Anyone have recent experience with PAT (Bournemouth) or Airways (Exeter)?

[DiamondC]

Does anyone have recent experience with Professional Air Training (PAT) in Bournemouth or Airways Flight Training (AFT) in Exeter?

I'm considering both as options for my CPL-MEP-IR later this year and positive or negative experiences would be helpful. PM me if you prefer.

[Ptimat31]

Hi,

I've completed my CPL/IR at PAT last December and have been very happy all the way ! Loved the guys there and flying the Duchess.

[bravobravo74]

The best thing that PAT have going for them is Steve, their simulator instructor for the IR course.

I can't comment on their current crop of regular instructors as most of them have joined since I finished training there two years ago.

If things are the way they were when I was there then I'd recommend PAT.

[LostYetAgain]

I can second that endorsement.

[del117]

Thanks lost yet again :D
hope you don't mind me asking what was your commercial background is?

[LostYetAgain]

Hi del117,

Your 1st post in two years ... welcome!

Steve and I used to instruct together at PAT (Professional Air Training) where I was able to observe his simulator instruction first hand. He still works there. I instructed for the multi class rating, the multi-CPL and the multi-IR.

Does this answer your question? If not, PM me and we can take the discussion off-line.

Regards

[hobbit1983]

Another vote for PAT. Very positive experience, great instructors.

[DiamondC]

hobbit1983 - Would you mind if I asked what training you did at PAT, and when ?

[hobbit1983]

ME Instrument Rating Jan-May 2011 (part time) and revalidation since.

[disco87]

PAT were very good when I was there in 2010, they will make sure you can pass. Best money you will spend in flight training.

[brn-2-fly]

Another vote for PAT, completed MEP, CPL and IR, in minimum times and with great instruction. Great staff, and to be honest all the students there were great people aswell. Always a good atmosphere about, although sometimes tense on skills test days! I was there 2012.

[federico100mt]

Hi,

I was in Bournemouth to visit PAT some day ago, and I found people, planes and environments very friendly and professional. Anyone here that can give me any other feedback about them?

Cheers

[flying apprentice]

I did my ME IR at PAT and they were superb. Didn't think the atmosphere was intense on skills test days. In fact I was more relaxed about my IR than I was about my CPL.

They train you to such a high standard that you'll find the actual skills test almost easy !!

Great support and attitude from all their staff - They even come in on the weekends if you need to schedule a test for then !!

[CABUS]

A few friends and I all went to Airways and it was fantastic, and more recently my cousin passed through there. Everyone I know managed to get first time passes in all flight tests. On two occasions in two months companies walked through the door and spoke to Brian asking who was worthy of a private jet job straight from training.

Airways has experience like no other school I know of, their instructors actually have flown commerically around the world for legacy airlines or have flown some interesting stuff in the forces and actually know what its all about. Im not saying PAT is not like this, I have also heard great things from Bmouth however I cannot rate Airways highly enough.

[federico100mt]

Thank you guys, I think the are good too, I will keep you informed about my training choice.
Cheers

[Contacttower]

In general I have heard good things about both however I think PAT may have lost some of its depth of experience more recently. I am sure they are still good, especially for the IR because they are an experienced school with excellent pass rates but I was talking to someone a few months ago who had done CPL training at both and eventually finished at Airways and he rated them more highly.

Just one opinion I know but whenever Airways is mentioned the depth and breadth of their experience is always emphasised and I suspect is ahead of PAT at the moment in that respect.

[No RYR for me]

but I was talking to someone a few months ago who had done CPL training at both and eventually finished at Airways and he rated them more highly.

I spoke to my second husbands wife her brother and he said.... :rolleyes:

All the first hands who have been to PAT rated them highly and I can add my vote to that. The same is possibly true of all the people that went to Airways who are generally also very happy.

To ensure this is one of the better threads can you either substantiated: I think PAT may have lost some of its depth of experience more recently. or ask the person you refer to make an proper comment?

Thanks in advance

[Contacttower]

I spoke to my second husbands wife her brother and he said....

Well it was a first hand comment from someone who I know had recent experience of both...which is exactly what this thread is about.

or ask the person you refer to make an proper comment?

It was a perfectly 'proper' comment. I was on a ground school course with individual in question and we were discussing the merits of the various modular schools in the area and an subject of PAT vs. Airways came up. He said that he found the instructors at Airways more supportive and finished his CPL training there.

To add to what I wrote originally I first investigated PAT for my IR back in 2008, I was generally impressed with them and knew they had a good reputation in the PPL/IR world.

One way or another I did not end up doing my EASA IR until 2012 and with another school. However I did attend ground school classes for the IR at GTS who share a premises with PAT and it seemed to me that a number of experienced instructors who were there when I first looked at the school had since left. I am sure that they are still very good but right now Airways clearly has a broader range of experience and more current airline experience than PAT does.

[119.35]

It's not often that 2 schools get short-listed, that nobody has a bad word to say about either!

AFT are a great school with extremely experienced and long serving instructors. Military guys don't go to Airways because they are rubbish!

Both are very good schools. You are backing a winner either way.

[Halfwayback]

DiamondC

I think you have made a good choice and you will see from t he responses that no-one has a bad word about them. I hope that answers your original question

HWB