We have been following this thread for a while now, and we were reluctant to respond, as most of the statements posted are either false and untrue, or are taken completely out of context. However, this has gone too far, so we'd like to share our side of the story as well, because this negative campaign against ACC that's coming from a few unsatisfied students who lack self-criticism, is endangering people's jobs, students currently on training as well as business itself (if corona isn't enough):
Deckbacon
-The lectures were generally poor quality, and seemed nothing more than a simple box tick exercise.
We did have a couple of instructors that weren’t meeting our standard of theoretical lectures, and we mitigated that issue by asking them to raise the quality level of the theoretical lectures. However they rather changed flight schools instead.
- Poorly maintained aircraft
All of the listed airplane failures are not true… We did had an older fleet, but it was in perfect shape, completely overhauled. We have NEVER had broken flaps, stab trim runways, cracked engine cylinders, engine failures, electrical fires etc, which can be proven with maintenance history and EASA occurrences repository. - Insurance
Not true, all our fleet is insured will full coverage, we had 4 cases where students on solo flights damaged the airplane: 3 times propeller and 1 time wing (bird strike) and none of the students didn’t had to pay a cent.
- Training agreement
Not true, the training agreements have a duration of 18 months, which both contractual parties agree on and sign. When a student does not complete the training in 18 months due to his own reasons (not related to ACC, Covid, Weather, etc), the contract is extended in regards to the individual’s student reason for delay.
- Chief pilot
When a student has a more then 1 month pause in flight training, yes of course we require a check with instructor to ensure pilot proficiency and overall safety of the flight operation, what’s so unusual about it?
- Banning flights to grass airfields
True, because our fleet was specifically chosen for asphalt runways as we are training the students for airline flying, not aeroclub flying.
- Flying with friends. He simply does not understand EASA rules regarding the carriage of passengers.
True, it is a policy of ACC not to allow passengers (friends, girlfriends) on solo flights after within Zero to ATPL training due to low experience of pilots and to maintain overall safety of the flight operation. Passengers are also not covered by the insurance.
- He will require you to be "checked" before flying to a different country.
True, it is a legislation requirement by our CAA, not ACC.
- He will question everything you do, from how high you fly, to where you fly.
Of course, he is the Head of Training and CFI, responsible for all the training in ACC ATO and needs to have information related to flight operation.
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SportCruiser:
- EASA enables the ATOs to use up to 90% of theoretical training via self-study. We provide our students with an extensive range of training materials for those 90% of self-study theoretical training (CAE Oxford Computer Based Training, ATPL books, subscription to Aviationexam question bank). And the classroom lectures are completed on performance-based approach, where the theoretical instructor prepares each classroom lecture based on performance of each group and individuals within that group. If the lectures are so poor, then why is our students average ATPL score 90+ per cent?
- Absolutely not true, which can be proven with maintenance history. Aircraft failures are mandatory to be reported to CAA/EASA, the facts can be checked in EASA occurrences repository.
- The flight to maintenance organization, where the AMO reset the G1000 was performed within the Class Rating training, there were no costs for the student.
- All ACC rules are written and available to the student. Most of the rules that are enforced are adopted by either CAA rules or EASA requirements and are there to provide the maximum safety level and keeping the standard quality level of training are written and published and all the students are aware of the rules. If a student doesn’t like or doesn’t agree with EASA/CAA rules and requirements, an ATO can’t do much about it.
- ACC has several payment options available, from paying everything in advance, to 6 instalments or 13 instalments. Each payment option comes with its own benefit, and it is the student’s decision which payment to choose. And training is always taking place, except when weather doesn’t allow flight training.
- ACC is not “milking” anybody… we have a fixed price for Zero to ATPL, with all the costs included. If a student requires additional training in order to pass the exam with CAA examiner, the additional training costs are charged according to the published pricelist.
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FlywithFou:
- Yes, you did come to ACC once to see the airport, our fleet and to got the information about Zero to ATPL training, but you were NEVER a student of ACC, so you have absolutely no insight about our service and you are not eligible to provide any kind of experience with ACC, because you don't have any.
- About the airport, yes it is true, that we are performing the training on an International Airport (Maribor, Slovenia), that doesn’t have any scheduled flights… but that’s perfect for training, because there’s no traffic and we can fly all the time. And yes of course there were no students present at the time of your visit, because they were in airplanes training.
- We’re not familiar about a thread of scammed Libyan students… we did have a group of students from Libya on training and if anyone was scammed it was ACC. We have signed training agreements with the students and their government, provided the training for the students, and then the Libyan government wasn’t paying for the training so we stopped with the training. We waited for a few months for the outstanding payments which never came, so we were forced to terminate the training for good.
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AttitudeAndAltitude:
- If a student would be scammed by ACC, the student is free to visit police station and file a report that he was scammed. ACC has NEVER been in any kind of investigation, legal proceedings with the students etc…
- All our fleet is insured will full coverage, we had 4 cases where students on solo flights damaged the airplane, some due to negligence and improper handling (3 times propeller and 1 time wing - bird strike) and none of the student didn’t pay a cent for repairs.
