Hello everybody, I am new to PPRuNe.
I was a flight instructor in the USA, and had to move back to Europe for different reasons.
I spent 6 months touring Europe visiting different schools, trying to find the best place to do my conversions.. FAA to JAA
I knew from my work experience, that in a market like the one we are facing today, the only weapon against being unemployed for a very long time
, was training in a school that has the right name and the right tools to help you get there.
I am posting this new thread, to help people that are in the same situation I was(not knowing which schools to do conversions with), saving the time and effort to find a solution.
I took in consideration all major schools that offer conversion program in Europe and in he US...
And after examining all factors, I picked Gestair Flying Academy (Based in Spain and Portugal, with ground school options in Italy)
www.gestair.com.
A lot of schools out there promise and don't deliver.
A lot of them will give you a price that will inevitably grow (oh sorry, we didnt mention the exam fee, or the flight exam aircraft rate...by the way, landing fees were not included, accomodation was not included etc..
)
A lot of them PROMISE you a job..and don't deliver it at the end (oh yes, the market has changed, we are sorry...like if the market was different when I enrolled one month ago!!!
)
At Gestair, I paid what I was quoted. Not one penny more. And I am no superhero pilot. The FI were top notch (CRI's with experience).
The GS training is just over the top, friendly and experienced teachers.
They have a Distance Learning ATPL for who may want to study from home...
They have done a lot of conversions, and are familiar with the FAA world..just to let you know they are in a training alliance with Delta Connetion Academy. What does this mean to you? Well, they will knoow how to use the skills you aquired in the FAA and make it a smooth transition to fly in Europe...
You train on G-1000 brand new A/C, and MCC is on FULL MOTION A320 sim...
The Academy is part of a big group that operates A340, B757, Gulfstream, Citations, Falcons etc, they are TRTO's for a lot of different airplanes...So you know you are getting airline career oriented training.
There are rumors out there...they say that having a Spainsh issued licence will not look goood when you apply for a job (this is what Uk and Irish school will tell you..
)... even though that is not true
you are getting a Portughese JAA licence..not a Spanish one...
Long story short, I ended up with a job which I am training for right now.
Any questions you may have, I will try to answer them.
You can post in Italian if that is your language..
I want it to be clear that this is not an AD.. It's just trying to help new pilots making the right choice.
What do I get out of this? Well, when you will wright me an e-mail saying..
"Dear Marco, I followed your advice, and I am so glad I did...
What you said wasn't BS.. thanks buddy!"
Like it has already happened with my friends that followed my advice on conversion.
That is my reward!
Have a nice day!