Flight Training
Skyline has a team of several instructors, all of whom hold commercial pilot licences; we offer training for the JAR PPL and UK NPPL, complex type training and courses for the Night Qualification and UK IMC Rating.
Our CFI is also a CAA authorised Flight Examiner, able to conduct PPL and IMC skills tests, sign licence revalidations and mark ground exams. Our instructors are generally able to offer clients free consultancy services when not engaged in flight or ground training.
| PPL/NPPL Training | £22 per hour | plus aircraft hire |
| IMC and further training | £25 per hour | plus aircraft hire |
PPL Packages
It is also possible to conduct your PPL training using our fixed price packages. The fixed price packages are broken down into four equal payments, the first of which is to be paid on booking and the others at intervals throughout the course.
The hours included in each package are the legal minima for the relevant licences. Any further training required to reach the required standard for the Skills Test will be charged at our prevailing rates.
Before committing to a package of training we would recommend you ensure you are able to meet the required medical standards. We have provided links to further details in our PPL pages. Alternatively, enquire of your instructor whilst taking a trial lesson!
Package One
This is a 45 hour package flying from Little Gransden Airfield comprising rental of the PA28-140, instruction and landing fees at base.
| Members rate | £4095 | Silver Membership fees apply |
| Non-members rate | £4999 |
Package Two
This is the same as Package One but also includes ground exams, flight tests and training manuals.
| Members rate | £4599 | Silver Membership fees apply |
| Non-members rate | £5500 |
Package Three
The NPPL was introduced in 2002, requires less training and has less stringent medical standards but is ordinarily restricted to flying within the UK and offers less scope for adding further ratings.
Our NPPL package comprises 32 hours flying from Little Gransden Airfield in the PA28-140, instruction and landing fees at base.
| Members rate | £2920 | Silver Membership fees apply |
| Non-members rate | £3560 |
Further Training
We are pleased to be able to offer the following options. Further training is charged at the prevailing instructor rate, plus of course the hire of the relevant aircraft.
Complex type conversions
The basic PPL with Single Engine Piston (Land) class rating allows the addition of various "complex" features. Each requires a course of differences training and is then endorsed into your licence; once gained, complex qualifications remain valid indefinitely.
At Skyline we can currently offer Variable Pitch and Retractable Undercarriage training on our Piper Lance.
Night Qualification
Not enough hours in the day to fly? Fly at night!
The Night Qualification is a short course to teach a qualified or nearly-qualified pilot the differences in flying at night, how to navigate by night and - crucially - how to land. Once gained, the Qualification remains valid indefinitely and your licence will include the magic words "may be exercised at night".
Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) Rating
An ordinary PPL holder is restricted to flying visually, which is formally defined as having a certain forward visibility and remaining in sight of the surface at all times. Whilst gaining a full Instrument Rating is quite a gruelling and expensive course (which we don't currently offer), the UK CAA has created the IMC Rating which is a relaxation of the visual flying restrictions of the PPL.
The IMC course is divided into three main parts: flying on instruments, flying on a partial set of instruments, then putting this into practise with the final section covering radio navigation and instrument approaches. It takes a minimum of 15 hours to complete, and there is a ground exam and a flight test.
Once achieved, the IMC Rating requires a flight test every two years to keep current. It allows you to fly in cloud, above an overcast cloud layer (very useful here in the UK!) and to perform instrument approaches to suitably equipped aerodromes.
Safety Pilot course
We have had several requests to provide basic flying training to enable frequent passengers to act as safety pilots, in other words to be able to take control of a light aircraft in an emergency if the pilot should become incapacitated. We can now offer this - at our standard training rates - from June 1, 2005. The course is based on the first part of the PPL syllabus, focussing on how to obtain assistance from ATC, find the nearest suitable airfield and land the aircraft safely - but, of course, we hope you will choose to continue with the full PPL!