Reader's Question—England or France, which is best for hours-building?

Barry Jeapes writes:

If I am lucky I might just get to do my gft next week, the culmination of 2 years training in the low cloud, wild cross wind, misty viz and generally awful weather of south east England.

I usually manage one hour every 3 or 4 weeks so you can imagine that consolidating knowledge has been a challenge.

Now to the point, I have bought a house in Brittany which will be my main abode before too long, and, I want to really learn how to fly which means some consistent flying, preferably in a Robin or other low wing aircraft (except Warrior).

In the long term, I am considering buying my own plane and perhaps also having a place in the South of France.

Consolidating my flying and becoming familiar with French airspace seems a good idea at the moment.

Do you offer this kind of training?

On the other hand my flying colleagues reckon that more flying around the South of England will teach you to fly anywhere as its so intense.

Any views on this subject.

Comments

[susan Virr]

It rather depends on what sort of flying that you wish to do.I agree that the south of England is very intense and one should gain experience in the area if you intend to fly there.

Flying in France is wonderful and I would be very happy to help you familiarise yourself with the rules etc.
The Robin aircraft can be found all over France and it is my favourite aircraft I have spent many flying hours in the Robin and it is always reliable and a delight to fly.
Please feel free to contact me personally if you wish to spend some time here flying with me.
info@nearlyheaven.com

[Les King]

Apart from lower costs and more-reliable weather, a big advantage of flying in France is that there are lots of nice places to visit.

There are, of course, lots of nice GA airfields in the UK but most of them are former RAF bases in remote locations where nobody, apart from aviation enthusiasts, would want to go.

France, on the other hand, has many well-equipped regional airports serving the local community and welcoming GA traffic as well as commercial flights.

Due to the relatively unrestricted airspace, most of my flights over there cover greater distances than I would attempt in the UK.

During the last couple of years, my destinations have included La Rochelle, Carcassone, Le Touquet, Bergerac, Argenton, Potiers, Perigueux, Arcachon, Il de Veu, Aurillac, Quiberon, St Junien, Marmande, Blois and, of course, Limoges.

France offers excellent low-level radar coverage with English-speaking controllers who provides an effective safety-net for low-time pilots.

My advice—do some flying in France to gain experience and build confidence before you get to grips with the crowded skies of southern England.