Learn to Fly

Why choose Fenland Flying School?

  • Our instructors are professional, enthusiastic, friendly and approachable, providing you with the best possible learning environment. Many flying schools are staffed by relatively young and inexperienced instructors who are ‘hours-building’ in order to gain their professional qualifications as a prelude to a career in the airlines. Fenland Flying School’s instructors have already accumulated a lifetime of experience and are only too happy to pass on their valuable knowledge.
  • Our aim is to give you the skills necessary to make the correct decisions, not just the minimum required training to pass the Skills Test.
  • You can learn to fly in either a Cessna 152 or a Cessna 172. Both have their own advantages, so it’s a question of your personal choice.
  • Operation from a small quiet grass airfield avoids the problems associated with commercial traffic, including costly queues for departure and landing. There are no landing fees which could easily save you £1500 on your course, but you are required to become a member of Fenland Aero Club which costs £250 pa (Under 18s – £125pa).
  • We have a resident Ground and Radio Telephony examiner.
  • We offer very competitive rates for training and hire, including discount schemes that benefit regular flyers.
  • We have an excellent pass rate.
  • We can renew your licence, if you have previously held one.

Our Instructors

Steve Brown

Steve, our CFI, has been flying for almost 50 years during which time he has accumulated over 20,000 flying hours including over 8,000 hours of instructing. As well as instructing, Steve has experienced 17 years of airline flying during which time he has always maintained a keen interest in gliding and flying light aircraft. He has always been a total aviation enthusiast! Steve oversees the running of the Flying School and is ensuring flying and instruction is available at the lowest possible cost.

Steve is available for all training, including IMC and Night, and as a Flight Examiner, for PPL and LAPL initial issue Skills Test and Licence Renewals/Revalidations.

Paul Brian

Paul inherited a passion for flying from his father who was a RAF Flying Instructor. Paul has progressed from flying model aircraft in his childhood to learning to fly at Fenland in 1992. Since then, Paul has flown a variety of different aircraft- accumulating over 5000 hours, and has recently qualified as an Instructor to be able to pass on his passion for aviation to others.

David Petters

David started flying aged 12 at Fenland Flying School. He completed his ATPL in 2006 and joined Ryanair in January 2007 on the Boeing 737-800. He took his command and became Captain in 2010 based at Stansted. David has been flying vintage aircraft since 2007. He has over 500hrs on tailwheel types including Tiger Moth, Stearman and Harvard. David co-owns Fenland based Chipmunk G-CGAO and regularly displays it in airshows as solo aerobatic or in formation with Vintage Pair. David also flies the Tiger Moth for Classic Wings at Duxford and the T6 Harvard for a corporate owner in Essex. His ambition is to fly the heavy Warbird fighters at Displays. David has been a volunteer at Duxford for Historic Aircraft Collection since 2007 and has been instructing at Fenland on a part-time basis since 2017.

Marcus Palmer is also a long standing instructor and PPL Examiner with us.

Prices

To keep the cost of learning to fly as affordable as possible, a membership scheme is in place; the more you fly, the more you save!

Membership is £60 per month (Under 18s – £45 per month).

In lieu of a joining fee, at least 6 months’ (£360) is requested initially. However if 12 months’ (£720) is paid, 13 months will be credited (1 month free).

Subsequent membership can be bought by monthly standing order if preferred.

Members’ hourly rates for tuition:

Cessna 152 –  £179 per hour

Cessna 172 – £214 per hour

Siai Marchetti – £249 per hour

For the ad-hoc flyer:

Non-Members’ hourly rates for tuition:

Cessna 152 –  £215 per hour

Cessna 172 – £250 per hour

Siai Marchetti – £285 per hour

Instruction in your own Aircraft £60 per hour

Training and Licence Options

Learning to fly light aircraft at Fenland, you have 2 main options:

You can either train for the PPL(A) or the LAPL(A), both of which have their own advantages, and you may want to get further details from your Instructor before making your choice.

The LAPL(A) will suit most recreational pilots, and also has a less demanding medical requirement, whereas the PPL(A), with its more comprehensive training, will suit those who are interested in adding on further ratings or pursuing a career in aviation.