Our history
Our flying club was founded in 1982, and over the years we have operated a variety of about 6 aircraft. From our original Rallye EI-BHB (Hotel Bravo) to our current Cessna 172N, EI-CUJ. We’re based at Dublin Weston Airport which is located near Lucan, Co. Dublin.
Our ethos
The aim of our club is to enable members to fly our aircraft in a safe and affordable manner.
We welcome student members who wish to train towards their Private Pilot’s Licence in Ireland and also PPL Licence holders who wish to add, renew or re-validate their Single Engine Piston rating. New members and applications from existing licence holders are always welcome too.
We are a Declared Training Organisation, approved by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

Our Aircraft
We operate a Cessna 172N, registration EI-CUJ.EI-CUJ is equipped with a full suite of both VFR and IFR instrumentation, including Garmin 430 and 530 units.
The Cessna 172 is the world’s most successful general aviation aircraft in history. Its production started in the 1950’s and more than 44,000 being built. It owes its popularity to it’s all round suitability, being both an excellent choice for a training aircraft and a very capable touring aircraft.
Our Cessna 172 aircraft is maintained by NFC and is kept hangered at our home base at Weston Airport. NFC is an EASA Part 145 qualified maintenance organisation.
Our Instructors
Chief Flying Instructor Paul Van Lonkhuyzen leads our team of 6 instructors. Paul is a retired airline Captain and has flown a multitude of different aircraft. As well as being a Flight Instructor he is also an IAA Examiner.
All of our instructors hold EASA Flight Instructor ratings and fly for the club on a voluntary basis. All currently hold, or have held, Commercial or Air Transport Pilot Licences. We have extensive aviation experience across general and commercial aviation, and between us we have in excess of 50,000 flight hours!
Our instructor team includes:
- Jim Cahill
- Declan Donoghue
- Eoin Dowling
- Ray Kenny
- Cliff Lebioda
- Paul Van Lonkhuyzen

Our Members
We have approximately 25 members, ranging from student pilots and Private Pilot Licence holders to Commercial airline pilots.
The Hotel Bravo Flying Club runs on a purely voluntary basis and a committee is elected each year to oversee the running of the club. We encourage members to get involved in the club – from committee level to helping about on our regular cleaning days.
Bookings are made via on online system and we generally have very good availability. Student members make contact with their instructor and agree a mutually suitable time for flights.
We strive to make flying affordable for all. You’ll find details about all our charges here.
Safety
Safety is at the heart of everything we do in the Hotel Bravo Flying Club. We are approved as a Declared Training Organisation by the Irish Aviation Authority, and we comply with all applicable European Aviation Safety Agency regulations. Our maintenance is conducted by Part 145 approved maintenance organisations.