newbie :: UK /USA schools to get PPL -- which one is best ( both cost and quality ).
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newbie :: UK /USA schools to get PPL -- which one is best ( both cost and quality ).
good day to you all 
,
I live in england, london. would like to know how much it will cost and which schools are best schools to get my PPL here. In some of the threads are others are suggesting that it will be good to train in US instead of UK to get PPL. can somebody put some light on it. any kind of help would be great
.
secondly, in UK some aviation schools are telling that CESSANA is very old flight and one should not use it to get PPL ?? is it true ..
thanking you in advance for your replies.
, I live in england, london. would like to know how much it will cost and which schools are best schools to get my PPL here. In some of the threads are others are suggesting that it will be good to train in US instead of UK to get PPL. can somebody put some light on it. any kind of help would be great
. secondly, in UK some aviation schools are telling that CESSANA is very old flight and one should not use it to get PPL ?? is it true ..
thanking you in advance for your replies.
Last edited by shiva.sharma; 10th Jun 2011 at 13:02. Reason: addition
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To be perfectly frank, if your post-PPL flying is going to be done in UK/EU airspace then learn over here. Otherwise you will soon find it is a false economy to go do a cheap course in Florida, because you're going to come back to Europe and be utterly confused by the way things are done over here and how complex and busy our compact airspace is. So you'll be spending extra un-necessary time and money playing catch-up.
Do a search on the forums if you want more detail. This topic has been done to death. It is also partially the reason for the topic just underneath yours at present, entitled "England sucks", started by someone who went the cheap route in Florida and then was in for a surprise on his return ! There are some pointers on that thread to a few airfields in the UK where flying can be done relatively cheaply.
That's my opinion, others may of course see the US through rose-tinted glasses and not understand what I'm on about !
Do a search on the forums if you want more detail. This topic has been done to death. It is also partially the reason for the topic just underneath yours at present, entitled "England sucks", started by someone who went the cheap route in Florida and then was in for a surprise on his return ! There are some pointers on that thread to a few airfields in the UK where flying can be done relatively cheaply.
That's my opinion, others may of course see the US through rose-tinted glasses and not understand what I'm on about !
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Hi mixture,
thank you very much for the reply. I will go through the post and see what kind of information I can get from there.
cheers dont mind if I annoy with more queries in this thread.. after readin git.
, thank you very much for the reply. I will go through the post and see what kind of information I can get from there.
cheers dont mind if I annoy with more queries in this thread.. after readin git.
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Hopefully I didn't sound too negative ! Whichever route you decide to take, I'm sure you'll have great fun and enjoy flying. So I wish you all the best for your training ahead !
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because you're going to come back to Europe and be utterly confused by the way things are done over here and how complex and busy our compact airspace is.
Yes there are differences, like in the USA you can transit Class D airspace with just a radio contact, but only a dumb pilot will get caught by that. You have to get clued up on UK regs and procedures before you fly here, but you don't need 45 hours to do that.
UK airspace is way less busy than US airspace. They have about 10x more GA over there.
US pilot training is on the whole very thorough and IMHO better than UK training.
UK and European airspace is indeed a mess compared to the US structure, but that's just a case of getting the maps, and a decent GPS.
One thing I would strongly recommend is to do the PPL in the one school in southern California, where you can do both a JAA PPL and a FAA PPL at the same time. One can do this "dual" stuff at 6 or so Florida schools also, but S. Cal. is a lot nicer
Don't just do a JAA PPL, and obviously don't just do an FAA PPL. The present system where one can fly a G-reg worldwide on an FAA PPL is proposed to be killed by EASA in April 2012.
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They have about 10x more GA over there.
and a decent GPS.
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have the CAA allowed that as primary NAV yet ?
It has never been not allowed for any form of navigation.
Any kind of ban or restriction on GPS is and has always been a pilot forum myth.
It is only in specific sections of the UK PPL training syllabus where GPS cannot be used. In the rest of the PPL training syllabus it can be used.
And after you get your PPL you can navigate any way you like.
That's the other problem with learning in the US, you become a magenta-line kid too early for your own good
Tell ya what.... I did an IR in Arizona in 2006, and never touched GPS.
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From a practical standpoint, unless you live in the US, for a US one you'll be on a course, and the course will be a fixed time period.
So, putting aside cost for the moment, you can either do it in 5-6 weeks in the US, with a reasonable guarantee of the weather being suitable 80% of the time or you *can* do the same in the UK, but it depends on the weather far more.
If you can't take the time to do it on a concentrated course in either the UK or US, it takes on average around 18 months in the UK if you're working full time and doing 1-2 hours a week.
Questions you should think about are:
- how long do I have to do it, how long do you want it to take?
- can I take 5 weeks off work for concentrated course (either here or in the US)
- can you actually take 5 weeks off in the UK without distraction?
- if you can take 5 weeks off, when can you do it (because that makes the US a better bet unless you're doing it in summer in the UK)
- what do you want to do with it in the future?
Flying the US/UK is not that different - there's plenty of inclement weather in the US especially around November in FL. Cessnas are perfectly fine to train in, and there's no point training in a Garmin G1000 glass rocketship if you can only rent steam gauge spam cans once you get the ticket.
