Oxford Waypoint Open Day 21/02/09

[VFR Transit]

Just a quick question to see if any other forum members will be going to this??? I shall be going and would like to meet other fellow fourmites :O

I shall be going in smark casual clothes and would like to get a heads up from others that have attended an open day.

Does anyone have any tips in what to look for when attending the open day?

VFR

[captain_rossco]

Your day not theirs, wear what you want, you chose them not vice versa.
I went in casual clobber and asked all sorts. Will you feel happy there? Is it worth it? What are the facilities like in comparison to elsewhere? Do you feel like you'll be listened to? Can they adapt to your learning requirements? Do the costs include fees? How much is accomodation? What is the first time IR pass rate? How much is additional training? How long will you be in america for? How much is the on site gym? How many people will be on the course? Will i get a nice discount on a TR if I'm prepeared to pay for it? Can you go and have a look at an aircraft? When can you go and observe a sim? Are there any other students around to speak to?

The list goes on. Its all about you.

Enjoy.

CR

[VFR Transit]

Hey CR

Thanks for that message, this will be the first professional FTO I will be visiting in the long list of others. I will be have a 15 - 20 minute session on the CRJ-200 sim.

VFR

[Andy_20]

Hi VFR i think i maybe attending... Where abouts are you, training wise? I went to Stapleford last year and was quite impressed.

[VFR Transit]

Andy

I am just finishing the PPL and am now looking for the next part, but shall take my time and look around at what the various places have to offer.

VFR

[captain_rossco]

I made oxford my last visit, and it blew the rest away. Although Bristol Flying centre nearly had it!

Regards

CR

[G SXTY]

I posted this on another thread. The advice was in relation to modular schools, but much of it applies to integrated as well:

Do your homework before signing up with any school. These are just a few of the questions you should be asking:

- Is groundschool / briefing time included in their rates or is it charged separately?
- Do they offer written statements detailing costs against hours flown? Are these statements provided on demand?
- Are rates fixed for the duration of training, or subject to change? If subject to change, by how much?
- What are their payment terms? Do they require your account to be in positive balance prior to flying, and if so, by how much? (NEVER pay for an entire course upfront, and be VERY, VERY suspicious of any FTO that demands large upfront payments).
- Is there a surcharge for credit card payments? Note that in the UK at least, paying by credit card offers more protection than cash or debit card.
- Is charging based on block time, block + taxy allowance or hobbs meter?
- Is there an additional charge for 170A flights or are they charged at normal dual rates?
- What is the rate for aircraft hire during tests (it should be examiner fee + solo rate - not dual).
- What is the average number of hours taken by their students to pass the PPL/CPL/IR compared to the legal minimum? If they 'don't have this information', then they should - again, be suspicious.

Thorough planning and research will reduce the chance of nasty surprises at the end of your training. And whatever you do, budget on at least 10-20% extra on top of the quoted price to allow for additional training and exam resits - very few students manage to pass everything in minimum hours.