I began learning at EBG in January 2019. I had a slightly strange background, as I had previously done 35 hours of training over the course of the preceding 18 years but had never stuck at it for various reasons.
Linda (Operations) and Ken (Chief Flying Instructor) put me at ease instantly and were happy to chat through my previous history to try and work out the best way forward. It was decided the best thing to do would be to book an initial 3-hours of lessons to establish if I had any retained muscle memory for flying, it would also allow me to get to know the EBG team.
I was assigned Tim as my primary instructor and from my first flight in PGGY, EBGs primary R44 (they have 3/4 available), I knew I was in good hands. You couldn’t ask for a more knowledgable, thorough instructor than Tim. He is always happy to take time to explain concepts or practice techniques until you are happy to move on. He spotted early on, I was very nervous around auto-rotations and then worked with me over the course of a number of lessons to get me not just proficient, but also to the point of enjoying it which I never thought would happen! He is an excellent balance of fun and lighthearted, always keeping you at ease and having fun, whilst never losing sight of his primary responsibility of your safety.
The entire team at EBG is helpful and friendly. I had the pleasure of flying with Bob from time to time (who actually flew with me back in 2014 by coincidence) who throughout my training was a constant help and support and gave a fantastic different perspective if I was struggling with a concept. Special mention to Geoff for always being there on a Sunday morning with a big smile on his face to help with all sorts of things and always to be relied upon to great a great snap or video of you heading off for the day.
One thing I really appreciate about flying with EBG is they totally get what a big financial commitment is to learn to fly and you never get the feeling they are doing anything just for their benefit. For example, because of my previous training, there were some skills I already had and as soon as Tim saw that I had the required skill, he would layer on extra exercises so I was still progressing and never just spending time on something for the sake of it.
I passed my PPL in September after almost exactly 45 hours and couldn’t be happier. I now enjoy flying R44s from Redhill, whenever I have the time, whether to visit friends / family around the country, flying to gorgeous hotels for lunch or just sightseeing along the coast.
Whether you are looking for a sightseeing tour of London or starting your journey to fulfill a dream and become a helicopter pilot, I would highly recommend you give Linda a call and get that trial lesson booked in. You won’t regret it!!