The US *can* be cheaper - depending where you live. For example, in Aberdeen it's £20 per touch/landing, and £200 per hour - I cut my costs by 50% by going to the US - but Aberdeen is an extreem example, with no proper training provision (until recently) and the most expensive Avgas in the UK. It may be that by the time you factor in travel/accomo, the US = UK - but again, the benefit is you're away from the UK focused on a single task in a single minded environment with your peers who are there for the same thing.
It depends largely on your own preference. I went to the US due to cost, and because I'd have never got away from the work phone if I'd done it in the UK - concentrated course or not. Taking my self to the US, focused on only one thing, and getting flyable weather 80% of the time meant I could concentrate on the learning and flying - and the continual flying consistency really improves your skills versus 1 lesson a week.
Horses for courses. If you do go to the US - heed the advice and get an FAA ticket at the same time as a JAA one. And do the exams BEFORE you go (maybe with the exception of Nav which is easier once you're actually doing cross countries).
I absolutely loved doing my PPL at OBA - it was 5 weeks of pure day-in-day out aviation, with only 2 nights out towards the end. You ate-slept-did flying 24/7 - excellent fun!
And whatever you do - NEVER PAY UP FRONT!
So, putting aside cost for the moment, you can either do it in 5-6 weeks in the US, with a reasonable guarantee of the weather being suitable 80% of the time or you *can* do the same in the UK, but it depends on the weather far more.
If you can't take the time to do it on a concentrated course in either the UK or US, it takes on average around 18 months in the UK if you're working full time and doing 1-2 hours a week.
Questions you should think about are:
- how long do I have to do it, how long do you want it to take?
- can I take 5 weeks off work for concentrated course (either here or in the US)
- can you actually take 5 weeks off in the UK without distraction?
- if you can take 5 weeks off, when can you do it (because that makes the US a better bet unless you're doing it in summer in the UK)
- what do you want to do with it in the future?
Flying the US/UK is not that different - there's plenty of inclement weather in the US especially around November in FL. Cessnas are perfectly fine to train in, and there's no point training in a Garmin G1000 glass rocketship if you can only rent steam gauge spam cans once you get the ticket.
The US *can* be cheaper - depending where you live. For example, in Aberdeen it's £20 per touch/landing, and £200 per hour - I cut my costs by 50% by going to the US - but Aberdeen is an extreem example, with no proper training provision (until recently) and the most expensive Avgas in the UK. It may be that by the time you factor in travel/accomo, the US = UK - but again, the benefit is you're away from the UK focused on a single task in a single minded environment with your peers who are there for the same thing.
It depends largely on your own preference. I went to the US due to cost, and because I'd have never got away from the work phone if I'd done it in the UK - concentrated course or not. Taking my self to the US, focused on only one thing, and getting flyable weather 80% of the time meant I could concentrate on the learning and flying - and the continual flying consistency really improves your skills versus 1 lesson a week.
Horses for courses. If you do go to the US - heed the advice and get an FAA ticket at the same time as a JAA one. And do the exams BEFORE you go (maybe with the exception of Nav which is easier once you're actually doing cross countries).
I absolutely loved doing my PPL at OBA - it was 5 weeks of pure day-in-day out aviation, with only 2 nights out towards the end. You ate-slept-did flying 24/7 - excellent fun!
And whatever you do - NEVER PAY UP FRONT!
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hello,
thank you very much for the information. Now from your conversation and inputs, I could make like the following -. 
1. Before going for ppl training, I better complete theoritical exams and study upfront. which will give more beneficial. I will be on to it.
2. secondly between UK and USA choise :: weather is important thing. If I am able to complete my training in short time UK is good for summer, for remaining seasons US better choice.
I am unlikely going to do in summer due to my job pressures. so, I will concentrate first on theoritcal exams, then slowly move towards practical. thank you for great advise.
thank you very much for the information. Now from your conversation and inputs, I could make like the following -
. 1. Before going for ppl training, I better complete theoritical exams and study upfront. which will give more beneficial. I will be on to it.
2. secondly between UK and USA choise :: weather is important thing. If I am able to complete my training in short time UK is good for summer, for remaining seasons US better choice.
I am unlikely going to do in summer due to my job pressures. so, I will concentrate first on theoritcal exams, then slowly move towards practical. thank you for great advise.
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Hi,
I think some more good points, i have got here
1. I need to see whether dedicated 6 weeks time is there for me, I work full time employment.
2. wanna save bucks, then need to fly to US ?
3. never pay upfront :: so, i believe, i need to come to an agreement with flight academy that I will be paying every week once , or need to find any more flexible rules.
cheersLets see how things go from here. thanks once again to all.
I think some more good points, i have got here
1. I need to see whether dedicated 6 weeks time is there for me, I work full time employment.
2. wanna save bucks, then need to fly to US ?
3. never pay upfront :: so, i believe, i need to come to an agreement with flight academy that I will be paying every week once , or need to find any more flexible rules.
cheers
Lets see how things go from here. thanks once again to all.
