Training with Skyline @ Little Gransden
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Join Date: Jun 2001
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Training with Skyline @ Little Gransden
Anybody done their PPL there who would care to share what they thought of the school/instructors/aircraft etc.? I had intended on going to the US to train but on balance it'll cost me more to do so with lost work than just training in the UK, despite the weather, and Little Gransden seems a sensible choice on price grounds...
Are circuits still flown at Bourn?
Are circuits still flown at Bourn?
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Hi, Damien,
I believe Ian Austin is still instructing there - he is a first rate guy, and teaches to a very high standard. I didn't do my PPL with him but he did a *very* thorough 10 hours of Yak-52 conversion and aerobatics coaching with me and I also did my revalidation with him. He also instructs IMC, and you might also have seen him at Duxford flying the Classic Wings Tiger Moths.
I believe Ian Austin is still instructing there - he is a first rate guy, and teaches to a very high standard. I didn't do my PPL with him but he did a *very* thorough 10 hours of Yak-52 conversion and aerobatics coaching with me and I also did my revalidation with him. He also instructs IMC, and you might also have seen him at Duxford flying the Classic Wings Tiger Moths.
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Damien,
I flew a few hours from Gransden two years ago when I first decided to get my expired FAA PPL re-qualified. Circuits were flown at Bourn then, and presumably still are today, as the local residents (particularly in Gamlingay) have had a bee in their bonnet regarding the number of movements for some years. You'll find there are very strict noise abatement procedures in force at Gransden, and rightly so as it's a delightful little field and they do try their utmost to show consideration for the locals.
That's Gransden. Regarding Skyline, I'm not quite as complimentary. I'd echo Lowtimer's comments about Ian being a cracking lad and a very good instructor, but other than that I didn't really feel that Skyline had much of an idea about what to do with me, possibly because mine was an unusual case.
Much as I loved flying from Gransden (I hired C150's out of there with Fordaire back in 94), I came away from Skyline after a few hours feeling a bit disillusioned, but maybe that's just me. Having also joined the Cherokee club there, I continued to pay my monthly standing order for membership up until this month (yes, I know, my own fault for not cancelling it), but I've had absolutely no communications from them (club newsletters, simple note to ask whether I still wanted to remain as a member) over the last two years. Almost smacked of a "we'll just take the money until he notices" attitude.
I'm now just a couple of hours away from completing my PPL at Mid Anglia School of Flying over at Cambridge - yes it's more expensive than at Gransden, but the benefits are a more organised and attentive flying school, hard runway, professional ATSU, and the experience of training at a busier regional airport.
Skyline may be very good at taking somebody through a whole PPL course ab initio, and if you can handle the intricacies and frustrations that go with learning off a grass runway, it will probably work out to be a good 20% less expensive than if you were to go to MASF (for example), but I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for, and in my experience, Skyline just didn't really do it for me. Your experience with them may well turn out to be completely different. I do hope so.
Either way, good luck with it. Drop me a pm if you want to know any more, either on here or over at FlyPast.
Regards,
Steve
I flew a few hours from Gransden two years ago when I first decided to get my expired FAA PPL re-qualified. Circuits were flown at Bourn then, and presumably still are today, as the local residents (particularly in Gamlingay) have had a bee in their bonnet regarding the number of movements for some years. You'll find there are very strict noise abatement procedures in force at Gransden, and rightly so as it's a delightful little field and they do try their utmost to show consideration for the locals.
That's Gransden. Regarding Skyline, I'm not quite as complimentary. I'd echo Lowtimer's comments about Ian being a cracking lad and a very good instructor, but other than that I didn't really feel that Skyline had much of an idea about what to do with me, possibly because mine was an unusual case.
Much as I loved flying from Gransden (I hired C150's out of there with Fordaire back in 94), I came away from Skyline after a few hours feeling a bit disillusioned, but maybe that's just me. Having also joined the Cherokee club there, I continued to pay my monthly standing order for membership up until this month (yes, I know, my own fault for not cancelling it), but I've had absolutely no communications from them (club newsletters, simple note to ask whether I still wanted to remain as a member) over the last two years. Almost smacked of a "we'll just take the money until he notices" attitude.
I'm now just a couple of hours away from completing my PPL at Mid Anglia School of Flying over at Cambridge - yes it's more expensive than at Gransden, but the benefits are a more organised and attentive flying school, hard runway, professional ATSU, and the experience of training at a busier regional airport.
Skyline may be very good at taking somebody through a whole PPL course ab initio, and if you can handle the intricacies and frustrations that go with learning off a grass runway, it will probably work out to be a good 20% less expensive than if you were to go to MASF (for example), but I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for, and in my experience, Skyline just didn't really do it for me. Your experience with them may well turn out to be completely different. I do hope so.
Either way, good luck with it. Drop me a pm if you want to know any more, either on here or over at FlyPast.
Regards,
Steve
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I did my PPL there, things (instructors) have changed a bit since then, but it's worth going there just for Ian Austin. Ian did my taildragger check out. There are some other Instructors who are part time and have retired from the airlines so will be there for the long term and are excellent. Skyline is a small outfit and as such the more you put into it the more you get out of it. Very interesting airfield as you know with MJ doing his thing overhead etc. Possibly one of the cheapest places to hire aircraft in the UK. The biggest 'BUT' is you get clobbered for circuit charges at Bourne or Duxford as you can't do circuits at Little Gransden. Graham does his best at making sure there is aircraft available when you book them and he is a reasonable bloke. He can sometimes show the strain when someone parks an aircraft in the trees or runs off the end of the runway. I wouldn't do his job for anything. They have been around for a while now and I think they are good people.
Feel free to PM me if you want.
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Feel free to PM me if you want.
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