Cheapest way to obtain a PPL?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cheapest way to obtain a PPL?
Hi, hope everyone has had a nice new year and christmas!!
I've been looking to get my PPL and having looked at prices in the UK (London) and im not sure i can afford it, some flying schools quote £9000-12000. What i ask is, is there another european country where you can get the same training for a realitivly reasonable price. I am looking to gain it during the summer period so wouldnt mind travelling to another counrty if there is a significant price difference.
Thanks alot
I've been looking to get my PPL and having looked at prices in the UK (London) and im not sure i can afford it, some flying schools quote £9000-12000. What i ask is, is there another european country where you can get the same training for a realitivly reasonable price. I am looking to gain it during the summer period so wouldnt mind travelling to another counrty if there is a significant price difference.
Thanks alot
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: london
Posts: 676
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I t depends what you want to do with your ppl - if you plan to go down the commercial route, the cheapest may not be the best route in the long term.
You may choose to have a look at the possibility of doing a ppl in france, as you wlll get a JAR PPL at a reasonable price. There is an english lady who instructs down at Limoges....
Personally, I think in the UK you get what you pay for in the UK - pay peanuts, you get.....!
I learnt at BAFC at Booker and reckon that the flying school there is terrific; not cheap, but the earlier adage holds true!
You may choose to have a look at the possibility of doing a ppl in france, as you wlll get a JAR PPL at a reasonable price. There is an english lady who instructs down at Limoges....
Personally, I think in the UK you get what you pay for in the UK - pay peanuts, you get.....!
I learnt at BAFC at Booker and reckon that the flying school there is terrific; not cheap, but the earlier adage holds true!
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,929
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The answer to this used to be straightforward - the US. However, since Sterling went diving, this may not be the case anymore. On the continent, there are a few schools in Spain where you can do a CAA/JAR PPL. The main advantage is obviously the wx. Another, often overlooked one, is the fact that (as in the US) you do fly in CAS quite a bit and get exposure to 'flying in the system'. Comes in very handy later in pilot life.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Amsterdam
Posts: 4,598
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What do you plan on doing with your PPL?
If you intend to go down the commercial route, then the cost of your PPL will not even be 10% of your total investment. Plus, as others have said, seeking out the cheapest provider might not be the best choice.
If you intend to fly for fun, saving 10% on your PPL will buy you, what, five flight hours once you've got your PPL? That's not a whole lot. Flying, at least spamcan flying on a PPL, is an expensive hobby in any case. If you cannot afford to spend at least some 2000 euros annually, don't even start.
But if you just intend to fly for fun, there are far cheaper methods of doing that than spamcans on a PPL. You can go gliding, paragliding and all other gliding variants. You can get an NPPL instead of a PPL. You can fly microlights. And so forth.
If you intend to go down the commercial route, then the cost of your PPL will not even be 10% of your total investment. Plus, as others have said, seeking out the cheapest provider might not be the best choice.
If you intend to fly for fun, saving 10% on your PPL will buy you, what, five flight hours once you've got your PPL? That's not a whole lot. Flying, at least spamcan flying on a PPL, is an expensive hobby in any case. If you cannot afford to spend at least some 2000 euros annually, don't even start.
But if you just intend to fly for fun, there are far cheaper methods of doing that than spamcans on a PPL. You can go gliding, paragliding and all other gliding variants. You can get an NPPL instead of a PPL. You can fly microlights. And so forth.
Have a look here: Have a look here:Flying and riding holidays in the Limousin, France
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: EuroGA.org
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Assuming you value your time at zero value, the cheapest way to do a PPL will always be in the USA.
If however you are learning to fly for a reason, rather than to just tick the "learn to fly" box and move on (as great many people do) this may modify the strategy.
If however you are learning to fly for a reason, rather than to just tick the "learn to fly" box and move on (as great many people do) this may modify the strategy.
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Age: 39
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Leave aside the different choice of countries to choose from and seeing which has the best exchange rate (seeing as euro is nearly 1:1).
Have a think about another factor which will result in gaining your PPL cheap as possible... Save up and do as many lessons per month as you can possibly do, two, three times a week is better than once a month. (This is what I am aiming to do - it's extremely hard work at weekends looking up at the sky and not flying, but I know the wait will be worth it - roll on April for me!
This will help to be cheaper as such as you will not be forgetting the last lesson before the next resulting in hopefully lower amount of hours to the pass.
Mike
Have a think about another factor which will result in gaining your PPL cheap as possible... Save up and do as many lessons per month as you can possibly do, two, three times a week is better than once a month. (This is what I am aiming to do - it's extremely hard work at weekends looking up at the sky and not flying, but I know the wait will be worth it - roll on April for me!
