Do "HONEST" Flight schools exist?

[NewbieFlyer]

Hi Folks,

I've been researching which flight school to attend, and all I keep getting are reviews about corruption, stolen money and over-charging!

I'm finding choosing an "honest" flight school to be very difficult! :ugh::ugh:

Can anyone recommend a flight school that "does exactly what it says on the tin".

I'm looking for "Ab-initio, Zero to CPL/CFI JAA & FAA"

HELP PLEASE!!:confused:

[mad_jock]

Nope i don't know of one with that list of quals.

I would say that Highland Aviation Flying School Inverness (http://www.highlandaviation.co.uk) could get you to the ppl in my opinion but as soon as you add FAA into the mix any school that can do both are usually a bunch of cowboys.

FAA only no problem
JAR no problem


Combine the two and you are looking at a shower of :mad:

[paco]

Not sure about FAA, but one honest flight school is Bonus at Cranfield

Phil

[Bealzebub]

Yes I think far and away most schools employ fundamentally honest people. Without doubt and like many busineses, there are the good the bad and the ugly. Usually it doesn't take a great deal of research to find out those that stand out in any of these categories.

One of the problems with this particular industry, is that some customers have wholly unrealistic expectations of just what it is they are buying. Despite plenty of advice and warnings, it is an industry that seems to attract a very large contingent of woefully naive and hopelessly under researched individuals. Clearly this provides rich pickings for the unscrupulous service providers that do exist. However it also results in some schools being wrongly labelled by individuals who simply picked the attractive bits of the "label on the tin" in an attempt to satisfy their own expections.

I'm looking for "Ab-initio, Zero to CPL/CFI JAA & FAA"

There are plenty that satisfy that requirement. The reality is though, that people gloss over little words like "from" and only focus on the headline price. Likewise they fail to pay much attention to the exchange rate illustrated when foreign currencies are involved. Similarly they fail to allow for the fact that time and cost requirements vary from person to person due to a host of variables. Then they assume that "Ab-initio, Zero to CPL/CFI" are somehow two ends of a magic yellow brick road, with rewards waiting at the end of the journey. Usually that is far from the reality and often the point that reality actually begins to bite. Often the anger that comes with that reality starts to be directed at those who were only to happy to accept the business.

Do your research carefully, and decide what is right for you.

[The Old Fat One]

There are flying schools in the UK that have been in existence since the sixties (possibly longer, but I know the sixties is a fact). They have never been liqidated or "flipped" (check Companies House) ergo, nobody has ever lost a penny due one of these schools going bust.

There are flight schools in the UK delivering public sector contracts. Financial integrity is assessed as part of every public sector contract award and is continually assessed thereafter.

There are flight schools in the UK delivering scholarships (for all sorts of organisations) which involve training "minors" (under 18's in the eyes of the law). Such schools are checked out and audited by a number of prodessional bodies.

So the answer is yes, despite what some Ppruners would have you believe. There is also massive variation in training standards, aircraft availablity and instructor availability - yet quite often anybody who suggests that flying schools in the UK vary is flamed out of existence.

Do your homework. Check companies house for longevity. Check the the number of aircraft in operation and the number of FULL TIME instructors. Visit and speak to the staff and students. Check the price list and package options, including any refund policys. Visit more than one school and compare.

Treat all marketing material as suspect (a rule for everything in life) and take anything you read on Pprune with a just a little pinch of salt

[jez d]

One of the problems with this particular industry, is that some customers have wholly unrealistic expectations of just what it is they are buying.

An excellent post B. :D

As someone who has run a small, provincial and scrupulously honest flying school in the past, managing customer's expectations was one of the hardest tasks.

Despite our best efforts to explain the variables involved in flight training to our students before they embarked on training, e.g. currency, ability, willingness to self-study, the weather, to name but four - it never failed to astonish me how it became our fault when they passed the 40 hour mark and were still some way off completing. These individuals tended to be of the 'cash rich time poor' variety. Invariably late for their once a fortnight lesson and who hadn't opened a book since they'd last visited, they nonetheless became 'disappointed' with us when they took twice as long as other, more dedicated students.

Regards, jez