Flying in the UK

mtrep09 said:
Thanks for the info Zondaracer and Hacker15e. Lakenheath is where I'll be going as an aircraft maintenance officer. I think I could live without GA flying if the AF was letting me fly F15s occasionally. :D
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I'll offer that you won't have much free time that is between daylight hours as a young MX officer at Lakenheath. Between prepping for deployments, inspections, the grind of normal ops, and sorting out the craziness your troops were able to get into, Lalenheath seems to suck away all your time. It's a great place...very awesome in its own way. It's just not a great place for a hobby that requires any kind of consistency. Save your COLA and blow it on neat GA adventures when you come back to the States. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to knock out a tailwheel, a seaplane rating, do some acro training, or get a multi when you're home on leave or back in the States TDY.
 
hook_dupin said:
I'll offer that you won't have much free time that is between daylight hours as a young MX officer at Lakenheath. Between prepping for deployments, inspections, the grind of normal ops, and sorting out the craziness your troops were able to get into, Lalenheath seems to suck away all your time. It's a great place...very awesome in its own way. It's just not a great place for a hobby that requires any kind of consistency. Save your COLA and blow it on neat GA adventures when you come back to the States. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to knock out a tailwheel, a seaplane rating, do some acro training, or get a multi when you're home on leave or back in the States TDY.
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mtrep09, I frequently tell people that Lakenheath was both the best and worst assignment of my career. Best because of where we were and the cultural and travel experiences that living in the UK offered. Worst because I have never worked so hard and for such long hours as I did at RAFL; of the 32 months I was stationed there, I was physically off of the island for about 18 months (including deployments, TDYs, etc); most days I went to work before my kids woke up and got home after they'd gone to bed -- it was not great for my family life.
 
Guess it's a good thing I'll be going over there single! Seriously though, thanks for the advice gentlemen.

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Don't know if your orders to England are locked in stone. Maybe you can try to be a mx officer with 5FW in Kadena AB in Japan, they had an AF aero club and they did everything under Civil FAA rules for their aircraft and prices were comparable to conus rental rates. They even used the island exemption for the commercial xc solo flight 150 miles vs 250 miles. But that was back in 1999-2000. Don't know the current situation in Japan now.
 
J777Fly said:
The Radio work is very different (super anal)
The VFR map is colourful but confusing, the air traffic control procedures is different.
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Sounds like AF flight training

I'm sure Hacker and company didn't really have a problem fighting in. :)
 
The article paints an ugly picture, but it's the same way with driving over there. At least in terms of U.S. vs. Germany. My U.S. license was only valid for six months and they only accepted a few states. Otherwise, I had to get an international driver's license which is only valid for a year, I think. After that, I'd likely have to take a German driving test. However, if a German wants to come here and drive, that's fine. Maybe they might have to get a U.S. license, but that only requires a picture and a very long wait at the DMV.

I'm fine with the driving thing, though, since Germans are trained waaaaaay better when it comes to driving. The flying thing still stinks, though.
 
When my wife moved from Europe to the US, her European driver's license was valid for only 90 days. She then had to take the written test and the driving test, both very easy. When I moved from the US to Europe, my license was valid for 1 year with the international permit from AAA, and then I had to do the same, written test and driving test. But yeah, the EASA regulations for private flying is a bum deal. I even know some CFIs at a flying school in France that only does FAA training, and they all had to go get their European licenses even though they had been instructing in France for a decade or more.
 
Oh my bad. I just kinda pulled my figures out of my head hahaha.

Edit: However, I'm sure the European driving and written test was much harder. Maybe. If it was in Germany, I'm sure it was.
 
There are handful of states that have licensing agreements with certain countries and you can get a drivers license easier if you possess a driving license forms specific state and are applying in the correct country.
 
Oh okay! I remember reading about that when I was living in Germany, but I didn't focus too hard on it. I was a student. I had other things to focus on...
 
There is a RAF flying club about an hourish away from EGUL at RAF Wyton: http://www.pathfinderflyingclub.co.uk/
Their website is a little out of date and I have heard rumors that they may have closed but I know of a couple guys who flew with them when they were stationed there in early 2000s timeframe.

Everyone I know at Lakenheath shares Hacker's and hook_dupin's sentiments about the ops tempo there. Sort of surprising since the tanker guys at Mildenhall rave about their tour. TDYs all over Europe, taking their spouses space-a wherever they go, not living under AMC rule... Hours are supposedly a little hard to come by however, and copilots are knife fighting in the parking lot for deployments. Guess partying in London every weekend is a good consolation prize.

EDIT: Quick google also brought up the Henlow Flying Club (http://www.henlowflyingclub.co.uk/) about an hour south. £130 (~$210) per hour for a 150/152..
 
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