Hour Building (General & UK)
) haha!
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Europe
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Hello Tubular bells,
In my flying club located in the south east of France by the mediterranean seaside, here are the fees:
- Robin DR400, 2 seater, 108 HP cruising speed 100kt: 70€/h (47 £/ hour) all inclusive
- Robin DR400 4 seater (limited to 3 persons) , 120 HP cruising speed 100 kt: 79€/hour (53£/hour) all inclusive
- Robin DR400 4 seater 160 HP: 101€/h (68£/hour all inclusive)
- Robin DR 400 180 HP cruising speed 120 kt: 108€ (72£/h all inclusive)
- Piper PA28 160 HP: 101€/h (68£/hour all inclusive)
You need to subscribe an insurance and to pay an anual fee to the flying club (from the top of my head: 80£ or so).
I already have my CPL, IR me and a MCC, but I love flying these aircraft, and also fly them for cheap hour building, waiting to do a CFI training next month.
I hope this will help. If you or anybody else want to share trips, I'd be happy to fly with you.
Regards.
In my flying club located in the south east of France by the mediterranean seaside, here are the fees:
- Robin DR400, 2 seater, 108 HP cruising speed 100kt: 70€/h (47 £/ hour) all inclusive
- Robin DR400 4 seater (limited to 3 persons) , 120 HP cruising speed 100 kt: 79€/hour (53£/hour) all inclusive
- Robin DR400 4 seater 160 HP: 101€/h (68£/hour all inclusive)
- Robin DR 400 180 HP cruising speed 120 kt: 108€ (72£/h all inclusive)
- Piper PA28 160 HP: 101€/h (68£/hour all inclusive)
You need to subscribe an insurance and to pay an anual fee to the flying club (from the top of my head: 80£ or so).
I already have my CPL, IR me and a MCC, but I love flying these aircraft, and also fly them for cheap hour building, waiting to do a CFI training next month.
I hope this will help. If you or anybody else want to share trips, I'd be happy to fly with you.
Regards.
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: London
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If you're still looking, I've done all my hour building in Tauranga New Zealand. It's an awesome place to fly, snow covered mountains, lakes rivers, 5 mins from the beach, and C172 for about 55 quid ($160NZD) look at www.flytac.co.nz , thaeyre all really helpful and can arrange accommodation and an old car for you, (they get lots of Brits hour building)
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wor Yerm
Age: 68
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I'd go to Oz. A huge, unpopulated country, filled with nothing. No navaids, nothing (apart from flies). But the flying is excellent, great value for money and the locals very friendly. And I recon that you could easily count on their support to help you with your mission. My experiences were in Jandakot (Royal Aero Club of Western Australia) and Par Avion/Tas Air in Tasmania.
If you want to learn anything florida is not the place to go, unless all you want to do is put hours in your log book. California and arizona will challenge you as a private pilot, Canada is good for learning the weather especially the east coast if you want to fly in the hills go to the west coast BC, just my thoughts
Join Date: May 2002
Location: In a nice house
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If hour building in USA don't limit yourself to one state - fly across America, up to Canada and back again. I did that - buy a road map and decide where you fancy going - we saw some great places; set out early in the morning, stop for fuel then fly on and spend the afternoon somewhere interesting sightseeing, then fly again for a couple of hours in the evening. Get to know 1-800-wx-brief people really well, particularly the met man!
Tips for saving money:
1) put advertisements up in flight schools in the UK asking if anyone wants to come with you - many newish PPLers want the experience but don't want to go alone - share the costs, just make sure you log all the time. Can make the trip more fun.
2) get a copy of the AOPA guide (I think its AOPA, looks like a telephone directory). It lists all airports in the USA, with useful info such as whether they provide free courtesy car, free "pilot rest area" (which is basically just like a motel room, for free), etc.
Many do. Some are fantastic (try Austin, Texas).
3) try and find out where the cheapest fuel is to be had. Many pilots will know if they've been somewhere and it was cheap.
