Read below to learn more about how to plan a trip to Essex, which aircraft to take, and a list of the best aero clubs in the county.
Essex is home to not only iconic manmade and natural structures, but it also fosters an amazing aviation community that is full of bustling aero clubs. From ambitious trainees to veteran pilots and even advanced pilot training, if you are truly looking to make a worthwhile trip, then Essex is the place for private pilots.
In this guide, we will look at the best aero clubs in Essex and how aspiring pilots can pick the right career route in aviation!
Best Aero Clubs in Essex
Located just 230 miles from Sherburn, Elmet, Essex is frequently visited by private pilots looking for a scenic trip full of adventure, breathtaking views, and a vibrant aviation community. This county is known for its cute towns like Colchester, Chelmsford, Saffron Walden, and of course the iconic Clacton-on-Sea.
Here is a list of some of the best aero clubs that you can visit from Sherburn:
Southend Flying Club:
Southend Flying Club is one of the most prestigious and long-standing aero clubs in Essex. Established in 1933, this club is known for offering a wide range of courses from Private Pilot Licence (PPL) to Night Rating and even Instrument Meteorological Rating.
Since the club is located inside Southend Airport, you can expect all the amenities found in any high-class airport. The club also proudly features a veteran faculty that focuses on maintaining a friendly atmosphere. Southend Flying Club’s mission is to make aviation training as feasible as possible which is why it offers several tiers of training.
Thanks to its diverse range of aircraft, this club is frequented by all types of pilots. If you are an aspiring pilot or a veteran, you will certainly find a home here!
Please note that since this club is in a busy airport, you will have to book your spot when visiting Southend Flying Club. You can visit their website or call them in advance to book your spot.
Anglian Flight Centres:
Anglian Flight Centres is conveniently located within Colchester and you can be sure to access the clear blue skies and jaw-dropping scenery that this county has to offer. This club is known for providing comprehensive pilot training which makes it ideal for both commercial and private pilots.
Since the club features a wide range of facilities and amenities, it is easily one of the most frequented clubs by trainees and veteran pilots. The club also proudly features experience flights and can provide you with the rare opportunity to fly a Harvard Warbird using its advanced flight simulator.
Not only does Anglian Flight Centres focus on maintaining a conducive and friendly learning environment, but it also emphasises creating healthy competition so that the club can produce professional, well-mannered, and highly trained pilots.
Andrewsfield Aviation:
Located near Stansted, Andrewsfield Aviation is by far one of the most intense training institutions in Essex. The club is known for featuring a world-class faculty and a very comprehensive learning environment.
The club focuses on providing not just private pilot training, but also commercial pilot training as well as advanced courses like aerobatics and even formation flying. The club is also known for its advanced flight simulator based on the Boeing 737. If you are looking to become a commercial pilot and require realistic training, then Andrewsfield Aviation is the place to be.
Stapleford Flight Centre:
Stapleford Flight Centre is yet another premier flight school located inside Stapleford Airfield. The club has a long-standing reputation for producing one of the best pilots in the county. It is also the ideal place for both private and commercial pilots.
The club offers private pilot training, commercial pilot training, and even flight instructor courses for people who want to become professional instructors in aviation.
Stapleford also provides experience flights and boasts a friendly yet competitive environment, complete with all the amenities that any pilot could ask for. You will also find this club to be highly reasonable in its pricing since they also offer gift vouchers and several monetary benefits for new pilots.
The Pilot Route
Flight schools are not just community hubs for pilots, but they are also training centres where enthusiasts and career-oriented pilots can train to become commercial or private pilots.
The importance of picking the right flight school is a decision akin to picking any other institution in academia. Not only do you have to make a list of your requirements and budget, but you also must account for several other factors like faculty experience, aircraft facilities, amenities, and more.
With pilot training ranging from a couple of thousand euros to several thousand, you must pick the right school and stick with your training regimen to get your license as soon as possible.
The good news is that the benefits of joining an aero club more than offset its costs since you not only get to fulfil your dream, but if you opt for commercial pilot training, you can even begin earning from your passion!
Here is a checklist of things that you need to keep in mind when picking a flight school:
Choosing your Career Route
Pilot training is diverse! You can either choose to become a private pilot, a class of pilots who get to fly smaller aircraft for leisure purposes only, or a commercial pilot, a pilot who gets to fly larger commercial aircraft with a typical career ladder.
Each type of pilot training determines the type of aircraft that you will get to operate. There are two types of aircraft in aviation: light aircraft and commercial aircraft. Light aircraft are the ones that you may commonly find in virtually any flight club. Commercial aircraft are the ones that you might be most familiar with. These aircraft carry passengers and cargo and are flown by professional pilots.
For pilots who want to pursue aviation as a hobby, the light aircraft is the ideal aerial vehicle for flying. Light aircraft have two broad subcategories. The first is a Flex wing aircraft and the second is a Fixed wing aircraft.
Flex-wings are small aircraft with a minimalist design approach. They can seat up to two people at a time and are ideal for short-distance flights, experience flights, aerial photography, and casual flying.
Flex-wings are popular in the aviation community because their design has been around since the birth of aviation in the 1900s. they are fun to fly, and most private pilots can easily get their fill of aviation by only operating flex wings!
Fixed-wing aircraft are different from flex-wing in how they are designed and their performance capacity. For example, fixed-wing aircraft feature a closed cockpit design, unlike the flex-wing. They can also seat up to six passengers at a time and since they have a higher Take Off Weight (TOW) they are also ideal for carrying light cargo.
