Originally Posted by
Go Indigo
Update please!
I am very much interested in going to CAE for my A320 type rating but I hear that airlines charge 7-9lacs INR for the bridge training. The entire cost of type rating (27lacs INR) + bridge training would be unaffordable for me. I think GTA Spain is the best option for me. Need suggestions!
In case anyone is interested, I went to Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA), Bahrain. Overall, I had a wonderful experience. The infrastructure is really good since all the Gulf Air pilots use GAA sims. Other users are TAP, Salam Air, Flynas, IndiGo, and Saudi Arabian.
There were three A-320 sims operational (2 CAE and 1 TRU) when I was training. We got 52 hours in the Flat Panel Trainer (FPT) (13 sessions) and 56 hours in the Full Flight Simulator (FFS) (14 sessions including LOFT and skill tests).
I already knew my sim partner from my CPL training days but GAA can arrange for a sim partner in case you already do not have one. Our instructor was a European but he had worked for Gulf Air and Turkish Airlines for quite a long time. Staff at GAA were very co-operative and friendly.
Total cost including visa, flight tickets, accommodation (w/breakfast), and transport was USD20,000. I would definitely recommend this academy to others looking for a balance between cost and number of sim sessions.