Thinking of doing LAPL / PPL - Goodwood or Florida....??
Discussion
Hello All,
I need a new hobbie since my Rugby-battered body has called time.
I've often thought about learning to fly and work / live pretty close to Goodwood and its flying school.
However, their costs for the LAPL / PPL are a bit eye-watering, and so I am weighing-up the options of learning in the States, as when I looked half-seriously last time (admitedly a few years ago now) it was substantially cheaper.
What I would like some pointers on please is:
- Why might I regret NOT doing the PPL - what restrictions would it mean for me down the line?
- If I went to Florida for 2 weeks, what would I need to do to convert? / be permitted to fly in the UK, and what might that cost?
- Anything else you think relevent please say so...!
The motivation for Florida aside from the fact it looks like about half-price is the weather, and knowing that I could likely complete what I need to complete in the alotted time out there, as opposed to the frustration i have read that the weather can cause over here....
Buying a share in a plane would be the end goal I suspect, I am not even close to being powerfully-built enough to be considering outright ownership at this time.
Many thanks in advance - Nick.
I need a new hobbie since my Rugby-battered body has called time.
I've often thought about learning to fly and work / live pretty close to Goodwood and its flying school.
However, their costs for the LAPL / PPL are a bit eye-watering, and so I am weighing-up the options of learning in the States, as when I looked half-seriously last time (admitedly a few years ago now) it was substantially cheaper.
What I would like some pointers on please is:
- Why might I regret NOT doing the PPL - what restrictions would it mean for me down the line?
- If I went to Florida for 2 weeks, what would I need to do to convert? / be permitted to fly in the UK, and what might that cost?
- Anything else you think relevent please say so...!
The motivation for Florida aside from the fact it looks like about half-price is the weather, and knowing that I could likely complete what I need to complete in the alotted time out there, as opposed to the frustration i have read that the weather can cause over here....
Buying a share in a plane would be the end goal I suspect, I am not even close to being powerfully-built enough to be considering outright ownership at this time.
Many thanks in advance - Nick.
Edited by NicoG on Thursday 7th April 16:24
I cant hep with the licensing side of your discussion, but I can offer a few views.
I flew from goodwood back in the day. It's a really nice place, but with a couple of issues. Grass runway at the foot of the downs means in winter you may have issues with waterlogging(don't know when you intend on doing your ppl). Also, as you've identified, there is a goodwood tax. The club is now very flash, but a little less personal than a lot of smaller flying clubs. Depends what you want really.
With regards to UK/Florida- I think you may find you end up doing more dual flying back in the uk than you expect. As you've said, the weather will be great out there and you'll get it all done very quickly. You'll then come back to the uk, suffer a load of skill fade and be faced with flying in potentially much busier/more complicated airspace with a lot more weather to contend to. Either you'll man up, probably scare yourself and learn from it, or end up tacking loads more sorties onto your uk conversion to get your confidence up. Clearly just my thoughts.
I flew from goodwood back in the day. It's a really nice place, but with a couple of issues. Grass runway at the foot of the downs means in winter you may have issues with waterlogging(don't know when you intend on doing your ppl). Also, as you've identified, there is a goodwood tax. The club is now very flash, but a little less personal than a lot of smaller flying clubs. Depends what you want really.
With regards to UK/Florida- I think you may find you end up doing more dual flying back in the uk than you expect. As you've said, the weather will be great out there and you'll get it all done very quickly. You'll then come back to the uk, suffer a load of skill fade and be faced with flying in potentially much busier/more complicated airspace with a lot more weather to contend to. Either you'll man up, probably scare yourself and learn from it, or end up tacking loads more sorties onto your uk conversion to get your confidence up. Clearly just my thoughts.
Do you have ambitions to go commercial? Fly at night? In clouds? Do lots of European touring routing through controlled airspace?
Or just float around on a lazy Sunday afternoon?
If the latter, do the LAPL over here in your own time taking it easy and having fun.
If any of the former, go and cram in the USA. But be aware it will be more like four weeks than two. From the sounds of it you are not 17 and hence it will take you longer to get things together. Also note that you have to go through some massive hoop-jumping with the US Embassy to obtain an M-1 visa and TSA approval for flight training. Day off work, trip to London and a few hundred pounds for the bureaucracy.
Or just float around on a lazy Sunday afternoon?
If the latter, do the LAPL over here in your own time taking it easy and having fun.
If any of the former, go and cram in the USA. But be aware it will be more like four weeks than two. From the sounds of it you are not 17 and hence it will take you longer to get things together. Also note that you have to go through some massive hoop-jumping with the US Embassy to obtain an M-1 visa and TSA approval for flight training. Day off work, trip to London and a few hundred pounds for the bureaucracy.
Learn in the UK and you'll learn to handle UK weather and learn about your local airspace.
Currently (to at least 2018 ) you can do NPPL + 5hours SEP and then convert to LAPL for £40
Or you can do 10hours training on top of the NPPL+SEP and go straight to PPL (or alternatively 10hours on top of LAPL and convert at a later date)
NPPL training usually takes place on three axis microlights like the C42 Ikarus or EV97 Eurostar which offer better performance than a lot of the aircraft you'd train on for PPL. Plus they're cheaper to run and typically newer.
Currently (to at least 2018 ) you can do NPPL + 5hours SEP and then convert to LAPL for £40
Or you can do 10hours training on top of the NPPL+SEP and go straight to PPL (or alternatively 10hours on top of LAPL and convert at a later date)
NPPL training usually takes place on three axis microlights like the C42 Ikarus or EV97 Eurostar which offer better performance than a lot of the aircraft you'd train on for PPL. Plus they're cheaper to run and typically newer.
Two very good friends of mine have done their PPL's in Florida. So long as you keep going back every two years for a refresher course as the paperwork I believe is not transferrable it is a very cheap way to qualify. Just don't go from mid August until early Oct....the wet season. Flying there is a way of life and so cheap compared to here.
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