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rolothedodo
18th May 2010, 02:58
Hey im new to these forums so bear with me as I attempt my first post!

Im a student a particular intergrated flight school for a JAA frozen ATPL licence, but im unhappy with the way that the course is progressing. My current class intake is 80 hourse behind flying schedule, we have spoken to the head management and they have given some promises to get us back on track, (i.e. new aircraft, more instructors, etc) but so far the promises have been empty and nothing has been fulfilled!

I understand that no intergrated course is perfect and fully realise the stress involved in running such a course! BUT at the same time, delayed learning is not good for us students because each month we are beind means that it could be a month where we could have gotten a job and earnt money! as the old expression goes time is money!

The point im trying to make is that, do any of the intergrated JAA courses out in the rest of the world accept a transfer from another intergrated course?

If so what are the procedures involved and required?

I have also been looking into the oxford aviation academy and its intergrated course looks quite promising!! Of course that is what I have just seen on the website! Are there any graduated from the First officers course who could fill me in on what the college was like with regards to flying schedule and getting the students out on time??

How long does the first officers course last for?

If they would except a transfer from another intergrated JAA course!

I know its alot for a first post but any help would be greatly appreciated!

hollingworthp
18th May 2010, 07:03
Whether or not you can extract yourself easily from your current course is one thing, but I would be amazed if OAA accepted you into the middle of one of theirs. It defeats the point of the integrated 'product'.

Also - OAA did have some issues with the training getting behind over in the US (which is up to CPL) but nothing like what you are describing.

rolothedodo
18th May 2010, 09:12
So really I cant do much about my present situation but just to bear with the course and complete it? what advice would you give hollingworthp if you were in my situation?

hollingworthp
18th May 2010, 10:29
It's a tricky situation.

The definitive answer would come from a quick phone call to OAA. However, assuming you paid upfront for the cost of your course then probably you have no option but to resolve the issue directly with your current FTO.

Try to get as many of your coursemates together, call a crisis meeting with the FTO management to get commitment in writing to your satisfaction and if that fails, you could investigate legal advice for a full refund enabling you to go elsewhere. If you paid your fees with a credit card then get the bank involved too.

clanger32
18th May 2010, 11:04
I would also add that if you're C.80 hours behind in the flying aspects of the course (which, bearing in mind an integrated course normally gives about 160 ish flying hours) that should be more than enough to set monster alarm bells ringing at the FTO. If they're worth their salt, they'll do something about it.

Also - I wouldn't worry too much about the lost earnings you're missing out on by the course taking longer....I graduated in 2008 and there is not even a remote sniff of jobs as yet.....

whistling turtle
18th May 2010, 13:17
My advice would be to just stick with it where you are now. To quit the course now and more than likely have to start all over again at square one some place else would not only cost you/your family/whoever is funding this a small fortune but it wouldn't look great down the line when it comes to interviews with potential employers.

Interviewers have a very short time to get an overall picture of you and to have dropped out of an intergrated course only to begin over in a different school's intergrated course will make you look weak and seem unable to overcome obstacles and setbacks to the interviewing panel. I know that this might be unfair but they are not likely to feel much sympathy for you because you were unhappy about not getting as much flying done as you would have liked. You will just come across as a bit precious and weak with perhaps more money than sense.

When I was doing my modular atpl ground school full time a few people in the class dropped out in some cases because they couldn't hack the material and in others because they just did not like the school itself. Regardless of the reasons it just made those people seem weak - and I know that sounds harsh but it is the truth. We were all under huge pressure and the school itself was poor but at the end of the day even though it didn't seem like it at the time it went by quickly and the hardships are forgotten soon afterwards. I honestly do think that most of the drop-outs would have made it through the course and exams if they had just had a stronger and more positive mindset.

I was chatting to one guy in my class who dropped out on facebook recently and he is still blasting away at the atpl's now via distance learning and this is a couple of years later now the poor guy.

Flight training is full of obstacles, frustrations and set-backs OP so you need to toughen yourself up now and having the ability to overcome these things is the very attribute you will need to get through your instrument rating.

Use this free time you have to chair fly, keep receipting the emergency checks untill you are sick of them, fly instruments approaches on flight sim or again by chair flying, go back seating on others flights. Do whatever you think that needs to be done but just keep your mind active and help yourself here.

Think about it for a moment - you are on an intergrated pilot training course, there are people out there who would absolutely kill to be in your position now. You have a great opportunity to better yourself so don't drop the ball.

Every school has it's own problems and even going to Oxford won't change that fact. I'm not saying these things out of criticism to you but really to help you and your future.

Best of luck.

Pj1888
18th May 2010, 19:02
Hi, would you mind telling me which FTO you are having these problems with? I am due to begin an integrated programme in July.