4) do as many landings, night flying, instrument approaches, approaches to big airports as you can as its relevant to airline flying and its free
5) when staying in cities stay in the affiliated youth hostels, dirt cheap.
Tips for saving money:
1) put advertisements up in flight schools in the UK asking if anyone wants to come with you - many newish PPLers want the experience but don't want to go alone - share the costs, just make sure you log all the time. Can make the trip more fun.
2) get a copy of the AOPA guide (I think its AOPA, looks like a telephone directory). It lists all airports in the USA, with useful info such as whether they provide free courtesy car, free "pilot rest area" (which is basically just like a motel room, for free), etc.
Many do. Some are fantastic (try Austin, Texas).
3) try and find out where the cheapest fuel is to be had. Many pilots will know if they've been somewhere and it was cheap.
4) do as many landings, night flying, instrument approaches, approaches to big airports as you can as its relevant to airline flying and its free
5) when staying in cities stay in the affiliated youth hostels, dirt cheap.
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: SW England - and happy!
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Don't discount the UK.
I bought a share in an aircraft at the local field, it cost about £35 per hour to fly and £35 a month. After three years I sold the share on for what I paid for it and a little bit more.
It had excellent availability - you get to fly with other syndicate members and learn off them - and you can go farther. Having a share close to home means that it is easier to take friends, family and colleagues flying (and possibly help with cost sharing).
You fly in busy UK airspace in crummy UK weather, you will build better navigation, command and radio skills here, rather than flying under flight following in CAVOK in the US.
If you finally get an airline job you still have access to a cheap light aircraft to fly.
I bought a share in an aircraft at the local field, it cost about £35 per hour to fly and £35 a month. After three years I sold the share on for what I paid for it and a little bit more.
It had excellent availability - you get to fly with other syndicate members and learn off them - and you can go farther. Having a share close to home means that it is easier to take friends, family and colleagues flying (and possibly help with cost sharing).
You fly in busy UK airspace in crummy UK weather, you will build better navigation, command and radio skills here, rather than flying under flight following in CAVOK in the US.
If you finally get an airline job you still have access to a cheap light aircraft to fly.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cloud Cookoo Land
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Hour Building
Due to me being married, I have resigned myself to hour building in the UK. Fair enough, it is more expensive, however I have paid for time in the S.E of England (where I am also doing an IMC and Warrior conversion), plus time in Scotland (where I live) at Prestwick and hopefully some flying in Ireland with my father...if done right it will show variation in different UK airspace and hopefully stand me well for my CPL/IR.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: West Africa
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hi
Here is one for you, Why dont you try Botswana. There is a good school in Gaborone. The weather is brillant, costs the same as SA. Cheap living, and you get to go to extreme places and see animals. It would also be good expierence for anyone with plans to work at Maun. If you are interested PM me, I have the details of the Flying Club.
Flying Paddy
Here is one for you, Why dont you try Botswana. There is a good school in Gaborone. The weather is brillant, costs the same as SA. Cheap living, and you get to go to extreme places and see animals. It would also be good expierence for anyone with plans to work at Maun. If you are interested PM me, I have the details of the Flying Club.
Flying Paddy
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ireland
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UK Hour Building. Is it possible?
Hi
I need to build another 75 hours before I start a commercial course and had always planned on doing this in the US. After speaking to a few schools and students I'm convinced that I should be doing at least a portion of my hour building in UK airspace. Is this possible in the next month or so? My main concern is weather.
Thanks,
THomas
I need to build another 75 hours before I start a commercial course and had always planned on doing this in the US. After speaking to a few schools and students I'm convinced that I should be doing at least a portion of my hour building in UK airspace. Is this possible in the next month or so? My main concern is weather.
Thanks,
THomas
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: West London
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After speaking to a few schools
It's remarkable how many foreign pilots never to do an hour in the UK while training, yet when commercial, they manage to fly over here without hitting things.
