Madjock & preduk, your logic is baffling.
Here is the ONLY show dedicated to professional flight training in the UK, offering the opportunity for individuals to meet representatives from all of the major FTOs; speak with airline representatives and industry observers, who give up their spare time, free of charge, and you both have the temerity to declare the event a waste of time?
Yes, the FTOs will probably spin you a tale that makes their FTO look the be-all and end-all. What else would you expect from them? A pinch of salt and application of common sense should help one see through their sales pitch.
One of the biggest selling points for the show is the schools who arn't there. They are the ones who get more than enough punters through the door through word of mouth from happy customers. When you phone up they won't be able to give you a start date for a couple of months if not more.
Rubbish. You've got the three largest and most successful FTOs in Europe at the show, alongside a high percentage of the remainder.
Aside from the schools, what about the likes of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators (GAPAN), who give up their spare time to offer impartial advice and take you through an aptitude test, free of charge?
What about the airline reps who are there to offer impartial advice? Yes, their presentations may be a little dry and in some cases misleading when they state that they don't take ab-initio cadets and then do just that a couple of weeks later, but you need to understand that airlines tend to operate around a two-week time frame when it comes to recruitment, so they can only sing from the company hymn sheet at the time of the presentation. However, there is nothing to stop individuals talking to them after their presentations in order to get a more personal, off-the-record point of view.
Nothing beats research and it is vital that prospective students visit schools and talk to instructors and students before making any sort of commitment, but before going down that route the Flyer show offers a unique opportunity to meet most of the larger FTOs under one roof. Seems a no brainer to me.
Seb, it's a long way to come, but could save you some money in the long run. If you're thinking of undertaking your training with a UK-based FTO then perhaps you could use the show as a starting point of a tour round the UK? The show, at least, should help in figuring out who to visit.
jez
P.S. I have no affliation with the Flyer Show, or any FTO.