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Trial Lesson! Where?

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Old 3rd Apr 2005, 20:40
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Trial Lesson! Where?

Hi i have decided to have a trail lesson (1 hr) soon so that I can feel how great flying is. I have searched a few flying school on internet, and the best deal I have found so far is from Cabair, a 1 hr lesson with 2 landings and 2 takeoffs for 135 pounds.
I live in Nottingham, and EMA is the ideal location. Has anyone had a trial lesson in the flying school EMA? Any good?
Any advice, suggestion and story are welcome!
Thanks!
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Old 3rd Apr 2005, 21:21
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If you live in Nottingham then Nottingham (Tollerton) airport is closer than East Mids. Trumanair is the main flying school there - might be worth chatting to them.
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Old 3rd Apr 2005, 21:35
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Thanks for the info. It is abit less expensive than Cabair, 99 pounds for 40 mins...better deal? At Cabair, there are 2 takeoffs and landings though.
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Old 3rd Apr 2005, 21:50
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Bit farther North, is Netherthorpe, Notts. Excellent club, and great training for short field practice.
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Old 3rd Apr 2005, 21:50
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30 mins 'hands on', as defined by the Air Navigation Order.
What this mean?
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Old 3rd Apr 2005, 22:26
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Really the price of the trial lesson is not the issue. Unless you just want a trial lesson and don't want to fly again afterwards.

Neither is how easily you can afford the £6k or so to get a licence. Unless you just want to get a licence and don't want to fly again afterwards.

The issue, cash-wise, is whether you can afford to keep flying after you've got the licence.
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 12:17
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Not sure I'd agree with you completely Gertrude, most people can do a fair bit of flying for, say, £2k/pa, which is a lot easier than coming up with £6k to get your PPL in the first place.

One thing to realise Cabair is a high standard commercial school concentrating on airline pilot training. Unless that's your objective, the local school at Nottingham (which I don't know anything about, but may be good or bad - more than likely good) is likely to be nearer and cheaper, with training more suited to somebody purely aiming to be a recreational PPL.

G
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 12:31
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Cambridge isn't quite that close but you will get the best part of an hour in a Tiger Moth for a hundred quid from Cambridge Flying Group.
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 14:09
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Well, just booked a trial lesson for tomorrow at 3pm, East Midland Flying School.
99 pounds for 60 mins, C152, I think the price is quite ok!
I am looking to do a PPL very soon, and would like to log my first hour tomorrow. Which logbook is the best to use? Jeppesen JAR FCL or Pooleys JAR FCL?
Can both of them be used for flying in US (JAA PPL)?
Thanks!
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 14:26
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To be honest it doesn't really matter - go with one you like, there are a great many to choose from and it's really down to personal preference.

However, generally in the UK they like logbooks which show take-off and landing times, whilst in the US they usually don't record that - so I'd pick one which at-least includes that information (I know that Pooleys does, don't know about Jeppessens, it may not since they are an American company). The odds are the airport or flying school will have a shop - look through what they have and pick one you like.

For what it's worth I have a 15 year old Pooleys (Airtour as they then were) commercial logbook, which is still going strong.

AFE do some nice logbooks too !

G
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 15:17
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Let us know how it went Daniel. Normally I'd stay clear of any UK airfield like EMA where they have ATC and jets which appear to take priority. Don't be ashamed about wanting to save money, more money you save now means more money to spend later, and the vast majority of us pilots are broke because we spend more on this hobby than is sensible.
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 15:32
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Yeah sure! The only thing I am worry about is the waiting time for takeoff, as there are jets as you mentioned. Well, maybe I will get a delay for landing = more time in the air
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 15:36
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Never works out at way, trust me

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Old 4th Apr 2005, 15:41
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Actually, they said it will last 60 mins, choke off to choke on. How can the instructor get this 60 mins exactly? i hope it will not turn out to be a 45 or 50 mins lesson only

By the way, just brought the Jeppesen European Logbook from tranairs (ordered before 4pm so it will dispatch today), hopefully I will receive it tomorrow morning
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 16:14
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Actually, that'll probably be "chock to chock", not "choke to choke" (light aircraft engines usually don't have them, certainly C152s don't). This basically means that it'll be from when the wheels start moving for taxi, until they stop at the end of the flight back in your parking spot.

As for how to make it exactly 60 minutes - it's a talent that flying instructors have, I've never quite fathomed it, but they do it with unnerring accuracy.

£99/hr for lessons in the UK by the way, is pretty good value. Personally I don't like C152s much, they are deadly boring - but to be fair, they're an excellent training aeroplane.

G
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 16:24
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Thanks for the info G! I had the option to choose either C152 for 99 pounds or PA28 for 108 pounds.
I noticed the wing of PA28 is different to C152, will the wing of PA28 obstruct the view from cockpit?
Which is a better aircraft to fly?
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 16:38
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I own an share in a PA28 and think it's a lovely touring aeroplane (okay, boring in it's own way), but IMHO the C152 is a perfectly good trainer - learn on what's cheapest if it's good enough. If you want to fly a PA28 (or anything else) later as a qualified pilot you'll only be looking at a couple of hours conversion anyway.

There is an ongoing debate of high-wing versus low-wing. Basically the high wing (C152) will give you a better view down but poorer into turns, the low wing (PA28) will give you a much better view into turns but very poor downards. Neither is perfect, but both are "good enough".

Overall the C152 is probably the better from this viewpoint, because it's got a lovely window in the back that allows you to see clearly behind - something sadly lacking in the PA28. (Then again, the Cessna is slower than many modern microlights, so it needs it ).

G
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 16:47
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Not sure I'd agree with you completely Gertrude, most people can do a fair bit of flying for, say, £2k/pa, which is a lot easier than coming up with £6k to get your PPL in the first place.
Er, no.

The point is that the £6k is a one-off capital cost, you can add that to your mortgage and just have to pay a few hundred a year. That's a fraction of the £2k you estimate (quite reasonable) it'll cost to keep flying after getting the licence. You need more income to keep flying than to get the licence, tick the box, and move on to something else.

airfield like EMA where they have ATC and jets which appear to take priority
- come to Cambridge then, where they have ATC and jets but where it\'s far from unknown for the jet to be kept waiting for the student in a 152!
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 16:50
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I was in Cambridge building a bridge in Milton, and it was very close to Cambridge airport. What a shame that I didn't have time to fly there. Looks like a nice airport!
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Old 4th Apr 2005, 17:23
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Actually, they said it will last 60 mins, choke off to choke on. How can the instructor get this 60 mins exactly? i hope it will not turn out to be a 45 or 50 mins lesson only
We instructors manage it because we have to, and it's about the hardest part of trial lessons! Well, actually, we manage due to our infinitely superior skill, but I didn't like to say that, modest soul that I am.

Daniel,
It doesn't matter too much what aircraft you learn on, or where you learn. However, make sure it's a school you feel comfortable with, and an instructor you get on with - these things will save you money in the long run.
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