PPL Training in Florida, September 2009
 

This year i am finally taking the plunge. After years of saving, i am finally ready to undertake my PPL. The Flyer show at the weekend has given me the kick up the a*se that i needed.
I would love to do the training in Florida due to the obvious weather and money benefits. I am going over in July with my family for a holiday and to look at a few schools. i would like to start training in september. Does anybody have the same plans or would anybody fancy joining me?
Im a 25 year old male and this is the first step to flying professionally. My Dad has Alzheimers, and if anything, this has encouraged me to get on and do the things i want to do. life is too short!:)

Love your ambitions!!!

i wish you all the luck you need and have fun in flying!!!!

:D

thanks very much. its hopefully going to be step 1 on the road to the right hand seat of an airliner! long way to go yet!

Hi destinationsky

I know you say you are going to view some schools, but any initial thoughts on where you may be thinking of going?

Good on ya destinationsky!

I was there myself at Flyer. Just got home today (Portugal) and I am too weighting my choices :)

hi johnc21. i ahve been looking at 3 so far. www.flyeft.com, ukft.com and flyoba.com. also looking at orlando flight training. im over there for 2 weeks in july so i hope to go around them all and maybe have a trial lesson in each. some of the schools there are afflilated with schools over here eg cabair so they should be pretty good. i think most of the schools are run/owned by ex british pilots anyway.

wow alkatifa, thats dedication! did you find it was worth travelling all of that way?
johnc21, i have been looking at orlando flight training, flyoba.com, ukft.com and flyeft.com. i am over there for 2 weeks so i aim to visit all 4 and maybe do a trial lesson at each. the schools i have looked at are either affiliated with training schools in the uk or are operated by ex pat uk pilots. the only reason the ex pat pilot thing is important is because they will have experience of flying here as well as there. the costs range from $4000 to about $7000. waaaay cheaper than here! what are your plans?

Hi destinationsky

Well my plans at the moment are to study in Ireland for the PPL exams, get them done and then consider flyeft.com to complete the flying and depending on how I get on out there I may consider going back for more advanced training.

i have applied for the GAPAN PPL scholarship so if i get that (which i highly doubt!) i will train over here this summer then go over to florida to build up the hours. if i dont get it, the plan is to go to the usa anyway. to be honest, i like the idea of florida so i get to see a bit of the world whilst doing something i enjoy.
i considered starting the ppl here and completing over there but apparently, it looks better to potential employers if you complete your training in one place.
are you doing the ppl for fun or with a view to becoming an airline pilot?

Hi DS

Yes my hopes are to get an airline position, but not to be negative but speaking for myself trying to get equity or a loan is very difficult at the moment. But my hopes go on, I will get there eventually. I just need this country to get its act together and start a few bob rolling out from the banks again.

All I can say is the dream will never die and one day it will be reality..I know that.

yeah its a pain in the backside. i have enough saved for the ppl and possibly enough to build the hours required for the cpl. the other benefit about the usa is most courses include a night rating which is an extra £800 here.
i got an offer to begin training with CTC on their wings icp programme. problem is, i cant get hold of £66k!
my plan is to get the ppl and apply to atlantic airlines' cadet scheme. have you heard of it? how old are you if you dont mind me asking???

I am 26, I heard of it but I do not know too much about it to be honest.Enlighten me..

the airline is based in coventry, they fly a wide range of aircraft ranging from a few ATP's to a few Electra's. not quite sure what else. i also heard that they are taking delivery of their first 737 in the next few weeks. the scheme is a bonded one wherby my understanding is that they take a bond out in your name and when training is completed and upon entering service, you pay the money back over 5 years. little financial risk as far as i can see as everything is arranged for you.
you work for the airline for a certain period, working in ops, the engineering dept, sweeping floors, driving pilots about etc. they pay you a basic wage and provide accomodation foc in coventry. after you have worked for them for awhile, you move up to leeds and train at multiflight for the cpl/ir, mcc and atpl.
the flying is all done by hand as most of the aircraft do not have sophisticated auto pilot systems, which obviously turns you into a better pilot. the flying jobs range from normal transport duties to spraying oil slick dispersant over oil spills in the sea at 50ft asl!
the guy i spoke to was 21 and already a first officer on the electra. it was this that gave me the kick up the a*se, it made me think, what the hell have i been doing for the last 5 years!
entry requirments are the normal educational stuff, a class 1 medical, full driving license and a ppl. the scheme seems to be more about the person than the hours you have in your logbook. have a look at www.multiflight.co.uk (i think!) and have a hunt around the site, the atlantic airlines info is on their somewhere!

hi grobmaster
flyairorlando.com rent the cirrus at $229-$249 per hour. i think the $175 (£123) is a bargain! it seems like a cracking deal when you consider that it costs the same if not more to hire a pa28 over here, and you are getting a much nicer aircraft to fly!

There is a sticky about training in the US - have a look at it.

The missus did her ppl at OFT just over a year ago, and it went well. You should know, though, that you will ALWAYS pay more than the figure quoted.

Take a look at the sticky, then go for it.

Enjoy, flying is great!

Sam.

thanks Sam. i guess even if you train over here, it will always cost more! how long did it take her to complete? any ideas of figures?
thanks!
Mike

loads to think about i know! i think the weather factor is a major thing. over here, it may take 3-4months to do 45 hours because of the crap weather we get. i also want to go and get some "life experience" too. i would like to see other countries and i guess it can only be a good thing of getting flight time in other airspace. thanks for the advice though!
dont think i would ever pay upfront for this type of thing. i know a few people who have been bitten by the promise of cheaper flying if they pay their money on booking. waaaay too much risk. ive worked hard enough to get my finances and there is nooooo way i will put any of it in jeopardy!

If you committed yourself seven days a week for 28 days at an airfield in the East of England in summer I reckon you could easily do 45 hours. I did 44 hours as a student in 18 flying days in June one year, and only flew 0800-1700 Mon-Fri.

I came to New Zealand to do my PPL bit cheaper than the Uk but it was more like you say for some life experience and have a change of scenery. only had 3 days of light rain in 2 months but saying that it has Pi**ed it down for about a week now so no flying. Hard work doing all the exams quickly id reckon, but many people do it here or in the USA and spend 3-4 weeks to get there PPL, but if like me you can have longer, 2-3 months then do as it will be far more enjoyable without the stress of time! Flights are obviously a bit cheaper to the US but you have to bonus of no Americans here:ok: :}

He's right, it does....and the hurricanes have caused some six, maybe seven, days of "No Fly at base" weather over the last four years.