Aerodynamics Malaga
So here's the latest..... just passed my IR skill test - first time pass too, so very pleased.
I had to do my course in an unusual way because I have a 'proper job' Monday to Friday in the UK. This meant I came down to Malaga for 1 week at the beginning of April to get a solid start in the SIM. Then I came down each weekend and did the SIM on Saturday and Sunday (35 hours), and flew back to UK on Sunday night. (Thanks Easyjet for making it all quite painless!)
I then spent the last 2 weeks of May in Malaga to do all the flying part (15 hours - I already had the ME rating). I wonder how easy it would have been to do that much flying in the UK on IR training!? The admin guys at AD were extremely helpful, and did a great job to accomodate my unusual way of having to complete the course. Their SIM is FNPT2, and instruction is very good. Always plenty of time for pre-brief and post brief. SIM is excellent, and the training is extremely demanding - but that's how it should be. All my lessons were on time - I knew my schedule the evening before, I turned up for the session - no delays, ever.
Flying instruction (I am a UK FI myself) is good - the only issue I had was 2 trips being abandoned due to a/c going tech (one of them was my first go at the skill test unfortunately). Howver, they bend over backwards to try and help - and I was impressed that when things don't go quite as smoothly as they should, they care enough to make it right. They have 2 Duchesses - with a 3rd due to come on line once some regisatration paperwork is sorted. There is also a Seneca, but that has been tech for a few weeks.
Would I reccommend AD based on my personal experience - Yes.
I came here not to save money (anyway I had to do lots of Easyjet flights!), but because the weather is better, the flying is wonderful (I did IFR trips into North Africa, Seville, Jerez, Almeria), and there are real mountains! Which make accuracy and the MSA really really really important! The other important thing is that you have to get used to 'the real world' very quickly! Malaga is an extremely busy airport - so it's a great induction into how ATC can play havoc with your plans. All of the airfields are within 1 hour, all have full instrument facilities, and full ATC... and because of the mountains, most of the flying is done at FL100..... Proper IFR!!
So there you are. Hope it provides a useful insight. If there was one thing I would have changed it would be trying to do the whole thing in a 4 or 5 week stint. But circumstances would not permit that. Even so, considering I started on April 9th, it's really only taken a couple of months - I know guys who take 3, 4, 5 months to do it in the UK with our weather!
Oh, and I paid exactly what it said on the website - not a euro
more. The price they quote on their website includes everything - landing fees, approach fees, examiner fees, course materials, checklists etc etc.....
Cheers
GLUSH