Hour Building Ideas / ownership / routes? (Merged)
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Hour Building for Modular Route
Ok... just a quick thread about some hours... I've decided to do all my hours in the UK rather than USA for different reasons. Like everyone else, i'm looking for the cheapest... has anyone any good or bad experiences to share, or anywhere they know where i could save a pound or two.
thanks in advance.
thanks in advance.
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Ravenair at Liverpool will do a deal/package for you..only a short hop from Belfast and plenty of places to stay locally.
Good aircraft availability and 24hr airport, you could rattle the hours out quickly if you wanted.
Good aircraft availability and 24hr airport, you could rattle the hours out quickly if you wanted.
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Been hour building in slow time at Ravenair while working and bashing through the ATPLs. Ravenair is not a bad place nowadays, it appears to be going back to the old days of when it was a really good Commercial Flight School. It's almost unrecognisable to when I first started hour building there in 2006. Back then aeroplanes were always unserviceable, never ready for you when you arrived and there were rude instructors who didn't grasp the fact that you were a paying customer... 
The aforementioned points have almost been completely addressed and I would definetely recommend the place for hour building.
The aforementioned points have almost been completely addressed and I would definetely recommend the place for hour building.
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Structured hour building?
Is it worth paying for structured hour building? Can you structure it yourself? Does it matter? I know there's no point in flying in circles for 100 hours, so what should I be doing?
Any advice greatly received.
Any advice greatly received.
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Happened to come across this the other day on the Atlantic Flight Centre site, it's not the UK but you could probably fly there if you like. 
Atlantic Flight Training: Low Proce Hour Building
€125/hr for a grob, thats £108 according to xe.com at the moment.
Atlantic Flight Training: Low Proce Hour Building
€125/hr for a grob, thats £108 according to xe.com at the moment.
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Bournemouth Flying club will do you blocks of 10 hours in a Robin for £79/hour or a PA28 for 10 hours for £92/hour (think they're the up-to-date prices). Great club, atmosphere, fantastic clubhouse and great airfield as well. Not too busy with commercial activity but enough to keep it interesting....
....that's where I'm doing my hour building.....!
....that's where I'm doing my hour building.....!
Wrightflyer - I'm envious - I'd love to be doing my hour-building again! It's such fun.
My basic advice is to avoid burning holes in the sky flying something expensive just for the sake of it. At this stage in your career in Aviation it's very tempting to page through the 'Groups' section of pilot magazines and websites with an eye on the flashiest aircraft for hour-building. Hey, we all do it! I did it! At one stage I even considered getting my MEP before my CPL so I could do some hour-building in a Twinstar!
The reality is that you'll get to fly the more expensive aircraft later on, but all the value of hour-building is found in the handling and cross-country flying and planning skills you'll accumulate. You can do that in a 30 year old Cessna 150! Whatever you do, make sure your hour-building involves many long trips all around Britain.
Aircraft Grouping Ltd looks to be a good deal, especially on the C152. There's also a chap on here who hires out C152s. I'd look into his rates. Talk to your local Flying Club and approach them with a proposal to do a large number of hours on their most underused aircraft. They might bite. The only problem with F;ying Clubs is they rarely let you take an aircraft away for more than a day without requiring a prohibitively high number of minimum number of hours be flown per day.
But if you're really clever you'll buy a share in a group. It's definitely the cheapest route to many cheap hours. It's a bit more hassle and there is the stress of not being able to sell your share later on. What about something like this: FLYER Forums • View topic - £1200 PA38 Tomahawk Share - Bristol or a similar group in your area?
Good luck.
My basic advice is to avoid burning holes in the sky flying something expensive just for the sake of it. At this stage in your career in Aviation it's very tempting to page through the 'Groups' section of pilot magazines and websites with an eye on the flashiest aircraft for hour-building. Hey, we all do it! I did it! At one stage I even considered getting my MEP before my CPL so I could do some hour-building in a Twinstar!
The reality is that you'll get to fly the more expensive aircraft later on, but all the value of hour-building is found in the handling and cross-country flying and planning skills you'll accumulate. You can do that in a 30 year old Cessna 150! Whatever you do, make sure your hour-building involves many long trips all around Britain.
Aircraft Grouping Ltd looks to be a good deal, especially on the C152. There's also a chap on here who hires out C152s. I'd look into his rates. Talk to your local Flying Club and approach them with a proposal to do a large number of hours on their most underused aircraft. They might bite. The only problem with F;ying Clubs is they rarely let you take an aircraft away for more than a day without requiring a prohibitively high number of minimum number of hours be flown per day.
But if you're really clever you'll buy a share in a group. It's definitely the cheapest route to many cheap hours. It's a bit more hassle and there is the stress of not being able to sell your share later on. What about something like this: FLYER Forums • View topic - £1200 PA38 Tomahawk Share - Bristol or a similar group in your area?
