I wonder if American private pilots have a opinion on british general aviation flying?
Posted by Double_Zucchini6626@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 24 comments
We have a rich history here in the UK of aviation and a community, with all the youtubers showing private flying in the UK, i’m wondering it any Americans watch it and whats there opinion on it?
ForgotTheLandingGear@reddit
Sadly GA is dying in the UK, a lot of our older pilots never got their licenses revalidated after pilots. Airfields closing (Coventry this year, Cambridge some time in the near future) so that housing and factories can be built. The government has recently simplified licensing which should hopefully help a bit but we really need people to pick it up as a lifelong hobby again so that airfields have a purpose and a reason to support GA
BathFullOfDucks@reddit
I flew from two places early on that seemed to be a perfect environment for someone early in their career. Fun, but serious with plenty of folks to interact with, learn from and support, that had been in use since the very beginning of aviation in this country. Both are now closed to GA. One school is now an "executive terminal" and the other having been denied permission to close and build a bunch of homes, just took his toys and went home, closing to anyone he didnt have an existing contract with. This closed all but one GA friendly field in the part of the country, which is only still open because it is a passion project with a very rich owner. We are reaching the point where GA friendly fields will be so far apart, that our aircraft won't reach them!
Forsaken-Ad5571@reddit
As someone who is working towards their NPPL, what’s not helping is just how archaic the CAA are, and how all the rules are incredibly obfuscated. Flying is a hell of a lot of fun, but the whole process is Kafkaesque
Muted-Rhubarb2143@reddit
The airspace seems a little complex.
BathFullOfDucks@reddit
I would argue the same from the other point of view, plenty of class G here to pootle around in here, seemingly none there.
ltcterry@reddit
I've done a bunch of glider flying in England and Scotland. Want to do more. I flew a Firefly at White Waltham. That was exciting w/ all the history. I'd like to fly a Tiger Moth, a Chipmunk, a Bulldog, and maybe a Spitfire. I can't remember the name of it, but one of those old single seaters that you don't need a regular license for? Some place does formation training in them. How do you do formation training in single seat airplanes for beginners?
I had a BGA license. Just converted it into a now-required CAA SPL. To go along with my EASA SPL.
gromm93@reddit
I would guess that a good many American GA pilots never have any meaningful contact with British GA, especially since there's a huge moat between the two countries that automatically prevents going back and forth with each other in any small aircraft.
However, Canadian pilots most certainly do, and vice versa. We have stricter standards for radio communications, and minor differences in air law and air traffic control classes. On top of that, the kind of flying we do in Canada has a higher reliance on small aircraft in the first place, having large distances between small outposts of civilisation. There are entire workplaces that only operate on a fly-in, fly-out basis, and the kind of aircraft that shuttle such workers in and out, are those that were designed specifically for these circumstances, in our country.
We also have air medic services that are very similar to Australia's Flying Doctor. We just don't have quite as cool a name for it.
jmac29562@reddit
I’m always fascinated by the way you interact with ATC. Like the whole “basic service” and phraseology like that. Seems like a different world
latedescent@reddit
Flying boxes into there from the states is even quite different. I can’t imagine GA with their rules etc .
Swimming_Way_7372@reddit
They make us wear yellow vests on the ramp whenever I've flown to England. Thats silly as hell. It could be worse though it could be Italy. Thats the goofiest shit iver ever seen when it comes to handling aircraft and how many people are involved that are completely unnecessary.
segelflugzeugdriver@reddit
Much less freedom, expensive fuel, and beaurocracy. So the same as the rest of Britain 😂
Anonymous5791@reddit
You can take the British out of the EU but you can’t take the EU out of the British. Nanny states and burden government for all!
MachoTurnip@reddit
From the outside it seems unnecessarily complicated to do any GA flying in the UK, which sucks considering the points you made about having such a rich history of aviation. It does seem like the community is really supportive and close though which is cool
lawyerunderabridge@reddit
Recommendations would be appreciated! I’m in England but I only get US channels in my recommendations.
jumpy_finale@reddit
Flying Reporter
https://youtu.be/lBoadkrGvyA
lawyerunderabridge@reddit
Ty!
oldmate52@reddit
Short Field is good and based in the uk
m149@reddit
Can't recall seeing a single YT suggestion for any British aviation channels. I seem to get mostly US and occasionally random bush flying suggestions.
Law-of-Poe@reddit
Im in the US but always get suggestions the The Flying VLOG
Decent YT channel where he flies a diamond, I think, around the UK and sometimes to Europe
rotardy@reddit
I think if you don’t fly internationally boredom would set pretty quickly.
x4457@reddit
Nope, sure don’t. Other than how annoying it seems to do anything GA related in England.
iwonder___@reddit
I dont think we get as much exposure to other countries youtube channels due to location algorithms. I may be wrong on that, just my experience.
djd565@reddit
I enjoy watching from time to time though I don’t really have anyone that I follow. The differences in RT and ATC/procedure are interesting.
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
We have a rich history here in the UK of aviation and a community, with all the youtubers showing private flying in the UK, i’m wondering it any Americans watch it and whats there opinion on it?
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