One of the privileges of anonymity in a forum such as this, is how it affords participants the ability to speak honestly and truthfully about heartfealt issues, without fear of sanction or repercussion. Unfortunately it also affords certain individuals the freedom to talk complete and utter BULL****.
So along with anonymity comes the responsibility for the sender to kindly confine their comments to things they know something about, and for the receiver to use some common sense and intelligence in filtering the information before responding.
Having sat on the sidelines of this conversation for a while, I feel compelled to set a few things straight about PTC. Due to the layout of this thread, I will do this in reverse chronological order.
PTC get charged every time the fuel truck is called over, so it saves them a few bob not to refuel after every flight
Can anyone else see the flaw in this statement or is it just me? Spend more time studying your performance and endurance charts since your Oral Exam may prove problematic with statements like this.
...with 2 people in the front seats and no ballast or pax, those seminoles are fairly close to the forward cg limit with full fuel, and the arm moves further forward the more fuel you burn, so im guessing the iaa may have something to say about their weight and balance sheet, as well as the whole lack of any fuel reserves, or any fuel at all for that matter!
This, of course, is aircraft specific, but taking the least 'favourable' aircraft in the fleet, I suggest you get the envelope in front of you and draw this out.
Less Fuel is better from a Weight and Balance point of view, not worse as you suggest.
Needless to say, on the flight in question, neither that aircraft's characteristic BEM, nor it's loading were limiting factors!
cost cutting PTC style!!
It is not for me to speculate how this happened. But those who were involved would find it deeply offensive to suggest that there was any *intention* of departing with insufficient fuel. PTC have taken this incident *very* seriously indeed and an AAIU (not IAA) investigation is underway. Let me simply suggest that anyone who knowingly departs with less than sufficient fuel plus reserves on board needs their heads examined, so there are other factors indicated. It would be extremely helpful if some consideration were shown for the crew of this aircraft whose combined airmanship, in fact, saved the day.
...mayday somewhere near Hook Head apparently
Nope. Ask around. Base Leg 03, I understand.
Ah ok, so you were lying on the other thread then
a797... What can I say. You really are a prized
Twerp aren't you!
How dare you flame Keygrip in that way!!! Taught by Airline Captains for your PPL at FSI were you? First time passes, in your ground exams eh? ...and your flight test! WOW! Good for you. So... you've been in this industry now for, well let's see, 5 minutes? You obviously know what you're talking about then.
KeyGrip has been in this industry for many many years. He has more hours than many of those "airline captains" at FSI you're so smug about. Indeed, he has worked with FSI many years before PTC was born. Yet, he is TOTALLY independant of PTC, FSI the IAA or the FAA. In fact, without giving too much away, his actual job depends on this.
So whatever your grievances against PTC, don't take them out on Keygrip! His analysis is completely correct. PTC pulled out of FSI because FSI didn't meet the standards required.
This is public information, so for the record, PTC are now based at FIT in Melbourne Florida, (who mentioned Australia???... good grief
). FIT is maybe not as publicly well-known as FSI, but they are renowned as a NASA training facility. (Their current Dean is a former astronaut). Without comparing the length of everyone's personal credentials at PTC (FL) with those at FSI, let me just say that one of the PTC groundschool instructors is a former NASA test-pilot and the others are equally well experienced in their own ways.
What a joke. The standards of professionalism and quality of training/facilities at flight safety are a thousand times higher than those of PTC. Every single student that has graduated from the 0-atpl course will tell you that.
FSI focuses on the student, PTC focuses on how much money they can extract from the student.
So let me finish with some salient facts. PTC is a business. Like any other it must make money and to do that it must be profitable. There is no shame in making a profit, or from trying to maximise that profit. If students feel exploited, they can try elsewhere. If instructors feel aggrieved about their terms and conditions, they are welcome to move on. That is the nature of a free market and you all have choices.
But a word of warning... The grass always seems greener on the other side. Having done all of my training on the modular route and having worked in the industry now for many years, I have seen none better than PTC when it comes to standards. That includes places like Oxford and Cabair, who also have facilities in the USA. Indeed, if you think resources, timescales, and costs are a "joke" at PTC, you should experience the joys of being a modular student in Goodyear Arizona or Kissimmee Florida, or Kidlington / Cranfield for that matter.
All of the more vocal complainants in this thread can't see this of course. Their noses are pressed firmly up against the windows at Waterford watching the ATRs fly in and out of the persistent rain and low overcast which we're blessed with at present. Understandably, their problems are intensely personal to them, and they're missing the Florida Sunshine where everything was bright and beautiful while they were doing their PPLs at FSI. But they have no perspective. If you want to see disenchanted instructors and frustrated students, you need look no further... but if you did, you would find the same story told over and over in so many different ways.
That doesn't make it right, of course, but you see it's all relative. Sure, PTC management is like any other when it comes to running a business. Their backs are against the economic wall. But unless they can afford to sustain the facilities you all slag off so easily in this thread, then none of you will be able to complete your courses and none of the instructors will have jobs.
How many other "reputable" flight schools have you seen go bust and walk off with their student's money? PTC is not likely to do that to you; so be grateful that the management are hard-nosed enough to protect your investment.
Okay, so there's some marketing "spin" about airline jobs and pass rates? We all know that. But so does every other school who wants your money. Actually, the pass rates aren't that far off! Whatever else you might say about PTC, the training standards are amongst the very best. Read back through this thread, and (occasionally) you will see how the instructors get a nod of approval amongst all the criticism.
Scheduling... is automated - with some tedious manual assistance. RTF is a bloody nightmare IMHO. Perhaps they should go back to a white board and a pen? But you see, that's not the most efficient way to handle resources. You might well get frustrated being thrust into group groundschool when the sun is shining, but hey... the groundschool still needs to be done and PTC still need to conduct the courses profitably. So quit moaning about it. You'll complete your courses in the end either way.
So you got a rude letter about your account? So grow up and pay up. We all get rude letters. My bank is positively obscene. So is the gas board. But if you want gas, you have to pay for it. There's nothing in the contract to say they have to be nice about it!
As far as jobs are concerned, you all seem to expect these things to be handed to you on a plate! Get real. After walking out of the CAA office with my ATPL (Frozen) **** years ago, I spent the next 3 years trying to get a job. Either you graduated at the same time that the airlines were hiring, or you just graduated. 3 months later, the airlines would be looking for the next bunch of students and you were just academic "history". At least PTC have actually forged productive relationships with some airlines and that genuinely gives you all a head start. But nothing, I repeat,
nothing is guaranteed. Jobs have, (and always will), depend on the economy, timing, luck and - not least -
YOU applying yourselves in the broadest possible sense to your chosen discipline and the task of wearing out shoe-leather.
You would be forgiven for thinking that I have no sympathy with some of the many grievances expressed here. In fact I have a lot of sympathy. I sympathise with those ground-school instructors at PTC Ireland, some of whom were made redundant recently. I sympathise with everyone, Students and Instructors alike, who feel that they have been badly treated. I think there are many areas where PTC management can improve their corporate communications, both in style and in effectiveness. Their operations also have plenty of room for improvement, not least in making RTF a LOT more flexible than it is at present.
You are free to disagree of course but despite everything, my opinion about PTC is that they ARE committed to providing the best service to the student that they can, at the price that they have quoted. They don't always get it right, for sure, and certain individuals can get understandably frustrated.
But they are working on it and the product they have right here and right now is still amongst the best that the flight training industry has to offer. When the PTC facility in Florida finally re-opens its doors in the new year, there will be nothing else out there to touch it!