Recreational Aviation

CabanSail

I have a PPL from Australia but was flying a Mortgage for many years.

Moved to Dublin in 2006 & have thought about getting back into the air.

What I am looking for is reccomendations of Flying Clubs that are affordable.

pclancy

www.flyinginireland.com would be a good start, list of flying clubs etc: http://www.flyinginirelandmagazine.com/main/content/view/32/75/

Where did you fly in Ozzie?

EI-EAY

If your looking for affordability I would recommend microlights, Modern quick aircraft like the eurostar can be rented for as little as €70 per hour.

http://www.pilotfriend.com/experimental/acft2/71.htm

Im a member in of the Ormand flying club in Birr where there is a membership available but im not sure how the drive would suit you.

CabanSail

pclancy wrote: »

Where did you fly in Ozzie?

I learned to fly in Camden & Mudgee. Had a share in a Cherokee 180 Syndicate.

Will look at those links. Thanks

double yellow

Hi CabanSail,

Given that you will need instruction now to get flying and live in Dublin your choices and my two cents would be:

PPL(M) - Microlight - Either Birr (Ormond) Abbeyshrule (Ultraflight) or Kilkenny (Irish Aero Sports) - Birr have PPL(A) Training in the club also on a C150/152. Membership sounds high initially but some of it is flying credit to encourage PPL holders to fly. They train on the Evektor mentioned for PPL(M). IAS in Kilkenny fly either the Samba XXL microlight or a weight-shift trike Pegasus Quantum. About 120 euro an hour and 200 a year membership I think. Abbeyshrule offers flying on Samba/Lambadasas well as PPL(A) with Aero Club 2000.

PPL(A) - Naturally there is PPL training on C150/C172 in NFC in Weston (Leixlip) with no membership fee but higher rates than elsewhere but then again it is on your doorstep and has excellent facilities. Flightwise seems to hold a good rep in there too and there is Skytrace. Weston is very busy in all aspects and perhaps not what you are looking for.

Other PPL(A) - Trim - not recommended - huge annual fee, huge, don't ask.
Kilkenny - Kilkenny Flying Club it appears will no longer offer training however a new flying club will start there in the new year with similar membership rates to IAS. It will offer single engine piston and hopefully touring motorglider and tailwheel all in one. PPL holders will eventually look to co-own some kind of small single-seat monoplane aircraft which you can't beat in the PPL(A) category for running costs - hopefully around 60-70 euro an hour. Kilkenny offers a relaxed attitude and emphasises the recreation of flying.

So how to judge these things. Well your hourly rate will be less with the microlight option at the moment. The new club forming in Kilkenny will be operated leanly with an unwritten aim of achieving an hourly rate of less than 100 an hour. There is an option there of buying in on a Dimona Motorglider for about 2-3k each with the result that the members who own this aircraft will get lower hourly rates. Perhaps a consideration should be whether a field is surfaced or grass only. I say this because many grass fields get waterlogged either partially or completely in the winter. Kilkenny has had no flying since the end of NOvember and will not reopen until February or so.

Therefore you will get more flying all year round if that is a consideration from say Abbeyshrule or Weston. If you were prepared to travel to Waterford there is a great club there too. Don't forget new motorways are drastically cutting back travel times. When I lived in Dublin I traveled to Abbeyshrule as it worked out cheaper all costs considered than going to Weston.

Once you have a valid PPL again I would highly recommend you checked out places like Kilrush (Kildare) or Limetree (Laois) as a basis for co-owning a share as an alternative to Weston. A little internet search will reveal all. The links on flyinginireland forum is useful but don't go by the clubs page also on that site as it is grossly out of date.

Mr Benevolent

Forget Weston. Ripoff territory there, especially for conversions. Dublin is right out for either learning to fly or as a base. The posts above are excellent options, although I'd also add Waterford Flying Club as a good alternative (not the Pilot Training College next door).

I'll be looking at the PPL when I get back from a year in Oz, but one thing I do know - be prepared to travel, although you can make it an all-day affair and get a couple of flights in.

diverdriver

First off Weston in not 'rip off' territory. Full time instructors, facilities etc. You get what you pay for. There are a couple of clubs there now, recently moved from Dublin. The Dublin Flyers and the Airport Flying club.

If you like driving a lot you might consider the other places. I personally don't see the point of it. But living in Dublin, Weston is most logical. Particularly with the clubs there now.

double yellow

Hi Cabansail,

As mentioned earlier there is a new flying club in Kilkenny www.recreationalflyingclub.com or http://recreationalflyingclub.blogspot.com . Low membership, good availability, roughly about €175 an hour on its aircraft. I am biased though as I have just decided to join this club and I live closer than you to it.

yaeger

Best availability and aircraft (robin) going..... annual membership of circa 500euro and an hourly rate of circa 110euro .... That is the Leinsteraeroclub.
Go visit a few and make your mind up based on what you want but 110 euro beats 175 euro any day. Airfield based in Trevet in dubshaughlin, within 30min of dublin easily. www.leinsteraeroclub.com
Steer well clear of weston is my opinion if you want cost effective private flying. Leinster is truely a gem in my experience and i have been a member in most of the others.
Prices may have changed slighlty but i found them to be the cheapest, not involved in any place now so no vetted interest in any other then giving you my expererience of them.
Weston is a rip-off and you get fook all for it, the clubs do have to pay high overheads and as such transfer that to you the punter. Anywho private mail me if you want for any info on any of the clubs.

double yellow

yaeger wrote: »

Do what you want but 110 euro beats 175 euro any day. Airfield based in Trevet in dubshaughlin, within 30min of dublin easily.

The membership is actually €550 + €190 isn't it? Say you fly an average of 20 hours a year. That adds nearly thirty euro an hour compared to any club with a membership of around €200. Great location though. The actual rate in the club in Kilkenny is about €130 an hour but you pay the instructor seperately. If you have your license then it is only €130 an hour. Also is €110 an hour based on the hobbs or the tach? The plan in Kilkenny is for the hire rate to start only when the aircraft reaches 60kph on the tach.