AOPA Basic Aeros Course in the Midlands.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
AOPA Basic Aeros Course in the Midlands.
Folks,
Has anyone done the AOPA Basic Aeros Course in the Midlands area? Any thoughts on the course itself or recommendations as I'm looking into doing it.
Cheers all,
s_q
Has anyone done the AOPA Basic Aeros Course in the Midlands area? Any thoughts on the course itself or recommendations as I'm looking into doing it.
Cheers all,
s_q
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd have a chat with Charlie Kimbell at Leicester - new school, nice S2C. Charlie is a good chap and their prices look just right.
Dont know if he can give you an AOPA cert - but he will give you quality instruction from a good aerobatic competition pilot who also happens to be an instructor!!
I'm not connected with the operation nor biased as Charlie has never beaten me in comps!
Hope this helps.
Stik
Dont know if he can give you an AOPA cert - but he will give you quality instruction from a good aerobatic competition pilot who also happens to be an instructor!!
I'm not connected with the operation nor biased as Charlie has never beaten me in comps!
Hope this helps.
Stik
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm about half way through the AOPA basic aeros course flying in a Pitts S2C at Fairoaks. I can tell you that the S2C is a very nice aircraft to fly and having had a look at the Aerobatics Leicester website, the rates there are very reasonable. It looks like they also rent the aircraft to students which is something worth considering.
I've got to a point where I'm thinking about whether I can rent in future or if buying a share is the better option. My advice is think about why you want to do the course and what aircraft you want to fly afterwards. If you do the course on a Pitts, the rental options seem fairly limited but if you're thinking about buying a share or if you have a particular aircraft in mind it might be best to seek training on that aircraft from the start.
The course itself is pretty good. It covers loops, barrel rolls, aileron rolls, 3/4 clovers, wingovers, and all the other fun stuff that was taken out of the PPL syllabus long ago. It's the best flying I've done so far and I suspect it will be for you too!
I've got to a point where I'm thinking about whether I can rent in future or if buying a share is the better option. My advice is think about why you want to do the course and what aircraft you want to fly afterwards. If you do the course on a Pitts, the rental options seem fairly limited but if you're thinking about buying a share or if you have a particular aircraft in mind it might be best to seek training on that aircraft from the start.
The course itself is pretty good. It covers loops, barrel rolls, aileron rolls, 3/4 clovers, wingovers, and all the other fun stuff that was taken out of the PPL syllabus long ago. It's the best flying I've done so far and I suspect it will be for you too!
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ed - I stand corrected but was not actualy aware of that! I OWE HIM AN APOLOGY - bumped into him a fortnight ago, how time flies!!
That was the year that he went home at the end of the first day after the unknowns were published, F McG, PTT and self told him he'd be hors de combat! . I remember ZA meeting the gliders in the box and David S having a fire on start up next to the puimps. Smithy cooking his electrics and me leading him home to a fighter base in Norfolk.
Keep seeing the chang-gang hdg to engineeering at an angry field near me!
That was the year that he went home at the end of the first day after the unknowns were published, F McG, PTT and self told him he'd be hors de combat! . I remember ZA meeting the gliders in the box and David S having a fire on start up next to the puimps. Smithy cooking his electrics and me leading him home to a fighter base in Norfolk.
Keep seeing the chang-gang hdg to engineeering at an angry field near me!
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Retford, UK
Posts: 476
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm about half way through the AOPA basic aeros course flying in a Pitts S2C at Fairoaks. I can tell you that the S2C is a very nice aircraft to fly and having had a look at the Aerobatics Leicester website, the rates there are very reasonable. It looks like they also rent the aircraft to students which is something worth considering.
I've got to a point where I'm thinking about whether I can rent in future or if buying a share is the better option. My advice is think about why you want to do the course and what aircraft you want to fly afterwards. If you do the course on a Pitts, the rental options seem fairly limited but if you're thinking about buying a share or if you have a particular aircraft in mind it might be best to seek training on that aircraft from the start.
The course itself is pretty good. It covers loops, barrel rolls, aileron rolls, 3/4 clovers, wingovers, and all the other fun stuff that was taken out of the PPL syllabus long ago. It's the best flying I've done so far and I suspect it will be for you too!
I've got to a point where I'm thinking about whether I can rent in future or if buying a share is the better option. My advice is think about why you want to do the course and what aircraft you want to fly afterwards. If you do the course on a Pitts, the rental options seem fairly limited but if you're thinking about buying a share or if you have a particular aircraft in mind it might be best to seek training on that aircraft from the start.
The course itself is pretty good. It covers loops, barrel rolls, aileron rolls, 3/4 clovers, wingovers, and all the other fun stuff that was taken out of the PPL syllabus long ago. It's the best flying I've done so far and I suspect it will be for you too!
