Pilot Assist post mortem

[mystic_av8r]

Well it is nearly a month since this organisation went into the hands of the receivers, and as one of those who have lost money, albeit a relatively small amount compared to some, I feel the need to express my personal opinion on where this company went wrong so that future trainee pilots don't make the same mistakes by signing up to a similar outfit.

First of all let me say that the quality of training I received on the groundschool was first class, a quality environment and supurb instruction. However this firm really was trying to run before it could walk....ab-initio frozen ATPL training straight through from day one?? very ambitious....in fact far too ambitious. They should have stuck with the groundschool first, and maybe later sourced some kind of agreement with other TO's for the flying side of things. As for this GAPAN testing, seems like another little cash extractor to me....if you are not cut out for aviation you find out very early on anyway......registration fee? yes, another £750 for nothing......airline placememt? yeah right.....one guy with Aurigny I believe. All show and little substance in these parts, and I reckon a lot of potential punters were put off of PAC by these little gimmicks. When choosing a school don't go for one with gimmicks like this

What makes me very angry is the fact that PAC seem to have actively encouraged many to take out CDL's etc. to pay for training, even up to the point when they must have realised the ship was on the verge of sinking. An act of desperation that has left many people several thousands of pounds in debt.

My personal experience backs this up...just 10 days or so before things got difficult I was in the office talking to "Captain" R(i)P's chain smoking sidekick about the flying course. I went in especially to discuss it as they had always been very vague about it from day one.(in fact this is what originally set the alarm bells ringing in my mind) He gave no indications of any problems whatsoever, and I got the impression he would have releaved me of a few thousand quid there and then if I had been willing to part with it.

While I am as sad as every one else that this venture folded, I feel a lot of the blame rests with over ambitious management who were trying to do to much too soon and on money that other people had borrowed and are still therefore responsible for repaying. This may have scuppered some individuals plans for good, and set everyone elses back by months. I will be very, very annoyed if any of the PAC directors pop up in a few months time at the helm of some new school. If the PAC directors feel bad about the fate of their ex students how about paying everyone back out of your own pockets? Ahh yes, they care, but they don't care that much.

Amen.

p.s......edited to add that this post is not aimed at the ex PAC instructors trying to set up a new school. good luck chaps.