- Of course, he is the Head of Training and CFI, responsible for all the training in ACC ATO and needs to have information related to flight operation. Most of the rules that are enforced are adopted by either CAA rules or EASA requirements and are there to provide the maximum safety level and keeping the standard quality level of training are written and published and all the students are aware of the rules, because they sign a statement that they are familiar with the rules (and everything) else, and that they are aware of their responsibilities. If a student doesn’t like or doesn’t agree with EASA/CAA rules and requirements, an ATO cant do much about it.
- 90% of our students are international, from all over the world. It is a multinational environment, including the instructors. We have never, ever, received any kind of complaint that somebody from ACC has expressed racist behavior.
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Orraghey:
- Our fleet was specifically chosen for asphalt runways as we are training the students for airline flying, not aeroclub flying. If you wish to land on a grass airfield, feel free to rent an airplane from the aeroclub across the Airport Maribor Runway, and land wherever you wish.
- PIC hour building is not made to be fun, it’s for the student to gain experience. We have a program in place for conducting the PIC hour building and students must follow it to maintain pilot proficiency which is needed for IR training which comes after PIC hour building.
- We follow EASA and CAA rules to maintain compliance and to maintain maximum safety level as well as keeping the standard quality level of training. All the rules are written and published and all the students are aware of the rules, because they sign a statement that they are familiar with the rules (and everything) else, and that they are aware of their responsibilities. If a student doesn’t like or doesn’t agree with EASA/CAA rules and requirements, an ATO cant do much about it.
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Mountainwaves:
- ACC is not “milking” anybody… we have a fixed price for Zero to ATPL, with all the costs included. If a student requires additional training in order to pass the exam with CAA examiner, the additional training is charged according to the published pricelist.
- True, we had our airplane on engine overhaul, and we presented an option to the student either to wait until the airplane returns from maintenance, or to perform the particular training module (IR) with another school. The choice was not ACC’s, it was the student’s.
- If a student has more than 1 month of pause from his last flight, of course he is required to get a check. Its not pointless, it's safety! And it is mandated by our CAA.
- True, PIC hour building is not passenger flying, its solo experience building! And we do not allow passengers because if safety reasons. And we do not allow landing on grass airfields because the airplanes (and training) are not meant to be used on grass airfield.
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SerriaFireFly:
- We agree with you 100%, however “people are able to say what they think is true, what they feel is true” is not a reason to post untrue statements. You should at least be objective when posting your “feelings” and highlight both, good things and bad things. We are aware of our disadvantages, and we are mitigating them regularly.
- If you needed extra training above the standard in order to pass the exam with CAA examiner, these extra training hours need to be paid, what’s so strange about that? Airline companies charge you for every extra kilogram of luggage. And we can guarantee, that you don’t need to pay anything if you go 1 minute over, or 5 or 10 or ever 30 minutes. But if you needed additional 30 hours of additional training, I’m very sorry, but we’re not a cost sharing organization, and your extra training caused extra costs for the academy. Next complaint will be why didn’t we just gave you the whole training for free, or what?
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Mofomofo:
- What way? That the HT raises his voice over you because you almost caused a mid-air collision? Is that what’s bothering you? You are or you’re going to be a commercial pilot, with a huge responsibility against your passenger, your employer, you crew and enviroment… if you cant handle a criticism over your piloting skills, then you chose a wrong profession.
- And what money are you talking about? Every student pays exactly how much it is agreed in the contract. If you require extra training in order to pass the exam, extra cost is generated which is always charged according to the pricelist that you are/were familiar with.
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RongProcedure:
- Hi S.R., we are truly surprised and shocked about your campaign of negative reviews again ACC that you have been posting under different nicknames here, on Facebook, Google, etc… we are always aware of our disadvantages, because nobody is perfect, but we are also promptly mitigating these disadvantages. You for example have been training on older airplanes with classic instrumentation and on rented airplanes. Today we have a brand new fleet of airplanes and simulator with glass cockpit equipment, and owned by ACC. In your case we have compensated our past disadvantages with the extra services that we provided to you
Yes, during your training you required additional hours to be able to pass the flight exam with CAA examiner, which led to extra training cost. S.R. we’re sorry that those extra caused in you such negative feelings against ACC, that for those few euros, you are now leading a campaign of negative reviews.
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737pilotuk:
- “managed to crush the whole Slovene system of the "big" ATOs” – you have completely wrong idea about your so called "big" ATOs” in Slovenia. Current ACC personnel made the "big" ATO" what it was, which was later crushed when the German 4K came as a new owner and started pulling money out of the company, which resulted in bankruptcy.
- “They stole everything they could from Adria afcc” – we have to disappoint you, but it never happened. In order to steal something from somebody, that somebody has to be the owner first… but you don’t know that because you were just a student, and you’re spreading false information because it is easier than finding out the truth.
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Alex Whittingham:
- CAA comes to perform oversight 3 to 4 times per year, and finds no objection or findings, because the statements posted above are not true or are taken out of context, because a few students are dissatisfied by ACC because they had to pay a few hours of additional, which without they wouldn't be able to pass the exam with the CAA Examiner.
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IFR_IFollowtheRoad:
- Yes, its called performance based training, where the classroom lectures/consultations are performed based on the lesson plan which is prepared according to the performance level of an ATPL students group. The lectures focus on the topics of each subject which had the lowest performance in self-study stage where you go through the CBT, book and aviationexam. If the theoretical training is so poor, why the students are able to pass the ATPL exams with a 90%+ average score?