Premair

[Sheep Guts]

Hi just enquiring if anyone has done a Type Rating with PREMAIR. If they thought it was value for money. Also if they had any problems with security checks etc.?

Sheep:O

[cfimei]

Premair in Seattle advertises various type rating courses. I chose to do their 737-400 series TR course, a standard FAR Part 142 approved program of 24 hour sim time, split 12 hours hands-on left seat and 12 hours right seat co-pilot. The checkride is based on captain qualification, i.e. left seat, so in reality it's just 12 hours hands-on training to reach PTS standards. If you do not have jet time, it's highly unlikely you will qualify in 12 hours but Premair does not disclose that fact and in my case I ran out of time, partly my fault for trying to squeeze too much in. I decided I'd hold off on the checkride and think about coming back in a few months when I had more time. I asked for a refund and that's when the trouble started. Premair's staff found every reason not to refund, claiming they'd already paid the simulator center (Alaska Airlines). Every email came back with a different and new reason why they wouldn't refund.

I spoke to one of their examiners and he told me about a student who ended up needing 32 hours of sim time and at $600 an hour you can imagine how expensive that became.

The problem with Premair and I guess the problem with all these TR schools is they are too competitive and refuse to be upfront with students. Unless you've got jet time a 12 hour course is not realistically achieveable. If Premair had been honest and told me that in reality I should budget for say 20hours and 3-4 weeks that would have been fine but to keep silent in the hope that once they've hooked you your stuck, is neither fair or ethical behavior.

So my advise is, check the contract thoroughly before you commit. Does the school have a refund policy? What is it's policy on charging additional time? What should I budget for financially and how much time will I need to spend away from home. Call the schools local FAA office, check to make sure they have got a certificate and it's clean. Get these asked and be satisfied before you hand over a penny. American flight schools have a reputation for doing their utmost to wriggle out of any contractual obligation if they can possibly do so.

[PFS TO 100%]

Just wondering if anyone has experience with Premair? Planning to do A320 type rating there next month, wanted to get some comments before I part with my hard earned dollars......cheers

[AlR]

Christine and her husband took over part of Bo's STI in SEA a while back. Don't know all the inside scoop and don't care. Premair runs a crew leasing, Aircraft ferrying, 142 training, and few other assorted aviation ventures. They are an up front outfit and do a real proffessional job. They use various simulators, Boeing, Natco, maybe PanAm, and others.

If you go through their school, you'll get top-notch training. If your looking at other schools, here's a few to consider. FTI in Denver, PanAm in MSP at Natco, Bond in MIA and Orlando.

Also quite a few more out there. Figure out what you need before the cost of the program. Make sure that if you are furnished sim-support the guy or gal next to you is really qualified to be there and not just trying to get free training. Check out the qualifcations of the instructors also. I went to a quickie school many years back and was offered a job instructing the day I finished the course.

If you do the Premier thing on the A320 and are looking for work, ask then about the gig they have with tf-aviation in China.