Read this before going to BAA
My personal story with BAA begins in September 2016. I signed a contract with BAA for ATPL integrated course. The sum of the training services was 59 900 EUR.
Today this same contract costs MUCH more (around 75 000).
- During that period I paid more than 24 000EUR and got 36 !!! flight hours.
- During that period I`ve completed my ATPL integrated course in BAA and passed almost all my exams in CAA.
- In 2017 BAA terminated my contract with no refund.
My story began in June - August 2017 flight season.
On 27.10.2017 after the 2017 flight season ended BAA terminated my contract and it was the hardest hit I took in my life. The "reasons" are shown down below.
Okay, so in the contract that BAA provided me, was a statement that BAA has the right to terminate the contract prior 5 day notice if the student violates the "code of conduct".
As a "violation of the code of conduct" BAA refereed to:
CLAIM: I was twice (2) LATE for 10 - 15 minutes for my flight training at the aerodrome.
ANSWER: Theory takes place in Vilnius, practice flying - in Kaunas. 17.06.2017 Due to NEW CITY bus time schedule, I was late for my first flight with my friend. Second one - at 10.08.2017 was due to my car simply won`t start. All this 2 times I was late for 10 - 15 minutes. What a slack!
C: I was absent ONCE for flight training on 21.08.2017 (end of flying season).
A: I was in Vilnius doing my VISA.
C: Two (2) safety reports while flight training
A: Brilliant. "safety report 1" - 27.06.2017 while I was doing touch-and-goes in Aleksotas aerodrome, while turning downwind my instructor started shouting at me, told me to land and on the ground said that from his words I lead the plane into "spiral dive". Until this day, after getting my CPL license in other flight school, I know that it is not truth. I do not recall ANY abnormal attitudes of the plane that day. Nevertheless, the INSTRUCTOR is responsible for the safety of student and himself.This is simply nonsense.
Next "safety report" - on 11 of August after waiting for my flight for 5-7 hours in the briefing room (normal period for BAA 2017), while taxing to park the plane I slightly TOUCHED a small bush 20 cm with my left wing, living absolutely NO NOTICEABLE MARK on the wing surface. That`s it. Do you realise that BAA regarded to my learning mistakes as one of the REASONS TO TERMINATE MY CONTRACT WITH NO REFUND? All pilots that I`ve told this about confirmed that it is complete nonsense.
C: Lack of discipline and not preparing for classes
A: This is the best one. Look, being an ISRAELI citizen (which was obviously known to BAA), BAA gave me an instructor that was (from his words) FORMER IRANIAN MILITARY PILOT! Our nations are in a state of war for the last 50 years. From the first day I had a feeling that he treats me unlike my groupies. He often let me stay on the ground for 5-6 hours waiting for my flight or not flying with me at all. He told me so many times that if I don`t like something - I can change the instructor. I did not do that because I believed that our conflict could be settled. I was wrong.
===At the attached document "FLIGHTS" you can see my flying progress compared to the progress of my gropmates:
Red boxes - me not flying that specific day while at least one student of my group was flying.===
That is right - at the end of the flying season I got 2 times LESS (36) flight hours than my gropmates.
That is absolutely insane. I could not and can not believe what happened! My family was investing in me all this time and were in a serious financial situation paying for my studies. I payed almost 25 000 EUR (DEAR GOD!!), and got ONLY 36 (THIRTY_SIX) flight hours and got my contract terminated!!!
It was so INSAINLY STRESSING situation that until this very day my family doesn`t know that I had to sign a NEW CONTRACT with a NEW FLIGHT SCHOOL that was cheaper and , as I saw it, more honest with students - it will be unbelievably stressful for my family to know that all the money they were working so hard to earn, giving all what they got to pay for me ended up in 36 instead of almost 220 (!!!) flight hours and a terminated contract!. I feel anger and disbelief that such a thing can happen in Europe today. Each time I think about what happened with me keeps me awake at night. Makes my heart go faster in pain after I recall my experience with BAA.
In my new school my contract was 4 pages and the cost was about 30% LESS (not 60K) from the very beginning.
To end my story I want you to understand, that no mater how well-marketed, good looking, polished and hyped the company is, you ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS have to double check and verify all the information you are given. More money you pay does not guarantee anything. The smile they met me with for the first time, was the same smile they terminated my contract. Understand one thing: any flight school that is legally registered will NOT GIVE YOU A LICENSE - only CAA (Civil Aviation Administration) will give you a license. Only purpose of a flight school - to prepare you to meet the requirements to obtain the license. And I can tell you one thing - the next week our group found out there is no difference, some of us wanted to change BAA for a cheaper one, but we could not - the contract does not let you do that without paying "fines".
In the newest contract BAA provides you, from my friends in BAA told me, you are NOT ALLOWED TO SAY ANYTHING BAD ABOUT BAA, otherwise - you can find yourself in my position.
I told you my story how I DID NOT became a pilot in Baltic Aviation Academy and regret the day when I heard about them for the first time in my life. I do know a lot of people who have the same feeling about BAA and share my pain and regret.
Please, be smart and don`t make our mistake.
Thank you.
PS
BAA have send me an official letter demanding deleting my previous comment in Google maps where I described all this in more emotional way.
Be smart.