GA Help for a Wannabe Pilot UK/CAA
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GA Help for a Wannabe Pilot UK/CAA
Hi, Guys and thanks for letting me into this great group. I have sat on the other side of the fence for many years as an aircraft maintenance technician and have read many posts from this forum that have popped up during my years of completing Google searches.
I have decided that after fixing aircraft for over 30 years and flying gliders during my early years in the RAF, Flying TriStar and VC10 simulators during quiet nightshifts for many years when I was based at RAF Brize Norton, many years flying virtually on the PC and the odd introduction lesson that I have been gifted on birthdays by family members, I am going to cross the fence to try and become a pilot.
I am now in a position that I am considering buying an aircraft, so myself, the wife and kids can travel around at our leisure. The wife also intends on buying another property in France or Spain and having our own source of transport would ensure travel to and from would be a lot easier and finally convince the wife that me obtaining a PPL and purchasing an aircraft is actually in her interest.
So.... I have a few questions. I understand that it is now possible to complete lessons in your own aircraft, rather than one owned by a flying school. I have been looking at available aircraft and more specifically at either a Cessna 170 or a Piper PA-28.
Should I be looking at more options than these two airframes?
How would I go about looking for an instructor?
Are there any specifics I should be looking at when choosing an instructor.
What recommendations do you have for completing the ground school exams? I have seen a few online courses and as I am not new to this industry, there are a few modules that I could pass quite easily.
I have an FAA A&P licence and have heard that it is possible to keep an N registered aircraft in the UK if I lease it to a US leasing company and then lease it back to myself, but I have also heard that this may be coming to an end? Does anyone have any further details on this?
Any other comments or suggestions that you think are important for me to consider?
Thank you for taking the time to read through and I look forward to all the comments, both serious and otherwise that will no doubt come my way.
Jon
I have decided that after fixing aircraft for over 30 years and flying gliders during my early years in the RAF, Flying TriStar and VC10 simulators during quiet nightshifts for many years when I was based at RAF Brize Norton, many years flying virtually on the PC and the odd introduction lesson that I have been gifted on birthdays by family members, I am going to cross the fence to try and become a pilot.
I am now in a position that I am considering buying an aircraft, so myself, the wife and kids can travel around at our leisure. The wife also intends on buying another property in France or Spain and having our own source of transport would ensure travel to and from would be a lot easier and finally convince the wife that me obtaining a PPL and purchasing an aircraft is actually in her interest.
So.... I have a few questions. I understand that it is now possible to complete lessons in your own aircraft, rather than one owned by a flying school. I have been looking at available aircraft and more specifically at either a Cessna 170 or a Piper PA-28.
Should I be looking at more options than these two airframes?
How would I go about looking for an instructor?
Are there any specifics I should be looking at when choosing an instructor.
What recommendations do you have for completing the ground school exams? I have seen a few online courses and as I am not new to this industry, there are a few modules that I could pass quite easily.
I have an FAA A&P licence and have heard that it is possible to keep an N registered aircraft in the UK if I lease it to a US leasing company and then lease it back to myself, but I have also heard that this may be coming to an end? Does anyone have any further details on this?
Any other comments or suggestions that you think are important for me to consider?
Thank you for taking the time to read through and I look forward to all the comments, both serious and otherwise that will no doubt come my way.
Jon
PPRuNe Handmaiden
G'day ScouseJon,
Great questions. You might get better answers in the private pilots section on this site. Good luck there.
Personally, my darling husband wants to buy some silly knackered clapped out pile of rubbish with propellers meanwhile I want the inground pool to beat all inground pools. The discussion continues. I will win.
Great questions. You might get better answers in the private pilots section on this site. Good luck there.
Personally, my darling husband wants to buy some silly knackered clapped out pile of rubbish with propellers meanwhile I want the inground pool to beat all inground pools. The discussion continues. I will win.
Either will end up costing you much more money than you bargained for .....
PPRuNe Handmaiden
Absolutely But at least CASA will have nothing to do with the pool.
But at least CASA will have nothing to do with the pool.
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G'day ScouseJon,
Great questions. You might get better answers in the private pilots section on this site. Good luck there.
Personally, my darling husband wants to buy some silly knackered clapped out pile of rubbish with propellers meanwhile I want the inground pool to beat all inground pools. The discussion continues. I will win.
Great questions. You might get better answers in the private pilots section on this site. Good luck there.
Personally, my darling husband wants to buy some silly knackered clapped out pile of rubbish with propellers meanwhile I want the inground pool to beat all inground pools. The discussion continues. I will win.
Luckily, my wife can afford her own pool, she is the major breadwinner in our house, I only work for my pocket money. But when she buys her villa with pool, I have a great excuse to buy my pile of rubbish with propellers.
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I don't know where you are based, but. Look at the map, From Biggin Hill to Barcelona is about 700 miles, from Biggin to Alicante is about 900 miles and from Biggin to Malaga is about 1000 miles. Cessna 170 cruise speed is around 110 kts, PA28 is around 140kts. Not exact math, but flying to your summer house 5+ hours renders it useless pretty quickly. To have reasonable costs you need at least Citation Mustang/CJ1 or similar.. but. although it can be done as a fresh PPL , I cant reccomend to do it. If I would be in your shoes, I would go for a PPL course in US doing FAA licence. Then hour-building to at least 500 hours in single engines and then most reasonable choice would be doing a ME and IFR rating and only then buying a KingAir 90/100 or entry-level single pilot jet and keeping it in N registry with your FAA licence.
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I don't know where you are based, but. Look at the map, From Biggin Hill to Barcelona is about 700 miles, from Biggin to Alicante is about 900 miles and from Biggin to Malaga is about 1000 miles. Cessna 170 cruise speed is around 110 kts, PA28 is around 140kts. Not exact math, but flying to your summer house 5+ hours renders it useless pretty quickly. To have reasonable costs you need at least Citation Mustang/CJ1 or similar.. but. although it can be done as a fresh PPL , I cant reccomend to do it. If I would be in your shoes, I would go for a PPL course in US doing FAA licence. Then hour-building to at least 500 hours in single engines and then most reasonable choice would be doing a ME and IFR rating and only then buying a KingAir 90/100 or entry-level single pilot jet and keeping it in N registry with your FAA licence.
