PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Do "HONEST" Flight schools exist?
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Old 14th Sep 2010, 08:09
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The Old Fat One
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: UK
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There are flying schools in the UK that have been in existence since the sixties (possibly longer, but I know the sixties is a fact). They have never been liqidated or "flipped" (check Companies House) ergo, nobody has ever lost a penny due one of these schools going bust.

There are flight schools in the UK delivering public sector contracts. Financial integrity is assessed as part of every public sector contract award and is continually assessed thereafter.

There are flight schools in the UK delivering scholarships (for all sorts of organisations) which involve training "minors" (under 18's in the eyes of the law). Such schools are checked out and audited by a number of prodessional bodies.

So the answer is yes, despite what some Ppruners would have you believe. There is also massive variation in training standards, aircraft availablity and instructor availability - yet quite often anybody who suggests that flying schools in the UK vary is flamed out of existence.

Do your homework. Check companies house for longevity. Check the the number of aircraft in operation and the number of FULL TIME instructors. Visit and speak to the staff and students. Check the price list and package options, including any refund policys. Visit more than one school and compare.

Treat all marketing material as suspect (a rule for everything in life) and take anything you read on Pprune with a just a little pinch of salt
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