Learn To Fly In Thailand

[peterallard]

Great thread. My dad, a Navy Corsair jock, vintage WWII and Korea, taught me how to fly in a Piper Champ with trike gear in '62. I had to wait two years until I turned 16 to get a check ride with a certified instructor, then solo. The guys cut the whole back of my shirt off so all their signatures would fit. Terrific memory. Much later, had a Cherokee for about 20 years and put almost 3,500 hours on it and me; and yes, general aviation is expensive, but it is the most fun you can have with all your clothes on. The community of flyers is the most friendly and collegiate I have ever been associated with. Alas, I lost my medical about six years ago, so have to ride right seat with pals now, and the Cherokee has a new home and owner. Took an introductory ride in an ultralight recently, and fell in love anew. Am now shopping for a kit I can ship over when I retire next year and make permanent home in Isaan. LOS seems like an ideal locale for low and slow, and the tiny craft are way cheaper to acquire and operate than their bigger siblings. Anyway, OP, good luck with your quest.

[IanForbes]

Judging by the number of people who jump out of tall buildings in Thailand I thought the national sport was trying to fly... without a parachute.

[Harcourt]

.........

If you are interested in learning to fly professionally, then the United States is probably the best and cheapest place to learn. People from all over the world come here to learn how to fly........

Eg, Muhammad Atta, Ahmed Ali, et al.

[clockworkorange]

From what I have seen the charges for aircraft hire are about the same as in Aus and I think the opportunities for paid commercial charter flying would be very limited,maybe I am wrong.I have flown privately and commercial charter for over 20 years and it was very thin pickings at times.I can't see the situation being any different here,especially with the current down turn in hub routes due AVTUR fuel prices now.

Some references for thai light aircraft and training.

www.thai-aviation.net and www.cmflyingclub.com

CMT closed down, unfortunately. It was a great place set among some fantastic scenery - the Bang Pra reservoir on one side, mountains on the other and Bang Saen beach not far away. I learnt to fly ultralights there around 10 years ago. Landing was the hardest part, made trickier by the fact the Chonburi bypass was right at the approach end of the runway. The instructors were Thai Navy pilots and were professional enough.

The Thai Flying Club is nearby, but I don't think that they have ultralights there - only larger aircraft. This makes it more expensive and less fun, in my book. There was no greater feeling than skimming around the shore of the reservoir or flying down the fairways of a nearby golf course a couple of metres above the ground ....