Westflight

[craig1975]

Has any one got any info they can give me on Westflight training centre and would the airlines take their graduates as seriously as say CCAT grad's.

I like here due to the IR being all aircraft for the same price as CCAT's IR and 35 hrs sim time, or does sim time not matter. I just preferred to do all my IR on an aircraft (25 - Arrow turbo & rest AA- Gruman)

[cfb]

Just to clarify,

At Westflight the IR course is typically flown with 15 hrs Arrow IV, followed by 15 hrs Turbo Arrow IV, followed by 20 hrs Seneca II.

regards,

Chris Brooks

[seanbr0wn]

Hi Craig

Ive just finished my training with Westflight and came out with a first series CPL and first time ME IR pass. Their methods and practices are second to none. As i say, if they can get me through first time they can get ANYBODY through !!! But seriously, they expect high standards from the word go. I turned up on the doorstep thinking i was the dogs proverbials only then was i to realise what "professional flying" is all about as they teach you how to fly the large jets/aircraft and not just the piddly Arrows and PA34s. Their instructors are Ex Oxford and were senior instructors even there.

All aircraft have the same nav setup to ease in the transition from the arrow, to turbo arrow, to seneca and it works a dream (didnt help my NDB approaches tho!!!). When i was there there was one aircraft per flying pair (you have a flying partner with you in the backseat who enrolls with you as its 2 students per instructor) so no waiting around for them to come back. Westflight IS small so dont go expecting something like Oxford, but i think thats how they save money and keep course costs down (but i dont know for sure thats just what has been said to me).

The course cost me the same as it would anywhere else but with no sim (i did have the option of doing 5 hours but turned it down). I believe that 100 % flying improves spatial awareness and pilot capacity and believe me there were some hairy moments when the helicopter circuit was active and the low flying jets were around. I thought "if i do my test in the aircraft then i might aswell prepare for it in the aircraft" but each to his own.

There is one problem tho. I heard Chris Brooks (owner) speaking of a waiting list to start people on their course. I dont know how long he said but im guessing it ll be around june or later before they can get the current waiting list finshed. Get in touch with him to find out more because i was just eeves dropping.

Anyway i suggest you pop over to Gloucester and pay them a visit. Make a list of all the things you want to ask as sure as hell when you turn up you would have forgotten half of them (like i did!)

If you need anymore info then PM me and ill be happy to help. In the meantime im off to find a job or alternatively go instructing somewhere in the sunshine so if anybody knows of any vacancies then please drop me a line :ok: :ok: :ok: .

Oh and i realise this email is very positive (im guess im still on a high after the first time IR pass) so i would like to make it clear to those Ppruners who like to slag others off that i DO NOT work for Westflight and nor am i on any sort of commision (you need over 2000 hours to work for them anyway i think).

Good luck in your search and happy flying.

Sean

[silverknapper]

Well done mate and thanks for that post. It's nice to see positive posts now and again without the usual crap and self glorifying rubbish certain people spout here on occasion.

[Snigs]

I think Chris Brooks has got a very nice set up in Gloucester. This is my personal opinion, but I believe he is passionate about providing the best training for the students, and not just making a profit.

Westflight not only provide CPL/IR training, but a structured hour building syllabus prior to commencing the CPL training which makes you a better pilot before the CPL training and hence improves your chance of those coveted first time passes.

I don't work for Chris, but I know Westflight by association, and I work at Glos as a PPL instructor.

[Cirius]

I completed my training with Westflight in May 2003 and have absolutely no reservations about recommending them. It was by far the best flying training I have received to date.

Lots of quality instruction. Other organisations that I had experienced treated briefings and debriefings as something that took place on the walk out to the aircraft and on the way back to the hangar. At Westflight, every flight commenced with a thorough briefing and thorough debrief to ensure that you understood exactly what was expected.

A word of warning though - expect to work extremely hard because the standards are set very high.

[craig1975]

Cheers, I am due to pay them a visit, i liked the idea of all flying IR and the structured hours looked really good. In addition OATS made me feel like i would get a 2nd class service as they were primarily interested in integrated.

Hope to start in Jan of 04 for flying as got to finish GS off now.

Craig

[too_sleepy]

Hi

I know some of you guys might not consider this relevant. In Ireland so many of the schools seem to have a bad attitude towards the students, no idea why, there's so few of us here you would think they would be grateful.
After reading this thread I phoned Westflight for a chat. They came accross as very nice guys and had some good advice for me. I was concerned because after signing up to sit my ATPL exams in Ireland I wasn't sure I could train in the UK. I mentioned I had no luck getting a straight answer from the CAA so they're looking into it for me now.
Not that I would choose a school based on this but I think it's a good start.