Credit crunch and cheaper flying.....
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Credit crunch and cheaper flying.....
How much do you pay? I just happened in past Highland Flying School this weekend and was amazed at their rates. I remember paying these prices years ago at other clubs.
I bought a 10 hour block in a PA38 for just £850. Thats cheaper than some 2 seater groups I know of.
C172 and Warrior rates were also fantastic value for money.
I have to take my hat off to the folks at HFS,for them the flying and the people that fly is more important than just the money
.
If anyone has details of any other great deals then please share them with us, we all want to continue flying through these tough times
I bought a 10 hour block in a PA38 for just £850. Thats cheaper than some 2 seater groups I know of.
C172 and Warrior rates were also fantastic value for money.
I have to take my hat off to the folks at HFS,for them the flying and the people that fly is more important than just the money
. If anyone has details of any other great deals then please share them with us, we all want to continue flying through these tough times
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I'm doing my ppl up in inverness at the moment with HFS.
Moray flying Club at RAF Kinloss also have very good prices and are nice to deal with.
hire rates 152 £83 hr £98 hr for training
172 £98.50 hr and £108.50 for training
They run IMC, night etc as well.
Moray flying Club at RAF Kinloss also have very good prices and are nice to deal with.
hire rates 152 £83 hr £98 hr for training
172 £98.50 hr and £108.50 for training
They run IMC, night etc as well.
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Wellsbourne were advertising PA28s for £99. Not sure if that still stands.
The HFS are very reasonable. I did an advanced handling course and then solo to Kirkwall and back (£91 and hour if I remember correctly for a PA28). They even refunded the landing fee I paid at Kirkwall!
Unfortunately Inverness is quite a long drive from London. There are some reasonable rates around the M25 (my present club not being one of them!).
Flying funds are certainly drying up personally. I wonder would it be better to hang up my goggles for a few months and then spend an hour or two with an instructor or keep my skills current by flying some circuits once or twice a month?
The HFS are very reasonable. I did an advanced handling course and then solo to Kirkwall and back (£91 and hour if I remember correctly for a PA28). They even refunded the landing fee I paid at Kirkwall!
Unfortunately Inverness is quite a long drive from London. There are some reasonable rates around the M25 (my present club not being one of them!).
Flying funds are certainly drying up personally. I wonder would it be better to hang up my goggles for a few months and then spend an hour or two with an instructor or keep my skills current by flying some circuits once or twice a month?
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I think people would be interested in both. For myself its not nescessary as I have just bought ten hours solo and will be back soon.
Where you in on Sunday by any chance?
Where you in on Sunday by any chance?
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Ah yes, I remember them well. I bet youd rather be out in your mini (if that was you).
It got a bit busy in there on Sunday, I doubt you studied much
. Good luck when you sit them
It got a bit busy in there on Sunday, I doubt you studied much
. Good luck when you sit them
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Flying funds are certainly drying up personally. I wonder would it be better to hang up my goggles for a few months and then spend an hour or two with an instructor or keep my skills current by flying some circuits once or twice a month?
Remember that one of the cheapest ways to fly is to take your friends and split the costs - it's absolutely legal (no more than four ways etc. . )
If you ask your non flying friends if they want to go flying and pay towards it, they'll most likely tell you to sod off. Offer them a trip to France for £50 or £60 each and they'll most likely jump at the chance
You live in London right? Well from there, in most light aircraft France is not much more than an hour away? If you hunt around, you can still find a 4 seat aircraft for £100 ish an hour wet.
The return trip is two hours - so a total cost of just over £200 less the fuel drawback. That's about £50 each for a lovely day out. It's also flying for you at about £25 an hour.
Why would you not try to keep current?
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That's obviously the way to go. My own club discourages sharing - something to do with the insurance. 4 seater costs £170 per hour or more. Small wonder most of the time they sit parked on the ground keeping the grass dry.
There are clubs slightly closer to where I live and which are more reasonable. I know at least one that encourages mutual flying and fly-aways.
So that's probably what I'll do.
My last attempt at this didn't work out, I have to shamefully admit. After two and a half hours of check outs I was beginning to wonder whether I should be flying at all. Maybe it was just a bad day as things went a lot better in Scotland and I felt the time was better spent doing "advanced handling" rather than learning to do one tricky circuit perfectly.
There are clubs slightly closer to where I live and which are more reasonable. I know at least one that encourages mutual flying and fly-aways.
So that's probably what I'll do.
My last attempt at this didn't work out, I have to shamefully admit. After two and a half hours of check outs I was beginning to wonder whether I should be flying at all. Maybe it was just a bad day as things went a lot better in Scotland and I felt the time was better spent doing "advanced handling" rather than learning to do one tricky circuit perfectly.
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Talking of cheap flying, I'm looking to hire something with four seats (PA 28 or C172) in the Derbyshire/South Yorkshire area. Maybe I'm missing something but I can't find anything for less than about £120-£130
and I'm 'ooop norf.' How are peaople finding Aircraft CLUB hire for the hundred quid mark?? Especially in and around London.
