Which school?
 

Hi Guys. New Boy Alert!

Please can anyone tell me which flying school I should use. I live half way between Blackpool and Leeds. I have used both for trial lessons and Blackpool uses PA28 aircraft and is timed chock to chock.
Leeds has a C152 and is on that funny meter thing. I probably live slightly closer to leeds. Any advice on which to use and can the time Im sat doing pre flight checks in the 152 count in my log book or is it dead money?

P.s Ive also got to consider long term and career prospects. I hope to go all the way as much out of my own pocket as possible.

Cheers Guys..

Chock to chock is probably better as that's the time you can log whereas the Hobbs meter runs as soon as the engine is switched on (or on some aircraft the master switch) so time doing checks before brakes off is dead time and it's better not to have any pressure to hurry things along. As to aircraft it is a personal preference thing however the PA28s have 4 seats and carry more so are a more practical prospect for touring once you've got your licence. I haven't been to either of the fields you mention but as a general rule I'd go for the less busy one for training - you will always take second place to an airliner.

Todge,

I have flown in both (only 12hours so far) and I much prefer the warrior. The main reason is the width of the cockpit - the PA28 is just wider and more comfortable.

It sounds as if you are getting a better deal timewise as well with the warrior, but you don't mention the cost per hour - would this outweigh other considerations?

Also, don't choose the flying school just on the basis of the aircraft type - what about the instructors, the people, what is aircraft availability like etc. Which is the less busy aerodrome? Time spent holding counts in your logbook, but is hardly productive when learning to fly!

SD

------------------
Hoping and praying should never be confused with planning...

Which school in Leeds? Was it Leeds School of Flying or Multiflight? If you've tried one why not try the other? Multiflight charge for take off time to landing time plus 10 minutes regardless. In the end it all pretty much evens out although I would agree that the Hobbs might encourage you to rush through your checks.

You will generally find that you can log all the time that the hobbs meter is running so you won't have any dead time that you're paying for but not logging.

Try Sherburn they have friendly staff, a very good fleet of PA28's and one or two cesspits.
Not far from Leeds, and cheaper!

OOPS..

Sorry I missed out the vital Details.
Blackpool Charge £100 per hour For the PA 28. Leeds Charge £96 per hour for the C152. Blackpool have a membership fee and leeds dont. But leeds are only £12 per exam and Blackpool charge £25???? On the other hand Leeds copes with loads of regional traffic and I think the biggest Aircraft Ive seen at Blackpool is a Cessna Citation.

Another consideration is the 'local' weather,as many unhappy hours will be spent in the clubhouse just waiting/hoping for that front to pass through or the mist/fog to burn off !
From my limited knowledge of the two,Blackpool seems to have the better weather(sea level) along with more runways to choose from thus minising grounded time due to crosswinds.
Oh and one final point, it is very hard to get 'lost' around Blackpool due to being situated on the coast and having a bloody big mast in the form of Blackpool tower therefore making nav exercises considerably easier.

The ONLY important things are that you find a good instructor who you get on with, and that you feel happy with the school and the way it's run after having checked them out as thoroughly as you can.

The costs sound very similar, and are likely to be. Whichever aircraft you learn on, you can easily convert to another after you get your licence. If you learn somewhere small with A/G radio, such as Sherburn, you'll probably be happy making your own decisions, but not so confident at following ATC's instructions; the reverse will be true if you learn at a larger airfield. But you'll need to learn to deal with both types eventually, so it doesn't really matter.

If you find a good, well organised school, and an instructor you get on with, you'll get your PPL in less hours anyway - so it'll save you money in the long run. So don't piss about trying to save pennies; look at the things which really matter; it'll save you money in the long run and you'll enjoy it more anyway.

I speak from experience http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif

------------------
Whirly

To fly is human, to hover, divine.

Another thing to consider with Blackpool might be the traffic to and from the field. In my experience the M55 is a bloody nightmare at this time of the year , especially if you were looking at doing lessons over the weekends. Ever considered Liverpool? It has easy motorway access to the door, and 3 schools to choose from: LFS, CATS and Ravenair, I don't know the costs but if you are going to be spending £4-5k they might be worth looking at for the price of a phone call.

T.

Thanks to you all.

I still can't make my mind up which to go for.
So much to think about. I too have spent many hours sat on the M55 watching the guy in the next car arguing with the wife. I'd like to go to Leeds as its a busy airfield, I think I'd be better at Blackpool( Less time rushing, nicer plane etc). Can anyone tell me how Blackpool can justify charging double what Leeds want for the PPL exams and is this common between Flying Schools?

There are no set rules for how much a school can charge for a PPL exam, so basically it's as much as a school feels it can get from you. As said before, whichever school you feel most comfortable with is the best to go for.

£25 sounds a bit steep as an exam fee; at the school I teach at they are free to club members. That won't help you much though as it's in Dundee.
Cheers DB6