PPL training in London, UK
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: London
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Hi,
Try the Pilot Centre at Denham, very good school, reasonable prices, nice friendly atmosphere, very good instructors. There is also a thread in the Private Flying Forum from a few weeks back on this very topic.
www.egld.com/tpc
Try the Pilot Centre at Denham, very good school, reasonable prices, nice friendly atmosphere, very good instructors. There is also a thread in the Private Flying Forum from a few weeks back on this very topic.
www.egld.com/tpc
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: London
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Hi Kurt
I'm hopefully starting my PPL this summer, also around London. Cabair seems to get pretty good comments on here, and quite a bit of praise for Stapleford. I've got a trial lesson at Cabair Denham in 2 wks and am planning to visit Stapleford as well. I'll let you know what I find.
Am debating whether a quieter base with less delays would be better, or if I'd rather be at a larger airport and nearer controlled airspace to get used to it from the off........... any thoughts?
Be interested to hear where you decide to go!
level best,
Ian
I'm hopefully starting my PPL this summer, also around London. Cabair seems to get pretty good comments on here, and quite a bit of praise for Stapleford. I've got a trial lesson at Cabair Denham in 2 wks and am planning to visit Stapleford as well. I'll let you know what I find.
Am debating whether a quieter base with less delays would be better, or if I'd rather be at a larger airport and nearer controlled airspace to get used to it from the off........... any thoughts?
Be interested to hear where you decide to go!
level best,
Ian
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: london
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i'm at the pilot centre at denham as well . really good school .
125 £ per hr , no landing fees and when your bashing out circuits you'll be very happy with no landing fees !
125 £ per hr , no landing fees and when your bashing out circuits you'll be very happy with no landing fees !
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sth Bucks UK
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The Pilot Centre or CABAIR?
I did my training with Cabair at Denham, but have recently discovered the Pilot Centre on the other side of the airfield. What a refreshing change!
Not a uniform in sight! Really nice, freindly bunch. Not that there's anything wrong with the instruction at cabair, but it's obviously a much bigger organisation and therefore lacks intimacy.
What's more, if you're really lucky, you can get your insruction from the georgeous Eva at TPC!
Not a uniform in sight! Really nice, freindly bunch. Not that there's anything wrong with the instruction at cabair, but it's obviously a much bigger organisation and therefore lacks intimacy.
What's more, if you're really lucky, you can get your insruction from the georgeous Eva at TPC!
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bracknell, UK
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Did my PPL/IMC/Night & aeros at White Waltham.....never had slightest urge to go anywhere else. Training schools are dedicated machines, but at WW you'll fly with people you'll want to fly with *after* you get your PPL.
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Surrey, England
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Clubs west of London
KurtW
Nowhere within 50 miles of London is going to be cheap.
On the West of London, White Waltham seems to be a very nice club and has the best clubhouse in the business, but membership subs are expensive and it has noise abatement issues.
The outfits at Blackbushe and Booker are also good but dear and there is no club atmosphere.
Pilot Centre at Denham seems to offer good training in nice aircraft, but there is little club atmosphere there.
Firecrest Club at Elstree is run by volunteers and very reasonably priced. There is club atmosphere there, but they have only an office and no clubhouse. I suggest you have a look at that one.
Alan Mann at Fairoaks is expensive and there is no club atmosphere.
Finally, avoid the little London Transport Flying Club at Fairoaks, (which is open to all comers and not just LT staff). They only have two Warriors, one old the other pre-historic and only two part time instructors, but their prices are as high as anywhere else. Not recommended.
Broomstick.
Nowhere within 50 miles of London is going to be cheap.
On the West of London, White Waltham seems to be a very nice club and has the best clubhouse in the business, but membership subs are expensive and it has noise abatement issues.
The outfits at Blackbushe and Booker are also good but dear and there is no club atmosphere.
Pilot Centre at Denham seems to offer good training in nice aircraft, but there is little club atmosphere there.
Firecrest Club at Elstree is run by volunteers and very reasonably priced. There is club atmosphere there, but they have only an office and no clubhouse. I suggest you have a look at that one.
Alan Mann at Fairoaks is expensive and there is no club atmosphere.
Finally, avoid the little London Transport Flying Club at Fairoaks, (which is open to all comers and not just LT staff). They only have two Warriors, one old the other pre-historic and only two part time instructors, but their prices are as high as anywhere else. Not recommended.
Broomstick.
Join Date: Sep 2005
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I learnt at Redhill with Cubair and recently (April) got my licence. They are very friendly and helpful. I don't think that they are too expensive and have an interesting range of aircraft: Katana, C172, Cub, Slingsby.
C23
C23
Join Date: Feb 2002
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Must agree that Firecrest are cheap, but a bit over the top on minimums. I had over 400hrs and the CFI said no flying as a 10Kn cross wind was forecast
The plane was a C150 and that was well within limits. So i asked for my money back, including the check ride as i didnt at that time need someone to tell me i could fly a C150 as i had over 150hrs on type
You dont say which side of London, as Bomley to Elstree would take as long as Bromley to Lydd for example. If your north London then i suggest an hour up the A1 to Little Gransden and Skyline School as they are very competitively priced and you get to watch Mark Jefferies in his yaks and Extra for free
That will teach you some stuff no ppl cyllabus will even get close to!
The plane was a C150 and that was well within limits. So i asked for my money back, including the check ride as i didnt at that time need someone to tell me i could fly a C150 as i had over 150hrs on type You dont say which side of London, as Bomley to Elstree would take as long as Bromley to Lydd for example. If your north London then i suggest an hour up the A1 to Little Gransden and Skyline School as they are very competitively priced and you get to watch Mark Jefferies in his yaks and Extra for free That will teach you some stuff no ppl cyllabus will even get close to!
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Airwaves
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WLAC in White Waltham seem friendly. If you can get in as a civvy member then RAF Halton Aeroplane Club is great, and prices are excellent. I would suggest avoiding the various Cabair svhools. Many of the instructors are great, but the company has a poor reputation in the industry.
Join Date: Apr 2004
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In defence of poor little fairoaks....
Alan Mann at Fairoaks is expensive and there is no club atmosphere.
Finally, avoid the little London Transport Flying Club at Fairoaks, (which is open to all comers and not just LT staff). They only have two Warriors, one old the other pre-historic and only two part time instructors, but their prices are as high as anywhere else. Not recommended.
Broomstick.[/QUOTE]
Broomstickpilot
What you say is generally correct except I think you will find Fairoaks Flight Centre is now under new ownership/management for the very reasons you stated. I beleive new outfit there is called Synergy and they have gone to great effort to try and re-inject some atmosphere into flight centre, I could be wrong. By the way i don't work there or fly there anymore so am not on commission. Also LT flying club only got bad when they had an Aussie CFI who was a bit of a T*@T!, Since then I believe they have made a great effort to sort things out.
Good luck finding a cheap school....
Monkey
Finally, avoid the little London Transport Flying Club at Fairoaks, (which is open to all comers and not just LT staff). They only have two Warriors, one old the other pre-historic and only two part time instructors, but their prices are as high as anywhere else. Not recommended.
Broomstick.[/QUOTE]
Broomstickpilot
What you say is generally correct except I think you will find Fairoaks Flight Centre is now under new ownership/management for the very reasons you stated. I beleive new outfit there is called Synergy and they have gone to great effort to try and re-inject some atmosphere into flight centre, I could be wrong. By the way i don't work there or fly there anymore so am not on commission. Also LT flying club only got bad when they had an Aussie CFI who was a bit of a T*@T!, Since then I believe they have made a great effort to sort things out.
Good luck finding a cheap school....
Monkey
