I know I said I wouldn't...but.....
Okay....
I know I said I wouldnt bother looking at this, but suprisingly (or unsuprisingly), I have managed to have a few beers (hitting the bottle!) and have looked at the replies and discussed them with a few of my peers......
Well this thread has obviously caused a stir; touched a few nerves and, provoked a reaction from people involved Commericial Flight Training and 'almost' involved alike.............and, inevitably..... wound-up the GA 'Jeremy-Clarkson-alikes' Community..(!)
First of all, I've seen a few posts from lads/girls who were 'about' to join Cabair.....I'm glad you haven't lost any (serious) money. However, I also wonder what would have happened if y'all had not have been put off joining.......
I completely understand the hostility from the GA guys.....bore off part-timers: this thread is about us youngsters; nobody wants/needs to hear your embittered opinion on OUR situation that you have NO basis for commenting on....I would suggest, unless you are an ATPL FI, CFI or an ATPL or CPL Grad or a current student....dont bother continue reading. There's nothing here that concerns you, and nothing that you have any basis on commenting on. Although, I'm sure that wont stop you.........
I can understand the criticism from the "if you'd had done some research, you'd have known" and the "I have no sympathy 4 u because you were stupid enough to pay up front" guys...so I'd like to address these head on.
For a start...when I wrote the initial post I was/am ANGRY at the world and ANGRY and want/ed ANYONE to listen. I have lost £70,000 of my family's money.....we are not a family that can cover this and move on quickly.
Secondly, mine is not an isolated case...a great many of Cabair students paid up front. And why wouldnt we????.......(wait 'til the end of the post to tell us how stooopid we were)
So....with regards to research....okay......lets take this one on first.....
I went to the Flyer trade fair at T5; sat through the seminars by FlyBe who COMPLETELY AND UNRESERVEDLY endorsed Cabair. The Chief of Air Crew who stood and said they were sending their Cadets to Cranfield because of "Cabair's stellar reputation for training 'excellent' Pilots" (DIRECT QUOTE). This was in 2010. I was duly impressed by this. I then did my pre-selection with GAPAN - something that was NOT necessary, and something that I did not want to do but something to keep my dad happy (an ex-RAF pilot and my main 'sponsor', whose confidence in GAPAN was unshakable, because it was "just the same as OASC @ RAF CRANWELL") after paying a few hundred pounds.
So...like most of my peers...I embarked upon the 'selection' for the only four 'blue ribband' training providers of Integrated ATPL(A) courses. Some were 'harder' than others; atleast one was EXACTLY the same as the RAF's Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre at Cranwell. I threw myself into all of it. In six weeks I had EASILY passed three of the UK based selection centres, the RAF OASC and the further AIB. I did not complete the process for the 'Spanish based one...'... because it was taking too long...I hope you'll respect me for not naming names of FTO's.
"......Ive got no sympathy.....you should have known that a financial outlay of that magnitude would have come with inheritant risks......"
Yep, fair enough....all I can say in response of that is this.....I am not Business/Financial minded. I am a Maths Graduate. Cabair had been training Airline Pilots for over thirty years. Why would I be suspicious? Cabair seemed just as good as the rest...albeit for their shoddy Ground School premises (but was run by one of the finest gentleman I have ever had the pleasure to have met, PAUL HARDIE).
It would seem that the "solid research" you are all referring to....... is to this site's 'comments' and 'forums', which amounts to little more than gossip...??
I was approached at the T5 fair by J**_****** of Greece who offered a complete Ab-Initio ATPL(A) with a Type Rating for £50,000. I obviously did my research on this and made the conclusion that anything that sounded "too good to be true" probably is..... (Incidentally, this school is still operating....how..??..in Greece....?...Surely the Govt. cant cover the extra thousands and thousands of pounds its students will face?????). Cabair, in comparison to this fly-by-night operation, and others like it... EagleJet et al, seemed like a decent BRITISH, reliable and stable set-up.
So, if you or your son/daughter were in my position, at the time..... FlyBe announcing they were sending ALL of their cadets to Cranfield etc....BA's Chief Pilot announcing there was to be a "Pilot shortage by 2025" (whilst dotting the I's and crossing the T's on BA's first 'sponsorship scheme in almost 15 years).......a completely reputable Integrated Training Provider explaining that if "you paid everything, you could just burn through it quickly and have no stress or distractions, or fuel surcharges"....would you not have been taken in?......
....I'm sure GA """"pilots"""", who stoke rumours and who can work with hindsight because they obviously have an ability everyone else doesn't could have predicted this....."
........but I think, as a 22 year old, dealing with a 40 year old reputable, CAA accredited, integrated FTO, who has trained Pilots for EVERY decent airline in the world could not have seen this coming.
You all can slate me, take the pi$$, or hammer me, my peers, and our parents for "paying up front". Perspective and Hindsight are wonderful things when, and if, you have them....
I make NO, and I repeat NO, NO, NO, NO, NO apologies for any 'hurt' feelings or pride from my first post. If you are not "in the know", in the industry, a student, an instructor, someone who can help.....why bother chipping in?
My message to any of you 'keyboard warriors and arm-chair pilots' is this.........
......over 40 Cabair Students are over 50K down. Cabair WAS a respectable, if cheaper, brand. Maybe we were naive to pay all up front. I'm not the only one who paid in advance, and I doubt any of my peers who have lost life-changing amounts of money will be posting here. BUT, we are committed, bright, young lads/girls and we WILL make the best of this. I'm sure in two years you bitter, twisted people people will still be reading this and still be thinking of a 'witty retort'.
GOOD LUCK GUYS. KEEP THE DREAM GOING AND DONT LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN.......