Latc Progress:

[Bird Doo]

I have been reading these various threads and there appears to be a very strong reaction by various persons to MFA. I have read the condeminations to the poor management and conditions that staff and students have to endure. Well this is a public forum and everybody is entitled to their opinion. (now someone bash me for being un-malausian). In various threds another school is mentioned - LATC. Hav asked around, but info is hard to com by. Anyway i had to opportunity to visit Langkawi with some frens and these are my findings: Can anyone from LATC elaborate on these!

1. It is subsidary company of the Halim Mazmin Group -
shipping company in Malaysia.
2. Is is based out of a ex-Hotel some distance from the Airport
in a rundown hotel.
3. It has taken 2 MAS batches of approx 20 students each and
more on the way every month.
4. Ground School is understaffed!
5. Flight School is serverely understaffed! (Principal is also an
instructor. The CFI and FSO are PPL & AFI holders! The
Standards Officer is a Ex-pat from Australia) So total flying
staffs is 4.
6. Number of aircrafts is 2 TB10. 2 morestuck in KL due to
maintence problems.
7. The first MAS batch is behind schedual due to not enough
aircraft and staff.
8. 20 instructors are required by the end of the year, but
recruitement has not begun. (This is not ment as an
advertisement, dont crucify me).
9. Chief Instructor is said to be a nice guy, talks alot but says
nothing of importance. Tends to have temper tantrums!
Wants to be everybodys fren and please everybody all of
the time.
10. Principal is also a nice guy, but has not a clue of the
Principal's position. But likes to be in the aircrafts as a
instructor. (One wanders if he is doing either job well)
11. CGI is a ex-pat from France that nobody can understand.
12. CFI has no past managerial experience and witha PPL & AFI
rating this could be so.
13. SO is from Oz and the only other CPL / IR holder appart from
the Principal. Nun of the students can understand him either.
14. Langkawi is a tourist island, I have noticed everything is
just a little bit more expensive than the rest of the country.
Only tourist goods are duty free.
15. Now for some tourist advertising: Thailand can be reached
by ferry as can Kuala Kedah, Kuala Perlis. These is also a 2 x
daily ferry to Pinang. Langkawi has MAS, Air Asia and Silk Air
airline connections.

From talking to aviation related people in KL and elsewhere there is alot of optimism for LATC. But when talking to people it not what they said but what they didnt say that I found most interesting. Is LATC on the Up & Up or is it on the Down& Down before it has really started? Is LATC going to be another MFA?

Persons with nothing usefull to contribute, need not reply!
:cool:

[mktong]

only 2 single engine available? how about the projected twin engine that is coming into service soon?
im off to LATC soon in May, will need to get the CAA 6 papers done first , then will get aboard the Diamond 42 for another at least 35 hours trainning.

good luck everyone there in LATC

[Sultan Ismail]

I find this rather disturbing, if there but 4 flying personalities as you describe, then one of them, the FSO by your i.d. has been taking the p*ss at RSFC for some time.

A great entertainer, having a party? make sure he is there, but a PPL, I feel cheated....

Bird Doo is jou van die Kaap af ou van die ou Transvaal? ;)

[malaysian eaglet]

Dear Bird Doo,

I do not have gotten the pleasure to meet you during your visit in Langkawi. A South African… I should have noticed…or maybe this address is just a wrong direction …
LATC is a starting business and as all starting businesses, some difficulties must be overcome.
1) Yes, we have gotten some issues in the delivery of the TB10s.
2) We do not need a big fleet and a lot of hyper-qualified instructors until this summer: only one batch at a time on the Flying side and only preparing the PPL…. After it is another story
4 Flight Instructors with CPL/IR and frozen ATPL (With 2000 instructional hours or more) are in the recruitment pipe line and the recruitment is on going.
3) The first month we have gotten some issues with the Immigration procedures and the arrival of the “Groundies” has been delayed..
4) The CGI is a former JAR Instructor recognised by UK-CAA, he has taught Irish and English cadets without any understanding problems (Working in UK and for BAE systems!)…
Best Regards

[FMY8454]

hey Birdoo how much MFA gives you ?

[PPRuNe Towers]

The LATC team works hard and silently

Bollocks eaglet - you've done nothing but plug the place for months.

You build expectations up - you take the stick. I've removed the majority of your advertorial ensuring it reflects the situation now rather than plans and projections.

We don't promise anyone anything here at PPRuNe other than protecting ID's. The site doubles in size and traffic every single year. There might be something to learn from that.

Rob Lloyd

[malaysian eaglet]

I am sorry but what I have stated and has been censored is a reality.

Your censure is unfair in front of the accusations of Bird Doo to whom I was replying...Some people are directly involved in his accusation and you cannot censore the response.
LATC does not need any advertising: we are fully booked . But we cannot let accusations and troncated statements flourishing on our back.
PPrune Tower you are unfair and volontarily or not, you take party.

[PPRuNe Towers]

eaglet,

Anyone can look up your posts with our search engine. They can do exactly the same with mine.

In fact I've done the work for our readers:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=1675663

I say you are simply a one man publicity band.

I'm telling you you are now paying the price.

You have used this site since the 12 March 2004 for your own ends. In fact it goes back to January that year when you announced a change of path.

Every word is there for PPRuNers to check for themselves.

Who the hell do you think you are protesting when someone makes some observations contrary to your views? Especially after more than a year of aggrandising self publicity.

I suggest that when you've calmed down you re-read my previous post. Stop promising and get on with delivering - like we do.

Rob Lloyd

[bfd777]

Three cheers! While I agree that Eaglet should have the opportunity to address the BirdDoo, PPRune Towers is 100% correct

:ok:

[PPRuNe Radar]

One day ... after 20 years training .. I too will be as 'all seeing' as PT :)

He has the 'Eaglet' sussed methinks :p

[Bird Doo]

Oooo I hit a nerve there!

But to reiterate: These are some observations I have made from talking to various people associated with LATC in KL and Langkawi. So is there anybody with something constructive to say so as to enlighten / educate or refute these points in a constructive manner. Also as a new set up they will be looking for suitably qualified staff and i think especially for any guy / gal who has never working in malaysai or a moslem country would also want an idea as towhat to expect.

LATC appears to of been set up to reduce the pilot training load off MFA. Yes like all new setup ups there are going to be problems. But we all know as towhat sort of time line one would expect problems to appear. It appears to me, that the problems areon going with the common "do nothing" attitude prevailing, otherwise known as "crisis management" . You ex-pats know what i am talking about here.

Hey FMY8454 - MFA give me nothing. This discussion about training in Malaysia seems very one sided. Everybody has something bad to say about MFA, well maybe its time to spread the badness around. Or is LATC going to break the mold of Malaysian Flight training!

mktong - goodluck on the DA42.

Yes LATC is fully booked. I have that info as well. But studends cannot be kept in GS indifinetly. Every month a new course arrives. Resources are not being increased to match the planned load.

Some one stomp on me now!
:cool:

[WLM]

Hey Bird Doo

Before wording criticism on an English written forum, running a spell check or speaking the English language properly might be useful. It may also help people understand the instructors..;)