Lessons at EGNT / NCL
 

Hi all,

Could anyone from Newcastle airport tell me where would probably be the best place to take lessons for PPL.

I know about Newcastle Aero Club and that is about it.

Is there any problem with me taking lessons at my age (15), or does it not matter?

If anyone who knows of anywhere or can answer my question, please reply to this topic, or if you're from Newcastle and would like to chat, my IM usernames are in my Profile.

Thanks,

Dave :cool:

i fly at the helicopter school at the airport which has a great atmosphere with excellent instructors. Top place. The helicopter school operates the fixed wing school and is also excellent.

Wonderful place

Ah right, I guess that is Newcastle Aero Club too, as I think Northumbria Helicopters are part of the Aero Club.

What do you think would be best to fly, a heli or a plane?

Thanks,

Dave

Dave,

Newcastle Aero Club doesn't exist anymore - the new organisation is Northumbria Flying School

The man you need to talk to is Neil Clark and you can get him by contacting:

http://www.northumbria-helicopters.co.uk/

Fixed wing as well as heli are available at EGNT. My suggestion would be to pop up the airport and have a look at what they offer.

PD

Ah right, wasn't sure if it was still called Newcastle Aero Club, because I only used the old Yellow Pages and the number in there for Newcastle Aero Club still put us through to people.

I will email Neil Clark now, and I might be able to go up to the airport either during the week or next weekend.

Is that where you learnt (Northumbria Flying School)?

Thanks.

Dave

Have a look at the new Northumbria Flying School website:
http://www.northumbria-flying-school.co.uk/
Bobby is still adding in the finishing touches but the new site looks great.
BS

BigStu,

Thanks for that link - I didn't realise the site existed at the moment.

Dave,

No I didn't, I did my PPL in the US but joined the now defunct Newcastle Aero Club on my return in 1995. There are some good folk up there ensuring that GA still exists at EGNT and I know that Neil & co have put a lot of time and effort into getting the fixed-wing school back up and running.

I never knew that existed either, cheers BigStu!

Had a good read through that and it seems like a good place. Might have a trip there soon for trial lesson.

Anyone from Newcastle want to chat, I'd love to hear your experiences and see some photos. You can contact me through PM's here or by IM:

MSN: [email protected]
ICQ: 244-505-213

Cheers,

Dave

EGNT - forget it.
 

Go to Durham Tees Valley or Carlisle.
I wouldn't touch Newcastle with a barge-pole. Neil Clark's a smashing fella and I've no axe to grind with the Aero Club (other than it being Darras Hall Social Club - they like to talk and wear the NAC jumpers but very few know what the inside of an aircraft looks like), but my advice is study the costs VERY carefully.
Newcastle is anti-GA and the airport management are desperate to get rid of it, hence the costs (landing fees etc) are exhorbitant.
The hourly rate may look attractive, but enquire about additional costs.
ATC will keep you sat at the holding point for hours while you sit there with the engine running, paying for it and learning nothing. (Not ATC's fault I think they're under orders to make believe its a busy airport)
Even the fuel costs are shocking.
Save your money & look elsewhere...

VT10,

I don't doubt that EGNT is a busy airport but you can avoid some of the 'holding' problems by being a little more selective with the timing of your flights.

I do agree however that the landing fees add a fair bit to the total price - especially if you chuck a few T&Gs in for good measure but you need to balance that against the time & costs of driving to the other airfields you mention (depending on where you live).

Also they have an arrangement with Carlisle which is excellent as for the cost of a touch and go at EGNT you can bash the circuit to your hearts content and get a bit of cross country nav as well (or at least they did when I last flew in Feb before trying to complete my exams!)

People at Newastle airport flying school are great, it is swings and roundabouts about the holds and waiting.

I have flown on many occasions and had no problems. Neil is a top bloke.

They have a agreement at Carlisle which is great, I would say go for it.

Good luck anyway

Time to spare? Go by........car
 

Why be selective in timing your flights? Surely the idea is to go flying when you want or when the opportunity arises, and if you're training, it may be aircraft of instructor availability that dictates when you fly.

As for the arrangement at Carlisle, how much does it cost you to get there and back in a PA28 at Newcastle; and then there the landing fee to pay!
If you've got to go to Carlisle, its cheaper by car.

EGNT busy? That's the funniest thing I've heard in years!:p

Be honest with the lad, he should shop around VERY carefully.

I read this thread and had a good laugh at the notion that EGNT is "not busy"
I learned to fly there and can confirm it is v busy,on the day of my first solo the lesson went something like this, change of runway 25/07 orbits on all end of downwind legs followed by me going solo to be number two to a comercial with the usual wake vortex reccomendation of 6 mile spacing.
It may seem expensive but take into account travel to say T/side or Carlisle (can be very expensive as I found out,charged £ 45 pounds for instructor and this extra and that extra ) if you live local EGNT may be the best option.
The staff are a nice bunch of people with extensive experience,facilitys are good also. It may pay you to try them all but remember one of them are charitable organisations and are there to make money,enjoy learning.

Spoilers.....:ok:

NCL is only busy at times - unless they have miraculously quadrupled the business there in the 5 months since I left. Doubtful.

The commercial traffic comes in phases. It can be bedlam for about 90 minutes and then just as quickly you can go almost an hour without a single airline movement. Learn the pattern and work around it. Winter is the airport's quietest period (around October to April) as the charter traffic drops off to a minimum.

However, it is the weather that really dictates when you can go bug smashing in a little spamcan. :}

Quite agree. I've seen busier GA airfields. Anyone who thinks EGNT's busy has had a sheltered upbringing.

Things like this don't help either...and not for the first time....
DEPARTURE TERMINAL : NEWCASTLE ( NCL ) / EGNT Facility and Service
EGNT APT 20060505B0EV01 C2200/06Q)EGPX/QFULT/IV/NBO / A/000/999/N5502.2W00141.5R005A)EGNT B)200605101433 C)200605121200E)NO AVGAS AVBL:D


All designed to hope GA gets forced from the field. When it is available its damned expensive too, probably more so than other North-east airfields.

There's more to this than just the cost - I started at Teesside and rapidly got fed up of the drive from Newcastle there and back for a cost saving of about £10 an hour. To be honest it seemed worth it to avoid the 1 hour drive each way as I live 15 minutes from EGNT. All sorts of ways to shave costs at Carlisle incuding doubling up to share flights - also very sociable! I think the arrangement is that there is 1 landing fee for as many circuits as you want - plus your nav there and back is never wasted so I really don't see it as a problem.

What are the additional costs you are advising of here?

Anyone flown the Bulldog?
 

Hey,
I'm seriously considering joining the club at NCL, and I notice they have a Bulldog for hire, at just £5 more than a C150. As I much prefer low wings, and money is very tight, I think the Bulldog may be just the ticket.

Anyone flown this? As there is only one example with the club, is availability an issue? I've only flown a C150/152 and Seminoles so would need difference training, and would have to get used to using a stick!

Cheers :-)

Additional costs?
Landing fees (peak or off-peak). The hourly rate is advertised + landings.
At EGNT they're a fortune.
What does the hourly rate include? Is is chock-to-chock while you pay for 20 mins or more waiting at the hold, or are you paying for departure to touch down?
Tuition? Is ground school included or additional?
Then there's a fortune for your airport pass, not forgetting a wee bit extra for a high-viz vest.

For a young lad who's cash may be tight, all serious issues I would have thought.

Same goes for geordiejet. Check what you'll pay for. The rate may not seem so attractive when landng fees are added. I believe there's a Bulldog for hire at DTV too.