Good luck.
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Thanks for all your replies. I guess I was maybe thinking there was more to it. I just wanted to make sure I was making the most of the hours. I'll definitely consider the share option but I'm thinking that AGL is the most competitive.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
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Hour Building Ideas / ownership / routes? (Merged)
Has anyone completed noteworthy structured and exciting hour building?
I'm thinking about maybe a route through Europe and into Asia - is this too ambitious? Anyone managed to do something similar or know of websites showing route ideas?
I'm thinking about maybe a route through Europe and into Asia - is this too ambitious? Anyone managed to do something similar or know of websites showing route ideas?
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Welcome to the forum.
You could look to do the building in the states. Take a look at this route;
100hrs Hour Building - Google Maps
You could look to do the building in the states. Take a look at this route;
100hrs Hour Building - Google Maps
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Hi Bournemouth Pilot,
Seems you to want to do something interesting with hour building! When were you thinking of organising something?
There are usually good articles in Pilot and Flyer each month than can give you great ideas and I wouldn't say having low hows means big trips are out of question. I read one article about a couple who flew an R22 or 44, can't remember, from Alaska down to the southern tip of Chile I believe it was and they had only around 100 hours or so each!
Im going to Seattle in September to get a single engine sea rating on my FAA PPL and get about 20 hours in a Piper Super Cub and going to get an hour in a DHC-2 Beaver
!
Im then thinking of heading back to Cali next August to put a tail endorsement on my FAA PPL and rent a tail dragger for three weeks to get about 50 hours PIC time. There are some great places to fly to out there. Check out Amelia Reid Aviation, you can hire a Citbria for $80 an hour block and I think they only ask for $500 on account to get that rate, which isn't bad if you take it on an extended trip. If you'd be interested in this, they have a Cessna 170 tail dragger for $90 and I would happily share with someone like minded! Also, you won't need a visa to get a tail endorsement, just TSA approval if you haven't already got it which doesn't cost that much.
What ever you choose to do, please do it! Even though it will probably cost you a bit more than drilling holes in a cheap spam can, the experience will no doubt make you a better pilot and for most people it will probably be a once in a life time chance to take time out and fly what you want, where you want!
Happy flying,
Regards,
Craigyd
Seems you to want to do something interesting with hour building! When were you thinking of organising something?
There are usually good articles in Pilot and Flyer each month than can give you great ideas and I wouldn't say having low hows means big trips are out of question. I read one article about a couple who flew an R22 or 44, can't remember, from Alaska down to the southern tip of Chile I believe it was and they had only around 100 hours or so each!
Im going to Seattle in September to get a single engine sea rating on my FAA PPL and get about 20 hours in a Piper Super Cub and going to get an hour in a DHC-2 Beaver
! Im then thinking of heading back to Cali next August to put a tail endorsement on my FAA PPL and rent a tail dragger for three weeks to get about 50 hours PIC time. There are some great places to fly to out there. Check out Amelia Reid Aviation, you can hire a Citbria for $80 an hour block and I think they only ask for $500 on account to get that rate, which isn't bad if you take it on an extended trip. If you'd be interested in this, they have a Cessna 170 tail dragger for $90 and I would happily share with someone like minded! Also, you won't need a visa to get a tail endorsement, just TSA approval if you haven't already got it which doesn't cost that much
.What ever you choose to do, please do it! Even though it will probably cost you a bit more than drilling holes in a cheap spam can, the experience will no doubt make you a better pilot and for most people it will probably be a once in a life time chance to take time out and fly what you want, where you want!
Happy flying,
Regards,
Craigyd
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[QUOTE] route through Europe and into Asia - is this too ambitious?
If you have your own plane yer go for it.
Otherwise just remember the 50hour check the aircraft has to under go. Some flying club maybe not too happy of taking the aircraft to far to due any technical problems with the aircraft. i.e how to get it back if it is unfit to fly? (cost and who will pay to bring it back)
Asia maybe but could be too far.
I would say Europe a must do tho.
If your from bournemouth its just a stone throw across to France?
another thing is too take someone with you who has a CPL and IR rating. Do not pay them tho There are lots of people about these days with these ratings. of course you log the hours but you will not get into any bad habbits and learn more challenging thing before i guess you do your CPL and IR rating.
I did it the hard way. I said what i would do on my hour building but never did it all. i.e because of weather, rules, and playing it too safe to get back so i would make sure i got home again instead of the cost of too many over nighters.
the cost of over nighters adds up and then there is parking fee and landing fees etc. cost is always a big factor
hope this helps
If you have your own plane yer go for it.
