An interesting post Aerobat150.
"Is this sort of treatment normal?" Unfortunately, I would have to say that it is all too normal in GA.
From the length of your post I can see that there are a variety of conflicting issues that you have in regards to making your decisions.
There are some clear facts that you have stated that are worth considering:
a) You haven't yet been paid for the scenics that you have done over the last three months
b) Right now, you are working for a company that is not paying you.
c) There are very few students (or weekend PPLs), although you cannot seem to get a Grade 1 instructor/CFI to do a flight
d) You are seriously questioning the school and it's service and reputation
e) You are in a location that you do not want to be, in terms of your girlfriends employment which may be an important factor regarding your combined future income and perhaps the health of the relationship itself.
Here are some other facts that you may want to consider:
a) Students come and go from flying schools. Sometimes business is good, sometimes it is not. Sometimes a school is hot, sometimes it is not.
b) As lonelyplanet says "good places can go bad, and bad ones can go broke" but they forgot about GA in Australia...here good companies can go broke and bad ones can rip off and piss off many students, clients and employees before they go broke.
c) There are many more flying schools, charter companies and employers in Australia...there are always other possibilities - when your tolerance level is exceeded, it is time to move on.
d) From what you are saying you seem to be a hard-working, dedicated individual who is making a lot of sacrifices. You are going to have to make a lot more sacrifices in your career- if you are getting jaded now, perhaps that it is time to find somewhere new before your impressions of the place get worse. A fresh start can work wonders.
e) Be cautious about anybody who is treating badly. There are excuses for cancelling flights and rearranging schedules but there are no excuses for taking you or your money for granted. Good service starts with good service to customers, particularly customers late in their training like you. Effects of controls students come and go, but Instructor Rating students are backing the organisation with their time and money.
I assume that from what you are saying, this is a flying school with a fair charter aspect to it. Can you move onto twin-engine aircraft with this operator or not?
There are few possible options that you could take:
a) Cut your losses, quit completely - head to Melbourne or Sydney where your other half will be happy, you can finish your rating at a reputable school (even if it means giving some breifs again) and a school with a high turn over of students may give you good employment options.
b) Stop 'working' for them and keep hassling to do the flying and see what their (the CFI's) response is and how you are treated(sometimes your percieved response can be different to the actual response you get). This choice may solve the problem one way or the other. You could put all this diplomatically ie I need to take a part time paid job somewhere and do the flying part time for the time being? Or you could be upfront - Hey listen, I am paying a lot of money here and I am not gaurenteed a full time job. Has the CFI gaurenteed to employ you and now he/she is getting nervous because there is not enough work for you?
c) Stay with the operation through thick and thin until you've exhausted all avenues...and then try again. Shut up and get the job done. At the same time be assertive and proactive- Find out why you cannot seem to get your flying done. Is there anyway that you can take over some of the scheduling of the instructors or aircraft? Can you make your grievences clear to the CFI in a diplomatic way with the assurance that you are with him/her?
I hope that this helps as a generic answer to more than just you, PM me if you want to have a long discussion.
LH