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
MichaelJP59,
In a word no. For me atleast, I will need to do tail wheel differences training which is extra to the AOPA course, but as my instructor has already pointed out you can do alot more circuits in 30 mins in a Pitts than you can in a typical spam-can.
I don't know if there are minimum experience requirements to rent a Pitts yet, but this is why I made the point about thinking about why you would want to do the course and what you want to fly afterwards. It maybe doesn't make too much sense learning aeros on a Pitts if you are planning to fly something like a Firefly afterwards.
In a word no. For me atleast, I will need to do tail wheel differences training which is extra to the AOPA course, but as my instructor has already pointed out you can do alot more circuits in 30 mins in a Pitts than you can in a typical spam-can.
I don't know if there are minimum experience requirements to rent a Pitts yet, but this is why I made the point about thinking about why you would want to do the course and what you want to fly afterwards. It maybe doesn't make too much sense learning aeros on a Pitts if you are planning to fly something like a Firefly afterwards.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pitts landings
With the right training most folk could learn to land a Pitts. I feel and with +/- 2000 landings in a variety of them, believe I am qualified to comment - that its notoriety is somewhat misplaced.
It is not like landing a 172 or even a PA18 Cub but if men and ladies were flying them in the forties, I see no reason why today's pilots should struggle.
If you are planning on buying or renting a Firefly, then best to do your training on one.
Most Pitts insurance that I've seen just states 100 hr piston, some state 100 hrs on type. No one will rent you one if you are not covered by their policy or if they think that you might bend it.I do have a lovely S1D for sale in my hangar if you'd like one!
It is not like landing a 172 or even a PA18 Cub but if men and ladies were flying them in the forties, I see no reason why today's pilots should struggle.
If you are planning on buying or renting a Firefly, then best to do your training on one.
Most Pitts insurance that I've seen just states 100 hr piston, some state 100 hrs on type. No one will rent you one if you are not covered by their policy or if they think that you might bend it.I do have a lovely S1D for sale in my hangar if you'd like one!
and ....
the technique for doing many of the basic manoeuvres in a Pitts is totally different from common basic aerobatic trainers. If I taught anyone aerobatics in a Pitts he/she would have to do much retraining to get around a roll in a Cessna Aerobat for example.
the technique for doing many of the basic manoeuvres in a Pitts is totally different from common basic aerobatic trainers. If I taught anyone aerobatics in a Pitts he/she would have to do much retraining to get around a roll in a Cessna Aerobat for example.
A little less conversation,
a little more aviation...
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bracknell, UK
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
In fact, cancel all before 'then' above.
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London
Posts: 519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hijacking the thread slightly, the only Pitts I've found on the internet which looks to be rentable solo in the south- listed solo at £225/hr- is the one on the West London Aero Club site which is based at White Waltham. Don't know how much of a deposit or how much blood you'd need to supply them with though for them to let a 100 hour pilot loose on it!
Anyone know of any others?
£500 do??? 
Anyone know of any others?
I do have a lovely S1D for sale in my hangar if you'd like one!
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Retford, UK
Posts: 476
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: The Home of the Gnomes
Posts: 412
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
2 Posts
...she clearly didn't get sick as I typically (and frustratingly) do!
http://medind.nic.in/iab/t07/s1/iabt07s1p37.pdf
I did and haven't been airsick since. If those exercises don't make you ill, aerobatics never will. Frankly, the exercises made me an awful lot worse than aerobatics did and I vowed never to be ill again.
A friend of mine swears by a Mars Bar and a full fat Coke before you aerobat. The theory being that the glucose forces your stomach to concentrate on digesting the sugar rather than bubbling away. Something some of the Battle of Britain chaps used to do allegedly, albeit they used neat glucose, not chocolate and an American brand icon.
In case some of this sounds familiar to some people, I used to post under another identity until relatively recently.
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 1,966
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
would you agree that the skill set gained from flying the Aerobat or Citabria etc contributes to a better understanding of the aerobatic/control principles involved or do you think not, that its just a matter of how hard you have to work at flying the thing
-ing, too.
I don't think that my Citabria/Chippie time did me any harm at all - in fact they did reinforce the correct control inputs. The Cessna on the other hand was a wheeze but not really conducive to teaching accurate aeros.
I've flown/aerobatted the Yak52, CAP10, Acrosport, EAA Bipe, Skybolt, Tiger, Stampe, Jungmann, Stearman and the Extra 300. They all take different finessing and without time in them that finessing will not happen.
The problem with the Pitts (from the 150hp S1C to the 260hp S2C) is that it spoils all other aeroplanes for you!
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Middle England
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Try Aerobatics Leicester for AOPA courses and Pitts conversions. Even solo hire.
