Stapleford

[Kazakhstan]

Hi,

I am a recent graduate from Stapleford and I found their training and instructors to be very good. My hour building, CPL, ME, IR was done through Stapleford and I then went on to do my MCC at PARC Aviation in Dublin. My PPL was done at Shoreham where I am currently flying.

I did the CPL first and then went on to the ME and IR which is a natural progression as you start off flying a Warrior then progressing to the Arrow. The skills you learned during the PPL are improved such as PFL's and navigation and you get a good introduction to flying complex aircraft and the use of instruments. I had a good instructor who helped me through the CPL and he trained me to a higher standard than is needed to pass the CPL Test.

Then I progressed to the Seneca. Having flown a complex during the CPL helped.

The IR for me was the most enjoyable part of the training. The DA42 simulator is excellent and I found the transition to the aircraft virtually seamless just a few extra factors to contend with. Having flown the Seneca I can appreciate how much better it is to fly the Twin Star.
My instructors were very good and its thanks to their help and training, as well as a sh*t load of hard work, that I passed first time. Nearly everyone I know achieved a pass first time.

Having to fly to Southend is not a big deal it takes a couple of minutes to get there and before you know it you are being RADAR vectored for the ILS. Southend has a 3.5 degree approach and the NDB procedures are quite difficult to begin with. Flying approaches at Southend helped strengthen the skills I learned. I also had the opportunity to fly to Calais to do ILS, NDB approaches as well as a few holds. I paired up with another student at the start of the IR training and we shared the costs of the flight and I back seated all of his flights and most of his sim sessions giving me a clearer understanding of the procedures.
Again flying to Cranfield for the IR test was not a problem. Two students go together with an instructor to share costs and I had the opportunity to go there before my test to do a hold, and a single engine NDB, which helped me on the day, as I knew what to expect.

In Response to Sky Wave, the DA42 has FADEC and EFIS which takes SOME of the workload off the pilot so you can spend more time managing the flight and concentrating on the procedures. The DA42 operates like a 737, for example you use the throttles to set a % Load so for an ILS on a normal day you set around 60% Load. If you fly a 737-using %N1 then you set around 58% or 1.3 EPR if flying a classic. No manifold pressure or inches to worry about as well as mixture!! Also you can fly more accurately with EFIS. When receiving RADAR Vectors and instructions you can bug both your heading and altitude and use the systems in a similar way to a pilot using the MCP, (Mode Control Panel) on his/her 737.
After my IR I went to PARC Aviation to do my MCC on an Aer Lingus full motion 737-200 simulator, non-EFIS, and I flew for 20 hours without the use of the autopilot which was hard work. The DA42 did not have a negative affect on my flying and my aircraft handling was good throughout the simulator sessions. Having flown the DA42, I feel it helped me to fly the 737 sim effectively and being used to FADEC, I was well prepared and found setting up the 737 on a ILS similar to setting up the Twin Star on an ILS.

All the training I received through Stapleford and PARC has given me a good set of skills and experience, that I can now build upon and will help me to achieve my goals. I would like to thank Colin and the rest of the Stapleford team including Brian and Steve for their excellent training and help. I have recommended Stapleford to friends who will start their training in the near future.

All the best and good luck to those starting their training.