Up to Solo

Flight training is done in three separate stages -

1. Dual flying
2. Supervised Solo local flying
3. Cross-country flying

And mixed in with all this is the Ground-subjects training as you progress but we'll deal with the exciting bit first and finish off with the academic stuff last.

Dual flying
You'll be taught in the safety of a dual-controlled aircraft with a fully qualified and friendly instructor. This will be over a period of about 15 to 18 hours, learning all the skills you will need for solo flight.

We start you off by familiarising you with the aircraft while it's still on the ground and then we go flying and show you how all the basic controls work in the air. By the end of your first hour lesson you'll be able to control the aircraft in straight and level flight as well as being able to steer it to follow roads and railways, or even chase the clouds.

At the end of your second hour lesson you'll be able to change the speed of the aircraft in straight and level flight as well as to climb and descend, and this will have prepared you for your very important third hour lesson.

Now you'll start learning about circuit procedure and the demanding and difficult tasks of taking off and landing, and this is where you'll need patience. You'll get 'stuck' here for a few hours until you make that exciting breakthrough which happens to all students. You'll have finally cracked the landing, and then we can concentrate on getting you to that really momentous occasion ..... YOUR FIRST SOLO FLIGHT!

Supervised Solo Local Flying
This solo phase is where you really learn to fly. Under the watchful eye of your instructor over a period of about 10 hours you will practise and polish your skills in the airfield circuit, in short local flights, and short cross country flights to the point when you are ready to demonstrate that your proficiency is at a high enough level to be let loose to roam the skies in almost total freedom.

At that stage you will take your GFT (General Flying Test) This is a practical flying test conducted by a CAA examiner (probably your chief flying instructor, or at any rate someone equally friendly) when you will be expected to demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in a whole variety of manoeuvres and situations. For example, in one such situation you will be expected to land your aeroplane within a small circle following a simulated engine failure at 1000ft above the airfield. This may sound difficult, but you will find that by the time you have to do it you will have developed the high degree of skill needed to successfully execute that, and many more equally demanding tasks.

PLEASE NOTE. The first six hours of dual flying is done on the school aircraft, but when you’ve completed these six and the six hours simulator flying, further flying will be on your own personal microlight. Suitable aircraft may be purchased through us, new or second hand, but most people like to take advantage of our low-cost syndicate schemes. Please ask your instructor for more details.

Cross-country flying
This is the final part where you leave the nest. By now you will be putting into practice the details you learned in groundschool sessions, navigating your way around using compass and map, and using your knowledge of air-law and meteorology to fly safely. This is all in preparation for your two 'qualifying' Cross-country flights, both of which have to be a minimum of 40 nautical miles in total, with an outlanding on each flight at a place at least 15 nautical miles away. In fact you'll fly to exotic places like Sandown on the Isle-of-Wight and Compton Abbas in Dorset; considerably further than the minimum required distances.

Using your new skills to navigate and fly to strange far off places gives a tremendous amount of enjoyment and a great sense of achievement, and all of this is the natural progression of your training which is now concluded.