Learning to fly, or thinking of learning? Post your questions, comments and experiences here

Moderator: AndyR

By m.derbyshire1
#1519875
Hi, me again!

I'm looking at where to do my PPL training, and the two options I've currently come up with are EGBN (Nottingham Airport) or EGNX (East Midlands International Airport).

Do you think that I should train in a quieter airport or train in an international airport to get used to flying in with commercial flights etc.?

Thank you for any answers :D

Max
:thumleft:
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By Nick T
#1519929
Max,

Interesting question!

I did my tuition at EGNX with Donair and have nothing but good words to say about them.
I now have a share in an Archer at EGBN.

Feel free to ask any questions directly.

The main differences you'll find is that at EGBN you can get in a plane and sod off. At EGNX you may end up holding for commercial traffic.
But with EGNX you have proper ATC exposure which, to me, was excellent.
EGBN you have a couple of runways so more chance of flying if the wind's strong.

EGNX cost for a 152 is £145ph. I don't know about EGBN (actually, looking on the Aeros website suggests £175ph for a 2 seater)

For me, I'd go with Donair. That's just based on me getting my licence with them last year and doing the night rating with them the other week.

But like I say, feel free to PM or ask anything specific :)
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By Nick T
#1519999
Replying to my own post here :lol:

Here's a video from one of my lessons at East Mids - this was a Saturday and I was just doing solo circuits. Completely uncut so includes power checks and all... This was the worst 'lesson' I had in terms of waiting for other traffic... just gives you an idea.



Whereas (I think) this was a nice, uninterrupted solo nav flight (again while learning)

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By leiafee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1520003
Long term it only really makes a different at the beginning of your flying - unless you only ,ever fly to the same kinds of airports you learned at then sooner or later you'll have to either deal with:

"Oh help I'm at a grass strip with just some bloke on air-ground (or not)"

or

"Oh help I'm at a huge airport will full ATC and loads of traffic"

To me it doesn't make much difference which order those things happen in and it doesn't appear to make any long term difference to competence.
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By cotterpot
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1520017
Although landing/taking off on short - in terms of length not height - grass runways, or hard ones for that matter does make you focus on getting speeds right, particulary when landing.

Otherwise as Leia said it is just a matter of talking the talk at ATC controlled airports or slightly less talking at other fields with no A/G , and much less hanging about. :thumleft:
By ChrisRowland
#1520035
My feeling is that you will be doing a lot of circuits so choose the place with the smaller circuit, that way you can get more circuits per hour of flying. That's going to be the smaller, quieter place, probably with occasional A/G radio only.

Once you are competent in the circuit your instructor will be taking you elsewhere and should be giving you experience in coping with busy places with ATC.

The circuit training at EGNX was interesting, I could have done about 8 circuits at Enstone in the time taken for Nick to do three.
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By Nick T
#1520056
Yeah, like I say - that video was pretty much the worst I had it on the circuits. Most of the time you're getting about five in for the hour. Still not as many as Chris though (and when I had my checkout in the Shareoplane at Tollerton I think I managed general handling plus four circuits in the hour).