Thursday 28th of March 2024
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Welcome to the RAF Benson Flying Club Website

RAF Benson Flying Club is a military flying club open to:

Current and ex-serving members of all 3 Regular British Armed Forces

Current and ex-serving* members of all 3 Reserve British Armed Forces

MoD Civil Servants

MoD Contractors

Current members of UAS, UOTC and URNU

Armed Forces of other nations serving with British Forces in the UK

Partners and dependants of Service personnel

Civilians may be accepted on the basis that they already hold current licences and fulfil such roles as Flight or Ground Instructors, or in some other way provide the Club with operational assistance and make a positive contribution to the Flying Club.

*Unfortunately, ex-serving members of the VR(T) are ineligible for Club membership.

The club operates two Slingsby T67 Firefly aircraft and one DV40 for hire. Training manuals and navigation equipment are also available to loan to pilots as are headsets and GPS devices for all flights in club aircraft at no charge.

Aerobatics training and flying is available.

Joining the Club

To join the RAF Benson Flying Club please contact the club secretary using the contact form available by clicking the top right tab on this page. Once membership is confirmed you will be granted access to the rest of the website for aircraft and instructor bookings. There will be a £50 joining fee payable upon being accepted as a member.

FAQs

I'm a Qualified Service Pilot and wish to obtain my PPL.

Many of our members are QSPs wishing to gain civilian qualifications. The amount of flight training required will vary depending on your experience and can be conducted on an Ad-Hoc basis. Most QSPs are ready for their skills test within 6/8hrs of training.

To qualify for this course applicants must:

Be a QSP or EFT Graduate
Hold Class 2 CAA medical for Solo flight.
Have CAA Form SRG 2133 signed by CO before flying training commences
Pass 9 Ground examinations before Skills test. Candidates are exempt from RT practical. Exams can be undertaken before Flying Training commences

Flying training required is at the discretion of the CFI/HOT but will normally consist of the following

A general handling assessment to facilitate aircraft familiarisation and cover EX 1 thro 16 About 2 hours
Qualifying Cross country duel to cover gaps in EFTG training syllabus.2 hours approx
Qualifying Cross Country Solo 2 hours approx
Some EFT Graduates May have to make up some solo shortfall
General Skill test. 2 hours

PPL modular training QSP(H)
8 hrs aircraft (T67) 1160
Instruction costs 320
2 hrs test hire 290
Skills Test 150
CAA ground exams 315
CAA class 2 medical 150
CAA licence 185
RAFBFC membership 95
Total £2665*

*This table is an example of QSP(H) package we provide. Costs are dependent on aircraft used and number of hours flown.

I have a PPL and want to work towards additional ratings.

The club offers courses for the instrument (IMC) rating and night rating as well as biennial training flights, currency check flights, type conversions and differences training.

I have no flying experience and am interested in learning.

The club offers a structured programme of flight and theoretical training conducted by qualified civilian flight instructors under the supervision of our Chief Flying Instructor. The training culminates in a flight skills test conducted by one of our CAA approved examiners and, after successful completion, a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL). This allows the holder to fly light aircraft throughout the UK and Europe and can be extended with additional ratings and larger aircraft.

PPL modular training
45 hrs aircraft hire 6525
Instruction costs 1800
2 hrs test hire 290
Skills Test 150
CAA ground exams 315
R/T Practical Exam 140
CAA class 2 medical 150
CAA licence 196
RAFBFC membership 95
Landing Fees circa 90
Total £9751

The PPL course consists of 45 hours of flight training plus a 2 hour skills test. The LAPL course consists of 32 hours of flight training which includes the 2 hour skills test. Both courses also require theoretical training and passes in the same 9 written examinations plus a pass in a practical Radio Telephony (RTF) examination.

The Full EASA PPL can also be untaken as three separate modules at a cost of circa £3340.00 per module.

The cost for a LAPL is similar to an EASA PPL except that a minimum of 30 hours is required so the overall cost would be circa £7500.

I have a PPL and want to work towards an Aerobatics qualification.

The club offers Basic, Standard and Intermediate Aerobatics training courses

Basic Aerobatics Course
8 hrs aircraft hire £145 ph (T67)
Instructor Fees (8 hrs) £45 up to 1hr Pro rata >1hr
Ground School Instruction (4 hrs) £30 ph
Self Study (4 hrs) 0
AOPA admin fee 15
CAA Licence Fee (for Lifetime Aerobatic Rating) 142
RAFBFC membership 98
Approx Total £1895

*This table is an example of Aerobatics training we provide. Costs are dependent on aircraft used and number of hours flown.

How much will this cost me and is there any funding available?

Enhanced and Standard Learning Credits can be used by all Serving personnel to conduct flying training, including aerobatics, please contact the club for further information. Personal contribution is usually in the vicinity of 20%.

Item Charge
DV40 Hire £170 ph
T67 Firefly Fixed Pitch Hire £145 ph
T67 Firefly Variable Pitch Hire £145 ph
Flying Instructor fees £40 up to 1hr Pro rata >1hr
PPL Skills test £150
IR/R (IMC Rating) flying test £150
PPL revalidation proficiency test £150
R/T Practical Exam £140
PPL Ground Examinations (9 in total) Alw,com,opp,agk,pof,nav,fpp,met,hpl £35 per subject
IR/R (IMC Rating) Ground Examination £35
PPL issue fees £220
LAPL issue fees £153
Night Rating issue fees £142
IR/R (IMC Rating) issue fees £142
SEP Logbook Revalidation £20 - £30

I would like to use my ELCAS what do I do?

For information regarding ELCAS please visit http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/ and seek advice from the learning centre. The RAF Benson Flying Club is a registered provider with number: 1548.

Please apply for the course you require through your learning centre. We are happy to assist with any information you require. Once your application has been approved and received by us from ELCAS you will be able to begin your training.

ELCAS applicants should familiarise themselves with the RAFBFC ELCAS Policy before committing to apply for ELCAS funding.

 

 

 

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