Travelling to Spain to look at Flight Schools. What Q's should I ask / look out for?

[BobG1]

Hi all,

I'm travelling next week to Madrid and Barcelona to look at Flight Schools. (Looking to go from zero to FATPL - and haven't decided on modular or integrated yet)

After having done 100's of hours of research on this, I think I should ask the following questions below. But I would really appreciate anyone else's input on this and feel free to add to my list if you think I'm missing anything... Also feel free to label any of my questions as 'pointless'... 'ridiculous'... etc.. I won't get offended... :)

.How long has the flight school been in existence?
.How many planes do you have for training / what type are they?
.How old are they / how many hrs has the engine done?
.How busy is the flight school / how many students do they have, especially international students?
.How many hours to the flight instructors have?
.How long does it typically take for your students to go from zero to FATPL?
.Can I speak to your existing students and flight instructors?
.Do you have any statistics of students that graduate and get a pilot job within the first 1-2 year after graduation?
.How much is your modular and integrated course costs?
.What are any other possible costs?
.How flexible are you on your payment schedule? (i.e How much do I have to pay 'upfront' and hence risk losing money if your school goes bust)

Thanks guys,

P.S So far I am looking to visit Ibertour (Girona), Gestair, Aerotec and Madrid Flight Academy. Any other recommendations of schools with first hand experience would be very much welcomed...

[zondaracer]

Ask if about accommodation, if it is included or not and how much is it. If it is not included, ask to know what the other students do for accommodation and how much it costs them and how they get to school and back.

Also, one thing you should also ask is about the instrument training and if the base airport has instrument approaches. Some of the smaller airports don't have instrument approaches so you lose some time flying back and forth from other airports and not being able to do an instrument approach on your way back in.

If the school charges one set price, ask what the costs are if you go over the minimums prescribed in the course.

One of your questions was about quantity of aircraft. You should ask about student to plane ratio and student to instructor ratio. If they have three planes but only three students, no problem. If they have seven planes, but 70 students and three instructors, that might be a problem. Ask the students if they feel that the flying training is going really slow or if the pace is just right. I have been to schools that were frustratingly slow, and others that went as fast as I was willing to go. Also, don't be afraid of old Planes. I would much rather fly a 30 year old Cessna that was well maintained instead of a 5 year old one that wasn't maintained properly. New planes typically cost more, and the student ends up paying twice the cost for training just because the plane is new and has fancy avionics. (don't get me wrong, I like fancy new avionics and leather seats, but I'm not rich).

I would not put too much stock in a school telling you about the job hire rate of their students. I would take the stastitic with a bit of skepticism as some schools have been known to exaggerate the numbers.

[BobG1]

Thanks very much Zondaracer, that is all great stuff... :)

[FlightOfficer]

Hi there BobG1.

I've been thinking of heading to Spain to do the same, zero hours to FATPL. What was the outcome of your search? Have you found a preferance from your chosen list?
I was accepted to learn through Pilot Training College back in July but something didn't feel right about the assessment day and have decided not to pursue that route.

[NYCSavage]

One question EVERYBODY should ask and yet I am never asked is what you are billed for flying.

Some schools charge for briefing/debriefing, some dont
Some charge engines on/engines off, some dont
Some charge brakes on/brakes off, some dont.

Then ask how close to the runway are you. Imagine being billed engine on/engine off and then finding out the school is a 10 minute taxi each way, thats only 40 mins flying time. Then traffic would cut into that also.

Good luck

[beardedclam]

Buyer Beware is my input. Do not underestimate the potential risks. They want and need your money in these times.
1) They will say exactly what you want to hear.
2) They will charm you.

a) Ask to see their aircraft. Have a sit in one. See how good / bad they appear.
b) Don't ASK to speak to a student. ACCOSTE a random student out of sight of management. Don't speak to a blatant plant, or worse, a PR person.
c) See what Navaids / ILS the airfield has. Ideally you want an NBD and ILS, and a VOR on fight would be a bonus. This means you can fly procedures as soon as you are airborne, as opposed to flying to distant airfields for IR flying.
d) How large / busy is airfield. Ground movement as NYCSavage rightly states, can be a nightmare. I have paid for 40 minutes of taxi time before on one flight. Not funny.
e) Accomodation in known student digs will not be cheap.
f) MOST IMPORTANT Who does the flight text examining. They normally employ the same couple of guys. Guys with their own timetable. I know numerous people who have completed training, then had to wait a couple of weeks for examiner, only to be weathered out, then have to wait another 2 weeks for examiner. All of a sudden the course length snowballs.
g) There are great schools examiners out there, and there are crooks. DON@T be naive. Go with gut feeling.