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Going back to the practical aspect.... can you just fly anywhere you want then..? How does the air traffic control thing work..?
I'm planning to start my PPL next spring,
It's likely to take up to 2 yrs, depending on weather and how much time I can make for lessons. Minimum 45 hrs required. I've been informed by the flying Club that realistically, it will cost in the region of £8000.
As for what I will do with it once (luck holding ) I complete my training? Well, day trips out to the highlands and islands, hops down south to family in england, etc, It isn't easy to get, it's not cheap to keep, but then it would be nicer than owning a porsche!
For anyone who has, well done, and for anyone who plans to- well, good luck!
Hiya
Another late night and brief contribution. Tidbits, I'm afraid.
My PPL took me nearly 2 years to get and 100 hours (work out the equivalent in today's money yourselves). I'd recommend going to the nearest small & friendly airfield to keep the costs down. You can spend an awful lot of expensive hire time waiting at the holding point for a string of jets to arrive/depart just so you can escape. I also found that I was only booking for lessons every 2 weeks (mistake). In winter that meant that with a 50% cancellation rate due to adverse weather I was just about standing still in my progress.
Once you have your licence most of your flying is likely to be to smaller airstrips. There are a surprisingly significant number.
Favourite destinations:
Alderney, Dinan, Le Touqet, Saumur, Carlisle, Blackpool, Old Warden. Get across the puddle, that's where you can have fun.
Least favourite destinations:
Hmm. Finding the £100 greasy breakfast. You'll discover them. Oh yes, Sandown IOW was memorable for the £100 curly sandwich.
Memorable radio calls:
"Bristol Approach affirmative, XX is at 9000 feet VFR" ( I was just playing around the cumulus)
and on a different occasion
"G-XXXX line up runway 24 after the landing 747" (at Manchester)
of course
"G-XXXX traffic information: 2 Tornados departing Wharton in your 1 o'clock, climbing" (Didn't they just)
Least memorable radio calls, with a squeaky voice
"Lyneham Approach this is G-XXXX just departed from ******* , close encounter with a C130 is there any other traffic information?"
"G-XXXX, Lyneham. That was part of a 2 ship formation, they had seen you."
I suppose a top up of information for DVader. Just contrasting the C150 vs the DR250. I've had share ownership of both types.
The C150 is the classic flying school hack. Cheap, reliable, slow, boring, and capable of standing lotsof abuse. About 80 to 90 mph, top whack. Give it a very short runway and you drop it on a postage stamp. It needs a bit longer to get it out again due to a lack of power. That means fuel economy. Speed wise, it's therefore a very marginal calculation to try and be faster than a car. However the view's better.
The DR250 is actually wood & fabric, has 4 seats and lower aerodynamic drag. 120mph, but not what I'd call a hot ship. Given a 3 hour drive it becomes a time effective option. Consider it for a there and back and I'd hate to do a 6 hour drive, but two 90 minute flights, yes please. Challenges? Financially Easyjet is cheaper and more reliable if they go where you want to go. Operating costs? Interestingly they are much the same as the 150 for maintenance, hangarage, insurance, landing fees, inspections. A bit more fuel needed per hour, but not hugely so. For the pilot the aircraft handles much better. You feel like you're in control, not gravity.
Of course you could join a gliding club, where it's more of a self help club/group, and the flying is much purer.
If you want to fly, it's a dream that you need to satisfy.