private pilot licence??????

does anybody have any info on how to gain a private pilot licence through the army without having to go throught the AAc pilot course, maybe theres an army flying association?

 

It's a commmon myth outside of the AAC that Military Pilots gain a license of any type by completing the pilots course. Admittedly it makes it a damn sight easier to get one (a PPL) but it isn't free.

As a start you could enquire about gliding courses, a cheap way to start which I believe can be subsidised and gain some vital airmanship before you shell out the dosh for fixed wing.

 

Army Flying Association

Their rates are cheaper than the outside world.

 

try the DVLA.

 

You don't have to go through the whole Pilots Course, but if you get past the fixed wing stage, according to LASORS 2006

http://www.cranwell.raf.mod.uk/Organisation/EFT/EFT.html

But I guess that the actual info required is where is the flying school with the cheapest rate to gain a PPL(A)?

I would compare prices around your area.

(Sorry Flash!)
The AFA may seem a good convenient option, but their rates of £80/£84 per hour for the PA28/172 on tacho time, is a little more than the £73 per hour for the Robin HR200, 'chock time', at a local flying club here!

(Note: PA28 also £80 per hour, chocks. All prices from here include fuel, landing fees at resident airfield and VAT)

 

I know of guys completeing their PPL in both SA and the US. They carry out intensive courses over 4 weeks. Both pretty cheap at the moment with the strength of the GBP. Well worth it if you fancy spending your Summer leave abroad.

 

in 96 i started a PPL course with the RAF at Brize Norton, I was RE and got ren leave and free accomodation at Brize (on course see hehe) unfortunately i had to leave due to a family crisis after only one fecking day...never got to go back

dont know if they still do courses there, but in the end i got my PPL in the czech republic, dirt cheap and there are nowhere near as many airspace restrictions as in the UK

I go to the czech republic every month for a few hours in my Logbook and hopefully if the weather is good next weekend we have a trip planned from CZ to Croatia, if the weather's bad circuit bashing i suppose

 

I did some hours building in Poland, dirt dirt cheap, and good if you want to get some radial tail dragger time in

No I don't mean AN-2's but I did seriously fancy it, and it was being offered at £55 per hour at the time.

 

bit more than that now i would think though, when I started in CZ because of the exchange rate an hour was about £55 in a Zlin 142, drinking 45lph

now its about £70 per hour, christ knows what them big ol Antonov radials drink though

 

You can still get plenty of Wilga time.

PZL have, or used to have a facility at Olsztyn up near the Baltic coast. Miles and Miles of nothing. Engine out rules? 50' and 50' lol. Nice place to fly.

They were at one time interested in attracting hours builders from the UK on a commercial basis, not sure how they'd feel now, but at the time they'd plenty of surplus airframes.

I should have gone for some An2 time, just to fly that Volga Barge

 

yes the first few times i did engine failures I actually thought the instructor wanted me to land we got a slight tad lower than 50' excellent instructors though, I dont think people know what a rich aviation heritage CZ and PL have

 

Fantastic aviation heritage, and there is some seriously good gliding to be had too.

I might give PZL a ring on Monday, to see if they're still interested in doing hours building for groups, especially under a NATO banner?

 

If you do mate, take a day to fly down to Dvur Kralove nad labem (LKDK) northeast Bohemia the aeroklub is only about 35 km's from the polish border and they love visitors (im a bit of a celeb myself being the clubs own resident Englishman) and the food and beer are blooming marvellous (like Poland actually)

 

My grand master plan is to get myself a Yak-12 / Pzl-101, once I have my PPL completed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakovlev_Yak-12

Apparently, you can obtain a zero-timed and fully refurbished one in Lithuania, up to EU / EASA standards but at relatively low cost.

(In theory, the An-2 can also be flown single handed on a PPL.....)