The last 24 hours or so on this thread has gotta be the nastiest, most pathetic, disgraceful over-reaction to crticism I've ever seen on Prune.
There's nothing new about posts praising and slagging off schools, the business practices of certain school owners, complaints by students they've been ripped off and advising other folk to steer clear. If people ask for advice on a forum like this they get told the bottom line, good and bad. Some people say a school's good, then others say they didn't think so. Some say they had a good deal then others say they got ripped off. People looking for a school have to make their own minds up whether the bad stuff is kosher or grudge time.
It's not the first time in this forum and it happens every week in the Wannabee and f/w Pro training forums. Usually it's about fixed-wing schools in Florida who target the British market and make promises to international students they can't or don't deliver when the student arrives, misleading or downright dishonest assurances about visas and jobs and so on.
I've seen schools ignore bad posts.
I've seen schools come back with their side of the argument.
But I've NEVER EVER see the owner of a school that's been criticised come back with nasty bullying personal attacks on people, even on people who hadn't said anything and even on someone's wife, like Becker and his friends have done here. IF they are 'friends' that is. Funny how all the nasty stuff was from people that registered the same time and said the same sort of nasty things.
And I've NEVER seen any school that's been criticised start attacking competitors who've done nothing.
I'd never even heard of the Becker school until these past few days and I'm not looking to do any training at my age, but I sure as hell wouldn't go within a mile of the Becker school if I needed training. NOT because of anything anyone else has said, but because of the behaviour of Becker himself and his 'supporters' on this thread.
If this is how Becker behaves when someone upsets him, I pity any student who gets on the wrong side of him. Someone like that wouldn't get one cent of my money.
Mr Becker.
If anyone had any doubts about the way you treat people who get on the wrong side of you, you removed it. Some folks say you try to get revenge on anyone who crosses you and that's exactly what youve done here.
They say you can smooth talk when you want to. Well, your later "let's all be friends" bullsh1t ain't working with me. You showed your true colors and it's too late to put them back in the box now.
I'm real pleased you don't plan to post in this forum again. It's a great talking shop for professional helo pilots from different cultures and countries all over the world to swop thoughts and ask each others opinions about something and nothing. We try to help each other and we try to help beginners trying to get into our industry. Most of all, it's a happy friendly community of swell people where folk can disagree without getting nasty. You wouldn't fit in.
My advice to anyone before they commit to any school anywhere in the world, especially international students is:
Do NOT make decisions on the basis of slick brochures. Some of the best schools have poor brochures and some of the worst have fine glossy creations.
Do NOT be taken in by slick sales patter. Good sales people and good pilots/Flight Instructors are often different animals.
Do NOT take what schools say about visas. Check what they say with the relevant government department to see if it's true.
Do NOT pay any attention to hints or promises of work at the end of your course. Unless work is guaranteed in writing, promises aren't worth anything.
Do your own research. Names of former students provided by the schools aren't worth much. They're not going to give you names of dissatisfied customers.
If you're an international student going to a new country to do your training, check out what the natives say. There's good and bad everywhere but the helicopter world is small and the locals will know where's good and where to avoid, who you can trust and who you can't. Check out what people say on a forum like this which has knowedgeable people from all over the world. If one person says good or bad, it's not worth much but if there's a few responses look for the general view, and read between the lines.
Last edited by Bronx; 31st Mar 2004 at 16:00.