I would definitely consider getting your PPL there where you are going to use it initialy and spreading your lessons over a couple of months with all kind of various weather conditions. A four week course might get you up-to standard quickly, and if all goes well you even might earn your PPL, but when the paperwork is done and you have your license a couple of weeks later and then starting out again at a new airfield, with other planes and instructors you might find yourself set back in skill level quite a bit. That can be depressing. Flying is suposed to be fun, take your time and make it your own. It’s worth it.
Swissflyer wrote:
@rwy20 Many thanks for the suggestion, I was actually looking at Habsheim as a good club to join once I get my licence as it is fairly local to me. My only reservation was whether they had English speaking instructors. I will drop you a PM to discuss further.
I was discussing this with a colleague last night and I was told there are at least a few instructors flying in “Aéroclub du Haut Rhin” that speak good English. In such an internationally diverse region of France, I’d be very surprised if this was an issue.
Vladimir wrote:
I have no experience with Spain or France, but if you are Swiss based (from your username), research a bit about the requirements to fly in Switzerland afterwards. I think you need to at least make a mountain flying training (probably a flight of 1-2 hours in the Alps). Switzerland has some additional challenges which you won’t meet when training in constantly nice weather (Spain) and flat terrain (UK), but lack others like flying over water.
I have transferred my French PPL to Switzerland and didn’t have to do anything except paperwork. Oh and pay the usual FOCA fees of course !
Many thanks again for the replies and suggestions.
Firstly this is purely for recreation, its something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the time (kids) nor money (kids) to take it further. However this year I decided enough excuses which is why I did my theory exams at a PPL ground school to start the clock ticking. I now have 24 months to pass my practical or I have to do the theory all over again :(.
@rwy20 Many thanks for the suggestion, I was actually looking at Habsheim as a good club to join once I get my licence as it is fairly local to me. My only reservation was whether they had English speaking instructors. I will drop you a PM to discuss further.
What do you want the PPL for? If it is a goal in itself, for recreational flying, perhaps to be extended one day to include an IFR rating for “serious” travelling, or become a CPL for towing gliders or dropping parajumpers, I support the suggestion by @Rwy20. OTOH if it is only the first step towards an ATPL, time might be critical and a quick dash might be the preferred option.
Have you considered doing your training not en bloc but on the side of your regular work/life? That’s how I did it, at LFGB Habsheim which should be a 20 minutes drive from where you live. It took me about a year for my PPL. That way you don’t waste any vacation time and you’re flexible in terms of weather and fitting the training into your schedule. Much less stressful than to absolutely have to do it in 4 weeks straight. If you’re interested in going that way, drop me a PM.
Have you checked http://www.gairg.com/en/ in south Portugal?
While I cannot comment on the school in Jerez (I’m pretty sure I know which one you are talking about), you do get a wide variety of flying in southern Spain, including some pretty serious mountains (Sierra Nevada). The advantage may also be that you learn to fly ‘in the system’, as Jerez is an international airport. I have flown in the area for many years and it’s a great part of the world.
Many thanks for your feedback. If I do get my licence, I will probably fly more in Germany and France since I’m a few minutes from either border (Basel). I don’t think I’m brave enough for mountain flying + it is pretty expensive here.
The school I found in France is run by a British flight instructor so language should not be a problem. I do have level B2 in French, but I would still prefer to have my instruction in English since its already a lot to take in.
Cheers
The French option might need you to speak French 
When I looked into this stuff in 2011, contacting many FTOs and speaking to many pilots, I found virtually nobody non-French (by which I mean other than living in France and speaking French fluently) was training in France, for various reasons.
The Spanish one probably speaks English because it is full of English students – if it is the one I am thinking of. Jerez has been a popular place for this stuff.
