What aircraft do we fly?
The aircraft used on UKFlightExperiences flights are rented from our friends over at Yorkshire Aero Club (YAC). They handle all aspects of aircraft availability, bookings and maintenance so we can focus on the flying.
YAC currently maintain a fleet of Cessna 150 and Cessna 172 aircraft, the former having 2 seats and the latter having 4 seats. We choose to use the Cessna 172 for all of our sightseeing flights; not just for the extra seats, but for the improved performance, too.
The Cessna 172
There are two Cessna 172 aircraft that your sightseeing flight may take place on; often it's not possible to know which one in advance because it depends on bookings and availability of other aircraft on the day.
It'll be either:
- G-BZBF - Bravo Foxtrot has a modern 'glass cockpit', meaning that computerised flight displays have replaced some of the older analog flight instruments. BF also benefits from an upgraded 180hp engine (the standard being 160hp). This allows for a higher weight limit, better climb performance and slightly faster cruising speed.
- G-BHVR - Victor Romeo, the newest addition to the 172 fleet, which hasn't been kitted out with as many of the extras but has flown less hours than BF.
Both aircraft travel in excess of 105 miles per hour, climb in excess of 600 feet per minute and are fully instrument-capable - meaning that if you do get stuck in some bad weather, the aircraft is kitted out to fly even when you can't see anything outside. That's something that won't be happening too often on sightseeing flights, but should give you peace of mind to know.
You'll also benefit from the high-wing design of the Cessna, allowing you an unobstructed view of the ground beneath you, perfect for sightseeing. Other aircraft with low-mounted wings don't have this luxury.