Otherwise just remember the 50hour check the aircraft has to under go. Some flying club maybe not too happy of taking the aircraft to far to due any technical problems with the aircraft. i.e how to get it back if it is unfit to fly? (cost and who will pay to bring it back)
Asia maybe but could be too far.
I would say Europe a must do tho.
If your from bournemouth its just a stone throw across to France?
another thing is too take someone with you who has a CPL and IR rating. Do not pay them tho There are lots of people about these days with these ratings. of course you log the hours but you will not get into any bad habbits and learn more challenging thing before i guess you do your CPL and IR rating.
I did it the hard way. I said what i would do on my hour building but never did it all. i.e because of weather, rules, and playing it too safe to get back so i would make sure i got home again instead of the cost of too many over nighters.
the cost of over nighters adds up and then there is parking fee and landing fees etc. cost is always a big factor
hope this helps
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C150/152 at Eshott, Northumberland for £75ph. No landing fees. Block discounts and dry rate available.
Aircraft ownership is not as brilliant as it first sounds. You are liable for any maintenance required that is not covered by the monthly fees. Group politics, aircraft availability, selling the share at the end ... these are all things to consider.
Aircraft ownership is not as brilliant as it first sounds. You are liable for any maintenance required that is not covered by the monthly fees. Group politics, aircraft availability, selling the share at the end ... these are all things to consider.
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Thanks - this is all really helpful.
I'm being totally premature with my planning - i have ground school and ATPL first and won't be hour building until Jan '10 - but its good to plan early and get some ideas and more importantly have a goal to focus on to get me through the 14 exams?!
AlphaMale thats exactly the sort of thing i was looking for but just around Europe/Asia? I'm sure I can create something easily enough though.
CraigyD i think we're on the same wavelength. With all the forums looking so bleak on the job front may as well not rush the hour building too much and do something creative that may make employers take notice? When you say Cali - do you mean in Colombia or California?!
Good practical points from flyinghighspeed. I dont have a plane but a family friend has and so I'll see if anything can be arranged.. It will definately not be the cheapest option but my thinking is it will be worth the extra $$?
I'm being totally premature with my planning - i have ground school and ATPL first and won't be hour building until Jan '10 - but its good to plan early and get some ideas and more importantly have a goal to focus on to get me through the 14 exams?!
AlphaMale thats exactly the sort of thing i was looking for but just around Europe/Asia? I'm sure I can create something easily enough though.
CraigyD i think we're on the same wavelength. With all the forums looking so bleak on the job front may as well not rush the hour building too much and do something creative that may make employers take notice? When you say Cali - do you mean in Colombia or California?!
Good practical points from flyinghighspeed. I dont have a plane but a family friend has and so I'll see if anything can be arranged.. It will definately not be the cheapest option but my thinking is it will be worth the extra $$?
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You might get unstruct with over flight permissions if you head to far east. They cost a fortune and are right pain in the bum.
Personally I have always fancied going from the very north of Finland/Norway and flying North to South, down to Gib.
Personally I have always fancied going from the very north of Finland/Norway and flying North to South, down to Gib.
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Bournemouth Pilot,
I would say we are, there is no rush at all with the state of the job market at the moment! Just remember the time limits for finishing exams and gaining a (f)ATPL! Im a believer in the philosophy that if us wannabes don't give up, we'll get there eventually!
When do you start your ATPLs? Im starting mine tomorrow
!
I work as cabin crew for Easy at the moment and get to chat to the flight crew all the time, they have all said do something creative. You won't often get the chance to do 100hrs of flying like this so why not do something a bit adventurous! For that reason I think its worth the extra $$! It may or may not get you noticed, I couldn't say, but I personally feel that having extra ratings on my licence will make me a better pilot (by mastering new skills) and hope it will make my CV stand out from the rest.
There are loads of ways to go about this, shares, rental etc. I think you need to weigh up all the options from research and advice given and do what you feel suits you best.
Cali - California
Craigyd
CraigyD i think we're on the same wavelength. With all the forums looking so bleak on the job front may as well not rush the hour building too much and do something creative that may make employers take notice? When you say Cali - do you mean in Colombia or California?!
When do you start your ATPLs? Im starting mine tomorrow
!I work as cabin crew for Easy at the moment and get to chat to the flight crew all the time, they have all said do something creative. You won't often get the chance to do 100hrs of flying like this so why not do something a bit adventurous! For that reason I think its worth the extra $$! It may or may not get you noticed, I couldn't say, but I personally feel that having extra ratings on my licence will make me a better pilot (by mastering new skills) and hope it will make my CV stand out from the rest.
There are loads of ways to go about this, shares, rental etc. I think you need to weigh up all the options from research and advice given and do what you feel suits you best.
Cali - California
Craigyd
