The following aviation training activities, all allowed and approved by the CAA for members of the Spitfire Club (a JAR Registered Facility) are carried out by me at Popham Airfield (EGHP):

If you are looking for an enjoyable, no rip-off, worthwhile JAA Instructor flight for revalidating your Single Engine Piston (land) rating, then try me at Popham. You can do this at any time in your "2nd Year" of your JAA qualification period without shortening the 2 years you have. Look in your licence for form FCL150JAR, and it will show an expiry date for your "Single Engine Piston (Land)" (SEP) rating. You can take your instructor flight any time in the 12 months leading up to that expiry date.

If you need a SEP test to avoid the 12 hour route, or because you have already expired, that can be done too.

If you are in the middle of your ground exams for the ATPL or CPL, you probably have almost given up flying at the moment - but before you leap straight into a formal CPL training course when the exams are over, consider what some others are doing - 3 or 4 Nav lessons to 'impress' your CPL school. They are used to students rolling up and wasting the first couple of general handling and nav lessons just getting back into the swing, but remember you'll pay CPL prices if you do that. If I 'tighten' your skills first by de-rusting you to CPL standards but at popham prices, you'll get much better course reports from day one at your real CPL school - and remember some airlines ask to see course reports and ask the school to recommend their better pupils for interview - why not shine from day one?

If you've let your licence slip away (under 5 years), you are not "ab-initio", so why not retrain at Popham for a JAA Proficiency Test on our C150s and C172s to get it back? There are no minimum hours, when you're ready for the re-test, you're ready. Or, if your licence is still valid but you just need "derusting", it's a pleasant place to fly, and relatively inexpensive. We get pilots drifting in from other airfields not far away, asking the rental prices, looking puzzled, and then asking if they have to pay for fuel on top! (No, they don't!)

IMC training is allowed for new IMC issues or requalification training at unlicensed airfields. If you are a good VFR pilot, with fair radio knowledge, I do take a number of IMC pupils for one to one personal tuition, under the Spitfire Flying Club at Popham. However, I do not want any 'guilt' feeling later from teaching poor VFR pilots how to fly in IMC before they are competent at everyday VMC flying. Being based at Popham, I do not think it is fair to teach students there who are not comfortable with good radio technique, and advise them to train at much more formal airfields like Southampton or Bournemouth in order to gain added value from the radio disciplines enforced there by Controlled Airspace on every flight.

If you have a foreign licence (eg: SA, NZ, FAA), or you gained a JAA Licence abroad, and want "tuning to the UK", try Popham. I normally take you on one or two Navex lessons around central south England, perhaps deliberately routeing across MATZ and UK Class "D" to drop in at other G.A. airfields nearby to practice different joining procedures - all this will probably be new to you after US flying. You should also take a serious look at at the Pre- Preflight Checklist.
If you have a foreign licence (eg: SA, NZ, FAA), you can also rent our aircraft after a simple checkout and joining the club, without any need to convert your licence to anything else. Just stay within UK airspace and fly on your FAA PPL with no other formalities.

If you fly here on a South African PPL, you can get your "SA PPL Renewal sign off" with me, as I am approved by Pretoria for this. "SA Type Rating sign off" also available - as a SA PPL holder you KNOW you are very strictly type rated. Your licence is NOT valid for any other types - you cannot even fly a Cessna 150 if you only have a Cessna 172 rating. It is no good getting a local JAR instructor to sign you off on other types. The process for a SA PPL holder is very strict and involves forms going to the SA CAA in Pretoria. Don't risk a hefty insurance or legal problem - come to me for a legal type conversion. Even if you want to convert to JAA, your S.A.PPL must be valid at the time of conversion. If you want support and to meet other S.A. PPL holders in the UK, see the UK SA Flyer Community

Cross-Channel first-timers also a speciality! This is not formal training in that it is not legally necessary, but it is such a confidence boost to take an instructor to 'ride shotgun' with you the first time. I normally use Le Touquet (but you decide).
Why Le Touquet? - it is the perfect destination for the GA pilot taking family or friends away for the day or weekend, with so much to do, see and experience in town. Le Touquet gives and excellent cross country revision opportunity first as far as 'overhead Lydd', then a short water crossing so there is less chance of ending up like this! (and not enjoying it as much!)

Advice is very cheap - it's free at all times! The question you have might already be on my Frequently Asked (General Aviation) Questions (FAGAQ!) site - it's probably worth a browse through it as it clears up common misconceptions anyway.