Has anybody done flying lessons in small 2 or 4 seater aircraft?
 

I'm really tempted to do this. I have seen some lessons that range from £100 ish to £300 for a decent 60 minute lesson.

I have been thinking of doing it for a while but actually Had a look today.

It's strange though, i hate flying on passenger aircraft and get very nervy, but i basically have a fear of not being in control, for example i can get a little edgy on a roller coaster or car etc, but if I'm driving I'm absolutely fine. Hence why i think i may enjoy actually flying a plane myself.

I have seen some lessons around biggin hill or shoreham airport...I am from sussex so any recommendations?

I had 2 taster sessions at Shoreham Airport. I think they were 40 mins each and were as a birthday present.
I think it was in a cessna 172(?)
Also flew a light plane back from Blackbushe airport to Shoreham after the auction. We didn't buy it lol we flew there to the car auction in it.

Excellent fun and I felt as if I could've taken off, flown around and landed a plane after just one session. I still reckon it wouldn't be too hard unless it was a bit windy and I might crash land.
Do it.
It's brilliant.

I think my lessons were with someone? air (sorry that isn't very helpful) but it was a few years back.

I took lesson back in 1990 and it was about £85 an hour then.

Another alternative is gliding, and don't let the lack of engine put you off, I've done some pretty extreme aero's in a glider. you can get everything from the rush of aero's to the calm serenity of being 3000ft up with no noise, not even wind noise if the thing is trimmed out correctly. Plus, gliding is cheaper and you can count the hours towards a PPL should you wish to do both. Check out the BGA website if this has whet your appetite.

If I was to back flying today I would go gliding first, but I fancy learning to fly a helicopter:D

brother in law was doing it for about 7 months then stupidly got bored and stopped by then he had already spent a couple grand or so, what a tool if only he had kept it up

Go for a trial. Its amazing how small the cockpit is when you get in, you feel totally exposed. I had one, but was glad to step back on the ground at the end. Not for me.

I had a trial lesson 18 months ago for a birthday present. It was great. I'd love to be able to put enough hours in to get my PPL, but just can't afford it at the moment.

I have a friend who is an extremely accomplished light aircraft pilot and I told her about this thread. Her advice is to get a very short flight in a light aircraft first as in her experience most people with a fear of flying find a light aircraft twice as scary as they are somewhat more primitive than you would imagine.

Good luck.

I did my training in the Chipmunk and then in the Harvard (Texan). I have done a fair bit of instructing in the Chipmunk too.

As people have said, you should try a short flight initially to see how you like it. If you feel a bit airsick you don't need to worry, you will soon get over it and then it won't bother you.

I never like flying as a passenger myself, that is nothing new, but when you are in control it is totally different.

When you are learning you have to work at it, bit different to driving a car, but that is all part of the enjoyment when you start to realise you are getting a feel for it.

It does not suit some people but if you enjoy controlling machinery, you will most probably enjoy it.

One evening when our navigation equipment failed and we had time to kill in the USA, I was doing a load of circuits and bumps in the Vulcan and I got my two navigators and the air electronics officer to sit up the front in turn with me and I got each of them to manage a landing in the Vulcan. That was at the Orlando Airport in Florida. they were all over the moon and none of them had landed an aircraft before. So it can be done!

I would certainly have a go, I think you might enjoy it, and it is a great way to spend an hour or so just flying around the place.

Les :)

as JonMc said. Gliding the the cheaper way to go and requires alot of sky to keep it up unlike a powered aircraft where the engine does the work.

I did a powered flight and found it boring between take off and landing.

I now fly gliders and love it. soooo much cheaper and lot more fun.

Gliding is usually a club so there's a social life that comes with it where powered flight people turn up in there Aston Martins, pay, fly then leave.

A Pivate Pilot Licence will cost about £7+
Flying solo in a glider will cost about £1k

My "taster"flights were on a Grob and a Piper Tomohawk :D The school were doing an all in PPL jobby including flights, ground school, navigation etc for a single all in fee. About £4k IIRC but this was about 10 years ago. Didn't have the money then (or now LOL)

Shaun

double post......again, Thanks SN

we have a due control light aircraft at our gliding club and its really cheap to hire compared to a cesnna

why dont people teach in a light aircraft and charge £15+ per hour???????

I did a bit of instructing at a civilian flying club and they used to pay me 10 shillings an hour!

Les :D

I used to live in Germany and went up in a motor glider (engine for take off and landing, no engine gliding around) from Detmold.
Flew round this monument: Hermannsdenkmal or Hermann the German!
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...nnsdenkmal.jpg
I could see the bullet holes in it as we went round it.
Probably that bloody Leslie and his chums.
"Bandits at 12 o'clock! dagadagadaga Crikey, Ginger's bought it."

lol you soulnd like an old man.

get your PPL during the war?

You would sell your soul for my experience, and you certainly would not be rude about it!

Les ;)