CAPE FLYING SERVICES GEORGE SA
Cape Flying Services (Europe)
Firstly may I take this opportunity in thanking all those people who have taken the time to visit, add comments. Email and reply to this “thread” regarding the above flying school
It is quite clear there are a number of you who have a special interest in this “bad experience” of mine for whatever reason and I shall try to keep you informed as it develops. I am not a vindictive person and don’t wish to use this site to “throw mud” and falsely accuse anyone of any wrong doing.
This is a true and physical life experience of someone, not by “word or mouth”. Perhaps; I am an irrelevant person, who wanted to achieve his lifetime aviation goal of a PPL (A). This person could be you, your daughter, son, indeed, could be anyone out there right now! Remember the decisions you had to make when you where starting out when you wanted to learn how to fly! And you may be considering the options in how to achieve this goal for that person at this moment.
Naunton Pugh, based in the UK and by his own words”looks after the interest of the Cape Flying Services within the UK and Europe”, the school being based in George, South Africa sold myself an all inclusive residential package of a PPL course for £2895.00, that is, 25hours dual, 15 hours solo and a further 5 hours solo or simulator (as advertised). This price included essentially everything except medical and food during my visit to South Africa. The correspondence I have also indicate that the course “can” be completed “from scratch” within my allocated time in South Africa i.e.: 30th March till 18th April 2003 provided I get my head around the ground school subjects. I feverishly studied to get obtain as much knowledge, with the help of Trevor Thom books, part 1- 7, prior to departure.
Upon arrival in South Africa, I was escorted to my “crew house” accommodation (as not advertised) that happened to be a “student residence” an excuse need I say any more but a noisy, drugs infested block of flats that clearly was inappropriate for a person wishing to become a pilot. It was indicated that this residence was only intended to be used for “a few days”. Perhaps, a sign of an over subscribed flying school. Within a few days of arrival the school by their own admission indicated they had cancelled the lease upon “signing” realising it was obviously inappropriate and further added there would be alternative and more appropriate accommodation available around the 11th or 14th April. The so called PPL and CPL houses where overcrowded with students at different levels of training. Sometime around Thursday 10th April, I was offered a room at one of the crew houses and declined for legitimate reasons.
The main objective of the trip was to obtain the PPL licence, therefore, minor “political” issues was to be tolerated by myself. However, one of the major causes of concern was that(as advertised)” for every 1 hour flying you will spend around 3 hours on ground school” I attended at most 3 hours ground school for the duration of my time there. As ground school for PPL was just non existent. My availability for lectures was without question.
Mr Gerald Todd, the Chief Flying Instructor, was seen on the first day and last day of my trip, hardly an advert for a personalised structured course (as advertised) Mr Todd on the last day of my trip infuriated me by his comments relating to Naunton Pugh, financial reconciliation and seemed to distance himself from the agent. I quickly realised that any “quibble” I had with any aspect of the course needed to be directed to Naunton Pugh, the agent, the person who sold the course.
The actual flying instruction at the school was carried out by dedicated, loyal and hardworking professional instructors; indeed, by far the day to day running of the school is carried out by the instructors without any apparent input by “senior management” Unfortunately, my course was structured to “hour building” than “working to complete the PPL” I achieved solo status with a total of 33.5 hours dual and 1.6 hours solo, an achievement, however, far short of my target of completion with PPL licence and hours paid in advance to CFS. Mr Todd sings praise to this achievement but tends to forget that the 3 week period was to actually complete the course (as advertised). It is clear that there is a serious communication problem between Mr Todd and his agent relating to what is sold and what is actually provided or just that Mr Todd and Naunton Pugh thinks that “we are all a few cards short of a full deck” you decide!!!
There was a serious aviation incident that took place within the first ten days there that severely affected my ability to accept that this was a professional school with integrity. The aircraft serviceability is questionable, as I have personally experienced during my time, 4 breakdowns with my own trainer aircraft, arguably due to poor maintenance resulting in lost flying time.
To date the agent owes myself money for flying hours not taken (9.9 hours), overcharge on the invoice (£100.00), point blank refuses to discuss any issue raised in two detailed letters sent to him (22nd April: with “no constructive comment” and 2 May 2003: commented, “I have spoken to Gerald Todd, go ahead with anything you wish, we will defend very vigorously and you’ll lose”) and now threatens me with legal action (19th May 2003) for “libel and defamatory comments” , demanding an unreserved apology for comments made on this very website. Strangely, in this day of high level customer service focus, I have yet to receive a phone call from Naunton Pugh or Gerald Todd to discuss and sort out this matter of my dissatisfaction with the school and all relevant dealings since my return to the UK on 20th April 2003. I will refuse to back down; the facts are here and in my documentary proof. I am now suing Naunton Pugh for the full cost of my trip to South Africa, around £5000.00. These comments form just part of the main correspondence that has been sent to Naunton Pugh at Cape Flying Services (Europe) and Gerald Todd at Cape Flying Services, George, South Africa. The completion cost of my PPL will be around £2000.00 in the UK
The conclusion quite simply:
FACT, advertised ground school…answer non existent……WHY?
FACT, accommodation of poor quality and inappropriate…answer over subscribed flying school and not as advertised……WHY?
FACT, integrity of school…answer, compromised by handling of aircraft incident…..WHY?
FACT, aircraft serviceability…..answer, compromised
FACT, senior management problem handling….answer you decide!!!....WHY?
FACT, “the very best flight training you can get” (as advertised) …answer…… I am sure, most others are much better in South Africa.
So, my personal advice to you, if you are thinking about going to (worthwhile) South Africa for any kind of aviation experience, be extraordinarily vigilant, before you consider this school and includes dealings with Naunton Pugh (he either doesn’t know this is happening or condones it !)
It is highly unlikely that any further comment is forthcoming from me until the legal issue of full refund has been dealt with.
Thank You
Sandy Young