PPL - Barton or Blackpool?
 

Hey everyone! Well after a grueling 12 hour round road trip to Kent last week I have decided to learn to fly.

I live in Fence, in Lancashire, and my question is simple. Which is the best flying school and which is the best airport to train for my PPL at? Barton or Blackpool?

I live equal proximity to both and, once passed, I have set my heart on buying a Cirrus SR22 as I love the look of the plane and particularly the parachute idea for safety. I originally wanted to learn to fly a Helicopter, but with the UK weather like it is I am hoping to do my IMC once passed to enable me to fly more often despite our weather.

Any help or advice that anyone can give would be really appreciated. I have done my research and there are about 4 different flying schools I could choose from, so if anyone has any experience and can give me a recommendation that would be great!

Westair at Blackpool would be my recommendation. I learnt at both Barton and Blackpool and both were good but Westair was the school I finished my PPL at.

I'd say Barton. It's a very friendly airfield and even though it isn't owned by a club it still has that club feel whereas BPL doesn't have any atmosphere at all.
Barton has a very friendly Flight Information Service and although it isn't an international airport like BPL it is still busy enough to keep you on your toes and develop you into a confident and proficient pilot especially due to it's proximity to Manchester and Liverpool.
The schools at Barton are well established and have very good instructors. Try LAC or Manchester Flight Training and ask for a look around the tower and airfield to see what you're paying for.

I can second westair. Very friendly atmosphere and instructors. Defo have some trail lessons at a few places and make sure your picking the place that has best setup for yourself.

Barton is the better training ground for a PPL. It has relatively short runways so you won't be afraid of flying into strips when you qualify, and you get to talk to Manchester and Liverpool as well as the local guys so will develop good RT skills.

It's niot the place it was back in the day, but it's a lot more 'atmospheric' and suited to basic training than the wide tarmac expanses of Blackpool.

I would recommend interviewing the instructors (even if you choose one airport or company over another for whatever reasons) as the instructor you choose will make more of an impact on the quality of your training than the plane you fly in or the width of the runway, or the quality of the coffee in the cafe, or how friendly the front office staff are to you.

Points to know about the instructor...
Why are they instructing (to get hours to go fly aluminum tubes? or because they have a love of teaching new pilots?)
How long have they been instructing?
How many students do they have right now? (availability, popularity)
When are they available for instructing?
Can they instruct IFR/IR/IMC?
How many students have they soloed? what is the average hours to solo?
How many students have gotten PPL with them? average hours?
Same for IFR/IR/IMC?
What would be a sample lesson? (you're not looking for content here, you might not be able to evaluate that, as much as how do they teach, and does it match your learning style)

Instructors come and go (often to the airlines), so if you go that route choose a 'career instructor' (like MR at LAC Barton).

When I did my PPL back in the 1970s, I had many instructors. It was no bad thing. I learned there's more than one way to do things and to decide for myself which I would adopt, and each one brought different aspects of the learning process to our lessons.

LK,
Living in Fence you would make more use of any sort of Heli than a fixed wing, it will be a little more expensive to get the ticket but then it dos'nt sound like you will worry about that, plus if flying in bad weather is what you want you still have the ability in a bigger Heli with more get out of jail possibilities if its too rough and stormy ( ie land almost anywhere)

Peter R-B
Lancashire

Hey guys! Thanks for the replies. I think i'm going to learn at Barton at either LAC or Flight Academy. Blackpool is probably just not as convenient for me. Just a couple of questions though...

Medex - you say that I shouldn't rely on flying myself as a reliable mode of travel? Why do you say this? If I bought my own plane and passed my IMC what would stop me flying around the country to attend my meetings? Obviously I can arrange the meeting at any time but I am curious to understand the limitations?

Peter-RB - I know what you are saying about Helicopter and my initial thought was to learn to fly a Helicopter and get myself a Robinson R44, but i've been told I can only fly it in almost perfect weather conditions (which of course we don't get many of), which would hinder my dream of being able to fly around the country for my business.

As well as flying being a useful tool to get places quicker than driving, I am also looking forward to the whole experience as I am in love with anything with an engine!!

Any advice on LAC or the Flying Academy would be helpful too!

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...blackpool.html. Essential reading for a prospective ppl :ok:

Certainly if Barton were to become your home base then relying on an IMC to get you out and back would be a complete non-starter - no instrument approaches, need VFR minima to be in the Barton Low Flying Area at all!

When I was current with an IR (some years ago), I used occasionally to do an approach into Manchester, then once visual break off back to Barton. Have also diverted into Liverpool as well.

But the reality of using a light aircraft as a reliable means of business travel is IMHO a tad far-fetched.

All that said, I heartily endorse what others have said to you - learn to fly, it's challenging, intellectually rewarding and above all fun! I'd recommend Barton over Blackpool (but then I would, wouldn't I) as if you can master operating out of a bumpy grass field then big tarmac runways are a doddle - the reverse is not the case.

Commuting by air????
 

Co-incidently, I spent two years commuting in a spam can between the north-west and Kent.
When you have about five years experience, an IMC rating and a suitable kite, it might work 75% of the time. That time is the nine summer months. You can forget it for the other three.

It's horrendously expensive compared with other modes, and that's fixed wing I'm talking about. Egg-beaters cost more by a factor of 2 or 3 and, as you've noted, can't cope with naff wx. I've calculated that I could have hired a chauffer driven limousine cheaper. :ooh:

Others mention instrument approaches, IRs and other exotica. Unless your destination happens to be very convenient to equiped airfields, all the time saving is dissipated in subsequent surface travel. Oh, and you need a car at each end! What time does your originating airfield open for business; 9am? And so it goes on.

Frankly, unless there is water in the way or a cross country route without a decent highway, flying doesn't pay. But you will enjoy it mightily! :)
There are a few on Flyer who do it. Interogate them.

Lonnykins.

There are only 2 fixed wing flight training schools at Barton, LAC and Manchester Flight Training. Flight Academy are helicopters and Gyrocopters only.

There is also a microlight school on the field.

I think that Manchester Flight training are a fully approved ATO, as they do Instructor courses.

Good luck

MFT would get my vote, they have a very ethical approach to business.

If you can afford a Cirrus can I be your mate? Have an IMC and night rating, available most weekends, no charge for co piloting duties. Very dry and sharp sense of humour , will keep you entertained on long journeys. Own teeth and hair.

Flight Academy at blackpool has yes. I've just moved back to flying from barton after being up at BPL. For a new PPL I'd say the atmosphere around Barton is friendly and there is always somebody willing to chat about anything flying.

Currently Self Hiring out of MFT but did a ppl many moons ago at LAC. Both good places to start your flying from in my eyes

Go to the States, get an FAA Private certificate and Instrument Rating, then buy a Cirrus on the N-reg.