Originally Posted by
NOVAA
Hi guys!
We are now in 2023... Can anyone gives a honest update on ab-initio training at BAA? How is situation with flying in Spain and Lithuania?
Really appreciate your response as making a decision to enroll into they program or not...
hey mate I graduate end of december and I adivse against it. Groundschool was okay for me and to befair its high quality but the flight training is a disaster. Although one of the main ground school instructors who taught gnav and almost half of the subjects has left the school for a job in an airline so idk if it will be of the same quality now .
If you are in contact with the managers just ask them what their fleet it? in their website theysay 8 cessnas and 2 mep. in reailty 3 cessna and 0 mep. ask them why are they false advertising. ask them what % of the fleet they fly. Ask them about maintenance, each plane has to go to maintenance after 50h in service, ask them where do these planes go and how long it takes to get them back. What happens if a plane breaks down at base, how long does it take to get it fixed? Why do they not have maintenance at in Lleida? Ask about the weather in Lleida, summer heat and how does this affect flying, what about the winter fog and cancellations because of that. About cadet programs ask about the success of LOT cadets. Did these cadets get a job as they were advertising? How does BAA help their graduates in finding a job? Ask them also about your rights, in your contract you have none, ask them what happens if there is a delay due to BAA's fault?
They have modified the contract so that nothing is BAA's fault. "Oh we are not responsible for delay if its weather" oh but you chose a base where the temperature goes above 40c in the summer and prone to strong stroms (period lasts about 3 weeks) and where it gets so foggy in the winter that you cannot see 6 meters in front of you and this fog lasts the entire day (period lasts 2-3 months), and both of these phenoma ofc cancel all the flights. "We are not responsible for delay for maintenance" yes but you donyt have maintainence at base and you have to ferry the aircraft to other airports for maintaincance and as well you pay for cheap and poor quality maintainance, so when theaircraft does come back it breaks down again after 2-3 days. " We are not responsible if instructor not availaible" you treated all the insrtuctors like **** with bad salary and rostering and when the airlines opened their doors they all left. This is the contract part. you have no way to beat this. nothing is their fault in case of delay and everything is your fault. If you bring this problem up, they will 'forget' to schedule you and not answer your calls emails texts etc.
The multi crewcoordination course is arranged in barcelona. The simulator and the facility is amazing but this is meant for type rating candidates NOT ab initio students. As an ab initio student , even though you have already paid for this, you will be on the bottom of the priority list and ALL the simulator schedules will be filled by type rating candidates or recurrent trainees. They will give you odd hours in short notice like at 8pm theyll tell you ok you have MCC course tomorrow in barcelona at 4am. you arrange your own transportation, accommodation in this period.
In an integrated course if you are uhappy with a school you cannot switch to another school, well theoretically but it is a hassle and youd have to start training from ground 0. It's better to go modular and not to pay up front.
If you really want to deal with BAA then you have to agree to NOT to pay upfront. I emphasise this. You are only a customer before giving the money, after paying you are a liability.
But aswell it doesnt make sense to do training with BAA, it is not fast nor is it cheap. A cadet program does not even land you at the airline they promised you. I suggest to look elsewhere.