Recommend me an integrated school

[Oveur]

Hi all,

Forgive my newbie-ness. I have searched the forum and the web for integrated flying schools around europe. (I currently live in Ireland)

So far I've found the FTE in Jerez and Sigmar in South Africa. I've also read up on PTC in waterford but I'm going to rule that one out due to the amount of negative posts on here.

From what I can see FTE and Sigmar both have similar costs, but the waiting list for FTE is about 11 months at present. So I'm inclined to go with Sigmar at this stage.

What other integrated pilot schools around Europe should I be looking at? Is American training worthwhile?

Thanks in advance

[AlphaMale]

CTC
FTE
OAT
Cabair

Good luck researching for your exams :\

[maxdrypower]

I would suggesting searching a lil harder and looking at the sticky at the top

[P-T]

My personal recommendation is OAT. I know there's a lot of rubbish flying around about how expensive and blah blah blah.

efore I started at OAT I visited OAT, CTC, Cabair, FTE, Atlantique, Multiflight and found that if I could afford it I would go to OAT. A lot of friends and family in the industry say that there is a certain element of paying for the name, but they also say that the standard is high also. As for the facilities, I know of a few people who are here who have done some training etc in other schools and say it's a different league. There's a lot to be said about other airlines chosing to run their sponsorship schemes through OAT (NetJets, Thomas Cook, XL, EPST and FLyBe etc.), they must see something they like at the school or they wouldn't waste their time sending their cadet there.

I'm sure that other students in other schools will speak highly of their own FTO's but the best way I think is for you to plan to visit all the schools and see for yourself.

But there are no complaints from me about OAT. Good luck.

Feel free to PM if you wish.

[Oveur]

Thanks for the info guys. OAT looks pretty impressive so far . In fairness, there isnt much difference in the price. Its 84k Euro compared to 95k for Sigmar. Even if the accomodation is an extra 10k it balances things out.

Do you think there is a better chance of landing a better job through OAT due to the prestige of the name?

[AlphaMale]

Just keep in mind that OAT are a business like any other at the end of the day. Marketing is top notch, expensive = good, links with airlines = good quality, you need to pass stages to get on training so competition is tough etc.

If you get sucked in by all that then that's good ... for OAT.

The expense doesn't seem worth it really (not for me), you getting £50k of training for £80k+ ... that £30k will easily get you a FIC and a SSTR for when the time comes.

As for the links with other airlines, are you saying CTC don't have links with airlines? Are you saying FTE don't have links with airlines? keep in mind they offer a sponsorship with Flybe?

Airlines are businesses and funny enough so is OAT. If two companies get together and offer a sponsorship for the pilot wannabe with £80k in his/her back pocket then that is up to them.

I don't personally think the training will be any better than you'll get from BFC or B-F-C.

Given the choice of an integrated school I'd choose CTC, 2% of applicants get in and around 100% of which will land jobs on graduating. It's already been said that the way of getting into OAT is with a big cheque book.

I've been told by many pilots that a licence is a licence no matter where you got it from. The person that gets the job is the person who holds a fATPL and passes both the sim check and interview.

It's personal opinion at the end of the day, if you can get a job straight upon graduation from OAT then it may very well be worth the extra £30k+. I'm sure there are more unemployed modular pilots out there than there are integrated. For me I can't afford integrated at the moment and I don't want the debt.

Just don't be fooled by the marketing, they like every other FTO/School don't guarantee a job. :=

[Oveur]

Top posting guys :ok:

I will take all of your advice into consderation when making my decision.

One thing is for certain: I'm going intergrated. Even if it cripples me financially in the short run.

Now to make the decision on which school to be assessed by. I've contacted all suggested schools and I'll keep reading up on all of them on here. There will always be a strong case for EVERY school. I just need to narrow down which one is best suited to me.

Thanks again. I'll post progress as it happens

[AlphaMale]

Good luck with your research and training, I'm sure we'll hear more from you. With regard to your decision on integrated - good luck. I guess you won't have many FTO's to choose from so making the decision may be easier. If you went modular you'd have 100's :bored: (I've made my decision and it'll be between Bristol-F-C / Airways / Aeros but this is due to quality, price and location).

As FG said - Flyer's Flight Training Exhibition might be a good start.

I know a pilot who went to FTE and landed a job with GB Airways straight after graduation on a A320. :rolleyes: BUT at a cost of £70k+ so I guess integrated does work for some people.

[asuweb]

I don't disagree with anything AlphaMale or FlyerGuy have said, however in response to FlyerGuy
it doesn't stop you applying AND getting a job if you pass the interview/sim checkI don't disagree, however most of the time getting the interview is the hardest part, and in many cases the FTO you trained with can make the difference between getting the interview and not.

[captain_rossco]

Modular at OAT all the way, (same Flying instructors, ground instructors, aircraft, acommodation, treatment, classrooms, uniforms, services and extra curricular!) there are only a few airlines that stipulate Integrated only, the others say integrated/one stop modular or otherwise. Several ailines have payed us at OAT a visit and said it matters not what course we are on, but the fact that we have been well trained in a 'safe bet' institution. (not to say alot of the Int students won't get skimmed first, but that flying report will come from the same place and if yours is better......well, airline interview here you go)

Loads of great schools out there, just my tuppence!


Kind Regards

CR

[patron]

hi alphamale and everybody there,

i am interesting to star the atpl training in europe( madrid or Barcelona). please what is the advice between top fly,aerofan and aerotec, pls i need to know some reference about theme.........or if u know some one else academy pls let me know

thank a lot and happy new year.

[AlphaMale]

Patron,

(Don't want to hijack the thread so I'll pop some links in for you :ok:)

A lot can be read here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=215585) about Aerofan.

I can't comment on Aerotec and Top Fly as I've not heard from many people from there or seen any topics on the schools.

Spain has;

Airmed (Valencia)
CESDA (Reus)
Top Fly (Sabadell)
Aerolink (Sabadell)
AeroMadrid (Madrid)

Not forgetting the well known FTE (http://www.flighttrainingeurope.com/) and Aerodynamics (http://www.aerodynamics-malaga.com/).

There are probably more but that's all I have bookmarked on my Mac :O