Hi all,

I really want to aim into getting a PPL within the next few years and I have two 'routes' I can take into doing so, hopefully, you might be able to help me decide the better option for me.

The first way is by straight up getting the PPL at Stapleford Flight Centre, this would be £166/hr in a Cessna 152 and I would get the PPL at the end of it. The couple problems I have with this is;
1. It is slightly more costly than in Microlights
2. My friend said he had a not so amazing experience on a trial lesson there, however, he didn't say that it was particularly bad.
3. They require me to have a Class 2 Medical Certificate before I start, which could set me back a few hundred pounds as well as a one or two months of training (due to my budget)

The second way would be through a more local aerodrome (Daymns Hall) which is where my friend flies at. I had my trial lesson today in a Flight Design CTSW and really enjoyed it, my friend works for the pilot and we have a pretty good relationship so I am certain he is trustworthy. It is £150 so slightly cheaper per lesson, however, due to it being a microlight, I would end with a LAPL. This would mean that I would also have to 'convert' that to a PPL, which I am not certain in what is involved (please give as much information about this conversion as possible if you know about this) but I have been told I may need to fly another 10 hours or so, which is another £1.6k or so.

I am trying to figure out what is the best for me and I would really appreciate if you have any information or advice, I want to fly at Daymns, however, I'm just worried about the cost that the conversion to PPL would be and how long that would take.

Thanks in advance guys!

Even though the flight medical is expensive, you should do that before hand.
No point in doing some expensive training, only to find out you are unable to pass the physical.

It's probably a better idea not to take up training if you can't afford to take a medical. It sounds like you plan to fly like 2 hours a month, which is not good for anyone. Focus on saving instead, and get into it when you have at least 30 hours worth in pocket.

As for what LAPL is, it's basically PPL light. You get to go out on your own approximately at a point where you would start flying solo in the PPL. You still can't take passengers and not everyone will rent you a plane.
Converting to PPL can be done after you get your 50 hrs or so. Basically you take the PPL exam.

Fabo's point on saving up and flying more in "blocks" is important. You'll get much more bang for the buck that way. 2 hours a month means a lot of time getting back up to speed, and never really getting up to a confident level.

Disclaimer on the below. Do the maths and legal research first.

Extending the "learning in a block" reasoning, you might consider saving up and take a jaunt to Florida, where a Cessna 152 is more like US$100/hour (GBP70), instruction is cheaper, the weather is more reliable, etc. For our 30 hours example that's about a US$4000 savings, easily covering airfare and accommodation. You can get the entire PPL done in 3 weeks or less if you work hard.

There are schools in Florida that do EASA PPLs. Or you can get an FAA PPL and convert it. I suspect you'll still come out ahead.

The inexorable ticking of the Hobbs is the real financial killer when paying for your own pilot licenses.

Starlionblue has a very good point. If you can afford to take a month or so of at a time, it's cheaper in the end to do your PPL in the US. A friend calculated it some time ago, savings of ~25% after airfare and accomodation, and he wasn't even basing his price on the more expensive UK market. I suppose you could get the total price down by more than a third.

I second that what Stalionblue and Fabo wrote.

On the plus side you also have the amazing experience of flying in the US, which you will notice from the start is much more relaxed. The airspace seems bigger and less crowded, everybody seems more down to earth and loves flying, and especially as a student pilot you're treated quite nicely at most airports. Been there, done that, enjoyed every second.
In addition - if you're flying in Florida, you're in for some amazing scenery you would never get flying anywhere in Europe.
And let's not forget about the good time you have not being in the cockpit: Treat yourself to some fun

But there aree always two sides of a coin, and the one thing I realized: Radiocomms are really sloppy in the US. You'll be in for quite a surprise when you come back to Europe and realize you have to stick to standardized communications 100% of the time or else the controllers will make your life harder.

I learned to fly in the US and am currently in the process of trying to convert to a UK licence, and I have to say it is not exactly straightforward. A UK flying club checkout is harder than an FAA checkride it seems, and the airman's knowledge test is a doddle in comparison to the 9 exams you have to do for the EASA licence.

If an individual has started a LAPL in the UK, the only thing they'll struggle with is building the hours, and passing the exams. The operations side of things they'll already be familiar with.

I have to say though, learning to fly in the US instead of the UK was a bit like learning to drive in a parking lot, in comparison.

I was especially spoiled, learning in G1000 equipped brand new fuel-injected Cessnas. In the UK you're going to have to learn a strict carb-heat routine to cope with our humid air in a 40 year old steam gauge Cessna 150, and get used to paying landing fees, you just won't have the same skills needed to operate in a UK GA environment if you've only learned in the US, as I've discovered to my dismay.

The main difficulties are with some of the ritualised rules & regs that they insist on in the UK... radio practice is much stricter, you need to do the RT exam (theory and practical), our airspace is far more congested, the airports are often smaller, with unusual arrival/departure procedures due to the geography of our country and noise-abatement overflight rules etc.

To add to that, our weather is temperamental at best, and the rental fleets in the UK are a shambles in comparison to what some of the US clubs will give you for less money. Maybe I should move back stateside!? Grumble over.

Fair points wingscrubber. I definitely got told off for my sloppy comms when I started flying outside the US. Not really a massive task to get them up to standard, though. And now I'm the one rolling my eyes at US controllers.

All those hours at more than twice the price do add up, though. Even with the extra hassle of conversion and learning another environment it may well be worth it.

Hi, thanks for all the replies!

I did consider going to another country to study as it would be cheaper, however, that would mean that I would have to wait a couple years to begin, I already have two hours now towards my LAPL, I ended up getting a student discount so lessons are now £130 not £150. I will only be doing two lessons a month until around September, then I will be doing 3-4 a month after then hopefully. I think I will continue with this now, but once again thanks for all the responses.