[mark2robinson]

I am currently 3.5 hours into my PPL at a big East London training school and considering switching airfield and type training.

I started in September but can only fly weekends and I have been assigned an instructor that only does Saturdays at the weekend, so getting time in the air is not easy as he keeps being booked up by trial flights - often having to wait one month between lessons then inevitable weather cancellations.

As I am not looking to go commercial, just looking for weekend trips in the UK and EU, I am thinking of a complete switch over to fixed wing microlight training. The airfield is another 30 mins away from my current base but 45 mins in total is not too bad.

Does anyone have experience with London Airsports Centre? I see they do both Saturday and Sundays so that would work well for me.

Also - would my 3.5 hours count towards the microlight licence or do I start from scratch?

Any pointers with this potential switch would be greatly appreciated

[flybymike]

The arrangement with your instructor sounds very poor and hardly good commercial practice. Surely they should honour bookings with another instructor rather than subject you to the limitations and whims of an individual?

[ArthurG]

I'm not sure if the hours can be credited, but unless you're an outstanding student, the hours of training you need to qualify will exceed the minimum requirement of hours for the licence, so 3.5 hours will not be all that important in the final analysis.

The experience will be a great help towards learning in a fixed wing microlight, so it should allow you to complete the course in a lower number of hours anyway.

[mark2robinson]

Thanks - yes its not an ideal situation and I am a touch frustrated with it all. My thoughts are that if it is not working for me right now then it is probably the best time to make a change.

I have my next flight booked in for early December and thinking I should just cancel and move on - in particular if the lesson is not going to be relevant for the new type training.

I'll give the other school a call tomorrow when they are open and see what my options are for starting up there instead

[Paul_Sengupta]

If you wanted to stick with your existing school, you could book a lesson in advance for every Saturday from now until the end of next year! Get in the queue early.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I doubt that the 3.5hrs will carry over.

I do think that you'll get a lot of joy from the microlight training. You're likely to be in a more modern aeroplane, that costs less to fly. For recreational flying, just do it in my opinion.

G

[mark2robinson]

Ha yes that did cross my mind Paul! With my work travel I cannot be 100% sure more than a few weeks out that I will be around and the threat of cancellation fees has been dangled i front of me when we were initially sorting my schedule out.

Once the frustrations set in, time to move on.

Genghis - my thoughts exactly. Having read a lot of the advise on here that route does seem to make the most sense for me. Youtubing some of the microlight aircraft I would be using certainly paints them in a better light than a 45 year old 152.

Budgeting £800/month for lessons, thats a lot more hours in the air with a microlight over a 152. Conversion always an option further down the line if needed I suppose

[Paul_Sengupta]

the threat of cancellation fees has been dangled i front of me when we were initially sorting my schedule out.

Flying schools really are their own worst enemy sometimes. As I understand it, you could give at least a couple of weeks notice of a cancellation, and it sounds like they could easily fill the slot with trial lessons. Very short term thinking on their part.

[Sooty25]

Mark, the 3.5 hrs may not carry over but the experience and knowledge gained stays with you.

Your first flight in the new plane will include your new instructor assessing what you already know. You'll skip throught the early bits much quicker than had you never flown before.

Nothing is completely wasted

[Cookie]

Also - would my 3.5 hours count towards the microlight licence or do I start from scratch?

YES: all 3.5 hours will count towards the issue of a NPPL(A) with Microlight Class Rating. See the NPPL 'Allowances against training' document available to view on the NPPL website under the Licence Allowances tab, or have a look at the same document in CAP 804 Section 5 Part A Appendix 1. Paragraph 4.4 of the document states:

4.4 Incomplete SEP, SSEA, SLMG and/or ATC/ CCF training

4.4.1 Credit towards the grant of an NPPL with Microlight Class Rating may be given for flight training on other classes of aircraft. A maximum of 10 hrs credit will be given for any such training conducted with an authorised UK flight instructor; applicants seeking credit for other flight training should contact the BMAA for advice.

Cookie

[Genghis the Engineer]

I stand corrected, thanks Cookie.

G

[cockney steve]

As nobody's mentioned it, and at the risk of repeating what you already know,... the minimum hours for a microlight licence, 25 hours....the minimum for a PPL "A"~45hrs.
so, not only is the hourly rate a lot less, but so is the qualifying period.
It amazes me, that this huge difference hasn't killed- off the PPL students who are not going on to a Commercial licence.

As I'm not a qualified pilot, you may like to confirm my statements elsewhere.

[Sooty25]

As nobody's mentioned it, and at the risk of repeating what you already know,... the minimum hours for a microlight licence, 25 hours....the minimum for a PPL "A"~45hrs.
so, not only is the hourly rate a lot less, but so is the qualifying period.
It amazes me, that this huge difference hasn't killed- off the PPL students who are not going on to a Commercial licence.

As I'm not a qualified pilot, you may like to confirm my statements elsewhere.

because of the upgrade path if you want to fly an EASA type is closing in April 2018 is one, significant, reason Steve.

there are lots of reasons for, but also a number against.

[B1engineer]

Sounds like your in the same boat as me. Just doing it for recreational pleasure. I opted for nppl m for alot of the reasons above. The ikarus c42 is far more appealing than a c152 both in performance and cockpit layout.

Don't be fooled into thinking 25hrs to licence is achievable. The navigation syllabus is 10hrs including some solo at my club. I had previous slmg solo experience and gliding and still could not do all the syllabus at my club in the time, factor in weather cancellations and lack of recency also.

Good luck wit your flying and enjoy.

B1

[RichardPearse]

Does anyone have experience with London Airsports Centre? I see they do both Saturday and Sundays so that would work well for me.

You've made a very similar choice to mine of a few years ago, and for similar reasons.

I don't know London Airsports Centre personally but their CFI seems to be quite active in the BMAA. That's probably a good sign.

Their aircraft seem to be a bit more "rocket ship" than those in many microlight schools, and they may be a little more expensive. Just an observation, nothing wrong with that particularly if you're coming from Cessnas and the like.