Re weather - if you're from Dublin you don't need to ask.
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I would have thought that US flying could be as challenging if not more so than the UK. The UK does have awkward weather and crowded airspace, but then the US has hot'n'high, terrain, weather extremes and the possibility of really mixing it with the big boys (much less GA phobia at the big'n'busy airports so I'm told).
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Essex
Age: 54
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75 hours in a month in winter in the UK?
Hmm I think not.Theres only about 7 hours daylight per day anyway.
However hour building in the UK is possible I have gone from 60 hours TT in March to 145 hours TT in October all in the uk so it can be done with a bit of forward planning
Hmm I think not.Theres only about 7 hours daylight per day anyway.
However hour building in the UK is possible I have gone from 60 hours TT in March to 145 hours TT in October all in the uk so it can be done with a bit of forward planning
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ireland
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Hi
To be fair to the school that really pushed me to get experience in the UK, they pointed me in the direction of local clubs for cheaper prices.
I've only ever flown in the US. My PPL was issued by the UK CAA but I trained in Florida. I can see the sense in getting used to the airspace and RT before starting a commercial course. Maybe I'd do fine without the experience but I can't see the harm in doing it.
All talk though, if the weather is the same as Dublin there's little chance. Even if it looks clear you won't get far.
Thanks
To be fair to the school that really pushed me to get experience in the UK, they pointed me in the direction of local clubs for cheaper prices.
I've only ever flown in the US. My PPL was issued by the UK CAA but I trained in Florida. I can see the sense in getting used to the airspace and RT before starting a commercial course. Maybe I'd do fine without the experience but I can't see the harm in doing it.
All talk though, if the weather is the same as Dublin there's little chance. Even if it looks clear you won't get far.
Thanks
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Hotelia
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Go where its the best price. If its the US so be it. You can fly almost everyday there, if you go to the right place for the season. You are satisfying a minimum requirement for flight. The training comes later. Experience in the UK could be of some use but experience in flying is the essence. You will surely need the money you save later.
Ramasseur des pommes
I leased an aircraft his summer to do some hour building and managed to do over 100 hours in two months even when working two days a week. It's entirely possible to hour build in the UK, but probably only in the summer.
Leasing an aircraft is the best way to do it in this country as it is available to you all the time; no messing around with bookings and all the other disorganisation that happens at flight schools/clubs. For me, it also worked out cheaper than hiring from a club by a considerable margin.
AppleMacster
Leasing an aircraft is the best way to do it in this country as it is available to you all the time; no messing around with bookings and all the other disorganisation that happens at flight schools/clubs. For me, it also worked out cheaper than hiring from a club by a considerable margin.
AppleMacster
Why do it if it's not fun?
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Bournemouth
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I disagree with the general advice - I would try to do at least some hour-building in the UK, if that is where you will be looking for a job.
I'm all for doing some training abroad - but you've already done your PPL in the US. At some point, you really need to get at least a little bit of UK experience, even if it means putting up with some weather delays.
As for the weather - the best flying days in the UK are always in the winter, when the air is clear. Sometimes it takes a bit of patience waiting for these days, but it's worth waiting.
Maybe you could split your hour-building, so that you can do some where the weather is better, and some in the UK?
FFF
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I'm all for doing some training abroad - but you've already done your PPL in the US. At some point, you really need to get at least a little bit of UK experience, even if it means putting up with some weather delays.
As for the weather - the best flying days in the UK are always in the winter, when the air is clear. Sometimes it takes a bit of patience waiting for these days, but it's worth waiting.
Maybe you could split your hour-building, so that you can do some where the weather is better, and some in the UK?
FFF
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Belgium
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Why don't you get your IMC rating first and after that do all your flying here. You need the instrument time anyway and you have more chances to get your hours in.
Try to go all over the country. Meeting a lot of people etc. etc.
Try to go all over the country. Meeting a lot of people etc. etc.