A.This depends entirely on the individual - normally the budget. Continuity is essential. If you leave it too long between lessons you will end up recapping the previous lesson and therefore make slow progress. We recommend no more than a fortnight between lessons. Most people will settle at 1 or 2 lessons per fortnight. It is possible to study full-time, in which case we limit the student to 3 hours per day with a rest day on every fourth day. There will be times during the student's training where it is essential to fly regularly such as first solo and just before test. You should therefore budget accordingly.

A.Scolarships in aviation are very rare to come by nowadays. Organizations that have recently offered funding are: GAPAN; The Air Leaque; Royal Aero Club Trust; Air Cadets; Duke of Edinburgh's Award. If you should require any guidance or advice regarding an application, please feel free to drop in the office and one of our instructors can offer their advice.

A.Passes in 7 written examinations and one oral exam must be obtained in order to qualify for your pilots licence. The written exams are of multiple choice format and have a pass mark of 75%, but are not particularly challenging. They form the basis of you being a safe, proficient pilot and are as follows: Aviation Law & Operational Procedures; Human Performance & Limitations; Navigation & Radio Aids; Meteorology; Aircraft (General) & Principles of Flight; Flight Performance & Planning; JAR-FCL Communications (PPL). UK Specific Communications Oral Exam. All the exams are conducted in-house by our staff to make you feel more comfortable. The current charges for these exams can be found on the pricing page.

A.We can take bookings 6 months in advance. Bookings can be made during office hours, via telephone or in person. Both members and trial lessons can be booked to fly 7 days a week. Our slots last for 90 minutes each. The first slot of the day begins at 9.30am, with the last slot depending on the season. Aircraft may also be hired for more than 90 minutes by members for cross country flights. Daily minima apply for day bookings. Please refer to the current Flying Orders Book kept in the flight office for the minima. Available instructors are listed at the top of each diary page.

A.Ring (0191) 286 1321 with your unique voucher code and ask to arrange a time for your voucher. Vouchers are valid for 6 months from the date of issue. The expiry date is printed on the voucher. Please book your flight in plenty of time ahead of the expiry in case of a run of bad weather which forces string of cancellations. There is no 'best time' to book your flight. WARNING If you book your flight near the end of validity but it is cancelled due to bad weather and your voucher subsequently expires, the school is under no obligation to conduct the flight. Please book early.

A.The medical restrictions for a recreational or hobby pilot are not particularly stringent. You must be able, at the minimum, to obtain a DVLA HGV Medical Declaration from your GP. You are the best person to answer whether you feel you could obtain this or not. A person of average health will pass this requirement. Glasses and contact lenses are permitted. Your eyesight should be good enough to drive after correction. If you are interested in making flying a career, then we highly recommend you obtain a class 1 or class 2 CAA medical. For either case we suggest you come into the office, so we can tell you how to go about obtaining them. For class 2 medicals the club has it's own doctor with a surgery in Newcastle. Class 1 medicals must be obtained at Gatwick.

A.No, you need no previous experience before starting your flying course.

A.The minimum age requirement for a holder of a PPL is 17; however, you can fly solo at the age of 16. Although technically you can start PPL training at the age of 14 we recommend that you do not start until you are nearly 16 as you may reach solo standard yet be unable to go due to your age. There is no maximum age to start learning to fly. The oldest student to have gained his licence with us was 63 years old when he started.

A.A PPL is valid for five years and the SEP(Land) Rating for 24 months. Provided the holder maintains a current medical and flies a minimum of 12 hours in the 12 months prior to rating expiry (with one of those hours being with an instructor) and completes 12 take offs and landings, the rating can be revalidated on the basis of that experience. If the experience requirements are not met a Licensing Proficiency Check flight must be carried out with an examiner.

A.You only pay for the hours you fly - this is commonly taken to be 'brakes off/brakes on' time. If you hire an aeroplane for the day you will only pay for the time it flies, subject to a minimum of 3 hours on weekdays, 5 hours over the weekend.

A.Yes, in the hands of a sensible and well-trained pilot, a light aircraft is an excellent form of transport, which can be safely landed in the rare event of an engine failure. Many people think that if the engine fails in a small aeroplane the situation is dire, this is not the case. During your course your instructor will demonstrate and subsequently teach you how to land the aeroplane safely without the benefit of engine power.

A.Flying is a skill that most people can achieve to a satisfactory level after sufficient practice. There will always be certain people who find controlling an aeroplane a little too difficult but generally 99% of people who start the course do complete it to a safe standard.

A. None, as long as you are keen to learn and have a good degree of common sense we will teach you all you need to know.

A.No, you can self-fly hire one of our aircraft for your own use.

A.You can take the aeroplane almost anywhere you wish and land at any civil airfield subject to its terms and conditions and our Flying Orders. For certain airfields - grass strips, for example -- you will have to take a familiarisation course beforehand.

A.You must carry out conversion training with one of our instructors on each particular type you want to fly.

A.Northumbria Flying School has a varied fleet to provide maximum flexibility for its members. The current fleet stands at one Cessna 150, three Cessna 152s, one PA30 Twin Comanche & four PA28 Piper Warriors. Most PPL training takes place on the two-seat Cessna's but if you are above average size or weight then you will have to undertake training in the PA28 four-seat aircraft which is roomier.