Stapleford Flight Centre.
It's a CAA FTO, a properly and professionally run flight training establishment for all sorts of pilots and aspiring pilots. It's true that some of the aircraft are a trifle tatty but the maintenance is prompt and this is a training school, not an elite hire and fly operator.
The standard of training (multi IR renewal) is extremely high and sculpted to the individual's requirements, character and abilities. It's a business though so you'll forgive them if they want to make some money to live on. They're perfectly entitled to do that. I've known plenty of places that charge on a Hobbs metre from the moment the engine starts up to the second it shuts down, not everyone just charges for time airborne, or has an excellent and cost efficient simulator for procedural practice.
I found no rudeness at all within the organization, a little brusqueness perhaps when they were busy but then they work hard there and sometimes no doubt have to deal with less than intelligent questions and requests.. Some people are more taciturn than others and on different days of the week too but that's nothing personal. So long as a workman like job of training or testing is done without any trace of potential victimisation, that's what you should expect. Don't forget too, that if you're tested and passed and subsequently have an aircraft accident or incident, then your testing officer's licence and record will be examined in great detail by the CAA. You can be great drinking buddies with your students but that's best left until after they've qualified and by that time most pupils at a place like this have probably disappeared into the ether in search of their own economic destiny.
Looking forward to further training and testing at SFC. A throughly good mob to train with.
Last edited by cavortingcheetah; 20th August 2014 at 06:37.