Fixed wings also offer a diverse range of onboard instruments, unlike flex wings which usually only feature basic communication equipment and a compass. These aircraft have various instruments that make them ideal for several flying scenarios and even commercial pilot training.
There is another type of light aircraft that is also frequented by both private and commercial pilots: Helicopters
Helicopters are usually used for commercial purposes, but many private pilots enjoy flying these aircraft for leisure purposes too. Helicopters have the unique ability to take off vertically which makes them ideal for several flying scenarios. For example, they can be used for aerial photography, rescue missions, cargo delivery, transport, sightseeing, aerial surveys, and much more.
Pick the Right Training Programme
Pilots come in various types. Some can fly smaller aircraft with more restrictions like in the case of a Light Aircraft Pilot License (LAPL), or some can fly flex-wings or fixed-wing aircraft, like Private Pilots – and of course, then some advanced pilots are going for a Commercial Pilot License.
Each type of pilot has different privileges! So, you need to think long and hard about what type of pilot you want to become. If your answer is someone who wants to earn from their passion, then you might want to look into a commercial flight training programme.
If you want to learn how to fly for leisurely and casual purposes, then a Light Aircraft Pilot License might fit the bill for you. However, if you want to be able to have the ability to fly light aircraft and explore other avenues in aviation later in life, then we recommend going for a Private Pilot Programme.
A Light Aircraft Pilot License is ideal for people who have a day job and can't take out the time or resources for a full-fledged pilot license. This type of license can enable you to fly smaller aircraft like flex-wings under strict Visual Flight Rules (VFR), which are basically a set of ideal flying conditions needed for flight.
Light Aircraft Pilot Licenses are a no-brainer for people who want to experience how to fly without fully committing to aviation. This can be a teacher, a mechanic, or even a regular 9-to-5 person who wants to learn how to fly over the weekends. A Light Aircraft Pilot Licence is relatively cheaper to obtain and can have very relaxed training requirements.
A Private Pilot License (PPL) require a bit more commitment. The basic idea is the same, however, the training curriculum is more expanded, and your training requirements are stricter. As per the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), all private pilots must fulfil the basic requirements and flight hours to be able to apply for a private license.
Private pilots get the best of both worlds. Not only can they fly a diverse range of light aircraft, but they also have the opportunity to expand and transfer their training towards more advanced courses like a commercial flight training programme or even certifications like Night Rating, Instrument Rating, and more.
Finally, Commercial Pilot Training requires full commitment. Not only is this training programme the most expensive in aviation, but it also requires pilots to be at the top of their game. With a Commercial Pilot Licence, you will be able to not only fly larger aircraft, but you will also get a job at prestigious airline companies. You can also become a captain of a commercial airliner and get all the benefits of being a private pilot added on top!
Flight Instructors
Flight instructors make aviation possible. They are simply the cornerstone of the flight training ecosystem and are required to produce pilots of the future! Flight instructors are revered in the aviation community and most of them are already retired veteran pilots, or highly capable and experienced private pilots.
In aviation, experience is what matters the most, and instructors with the most experience are usually immediately hired at any prestigious flight school. If you want to become an instructor yourself, then we recommend that you either go for a private pilot programme or a commercial programme.
The benefit of initially going with private pilot training is that you can use your license to rack up flight hours and gain experience on a variety of aircraft. This can allow you to not only improve your own resume but also build intuition which is invaluable in aviation.
Intuition is important and only comes from experience! Most flight instructors are either veterans or people with a lot of flight hours. Their experience enables them to tackle several flying scenarios that can put pilots in tough situations.
However, becoming a flight instructor should be your end goal instead of your starting objective. We recommend that you pick a great flight school and choose a flight programme that best suits your needs. Once you learn the ropes and become a full-fledged pilot, then you can decide whether you want to teach or keep evolving your training to become the best pilot in the country!
WHY CHOOSE SHERBURN AERO CLUB
Sherburn Aero Club, which has been operational since 1964, is the ideal place for most of your training and flying needs. It is one of the largest flying clubs in the North of England and also one of the largest in the country.
If you wish to begin your career in aviation or wish to take to the skies as a hobby, Sherburn’s flight training school offers private and commercial licences, along with pilot medicals to ensure a smooth journey going forward.
For those who wish to experience the thrill of a flight for fun or to help fuel their aviation dreams, Sherburn offers experience flights for the newbie, as well as the veteran in various types of light aircraft.
With a large fleet of new aircraft and an airfield refurbishment with new runways, hangars, and an extended clubhouse, we cater to brand-new flyers who have just started their journey to the skies, as well as seasoned flyers who have been operating aircraft for decades.
The flight experience option is also available for people who wish to take to the skies for special occasions, even if they aren’t into aviation in the long run.
Sherburn offers a dedicated day-long Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence (FRTOL) course for those wishing to get the certification, running the first Sunday of every month.
In addition to that, if you are looking for a hangarage for your own aircraft, need servicing or repairs, want to buy a new aircraft or aviation equipment, or are just looking to enjoy and watch the aircraft, Sherburn Aero Club is the place to be.
Call us at 01977 682 674, email us at flightdesk@sherburnaeroclub.com, or message us via our online contact form for more information on light aircraft, training requirements, fee structure, licencing procedures, as well as experience flights and pilot training at Sherburn.
Photo by Veronica White on Unsplash
