Dear All;
Of our 14 FI’s, 5 have been with us longer that 18 months (3 JAA, one FAA and one Air Transport Canada). The other 9 have been with us between 4 and 9 months.
Of course, as in all statistics, one can argue forever. I maintain the view that for a two year old academy, in Aqaba (admittedly Aqaba is not for everyone), that has such high goals & standards, is not unusual. Nevertheless, that is subjective, so I will not spend more time arguing it.
Dear Striker. I assure you the reason for your delay was the fleet change. I know you had some unusually bad weather for a couple of weeks, and some unplanned military exercises as well, but the fleet change was definitely the largest factor. Although you asked me to, and although it would have been more profitable for the academy, and although there was nothing to stop us from doing so technically, we still chose NOT to take any chances with you guys and we grounded the fleet for safety reasons. I am very proud of the decision we took (by vote of all Flight Instructors) and I would do the exact same thing again, despite the cost of having lost 10 cadets.
You then came and asked me for a guaranteed graduation date. I said no. I don’t believe any self-respecting academy can ever give you a guaranteed graduation date because by definition that is an unsafe thing to do. You found one, and I wish you the best of luck. I hope the watch I gave you will make you remember your good times at Ayla, and rest assured you and your colleagues are welcome back here anytime.
Dear Ice cream pilot. I am sorry but I cannot comment on Lena’s departure as it was her decision, for personal reasons, and I wish her the best of luck.
With regards to your comments about JAA, we are only using JAA for our Ground School, not our flight school. Our ATPL Ground Instructors all have JAA backgrounds, and I would be happy to send you their bios if you e-mail me.
Dear Ayla. I beg to differ. CARC does not guarantee quality of training. CARC is a regulator, and like any regulator, they set minimum standards. Just like there are good schools, and not so good schools in Europe, the US and all over the world, the same applies to any country. It is the Academy that sets the standard, not the regulator.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, I urge all interested cadets to do their homework. Research, visit, talk to the CFI and CGI, talk to the CEO, and do whatever you can to learn about the academies you are considering before taking this very important decision.
Marwan