbourne and Wolverhampton or Tatenhill.
I would visit all of them, depends were in Brum you are.
I always advise students to get the first 15 hours lessons in close together, about average hours for first solo.
So you could reach that stage then have your break.
Need to do medical so would do that after a few hours training.
Also most schools like you to have done the air law exam before 1st solo, so do this just before solo as that starts the clock ticking to get the other 8 exams done over 18 months.
Good luck wherever you go, the sky awaits.