ATPL theory revolution

[barry white]

Its time for us hard done by students to stand up to the monster (CAA). Does any body else feel that it is unfair that the results take so long to be issued. It just so happens that the results come out a few days after the cut of date for entry into the following months exams. How long realistically does it take for a computer to mark the papers and send them out in the post. No more than 2 days from the last exam,so if you sit on the thursday you would hope to have your marks on the following Tuesday.
Who do the CAA have to answer to? who regulates them? It's not like they have any competion to keep them on there toes.
So what I propose is, we set up our own governing body and keep the prices and the service at a level which is accectable to the people, US THE HARD DONE BY STUDENT.
Free re-sits, past paers issued to the schools, cheaper license's, cheaper medicals, cheaper flight tests, I'm not saying it should all be free but at a price which actually reflects it's worth, instead of thinking of a number and then doulbling it and add a little bit more for the christmas bash.
So who's with me? fight the MONSTER null

[barry white]

Appologies to anyone affended by this thread but thats life.HAPPY FLYING IF ANY OF US GET THAT FAR!!!!

[Polar_stereographic]

Barry,

you've got no chance on this. It must have come up time and time again, and I guess it's a phase we all go through to some extent or other. But the fact of the matter is that once through whichever hoop one has a gripe with, all is soon forgotten.

In the present climate, you're going to get even less support, with airlines laying off people, possibly a qualified pilots excess, etc etc.

One of my pet theories on this (and I don't want to bang on about it) is that once you land a job, it's not in your interest to pursue campains like this, so no support there. Look at whats left, and rest assured that most will not want to bang the drums outside the Gatwick glass house either.

I know it's not fair, the system sucks, is a real mess, we ALL know that, but there is simply not the numbers around willing to change it.

I know it sound defeatist and I say that at the risk of sounding like Ronch (that I'm not), but that's the way I see it. My advice is to grill down and get through the hoops at best you can. Mounting an attack on Gatwick will end up being fruitless, get you no where and be no more than an unwanted distraction for you.

Good luck with the exams

PS

[cubby]

I agree with you both.
Once you are through it you don't give a toss but that is not the point.
The CAA must realise that thay are not dealing with booking numbers but are trully messing with peoples lives and it's not just students but their wives and children .
I'm not being mellow drametic with this .
Twice this year I have been unable to get into exam sittings due to the time it takes to get results .
Now I have only one exam resit to take which I have to wait 6 weeks to sit then 2 weeks to the result . estimated cost £500.
I think that the CAA should be answerable to an independant body who can monitor the CAA's performance or the CAA should stand up and publicly justify the way it operates.
They are messing with peoples lives .
Cubby.... :mad: :mad:

[Token Bird]

Out of interest, how long does it take to get the exam results? Is it 2 weeks as mentioned above? Do you have to have the exam results before embarking on the CPL or do you only need them to apply for the CPL after having completed the training?

TB

[Polar_stereographic]

cubby,

I'm with you all the way, but my point is as an individual you've little chance.

PPRuNe - I'm mildly disapointed, but then it's only after all a collection of individuals who happen to be around at the time.

AOPA etc - Even more disapointed, but I guess looking at it from their point of view, there's nothing in it for them. If they where more proactive in trying to get subscriptions from the likes of you and me, maybe they could make a representation to Gatwick.

I've had a few small personal battles with Gatwick in my time, and unlike the German football match, the score is five nill to them.

I suspect a lot of this has been tried in the past, but to date I'm not aware of it making any diference. It's not like the fuel protest, there's simply not the numbers involved like that, coupled by a lot of people who are happy for thing to remain so.

PS

[barry white]

Cubby & Polar thanks for your remarks.
It's the issue of messing with peoples lives I like many others can not afford to keep taking time away from work and family.
It's about time they became accountable to some governing body. FOR THE RECORD I AM NOT JUST ANOTHER BITCHING STUDENT!!!!Please keep posting your thoughts and I will lodge these thoughts to the MONSTER (CAA)

[rolling circle]

The CAA are accountable to "some governing body". They are accountable to the governing body that you elected - Pinocchio and the puppetmasters at Millbank.

It is the UK government that sets the parameters within which the CAA works, it is the UK government that dictates that the CAA will be self-financing and it is the UK government, in its headlong rush into europe, that dictated that the CAA would be in the forefront of the implementation of JAR-FCL.

It is, of course, coincidence that the Head of Standards at FCL, who forced through all the JAA mumbo-jumbo, is to be the new Licensing Director of the JAA - jobs for the boys, or what?

Don't shoot the messenger, Guys, the 'CAA' is a helpless tool of Millbank, just like Downing Street.

[Broken Wings]

I too am currently a "student" in the system and sympathise with the comments made but also agree it may be hard to change. Here's one possible work around:

If you have the flex plan, then book, your exams over two months blocks. The booking computor cannot currently book over two months so you receive the normal letter saying that the first month exam is confirmed; then you receive another one in a seperate envelope (presumeably from a different dept)explaining the double booking problem and they offer to hold open the second month in case you need any re-sits.

How do I know? I've just done it.

Best of luck guys.

[helimutt]

Sat the CPL exams last thursday and Friday at Gatwick, results through the letterbox yesterday morning!! I don't think that's too bad.
So less than a week.
I do wish people would stop the moaning and complaining. There are worse things in life that can happen.!!

[Polar_stereographic]

Barry,

See the problem?

PS

[barry white]

WELL IT LOOKS LIKE NOBODY REALY CARES THAT THEY ARE BEING RIPPED OFF!!!!!! I know that this is probably the wrong time to be trying to raise the issue, what with old Bin liner or what ever you call the nasty piece of work, has been up to in the last week or two. But as paying customers we should expect a better service than we are getting from the CAA. If a bank or morgage lender treated us the way the CAA do we would all be looking to find a better deal would we not? The true meaning of the CAA...... CASH AND AUTOCRACY . Fellow pilots keep going there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[flyboy11]

Barry You are right. they are a bunch of arse holes who don't care how much it costs them. for them the more money it costs them the BETTER IT IS! then they can go down to the pub and boast about paying the JAA megabucks and all there friends will be impressed. but not in a few months when they are having to borrow money from them to pay for a coffee when they are JOBLESS!

the caa, JAa, flying schools and airlines all know people will pay money no matter what! why else do you think they have nice potted plants in aviation house and BMWs on car park?

[were we shot down?]

I've not even got as far as PPL yet having taken my CAA Class 1 medical 3 months ago....and I haven't done anything else as I STILL do not have my results!!
I've hassled CAA medical on numerous occassions who are all very nice on the phone but after shelling out £400 for the medical (which they took off me a month or so before I took the medical, I think the delay is disgusting! From the postings here, it looks like things get worse the closer I get to my ATPL! :(

[helimutt]

It did take the CAA medical ctr 6 weeks to get me my class one results last year. I was phoning and asking to speak to the doctor who actually did the medical examination and he sorted it out for me. You have to keep on at them because if things get overlooked, they don't always bother themselves about checking things out.

As for cost, can anyone actually remember being told this flying lark was cheap at any stage? I can't, and knew it would be an uphill struggle all of the way. If they were giving training away and cheap exams/medicals, who would pay the sky high instructor salaries etc. As If!!!!

I was told the restaurant at CAA Gatwick was really good with cheap food. If you are an exam candidate, you can't go in until after everyone else has had first options then the food is cold and just as well it's cheap as I wouldn't feed it to my dog!!

Tasteless curry, soggy chips!!!

rant, rant

Enough for one day me thinks.
:mad: