Flying Academy
Dear labeo2011,
Thank you for sharing your opinion about our distance-learning course ATPL(A)-650 theory.
I’ll start by making some things clear:
1. The distance-learning course, according to EASA regulations, has a minimum of 10%, which is 65 (sixty five) hours, of ground preparation with lectors. We, in Flying Academy, are doing 180 hours, that’s 3 times more than the minimum. There is no agreement with the Czech CAA other than the approved training manual from which we are teaching our trainees and is included in our EASA ATO license.
2. The 5 days a week for 6 months is not distance-learning. That type of education is received in the Integrated ATPL(A)/Full Residential and that’s a different story. It's 750 hours of ground preparation - including the PPL(A) - done on premises.
Now, I’m not sure how your expectations on a distance-learning course were so misaligned with the reality, but again, you enrolled in self-study approach for the ATPL(A) theory.
Regarding the additional help, our on-premises Ground Instructors are answering to the questions of any students and that’s not a charged service. Indeed, if you will need any one-to-one tutoring for any of the 14 subjects, this service is additional and it’s paid.
In the last couple of years we have been asking for written anonymous feedback from our ATPL(A) students and your type of feedback never came to us.
Still, just like in the airline world where your plane flies as expected and the instruments are showing everything OK, but we are constantly “en-garde”, we will take your feedback seriously and we will pay even more attention to making sure expectations are set properly.
We know that we can’t please everybody, especially when the pool of people being trained by Flying Academy is in a three-digit range, however, we really do give our best to making sure that people will not become frustrated.
In case you would like to talk to me, don’t hesitate to contact me via email or phone
Best of luck in your career!
Radim Olbrecht
Head of Training
Flying Academy