Flying School.

When looking for a suitable Flying School, ask yourself these important questions:

• Is the school well established?
• How reputable is it?
• Are the aircraft presentable, clean and most importantly, are they well maintained?
• Are you encouraged to view the aircraft and facilities without obligation?
• Are the staff enthusiastic and suitably qualified?
• Do the training fees include your pre-flight instruction, all fuel used and landing fees?

Westair has been operating for over 60 years and has grown into one of the largest flight training organisations in the North West of England, commanding a reputation second to none. Our instructors are fully qualified to current JAR-FCL / CAA standards. Westair's aim is to provide you with the very best standards of training. We also offer a wide choice of aircraft which are maintained without compromise to standards laid down by the CAA for Public Transport. This is carried out at Westair by our very own highly qualified engineering department. 

We actively encourage anyone interested in taking up flying to visit Westair for an informal chat and a tour of the hangar.

Learning to fly is really not difficult, if you can drive a car you will most likely be able to fly. You must be 17 to qualify for a licence, though you can begin your studies much earlier. You can legally go solo at 16 and there is no upper age limit, so don't think because your retired you're too old! 

There are now two routes to getting your licence, The JAR-FCL route which is more widely recognised and will allow you to continue with more advanced training such as Night ratings, IMC etc or the NPPL route which is a UK only Licence allowing you VFR flight in daytime.

Route 1) JAR
To qualify for your JAR - FCL Private Pilot's Licence you will need to complete a minimum of 45 hours flight training ending with a Flying Skill Test conducted by an Qualified Examiner. You will also need to obtain a Class 2 Medical from a CAA Authorised Medical Examiner. Contact the Flying School for details of local CAA Authorised Examiners

Route 2) NPPL
To qualify for the NPPL Licence, you will need to complete a minimum of 32 hours flight training ending with a Flying Skill Test conducted by an Qualified Examiner. The Medical is less stringent and can be obtained from your local GP. However this is a more restricted form of licence and we recommend you discuss the options with us
Click here to find out more from the NPPL website.

For both routes, you will also need to sit various ground exams, principally of multiple choice style on various aviation related subjects. Don't worry if you haven't sat an exam for some years, ground schools to help with the exams are available in our well equipped lecture rooms. With a bit of effort you should be able to pass them and the end result is well worth it.

Application and plenty of spare time to go flying could result in you gaining your Licence within a couple of months, though on average most students spread this over 12 - 18 months. The school is open 7 days a week so booking an aircraft and instructor is flexible and straight forward. Please note that the required hours are the minimum and based on a number of factors, students can take longer.

The training is typically done in one of the club's Cessna 150 or 152 aircraft although it is possible to upgrade to the 4 seat Cessna 172, the cost varying accordingly and is based on the appropraite hourly rate for the aircraft type.
(See the How much does it cost? section)

No other experience or requirements are needed, except that before flying solo you must hold a valid medical certificate issued by the relevant examiner depending on the route you decide (JAR / NPPL - see above) and have passed the Air Law exam. The wearing of glasses or contact lenses is normally quite acceptable.

Once obtained, your JAR licence is valid for 5 years the NPPL is valid indefinitely. Provided you fly the minimum number of hours per year as defined by the CAA and keep your medical up to date you will be able to fly almost as you desire. To ensure you can maintain your flying time, you can hire one of the Cessna 150, 152's, the Cessna 172 or the Piper PA28.

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As mentioned previously, for the exams you will need to purchase a few items of equipment such as books, aeronautical charts and rulers; but these can be bought from the club shop. No special clothing is required for flying because modern training and touring aircraft are heated and are comparable in comfort to a car.

Westair operate a Cessna 150 and two Cessna  152's all of which are two seat aircraft, along with a four seat Cessna 172 aircraft. These aircraft are amongst the most popular training aircraft in the world, around which we base our PPL course. They are renown for their safety record and ease of handling, being the aircraft of choice for many flying schools around the world.

These aircraft are designed to be stable and therefore easy to fly and built to give you confidence from the very beginning of your flight training. The high wing design provides for excellent stability and visibility.

Once you have obtained your licence our aircraft including the four seat Warrior are also available for additional training or hire.

The frequency of your lessons depends on your availability and financial resources. An ideal arrangement would be to fly once or twice a week, each flight lasting approximately 45 minutes. This would allow you to obtain your licence in around 6-9 months.

However it is possible to space out your lessons to suit your pocket, or  you may wish to devote your holiday to full-time training and so complete the course in a matter of weeks. The choice is yours - the club is open seven days a week, our aircraft are almost always available.

Each lesson commences with a pre-flight briefing on the exercises to be flown, followed by the flight and a de-briefing. You only pay for the official log book flying time, that is from the moment you move off under power to the moment you come back to a stop on the apron outside Westair. 

Flying costs can vary enormously from club to club, some include VAT, some instruction or a combination of both, others quote you for 'dry' time. 'Dry Time' means you pay the hourly rate for the aircraft and then add on the cost of the fuel used during your flying. What started out as a reasonable cost ends up being a lot more expensive than you thought or perhaps budgeted for. 

At Westair we believe in keeping the charges clear and simple. The price you see is the price you pay per hour of flying time 'Wet', i.e the price includes the fuel used, with charges being broken down in 5 minute increments. Flying time starts from the moment the aircraft wheels move under your own power to the moment they finally come to a stop after the flight. There are no hidden extras, the rates shown below include VAT, fuel, instruction and landing fees at Blackpool.

Additionally, Westair run a scheme for Student PPL's to help keep the cost down. You pay for your flying in blocks of 11¹/₂ hours and Westair will give you an additional one hour flying completely free!

You will need to be a member of Westair Flying Club  to enjoy these benefits and membership rates are available on request. We also run a Gold Card scheme for qualified PPL's  which offers an additional discount off the hourly flying rates.

Please note, that the quoted figures are correct as of June 2008.
Westair reserve all rights to amend prices without prior notice.

If you are not familiar with flying in a light aircraft, then a short trial lesson is recommended. This can be easily arranged, with flexibility in date and time, giving you the opportunity to fly the aircraft yourself to see what it is really like to be at the controls.

Trial lessons also make a unique gift for friends and relatives. Personalised Gift Certificates are available for trial lessons, starting from 20 minutes. These can be purchased by cheque or over the phone by credit card. Our phone number is 01253 404925. 
The vouchers are valid for 9 months from the date of purchase, giving you ample time to deliver the surprise and then to arrange a suitable date and time. 
We are open 7 days a week except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year.

Note. Prices are based on the trail lesson occuring in a 2 seat Cessna 150 / 152; and are subject to change. 
Please ring to check current prices.

For a small additional cost, you can upgrade to a 4 seat aircraft allowing two more people to enjoy the experience.  
Don't forget the video camera!

Westair can also provide advanced training. This includes IMC, Night & Multi Engine Ratings.
Please contact the Flying School directly for more information.