Best (Cheap) Plane For UK Hourbuilding?
 

Hi all, I've just completed my PPL (wahoo!) and am trying to decide what's best for going for my CPL. I have looked at hourbuilding in the US and reckon £45ph is a do'able figure. I'd love to do the hourbuilding in the UK but thought cost might be a bit prohibitive - could anybody please recommend which planes are very cheap to buy (ie: < £10K) and would provide rough hourly figures of around £45ph wet? A two-seater at a minimum would be what I'm looking for, as the 100 hours might get a bit lonely up there ;)

Thanks for the replies, I've seen those two at Blackpool, can't believe how cheap they are. Just a couple of questions though, I'm moving upto Newcastle within a month so will be looking for something up there if you know of anywhere? Also, would it be frowned upon to hourbuild in a group plane, and I suppose the availability depends on how many there are in the group?

Its not normally a problem to hour build in a group so long as you abide by group rules and look after the aircraft. However if you join a group that is an uquity group you have to purchase into it which at cheapest can be a few grand . Once you have done you will then have to sell that share and that might be difficult . That few grand might be useful to you but not if its tied up in a two seater that your not using because your on your cpl course
if you catch my drift

Newcastle Hour Building
 

Blue Skys Aviation
Cessna 150 & 152, £500 joining fee, £35ph dry. Based at Eshott in Northumberland and also Newcastle, no landing fees at Eshott. Email me for contact details.

VP1 for sale in the latest Popular Flying mag, £4k or so, single seat but hey ho, do your hours, sell it on.

Piper J-3 Cub ?

http://www.planecheck.com/aspdet.asp?nr=7337

$47,000 is cheap? Try looking for an Aeronca Champ. Better than Cub performance (by about 10mph), you can see over the nose when on the ground, cheap to run (about 3.5gph on a Continental 65hp) and relatively easy to sell on after you're done (although you might end up loving it so much you keep it).

Looks great and fun, for how much do they sell these ones ?

I did my hour building in an Aeronca Chief. Share cost me £2.5K - £30 per month and then £25 per hour WET (at 2006 fuel prices). I did 250 hours in just over a year - sold my share and used the £2.5K to help with CPL course.

I reckon I saved myself around £15K in that year (as apposed to club hiring). The plane flies so slowly it takes much longer to get anywhere - hence the 250 hours - it's also great fun to fly and being a taildragger - it really hones your flying skills.

I only sold my share as I now instruct full time and didn't fly the Aeronca as much as I should have..great way to build hours in the UK!!

I know someone who can provide a C152 for about £40+VAT "dry". No joining fee only fuel and landing fee's.

PM me for details

Check www.afors.co.uk - a group A Kitfox with a new permit was on there yesterday for £7,500, but sold within 24 hours. Would have suited you nicely!

Single seaters don't have to be lonely
 

You can often fly your single seater in formation with others and go places together. I learned lots and got to know many people by doing just that.

Singles will almost always be the cheapest way to build hours.

Find a Rans S4/S5 on a permit then - 60 knts and less than 10l/hr! Can't be worth more than £6k. I've seen them on afors for half that!

There's a Rans S6 Group A on afors - £14.5 k, but I bet you could beat him down with the sight of readies and winter coming on. 12l/hour :E

Thanks for the replies, I'm pretty keen on the Eshott group, but will keep my eye out on AFORS for any bargains!

I know of an Aeronca Super Chief for sale, and the owner is VERY keen to sell soon.

P...

Interesting, any idea on price and why the sellers that keen to sell? I've not flown a tailwheel yet but no time to learn like the present!

Chris, sent you a PM rather than advertise here.

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