Originally Posted by Bealzebub
Hello Ian,
I will try and give you a qualified answer, speaking as a parent (like yourself) of a son who is going through commercial flight training. I also have 30 years experience as an airline pilot, and have spent over 10 years flying with pilots who have come through some of these programmes.
The aptitude tests are designed to assess "basic" aptitude. In themselves they are no guarantee of success, but are used to weed out weaker applicants, and where there is a competition element for a limited number of places, they are a tool in arriving at a decision. They are certainly no guarantee of future success and shouldn't be viewed as such. Normally these tests are used in conjunction with personality assessments by way of group exercises and interviews. The hand/eye co-ordination tests are usually run such that they hopefully show an improvement in the learning curve, either as the test is being conducted or as it is repeated.
All of these flight training establishments are commercial enterprises. As such (and like any other commercial business) they only survive by making a profit. In turn that only happens if they continue to entice customers through the door. You only have to look at the advertisements that pop up on websites such as this one and elsewhere, to realize that there is a need to advertise their products and services. Having said that, I am in no way suggesting that the fact that competition in a very difficult marketplace makes these companies necessary lacking in some way.
Whilst I completely understand your question and concern, I would say that it would be better to move the focus. When looking at these training establishments, give serious consideration to who their customers are. For example are they simply selling their product to potential trainees (and their backers,) or do they also have corporate customers who buy their product?
In the case of the latter, they need to ensure that the product they sell is something that the corporate customer is happy to buy. In other words their survival is to some considerable extent dependent on their reputation within the wider industry, rather than simply enticing the naive and hopeful with glossy pictures of airliners.
There is a broad range of providers out there, and they tend to fall into 3 distinct categories:
Firstly, there are the established training schools who have recognised programmes and a history of airline partnerships. These schools are usually expensive but have a track record of achievement that you can use as the basis for making your own decision. In many cases they have good associations with airline companies who may from time to time be looking to recruit cadet pilots. That said there is absolutely no guarantee of such a placement, and in recent years such placements have been at best, very thin on the ground.
Secondly, there are the "Florida farms" many of which are probably undeserving of such a label, and many of which are outside the state of Florida. These are training establishments that usually offer a cut price route to a licence by utilising the lower cost base in a particular country to compete on a price sticker for a product. Many pilots have achieved their ambition through these establishments by utilising them as a module or stepping stone to achieve various licences, ratings and experience. Many are good in that they provide what they say on the tin, but conversely they often seem to attract the most criticism by a combination of sometimes poor service and unrealistic marketing, coupled with their ability to also attract people with unrealistic expectations.
Thirdly, There are the "Puddlewick-in-the-marsh" establishments, that were a flying club last year, but have now branched out into offering an "ATPL" ground school and flight training on their under-utilized fleet of club aircraft (and a twin!) Again, used with realistic expectations, these training schools may tick all the right boxes for somebody who is using them to achieve a modular progression towards the requisite licences.
The problem comes in the frequent merging of the distinction between these various groups. If the end product is a young aspiring pilot with a fresh CPL/IR and 200 odd hours who believes that airlines will be clamouring to employ them for their enthusiasm and skill, they are more likely to be disappointed in the case of the last two. That is not to say they are necessarily any more likely to be snapped up in the first group, however those airlines that do offer cadet programmes, tend to recruit a product that they have some input and involvment with. Indeed for an airline looking to recruit anybody at this level of experience, it is virtually a prerequisite.
There is no doubt that this a serious level of investment and commitment. I would have to say that in all honesty if you are providing the finance, you should accept that at this point there is a reasonable risk that you should be prepared to have to write off any expectation of seeing it returned. In any event you should most definetaly be prepared for a significant delay in any return upon completion.
In summary the market is very weak. Competition is intense and expectations are often wholly unrealistic. That said, if you go in with your eyes open and don't place yourself in any financial jeopardy as a result of what might not happen, then it is really a case of seeking out a method and route that you are both happy with.
Hope that helps a little?