Hour Building (General & UK)

[Just another student]

Thanks.

BEagle, I already have a night rating and completed my CPL X-country in America. It was just over 400nm if I remember rightly.

Nice Flaps, I've tried to be constructive with my hours so far.Flying in different environments etc anyone who has flown in and around the LA basin will vouch for that lol

Tiger, I'm going down to Aeros today so will ask about block hours.

Thanks for the advice

[BEagle]

Just did some number-crunching. If 30 hours incl. all dual checks, landing fees etc on an IFR (non-airways) PA28-140 comes out to over £2600, I'd be most interested to know....

[buzzc152]

Have you thought about buying a share ? I know of one in which 30 hours would cost appx £1050 (not inc the share price which you'd get back when you sell anyway).

PM if you want to know more.

[Just another student]

Well, I visited Aeros today and was most impressed.Was shown round the aircraft, had a go on the FNTP, managed to land it lol All my questions were answered thoroughly, the people were very friendly and obviously know what they are doing.I ended up later on (after the visit) booking up for CPL,MEP and MEP IR. They can also make me a deal on hour building which is useful.I think I have made a sound choice. My course start date is June 27th, so I have to get cracking with those hours. Any thoughts?


buzz, to be honest I did look at that option, but i'm afraid time is not on my side as my course start date is 27th June and many shares etc are not open to short time hour builders.Thanks for the input.

Cheers

[Chintito]

CPL relevent hour building practice suggestions in UK

im all set for starting the CPL next month and would like some suggestions of what i can do to prepare for the course.
3 hours in the 20 hours of flying i need ive been honing my stalls and steep turns.
I would like to get as much practice as possible for course related skills practice so would like some suggestions from you folks out there who've been there and done that.

many thanks

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

Check out this thread I listed the format of the test. May be an idea to practice some of this stuff.

All the best.

[HappyPilot]

Hey Chintito,

check your pm's

HP

[Just another student]

Right, as I mentioned above i'm now booked up for June 27th for CPL/IR etc Before then I need to fly between 45 and 62 hours.If I reach 62 I would only have to do a 50hr IR which would be a bonus (I would have 200 TT with 100 PIC).

The Aeros cherokee which is an hour builder is fully booked for weeks, which removes that as an option for now. I will have to look at this option in a few weeks time.

However I need hours and fast, so I'm obviously looking at America. I have a brand spanking new Airman certificate (plastic card like a credit card lol ), however I need somewhere to fly!

California is my first choice, should be good weather and I could fly the routes I didn't manage to complete in Feb.

But which schools are going to be safe (fleet wise) and are not going to rip me off? ADP were good, very honest and professional but ideally I'd like to go elsewhere. I would need to book ASAP, any help would be appreciated!

Is Australia a viable option? Canada is very expensive to fly to so I have virtually ruled out 'my second home.'

Cheers

JAS

[Just another student]

Any information on Anglo American at San diego? I have looked in the search engine and most of the topics are quite old. I appreciate that there was some ill feeling between PPrune and AAA, (and rightly so) but have these issues etc been resolved? What is there reputation like now?

Anybody with recent experince at AAA it would be great to hear your views.

I really just need a safe aircraft to fly solidly for 3 weeks. I don't mind paying a bit extra for a more reliable bird. The last time I went state side, I did have a few tech problems which cost me time and flying hours.

Thanks

JAS

[bigjarv]

Hey Happy Pilot and Chinchito. Is there any chance you could share any info with me. Would love some advice on productive hour building.

[FougaMagister]

Wherever you do your pre-CPL hour building, remember to do it THE HARD WAY, i.e. do the VFR navs sticking to the CPL margins, with VFR dead-reckoning, a proper log, some general handling, practicing glide approaches, PFLs (remembering the 500 ft rule), flapless approaches, some radio-nav fixes during the VFR legs, etc. These are all part of the CPL skills test, and practicing beforehand will give you a decent head start.

I had about 25 hours to do while waiting for my ATPL results and before starting CPL, so I went back to France, signed up with a local flying club, got checked out and did quite a few VFR navs there.

A good idea also is to try to do your hour building in a similar a/c to the one you'll be using on the non-complex part of the CPL course - for instance a PA-28 if you'll be using a Warrior, so you'll have a seamless transition.

Enjoy the CPL

[Just another student]

FougaMagister, very sound advice. I am only looking at renting PA28's as I will be completing my training on an all Piper fleet. I try and make my hour building as structured as possible always with the CPL in mind. With any luck I will fly around 20hrs at Aeros in a PA28 prior to CPL start. During that time I will cover many of their structured routes etc and will have an instructor with me from time to time to keep me in check!

I need a PA28 and quick

How about Chandler Air Service?

Cheers

JAS

[Send Clowns]

Just Another Student

Check up on the requirements, but I believe you can do the 50-hour IR as long as you have passed the CPL, I certainly did before CPL issue. You presumably then don't need the 200 hours pre-IR, and only need 45 hours.

If you can get down to Bournemouth very I may be able to get you some cheap hour building.

[Just another student]

Send Clowns

I'm just going on what Aeros have told me, however I'll have a look in the Lasors.

If you could PM me regarding the hour building that would be great.I am looking at most options other than the PFA and aircraft share route.

Cheers

JAS

[six-sixty]

I didn't really consciously hour build as such, as before I decided to pursue the CPL/IR etc I'd just been racking up lots of "useless" (but great fun) hours flying lazy aeros.

So the CPL was actually a bit of a shock to the system!

My advice would be spend less time on the GH and more on nav. On the GH it's going to be better to have an instructor tell you if you're doing it right rather than you reinforce what might be bad habits on your own with noone telling you otherwise. There's plenty of time on the course to sort all that out.

On the nav side, try and fly vaguely test profile type routes, that is, a 50nm or so route to a small-ish town, followed by a diversion. Ok, it's difficult to "surprise" yourself, but I suppose it's feasible, that after finding your original destination, pick another place to find and start getting used to planning the diversion on the hoof, that is drift, groundspeed, eta, check the route for airspace, danger areas, etc. Try and fly through at least a MATZ or some perhaps some class D, and be disciplined about making sure you're always speaking to someone for a FIS wherever possible. Get very slick at RT! It really needs to be second nature.

Hope this helps, SS

[What's a Girdler]

Clowns, I'm doing the ATPLs with BCFT at the mo, DL of coarse, I understand you work for them, can you get me some cheap hours building?? I'm spending £135 p/hr on AA5As at a well known school at Blackbushe and it's tough going!!

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

I would practice everything, SS, every instructor is different, and if you are particularly weak on one area, personally I would practice that. Maybe take a safety pilot with you, maybe someone with a commercial licence, who can give you good advice.

Maybe they could introduce you to the things that will be new to you, like instrument flying, partial panel, timed turns and stuff like that. Agree with SS on the NAV, get slick with RT, and channel those VFR skills. Push yourself on cross country flights, it will make it all the more easier when it comes to the course.

[flyingdogguitar]

Hour building?

Hello everyone,
does anyone know what sort of hour building rates can be found in the south Essex area?


Many Thanks

Dave C

[topcat450]

Well i can't help on actual rates, however do look at the PFA. I'm clonking up ours for the miserly rate of £25 per hour by buying a share in a PFA machine which will hopefully be sell-able in 12 months, if I give it away in a year or two... it was still cheaper than renting at £100 an hour.

[Foz2]

Give Stapleford Flight Centre a call. They will give you £65 per hour on a 152 if you put a bit of money up front. Dont know if they still offer that rate but they were late last year.

Good place to hour build as they have so many 152s (15-20 i think) you would always have an aircraft available.

Foz