Guns,
What this is about is tyros getting shafted into paying up front.
It's about folks being told they can do a PPL in three weeks and book flights accordingly.
It's about an extremely respectable member controlled flying club writing back to me in May 2004 clearly stating it's not their job to list the problems with a South African PPL. Caveat emptor.
It's revealed in Irv's post regarding the great fun of having to travel from France to the Southern UK just for a check.
Like to take a guess how many SA CAA approved medicos there are in UK and Europe and the traveling required?
How about learning on a C152 and discovering you need a type rating to fly a C150 and there's no examiner in your country or any country nearby?
And ultimately it's about the purpose of PPRuNe. The first worldwide grass roots publicity in the mid nineties for offsets in African airspace supporting the campaign by the SA pilots association.
It's every post here revealing the charlatans and rogues conning young CPL's. The bad operators, the dreamers, the thieves and the frauds. The hokey CPL schools and the outfits that never pay.
No objections to all that, the bread and butter of life on this forum is there? Caveat emptor writ large and detailed to help folks in African Aviation.
So where's the cut off point then Gun's? The foreigners coming to do a PPL? By definition they don't know aviation the way you guys do. BA, Virgin and SAA all want money up front for a ticket don't they? If that's all they know why would paying substantial amounts up front ring any alarm bells? They don't know PPRuNE exists. They can only go on the glossy ads and the websites. And the agents. Yes, The agents. Believe me mate, I've made the mystery shopper calls over a year ago.
Middle aged, kids flown the coop, some money to do what I've always wanted. Well no not terribly fit and never was any good at sport. Of course you can do a PPL in 3 weeks sir. Significant undertaking though, we'd require a substantial deposit.
And the replies to my e-mails to schools pointing out the nonsense and impossible promises in advertising and on those websites. Stating the drawbacks of a SA PPL - Caveat emptor, it's entirely up to the student to determine what the licence entitles them to do back home.
So come on Guns, is it OK in your book to sell a uselessly limited licence to naive novices? One medical examiner for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales? People travelling across Europe just to switch from a PA 160 to a 180?
Which of you think it's just fine to take large amounts of money up front? To insist on a vast balance being maintained at all times in the schools' own accounts?
Misleading advertising, ommissions of fact and detail, financial arrangements you'd never let your kids or friends undertake. You wouldn't would you? Any of you?
The truth is the truth.
Or do the ends justify the means and thus the hostility? Hours and income for South Africans.