If anyone can direct me to a hireable aircraft for around the hundred quid mark please let me know!
and I'm 'ooop norf.' How are peaople finding Aircraft CLUB hire for the hundred quid mark?? Especially in and around London.If anyone can direct me to a hireable aircraft for around the hundred quid mark please let me know!
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The only way to fly cheaply these days is to buy a share. I flew just over 5hrs in the Cardinal last month, and out of curiosity added up what it would have cost me in hire charges. My bill was just over £500 (which includes the monthly charge - group of 5, based at expensive international airport). To hire (PA28), with no monthly charge, would have cost over £900! All the little extras, like block-to-block wet charging instead of airborne dry charging + fuel etc.. soon mount up!
If you're serious about flying as a long term hobby, a share in a good group is the only way!
If you're serious about flying as a long term hobby, a share in a good group is the only way!
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Agree with Shunter, only way is to join a group. I fly from Sherburn and can't stand paying £100+ an hour for a PA-28. I'm starting a group around a 4 seat Jodel that will bring my flying down to £45.00 an hour, and a monthly fee of £40.00. Thats cheap flying! Obviously its day VFR only, but who wants to spend £100+ for a local bimble to farm strips on a nice weekday evening? If I need more capability, I'll hire it!
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Hi Tuscan,
, yip, mine is the mini! I managed to sit them both on sunday, despite it being busy so got performance and planning, met and aircraft gen done last wkend. Only leaves navigation, pre-skills and skills to do i think
!
hope your well
sollas
, yip, mine is the mini! I managed to sit them both on sunday, despite it being busy so got performance and planning, met and aircraft gen done last wkend. Only leaves navigation, pre-skills and skills to do i think! hope your well
sollas
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I dont agree that group flying is the only cheap way to fly. If I take a few friends and pile them into a PA28 or C172 and split the cost of £99/hour, you dont get much cheaper than that.
Of course if I decide to fly on my own that would be another story.
Even splitting the £85/hour of the PA38 is very economic. I have several friends in groups who can not compete with those rates.
Sollas,
I will catch up with your progress next time Im up in Inversnecky.....good luck.
Of course if I decide to fly on my own that would be another story.
Even splitting the £85/hour of the PA38 is very economic. I have several friends in groups who can not compete with those rates.
Sollas,
I will catch up with your progress next time Im up in Inversnecky.....good luck.
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Agree with Tuscan.
From late 07 to earlier this year, I was able to fly a IFR equipped C172 for £65 p/h with monthly costs of £65. The only other payment was a refundable deposit of £750. Claimimg fuel drawback and taking one or two friends bring hourly costs down to "taxi fare"
Certainly with group ownership brings periodic costs some of which are not covered by regular contribution payments. However there are other benefits though.
Each to their own I suppose
From late 07 to earlier this year, I was able to fly a IFR equipped C172 for £65 p/h with monthly costs of £65. The only other payment was a refundable deposit of £750. Claimimg fuel drawback and taking one or two friends bring hourly costs down to "taxi fare"
Certainly with group ownership brings periodic costs some of which are not covered by regular contribution payments. However there are other benefits though.
Each to their own I suppose
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£85 / hour for a very nice well equiped 172 in North Norfolk at a friendly club. £250 refundable deposit no monthly or landing fee's.
Sad thing is its not being flown enough so the price may have to go up
So if anyone out there fancy's becoming a member of a group that...
(please pm)
Sad thing is its not being flown enough so the price may have to go up
So if anyone out there fancy's becoming a member of a group that...
(please pm)
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Fools paradise!
Any of you who think that these low prices that you are now seeing are "good" for you are living in a short term dream world.
As the smaller companys that strugle to survive and drop the prices they are being squeezed from the other end by the rising cost of parts (due to $ Rate) and the extra taxation that he UK goverment is planning (radio spectrum is one). The margins in GA are small and this is all one step too far.
What you are going to be left with is the large companys that will dominate the market.
How would you all feel about having almost all the aircraft training and rental market in the hands of the likes of Cabair?
Some of us who invested in the business during the good times are now enjoying the lower running costs of a "sorted" fleet and can survive the down turn but others who continued to squeez the pips out of aircraft that should have long ago been refurbished are now unable to support these aircraft.
In the long term I only see the customer as being the victim of a market dominated by one or two big players who effectively control airfields and set the agenda in favour of themselfs.
As the smaller companys that strugle to survive and drop the prices they are being squeezed from the other end by the rising cost of parts (due to $ Rate) and the extra taxation that he UK goverment is planning (radio spectrum is one). The margins in GA are small and this is all one step too far.
What you are going to be left with is the large companys that will dominate the market.
How would you all feel about having almost all the aircraft training and rental market in the hands of the likes of Cabair?
Some of us who invested in the business during the good times are now enjoying the lower running costs of a "sorted" fleet and can survive the down turn but others who continued to squeez the pips out of aircraft that should have long ago been refurbished are now unable to support these aircraft.
In the long term I only see the customer as being the victim of a market dominated by one or two big players who effectively control airfields and set the agenda in favour of themselfs.