I had a bad experience...
I'm going to write something that bucks the trend here I'm afraid.
I was there in 2006 and had a bad experience I'm afraid, I'd made a long hard decision to go there and take the modular route rather than Oxford and go intergrated.
There were more politics and infighting there than Northern Ireland. I absolutely agree that the reception staff were rude gossips and unprofessional, it was hard getting noticed by them when you were standing there. The head of the school, Capt. Collin Dobney, has had carisma by-pass surgery and whether or not he is a captain is truly to be verrified. In my time there he never said hello or took an interest in my training even though I had signed on for the full course.
The planes were very heavily worn to such an extent the wings on all the 152s were dented where the students leaned on them to fill them up as there was never a ladder by the pumps. The runway is only half asphalt and goes to grass just after you touch down and has a fairly extreme upslope, the plus is, if you can land there you can land anywhere.
There was no continuity in the instructors and it was a nightmare trying to get the same one twice, therefore most lessons were spent with the instructor trying to work out what you knew rather than what they needed to teach next. Most of them were fairly jaded, all apart from one who taught me little nuances I still practice today, I believe has left now.
I know that this may be different to the good experiences that some may have had but I know there are definitely others who share my bad experiences.
I left after a month and completed my PPL training at Pilot Flight Training in Oxford and had a very happy time there.
Don't be tempted to go there just because it is local for you.
Muddy Boots
Last edited by Muddy Boots; 10th Mar 2010 at 15:52.