This will help to be cheaper as such as you will not be forgetting the last lesson before the next resulting in hopefully lower amount of hours to the pass.
Mike
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London
Age: 68
Posts: 1,269
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mike,
Totally agree, however not more than one lesson per day. The intensity is such that doing a second lesson on the same day, I found the absorption levels dropped considerably.
Also do as much theory as early as possible so it does not restrict your flying development.
finally, indeed, doing it in a god weather country will reduce the risk of no-fly days (or weeks!) which could lead you to have "forgotten" some stuff.
In short only start after you ve accumulated the money
Totally agree, however not more than one lesson per day. The intensity is such that doing a second lesson on the same day, I found the absorption levels dropped considerably.
Also do as much theory as early as possible so it does not restrict your flying development.
finally, indeed, doing it in a god weather country will reduce the risk of no-fly days (or weeks!) which could lead you to have "forgotten" some stuff.
In short only start after you ve accumulated the money
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Age: 39
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Top tip by vanHorck, thanks. I was contemplating doing a few early lessons 2 on a day, but I will be more patient and spread them out, at least over a weekend 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: South Norfolk, England
Age: 58
Posts: 1,195
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As others have said, a lot depends on your ultimate aims. If you simply want to get a PPL as cheaply as possible, and you're in no rush? There are other options. For example ...
You could start by joining a gliding club or taking a gliding holiday. A two week gliding course for around (guessing now) £500, should see you go solo. You can then build on this experience to carry on gliding, or use it to go on and do a TMG, microlight or SEP NPPL. Any of these could then be converted cheaply to a full PPL. Convoluted maybe? But I'm sure it would be cheaper, and more importantly, you be a far more "rounded" pilot
SS
You could start by joining a gliding club or taking a gliding holiday. A two week gliding course for around (guessing now) £500, should see you go solo. You can then build on this experience to carry on gliding, or use it to go on and do a TMG, microlight or SEP NPPL. Any of these could then be converted cheaply to a full PPL. Convoluted maybe? But I'm sure it would be cheaper, and more importantly, you be a far more "rounded" pilot
SS
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: EuroGA.org
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think 2 a day is OK - after one has cracked the initial aircraft control bit. But not if flying circuits - they are incredibly stressful for most, I think (and largely pointless).
But intensive learning is certainly the key. And this is best done where the weather is nice, of course.
But intensive learning is certainly the key. And this is best done where the weather is nice, of course.
Join Date: May 2001
Location: 75N 16E
Age: 54
Posts: 4,729
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Even at current exchange rates you can get a brand new DA40 (180) with G1000 for £66 per hour dry....so the USA is still cheapest by far for better equipment. $44 will buy you a hotel room, and £340 a flight (California).
2x 2hr lessons per day (3hr flying realistically) is perfectly feasable especially when moving onto the solo phase - 1 session with instructor, 1 solo for example.
2x 2hr lessons per day (3hr flying realistically) is perfectly feasable especially when moving onto the solo phase - 1 session with instructor, 1 solo for example.
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Not around here
Posts: 263
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
...and as far as keeping it cheap once you've got your PPL, then strip flying (as opposed to flying when stripped! 
) in a permit to fly jobbie, is probably the cheapest.
Cheers,
C23
) in a permit to fly jobbie, is probably the cheapest.Cheers,
C23
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Adding on to what Short Stripper said, if you want a cheaper route, go gliding, get to Siver"C" standard, which means cross-country soaring and then do a PPL conversion, 22yrs ago that route was 12hrs for conversion, might be more now but still saves you £'s. Or if CPL route, Australia is a cheaper option, and the only good exchange rate at the momment! Warm weather, beaches,cold beer....hang on i'll pack me bag.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: EuroGA.org
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If I was doing it, I would clock up a load of informal (unlogged) flight training with some plane owner, pass the writtens, get the medical, and then sod off to California for a couple of weeks and do the whole JAA PPL out there.
I did my IR in Arizona and flew 2x a day for 2 weeks. Clocked up about 25hrs of seriously hard and brain numbing flying. A PPL, assuming one can already fly VFR, is a piece of cake in comparison and doing 45hrs in 2 weeks is quite feasible if you can already do all the stuff and just need to legalise it. Jan/Feb is perfect in AZ - not too hot. But the JAA schools are all in Florida or SoCal.
It won't be a holiday but it will be an experience
I did my IR in Arizona and flew 2x a day for 2 weeks. Clocked up about 25hrs of seriously hard and brain numbing flying. A PPL, assuming one can already fly VFR, is a piece of cake in comparison and doing 45hrs in 2 weeks is quite feasible if you can already do all the stuff and just need to legalise it. Jan/Feb is perfect in AZ - not too hot. But the JAA schools are all in Florida or SoCal.
It won't be a holiday but it will be an experience