ppl at hawarden
 

hello to the forum!

i am considering starting out to get my PPL and i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for schools near the wirral? i think that either liverpool or harwarden would be the closest to me.

any advice would be most welcome!

Hawarden is quieter than Liverpool, though still offering a full ATC service and a wide variety of traffic. I use Flintshire FS for my revalidations and the staff there are always very helpful. I did my initial training at Speke (now Liverpool) in 1958 so I cannot now vouch for the schools at Liverpool, but I do see their training flights doing touch and goes quite frequently at Hawarden.

Hen ddraig
Time to spare, go by air

At Liverpool you've:

Ravenair - Flight Training, Air Charter, Aerial Survey, Aircraft Engineering, Aircraft Handling, Aircraft Hangarage, Aircraft Management, North West England, Liverpool Airport, City Airport Manchester (Barton Aerodrome)

Flying School Liverpool | Flight Lessons Merseyside - MerseyFlight

Liverpool Flying School | Home

Lomac Aviators Flying School, Liverpool.

If you're aiming at going commercial and staying local for training then Ravenair, if its a PPL for your own pleasure then any of the above, pay a visit have a brew and ask questions, see how you feel about the place and who you're comfortable with.

I'd also put my money on Hawarden. Liverpool is too busy in my opinion for PPL training. You'll spend a fair bit of money sitting at the hold or orbiting. I did and that was 15 years ago. That being said ask the schools how they charge. If it's airborne plus say 10 mins at the start then 5 mins after you're familiar then that mitigates the holding point money trap but not the orbiting one.

Hawarden is decent, but if you're doing it in summer at weekends you may find the opening hours a pain. Otherwise it's a quiet airfield with good access to the south and wales for nav exercises. The airport can be a law unto themselves at times, and don't dare even think about going airside without a Hi Viz. They'll know you thought about it!!!!!

How far would you drive? I'm not sure how the situation at Barton is these days. Or even Sleap? Though that may be a bit far.

Jump in the car and visit as many as possible. You can't beat face time with the school to gauge how you'll feel handing over your hard earned to them.

I learned to fly with Liverpool Flying School in 1997 and would highly recommend.

I used to love the controlled airspace, flying out over Chester and will never forget my first solo on that HUGE runway ... The controller wasn't letting me anywhere near it until a procession of Ryanair and EasyJet had landed.

The cross route was Liverpool to Halfpenny Green (land). Quick brew, then off to Blackpool via Hixon disused and the Manchester low level corridor. Land at Blackpool and back to. Liverpool via Aintree. I'll never forget doing that solo - overtaken by a Jet a Provost in the low level corridor :O

I've had a big gap in my flying and am (almost) current again. Training at Tatenhill and hope to make the short trip to Hawarden early in 2014 as my mum lives 7 mies from the field and have never flown in there.

Good luck whatever you decide, I'm sure it will all be fun! :ok:

cheers for info!

i am flexible on times and actually think i would prefer weekdays perhaps once or twice a week.

i live on the wirral so hawarden is by far the easiest to get to, so i think its either liverpool or there.

the PPL is just for pleasure so no worries on the commercial front.

will definitely go and meet the different companies, but i am booked in for a trial flight this monday with liverpool flying school, although i imagine that there is probably going to be issues with the weather!

I would say Lomac Aviators, first portacabin on the GA Apron as you go in.

Friendly home like atmosphere.

Neil has been instructing for the long run and is no Hour builder.

Mike is retired BA Captain so also ther for the long run.

my training has been 1st class currently 23 hours, always there to help if you need them...

And no i am not on commision just being as honest as possible.

Fleet of aircraft 3 / 4 pa38 tomahawk.
1 x C-152
1 X C-172
2 X PA28

Great school (Bigger aerodrome More ATC) Better RT experience once getting through your skill test.

Has it got to be GA...good microlight school school at Ince just to the North of Liverpool....save ££££££££££.

I have signed up for my first set of lessons starting on Wednesday!

is it worth buying this?

https://www.pooleys.com/shop/pooleys...ts-starter-kit

what else will I need?

Seems like good value for money, as long as your training is still using that equipment.


btw. I would avoid the Nato Crew Neck Sweater, I always caught a chill when wearing one... You get all nice and warm, then the first bit of wind blows straight through it.


Hope to see you overhead some day soon...
.

I was just going to stick with a uniform shirt and some gold bars on epaulettes:p

Microlights are GA, surely?

Haha priceless.

Yes, I would consider purchasing this kit, its pretty good value for money, although the Pooleys Guide and the 1:500k chart will most likely be out of date by the time you'll start using them actively in your training (unless you're going intensive of course!). I would probably go to the library / bookshop and read a chapter or two of the books, to make sure you like the format / style of writing. (i do prefer these to the other commonly used ones).

You need some dedication to the ground school & a a longing to have a lot of fun!