Interesting debate.
Was training with AD in July and August this year.
School building including sim not at the airport, it's in Malaga City, the district name, beg your pardon, I forgot. Modern, air conditioned, nice and clean school facilities though not too impressive from the outside. Was actually pretty apalling when seeing it first time. Staff overly friendly and very very helpful, and particularly the female staff eeeasy to look at... Sorry, but had to be mentioned.
Sim was ok, with some imagination a copy of the Dutchess, however, the right part of the screen malfunctioning and the computer crashed a few times. Still acceptable though.
AC were top notch, never broke down and got to fly pretty much every day in my IR conversion training. Was done in 10 days, not kidding. The MEP, on the other hand, was a slog and took me 15 days or so. Here's why: did not mention it in my previous postings as was kind of embarassed about it although I think it still is their fault (no, I have no problem in admitting my shortcomings!). Before going to Malaga was told that a MEP may take up to 10 days which I questioned and was told that an examiner was sometimes not available straigt away.
Well, I started my trainig and flew the mandatory hours in two flights with two different FIs. Both said and I quote, "Your ride will be somewhat like that, just show up and do what the examiner will tell you. No additional prep necessary." Ok, cool, I thought. I then had to wait for 5 days to do my ride. On the very day, which was a Sunday so normal ops not in place, was called in the morning by presumably their dispatcher, asking me to bring my maps and telling me that the flight was going to go to Granada. Now, the problem was, I had never been given any maps, except the IR approach charts so I go "which charts? I only have IR approach charts!" And he's like, yeah just bring them. Alright I thought, let's go there and talk to the examiner because this can't be right.
So I wait there and the examiner gets back from another ride and the applicant himself is briefing me on what to expect. So we start flying and the examiner starts asking me in the middle of my departure from a very "calm" international airport why I had not brought a VFR map since it was a VFR flight. Well, I said, trying to fly the friggin plane at the same time - on my checkride! - that since he had lent his map to the student before he would lent it to me to, which he also agreed to. So while arguing with him and actually trying not to since we all know to never argue with an examiner I set - well, sort of - course for Granada. My flying by then, frankly speaking, totally sucked and was behind the AC. So I sort of manage to keep going and eventually we get back. During the debrief then he tells me that he's not going to pass me on the VFR flying part since having a map on board was mandatory. BTW, I agree with that. Also, I do agree I should have done a little bit of flight planning but had never been instructed to do so by my FIs so was not aware of the fact that a cross country VFR exercise was part of the test. And lastly, I do not think it is my job to look up the test standards. Clearly, that is the school's responsibility, especially when quoting a price that is about a EUR1,000 more expensive than Aerofan in Madrid charges.
Anyway, I got a partial and go up with the same examiner a couple days later after doing one sim session practicing VFR flying... and passed the remaining section. Great I thought. Totally avoidable with a little better prep. So I approach AD and am told will have to pay EUR1,000 on top for the reasons stated above. I refuse and am to meet with the director himself who, of course, refuses to take any responsibility. I stay calm and keep trying to make a point and he finally cuts me a deal, questionable, if you can call paying a higher price a deal, and tries to settle for EUR500. Since I had not done my IR yet I thought, well, I cannot piss them off completely and accept. The fact that I had higher accom costs was never looked at although mentioned. Looking back I still think that was totally their fault and a total waste of money, however, I did have my MEP.
On the other hand, as afore mentioned, the IR conversion training went all fine and I had it done in no time. Also, the price quoted was all I had to pay, although I had flown 12 minutes longer, which, technically, they could have charged me for. Now, whether they might have, if I had not to gone through all the troubles in my MEP training, I cannot say. It probably was just complimentary.
Well, their accom, especially the one downtown is pretty pricy (EUR35/night)but the close location made it worth paying for me.
Overall AD was a great school I think since all school's AC break down, be it in the UK, US or Spain. When doing my CPL back in the UK the AC was grounded for a coupe of days too, let alone the bad weather grounding everything for sometimes an entire week. Maybe I just got very lucky.
The fact that one trains at a busy international airport made my training a very valuable experience and at least if things go like in my IR conversion training I can highly recommend them.
From my experience, but who am I to judge others, it is usually those individuals that show some cockiness in their actions and who do not act professionally that schools will not care for. When I was there we had a couple and if it's true what they pulled off in the sim, I would get rid off them right away.
If one is nice and acts professionally, e.g. shows up ahead of time, they willl make every effort to make you happy.