Dear Polirised89
First of all, congratulations on your success with the ATPL training and I wish for many more to come.
I haven't attended any other school, since I don't have the luxury to pay more than 50.000 euros (the price was another factor for choosing OAA) and my job doesn't allow me to fully leave everything behind. I have studied the ATPL theory but without enrolling in a school one cannot give exams at HCAA.
In how much time did you complete your course if I may ask? Did you attend any other flight school before that?
As far as your questions go now
1) While you correctly have stated that non EU-students have to pay 30% of tuition fee to the school for visa you strategically neglect to mention how the school ommits to reimburse them if they leave. Incantator didn't even enroll and they still kept his money. Two fellow students of mine left at the same time as me and the school still owes them 15.000 and 11.000 euros respectively. Maybe they were at fault for not being mentally or physically fit, maybe not, but these money are theirs and no contract of agreement will change that.
2) What I know I learned from within the school. During my short tenure as a student at OAA I managed (by luck you might say) to get in contact with some disgruntled ex students who prepaid significant amounts of money, their training was progressing extremely slowly, if at all, and eventually they left.
Now since I don't have their permission I cannot disclose their names. How convenient you maybe say but nevertheless I will respect their privacy.
Additionally the accident at Xanthi was widely known when it occured and eventually I came to find about the 2015 accident at AAIASB page. These are reported almost fatal incidents for anyone to find on Google. Now if they are outdated and not worthy of attention, since they are happening everywhere else as you say, is a matter of one's perspective.
I didn't and couldn't know about them when I enrolled and I admit I should have known sooner.
Of course I don't know the technicalities of accidents' investigation but the whole process strains financially even the best of companies. What I remember was that at these times I could not find myself paying the school a dime without knowing the actual risks. Even the former CEO Olympia Giannakidou had left the school at the start of 2019 for Skies Academy at Peraia, for being unpaid in months.And she was actually registered on the VAT number of OAA as a shareholder, co-owner etc. Management didn't inform me adequately about all these factors unlike you of course who had the pleasure. They just told me that accidents happen. But time has passed you say and I truly hope things have changed for the better.
3) 9 ATPL integrated graduates is a fine number but, again, not so grand in 7 years of operating. When did they first enroll?
4) All the time I was there I had never even seen any plane. Every week we were waiting to go to Alexandroupoli airport and every time it was postponed without even the slightest briefing. One Cessna was stuck in Slovenia for maintenance reasons then another was about to be purchased. I understand that now the school has two operating Cessnas and one Seneca for MCC they rent at Megara as Kaur mentioned above.That is progress I suppose. Still they are not enough for 60-70 students.
In conclusion I estimated at the time that the school couldn't provide me the training in quality and in time for the money I was going to pay for.
This is my opinion as you are entitled to yours.
I have nothing to gain. In practical terms I am wasting my time monumentally right now, writing here.
And if OAA or Horizon or whatever is of high quality, then negative information on pprune won't change that. Students will flock there by themselves.
Please next time don't be so 'shocked', like Bimala above, and feel free to counter-argue with actual fruitful arguments and facts instead of generalizations. Accusing me of falsehoods and lies won't help the people you supposedly want to help here.
With regards and wishes for a happy new year
Last edited by John John; 1st Jan 2020 at 18:19.