Royal Aero Club IR

[Curvature]

Hi Everyone,

Just completed my CPL and am moving on to the IR. I was thinking of the RACWA and am wondering if you guys had any opinions..good or bad on the training there.

Thanks

Curvature

[MinimaNoContact]

Much better off doing it at Ad-Astral.

[Curvature]

Hi MinimaNoContact

Any reasons why Ad-astral is better?

I am unfortunately constrained by price (aren't we all) and RACWA comes in alittle cheaper. Although I would really like to hear some pros/cons of each before committing. Thanks.

[swh]

Curvature,

Would have to agree with MinimaNoContact, had experience with both mobs at one time or another for IFR related stuff. Always were more commercially minded at ad-astral, i.e. punctual instructors with significant IFR experience.

The clients ad-astral tend to get are people who have been flying for a bit and need to get an IR, like guys who have been north doing scenics. Obviously these people have done the shopping around and talked to others in industry.

Seen the end product of each also, I think ad-astral gives you more sops, skills & techniques to keep alive also.

Just my 2c worth, but its your money.

:ok:

[Towering Q]

Curvature...I have experienced both and the RACWA suited me better. Ad-Astral also provide excellent training, but it's interesting that the Royal comes in cheaper. Not so long ago Ad-Astral were the cheapest around.

As you probably know, the training at the RACWA is done in a seperate building. It's good to be partly removed from the chaos of the main operation. Brad is an excellent instructor, and the Seminole and Partnavia are good IFR platforms, (as is Ad-Astrals Duchess).

I preferred RACWA's Frasca 142 sim over the two that Ad-Astral use. They are good for building strong legs during assymetric training though. :{

One advantage that Ad-Astral has at the moment is that the flight test is done in-house by Ron. I'm not sure that RACWA have a testing officer yet.

PM me if you require more info.

[Continental-520]

You may also wish to consider The Aeroplane Company at JT. They're a good mob, and their prices would be much the same now as the competition...they can do it in a Seminole, Partenavia or Baron. When I did mine there, they were the most expensive, cause they only had a Baron to let you do it in, obviously pushing up the price.

However, you get what you pay for. The fact that I did my MECIR in a Baron and that all of my twin time is in Barons put me a horse head in front of those who did it in less relevant equipment who were also on the shortlist for the twin job.


520.

[ace4bar's girlfriend]

Hey TQ.. you know I have to ask...........

Did you do your..................



MULTI ENGINE COMMAND INSTRUMENT RATING

at RACWA :D :D

(PRIVATE JOKE)

[Curvature]

Thanks for all the replies. I will be doing a bit more investigation before I start.

Curvature:ok:

ps. ace4bar's girlfriend: care to enlighten us?

[ace4bar's girlfriend]

Curvature

It's nothing darling...........

[Icarus2001]

So RW is leaving then?

[Towering Q]

Ace 4 bars wench....so that's what MECIR stands for!!:ok:

Curvature...as 520 has pointed out, there are other alternatives around, dare to be different.

[Jenna Talia]

Icarus,

RW has just been appointed as the CASA Sydney Basin Area Manager, to be based at BK.

[Kamelf Hucker]

Probably a better endorsement at Ad Astral but you have to put up with the petty old-farted I'm-an-ex-RAAF-hero crankiness of the **** who runs the show.

That's why I went elsewhere when I did mine. He didn't seem to care if I spent my money there or not and I don't like giving my hard-earneds to ****holes so in the end we were both happy.

Who knows, maybe he's mellowed with old-age. Worth a look-in at least.

[intake]

Should you want the best bang for your buck then Ad-Astral is the place to go. Alot of people might knock A-A but it runs rings around the sauage factory. Yes Ron is a hard bastard and if you don't put the effort in he will let you know. He will not sign you out unless he is satisfied you meet the reqiured standard. Just because you've forked out the bucks doesn't give you the right to exercise the privilages of a IFR. Work hard and it shouldn't be a problem. Good luck and enjoy it.

[scrambler]

Ad Astral. Good Quality Training, Good Reputation. Did a renewal there, lots of people I know did there initial training there.

The Question you have to ask is that if you spend all this money on a rating will you get value for the money that you spend not on how few dollars you will save on the "quoted" price of the intitial rating.

Spend the extra for the Quality and Ad Astral Name. Or go to Melb and do it with Bini's.

Search for this topic, its been flogged to death with same responses many times.

[Captain Sand Dune]

Ad Astral apply standards. Seems that this gets some peoples noses out of joint, hence the (predictable) chip-on-the-shoulder attitude about ex-military.
Which is not to say that other schools don't!

[Curvature]

Again, thanks for the replies.
I thought I would mention that I have heard a fair amount of discussion among pilots with respect to Kamelf Hucker's point.

The reputation of the ex-airforce owner of Ad-astral, and those who have experienced his "grumpiness" tend to pass on the news at every chance.

However I think it is true that his ex-customers tend to relay this information more freely than if they found the training there was good, or even mediocre?

Overall I find it interesting that in my limited experience (330 hrs) I have seen a fairly wide spectrum of instructors (WA, UK and NSW) and generally I have never met a student who responded well to authoritarian instruction.

I am not saying that students should not receive constructive criticism, however when you are paying for a service I think a certain level of politeness is required. Any comments?

Cheers
Curvature
:ok:

[Towering Q]

I am not saying that students should not receive constructive criticism, however when you are paying for a service I think a certain level of politeness is required. Any comments?

You've opened a can of worms there my friend.:uhoh: