Lomac Aviators, Merseyflight, JD Aviation & APEM

[viscount]

Not mentioned on the forum yet is a new flying training school being established on the GA at LJLA, with an entrance from the GA car park. In fact, in the new portacabins that are across the original GA fence, next door to Merseyflight. Lomac Aviators Ltd www.lomacaviators.com The company was formed by Paul Lodge and Jim McVey way back in early 2004, offering aircraft for lease or hire, self-fly hire, together with aircraft sales, spares and fuel brokerage. With the completion of their new office/clubroom they are now additionally offering pilot training, pleasure flights and trial flights - which can be purchased as gift vouchers. Signs were erected at the entrance to the GA road in late January. The fleet consists of Cherokee Warrior G-WARW, Tomahawks G-BNSL & G-BNYK and Cherokee Arrow G-BRLG. All have been resident at Liverpool for some years. I also have Cessna 150L G-BCBX on record as owned by the directors, but it does not feature on their website pages.

It would appear that Lomac Aviators will pose direct competition for Merseyflight www.merseyflight.co.uk .Merseyflight Air Training School celebrated their third full year of operation in January. Their fleet currently comprising of Cherokee G-AVGI, Tomahawk G-BVHM (replaced G-EDNA in December) and Cessna 150s G-CCTW and G-FIGA. They too offer CAA approved pilot training, pleasure flights, trial flights and a gift voucher scheme.

Anyone interested in what the APEM Ltd fleet of P.68 Observer G-RIPA, Islander G-JPEG and Cessna 172S G-HABS do to earn a living could browse their website www.apemltd.co.uk

To round off this post, JD Aviation Ltd, who offer CPL training from Liverpool on Seneca G-JDBC and Cherokee Arrow G-JDPB have a very limited website www.jd-aviation.co.uk - consisting of just a front page! The company was formed by John Dale at Manchester, possibly as far back as the mid '90s and moved their base to Liverpool during the summer of 2009.

[commander]

From memory Pleasure Flights require an Air Operators Certificate to allow the carriage of passengers. Slightly different to a Trial Lesson.

[viscount]

True, also a difference in publicity/advertising language and the legal pre-flight paperwork terminology. The difference in 'trial flight'/'pleasure flight' becomes obscure when a trial flight 'pilot' can take a passenger in the back seat! Merseyflight have had a portable sign at times outside their office stating 'pleasure flights available today', while Lomac have a sign 'See Liverpool from the air', in addition to 'trial flights' on offer.

Presumably the CAA issues advice/guidelines to operators as to where 'trial flights' operations end and legal AOC requiring 'pleasure flight' operations start, I'm sure too that the Aero Clubs know and operate within the current rules. Reminds me of a different situation when, during the '80s, even sharing the cost of a flight with a PPL pilot was considered 'hire and reward' and officially not permitted under the term of his Licence or insurance - but many a financial transaction took place in a car beside the Western Apron between friends. Everyone knew it was happening, probably including the CAA - who eventually changed their rules.

[Beemer]

In the eighties when I regularly used to go up in G-ARMP and G-BEWR the pilot used to take the full hourly rate off me "while no one is looking". Even now, though I don't go up in tins very much I share the cost, maybe 30-40% with my friend but I would sooner spend the money on a trip to Schipol or Dublin and see more for it. Beemer.