A.F.I. COURSES

[janzil]

Can anyone recommend where to go for an AFI course?Also,what is involved?

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Try TG Aviation at Manston. I think it's 35 hours under JAR now. It's not a doddle, but it's a good rating to have.

[Break Break]

AFI Courses ceased to exist in November 98. They are now courses for the FI(Restricted) rating with 30 hours flying and 125 hours groundschool.

[Klute]

I don't know too much about schools north of Watford but certainly TG at Manston are a good outfit. Manston's got it's own weather pattern and in my experience they get more flying days than other SE clubs. Redhill Aviation is another professional outfit and I think that the husband and wife team are both FI Examiners.
Whatever you choose have fun.

[Capt Crash]

Brian Mellor at Solent Flight is a very instructor and the planes are new. I have my test tomorrow so I may have to change this posting if all doesn't go to plan.

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WHOOP WHOOP
PULL UP!!!!!!

[DB6]

Where are you ? Try Tayside Aviation at Dundee (01382 644372) or Halfpenny Green Flight Centre near Wolverhampton (I believe they want to call it Wolverhampton International har har) 01384 221456. Or get hold of the March copy of Pilot magazine; it lists all of them.

[BEagle]

Look at the UK CAA website under Safety Regulation, Licensing, Documentation, Organisations approved to conduct Training, and you'll find all JAA-approved FTOs who may conduct the FI(R) course listed therein. Thanks to Linda Hosier, this is a very useful reference document!! Unfortunately it's still the 31 Jan version, but the new one should be out very soon. It's in .pdf format, so you'll need Adobe reader.

[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 17 March 2000).]

[A Very Civil Pilot]

Break Break

I know that we are now FI's or FI(R)'s, but most people will still refer to it and understand it as AFI and QFI. ;)

[BEagle]

Hardly surprising when there are still CAA Examiners talking about 'GFTs' and '1179s'!!

[Black Jake]

South Warwickshire Flying School at Wellesbourne Mountford have just been approved to provide JAR FI(R) courses. A nice outfit all round. Also, make sure you fly in G-UI, one of the tidiest and best handling C-152s in the UK imho. (Can I have my £10 now please Roddney?)

[152wiseguy]

C&S Aviation at wolverhampton with Chris Caine. Thats if you can get him. He's very busy and for good reason too.

[wobblyprop]

how quickly can anyone complete the course. Is it possible in 3 weeks?

[lady in red]

In Uk weather 3 weeks is a bit optimistic and you do have to work very hard on the ground school in terms of self-study. On my course I would expect you to prepare at least 4 lectures or long briefings after receiving all of the basic core course on Teaching and Learning during one-to one ground school. Additionally the flying requirement is 30 hours and you should not expect to fly more than 6 days a week. Our FOB requires you to have at least one day off and the instructors certainly need it!!

[muppet]

Give Dave Coulson a call at Cranfield Aero Club. 01234 752272.

Good old boy.

[Sleeve Wing]

....................or even Greg Hagarty at West London Aero Club, White Waltham. The number's 01628 823272.

[Blackshift]

Plenty instructor vacancies impending at Tayside.

[scubawasp]

C and S Aviation without a doubt

[Say again s l o w l y]

Blackshift,
Hi Mate. Why's everybody leaving? Trouble in the ranks? Or is the new broom sweeping a bit hard?

[carbonfibre]

Chris Caine without a doubt at Wolvo, avoid Flight Centre, Give Mr Caine a ring, really gives you an in depth run through the mill

[EL SID]

Those I can recommend highly having had instructors who have graduated from their tuition and subsequently work for me:
Chris Caine (as previously mentioned), Dorothy Pooley (Sky Leisure - Shoreham), On-Track Aviation (Wellesbourne-Montford). There may be others who are just as good, but anyone walking through my door looking for a FI job having been trained by the above can forget the formality of an interview and assessment flight!

[mad_jock]

I would say Tayside.

Unless your a knob, there will more than likely be a job for you afterwards. Nearly all the instructors from last year based in Dundee are now flying turbo prop.

Also as well from a personal point of view there set up is great. They do the RAF cadets so everything is very well documented and setup. There is few funnys you will have to learn like point and push on approach but if you do the FIC with them its a piece of cake.

I would do the FIC with a compmany who is likely to employ you afterwards. Also have a word with local instructors and see how many of them have left recently for jobs.

MJ

[Delta Wun-Wun]

Did my FI with Chris Caine and would recommend him without any doubt. Good thorough course. He comes across as a natural teacher.:ok:

[Vortex Thing]

It really does depend on where you live. There are some quality courses to be had and some which just tick the boxes. I have met instructors who do not appear to know their way around any basic CAA or JAR documentation and have also never apparently given a lecture, a long brief and a short brief which does profer the question as to what they did do with the 125 hours on the ground during thier course.

If anyone offers you a course that lasts less than 4 weeks you are being sold a lemon unless it is 7 days a week and you will be in no fit state to receive instruction after 14 days solid so will need some time off.

Dorothy Pooley I know personally and by reputation and have yet to find a pilot with a bad word to say about her professionalism and Chris Caine I have heard of but never met and carries the same reputation.

All the instructors that I have met from On_Track are very good.

Shall probably receive a roasting for this one but the ex CFS chaps seem to have the best instructional courses on offer to do with respects standardization, methodology and structure. I am however slightly biased as I prefer a standards based instruction which doesn't appear to be the civilian norm.

One of the most important factors though is size and future employment. Some schools will only employ thier own home grown instructors. Aeros Gloucester, Wycombe, Wolverhampton Flight Centre, BCFT and SkyLeisure @ Shoreham come to mind straight away but I can't speak for anyone north of Birmingham.

To this end if you want to work at any large school you will probably have to train with them. If on the other hand you want to work at a smaller school which doesn't run its own FICs then go for quality just don't believe the pants they tell you about being able to find you a job unless it is in black and white.

I had an excellent FIC instructor and a very good course but felt lied to by the mangement team who told me that they would try to help find me employment and did not make a single phone call when they had stated prior that they always placed their instructors, etc, etc PM me for further info.

[18greens]

Is it true Barkston Heath are doing civilian instructor courses?

The source I heard it from said their prices were reasonable and you get to do it on the planes they train the military on.

It would be different.

[ENG]

Babcock are a training provider for FI(R) courses. They recommend 6 weeks to take into account the weather. The course costs 5200+VAT, but you have the a great aircraft in the 260 to train on.

[IMMELMAN]

If Kent is convenient, give Clive Elesmore a call at LYDD - He was at Manston for TG Aviation but does his own thing at Lydd now and my view is that he does a first rate job - worth a call! Good Luck, whatever you do