Appreciate the comments re: weather, I know only too well how useless the British weather can be. (having to traspe to the City every day with my trusty umbrella !!)

But hey, it may surprise us and if I can get a couple of lessons in the winter months it's all good practice for the glorious summer which I'm sure we all hope we have.

One's thing for sure I will probably never pay so much attention to Francis Wilson or Ian Magaskill than I will next year !!

regards
Simon

PS: You have now got me thinking of part learning abroad where the weather is somewhat better, any excuse for a holiday !!!!

:D

Lots of good advice from some experienced folk!

I would re-emphasize the "pay nothing upfront" recommendation. Many would-be pilots have lost lots of cash that way. Pay as you go! If you have the cash sitting there, put it into an interest-bearing account.

Flying in winter is fabulous - better visibility than almost any other time of year, and the view of snowy fields etc from 2000 feet is a delight.

Remember it's icy, though, and listen to what the instructor says about airframe and carburettor ice. On my qualifying cross-country, I got out of the aircraft at Biggin and fell flat on my face on the ice. The aircraft taxied quite well on the slippery surface, but I didn't!

Learning abroad is good if you're in a hurry, but there are disadvantages too. There's lots about that in old threads - use the "search" tool at the bottom of the page to look for "Florida" and "California" and the like.

As one who has flown lots in the USA, I can tell you that it is a great place to fly, and if you have a full JAA PPL, they'll issue you an FAA one with only some paperwork to be done.

Flying in California, Arizona, Utah etc is nothing short of fabulous.

Obviously there CAN be good days in winter. They're just very rare and I've never seen one. Having your lesson cancelled due to crap weather is not going to give you experience of bad weather, it'll just annoy you. My point is that it'd be really frustrating to think you're going to start to learn to fly only to have, and this is realistic, maybe 5 lessons canned out of 6 due to crap weather.

Tiger Moth,

Back in the days when Welshpool did three week residential courses, I saw guys book three weeks in the summer and never get airborne due to crap vis or whatever. Meanwhile, having moved heaven and earth to get my PPL in the summer so I could fly over Snowdonia to Caernarfon, I got my licence and made it across the mountains in October, my first flight as a qualified pilot. And also the only time I've made it over Snowdonia ever. :eek: And after cancelling flying the London Helicopter Routes several times, we made it on a lovely day in mid-December; only problem was barely making it home before sunset.

The weather is unpredictable in the UK, all year. I've been flying for five years; I'm beginning to know.

Damn, rumbled! :D Although it's usually when I'm on the way to the station to go to work.

FFF
--------------------

Almost the whole of December last year was perfect flying weather (but yes, after that it was crap until April), and when you're flying it is wonderful with the kind of visibility you almost never get in summer. You'll cancel a lot of lessons, but not being able to fly due to the weather is part of flying in the UK and it doesn't change when your PPL arrives (it actually got worse for me, because I was over-cautious about my go/no go decisions. Still am). Everybody gets mad about it a couple of times and then deals with it. :)

Keef - I know that you know what I'm about to say, but felt it worth pointing out to the less experienced readers that Carb Icing can happen in any season, not just winter!!

I was as surprised as any to find when flying in Brunei (OAT 34 deg C but up to 98% RH), carb icing is a major issue.

Not trying to pick a flame war - just not wanting to permit some of the studes reading this to think that carb icing is a winter only thing!

sbaywatch,

I started my PPL this summer, thinking that I'd get it all completed in my 6-week holiday, (I am a teacher). However, I didn't complete it, and am currently up to the cross-country stage. And so, to offer my limited advise, I would get those lessons booked ASAP. Yes - lots will be cancelled, Yes- you will get pissed off. But at least you can begin.

I just wish that I had started earlier, because then I might have actually passed my licence. But as other posters have rightly pointed out, you do get used to having lessons cancelled. Just to put you more in the picture; in the summer, I had 4 hours booked every day for 2-weeks, and I actually only flew for 2.1 hours in total. So don't rely on good weather in the spring and summer...we're in England for F**K's sake !

P.S I've sent you a private message! (Not as dodgy as it sounds...honest!)