Seawing Flying Club
	Seawing Flight Training Southend Airport (01702) 545420

Training available from Seawing

We are able to offer full facilities for PPL, IMC and Night training. We additionally provide a comprehensive selection of trial lessons for those wishing to decide whether flight training is for them. The basic PPL course is 45 hours of training and includes the loan of a David Clarke headset and insurance. We are also to provide a 'Pilot Shop’, which can supply you with any additional items that you may require. Additionally when you have completed the course test and licence issue fees are payable.

See more about trial lessons

See more about night training

See more about IMC and PPL facilities

See our current prices

Our fleet of aircraft have instrumentation varying from the basic through to sophisticated equipment including ADF, VOR/ILS, and GPS. Why not try them out for yourself this season?

For those brand new to flying the basic PPL course is split up into various exercises. People are often keen to know how long you spend on each exercise and how long it takes to reach the required levels of competence for each one - there is no simple answer as it depends on the individual's ability and aptitude. Factors worth considering include age, finance, free time and not least dedication. There is no doubt that a young pilot with good dedication who is able to finance (or be financed!) unbroken flight training will reach the required PPL standard more quickly than somebody only able to afford a lesson a month who has little free time. However, we maintain that anybody who really wants to learn to fly will be able to do so by one means or another. Don't be put off!!!

The course falls into 3 main sections.

Learning to fly the aeroplane.

This part of the course covers the basic exercises up to and including exercise 14, which is when you first fly the aircraft on your own.

Applied flying

This part of the course covers the post-solo practice and the necessary exercises leading up to solo navigation.

Qualifying Cross Country and pre-test preparation

At this stage the main training is complete and there is the solo Qualifying Cross-Country to complete and several lessons to complete the practice for the skill test. At the very end of the course is the Skill Test. 

The following table shows more formally the content of the UK-JAR Private Pilot Licence (PPL) syllabus.

EXERCISE	DESCRIPTION
1	Aircraft Familiarization - learn about the basic controls and components of an aircraft.
2	Preparation For and Action After Flight - an introduction to safety checks and the documentation surrounding a flight.
3	Air Experience - a short flight introducing the 'cockpit environment', the sensation of flight and seeing the aspect of the ground for the air. For many students this takes the form of a trial lesson.
4	Effects of controls - what happens when you push this and pull that.
5	Taxying - controlling an aircraft safely on the ground.
6	Straight and level flight - sounds easy - but does your car go up and down as well as right and left?
7	Climbing - going up.
8	Descending - coming back down.
9	Turning - useful!
10 A	Slow Flight - an exercise in improving aircraft handling skills and recognising the dangers of slow flight.
10 B	Stalling - proof that exercise 10 A was true after all. Stopping the aircraft flying and then getting it flying again - sounds worse than it is! This is a vital safety exercise and is a major part of safe flying and attaining solo status.
11 A	Spinning - recovery at the incipient stage. Another opportunity of saving the day if you ignore the lessons of exercise 10A and 10B.
11B	Spinning - recovery at the developed stage. This is usually demonstrated. In short how to recover and aircraft that is out of control.
12	Take-Off and Climb to Downwind Position - how to take off safely and position the aircraft accurately with respect to the runway.
13	The Circuit, Approach and Landing - for many this is where the training gets interesting again. You are now bringing together all of the individual skills learned in previous exercises to make a journey around the airport. You take-off and then you come back and land - what can be simpler?
14	First Solo - doing exercises 12 and 13 all on your own. The moment that you officially become the captain of an aircraft. This is a major step in every pilots experience and one everyone remembers.
15	Advanced Turning - in this you gain competence and improve coordination by turning the aircraft with steeper angles of bank.
16	Forced Landings Without Power - how to land an aircraft safely if the engine stops.
17	Forced Landing With Power - considerations to make if you can't land where you want to for whatever reason.
18	Pilot Navigation - This exercise is learning the ability to know where you are and how to get where you want to go.
19	Introduction to Instrument Flying - flying the aircraft safely without being able to see outside (in cloud for example).

Following (or for some parts - during) all of this you are required to pass several written exams and pass the flying test (known officially as the Skill Test) containing tests in navigation and aircraft handling. If successful in all of this then the PPL is yours and you are free to fly when you like within the legal constraints of the licence (this generally means good weather and not at night unless additional training is undertaken). It may sound a lot but for most the course is an entirely enjoyable experience culminating in a real sense of achievement and satisfaction.

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