PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Are Shoreham flying schools so busy.........
Old 7th Apr 2016, 07:57
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The Great Cornholio
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: South Coast
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Are Shoreham flying schools so busy.........

...that they don't need to make any effort to encourage new students?

I had been flying with Omega Flying School before the owner decided he'd had enough and decided to do a runner with all our money. For me this is a lifestyle choice, late 40's, more time to follow up interests and the money to achieve my lifelong ambition, to gain my PPL.
As Omega is now no more I decided to investigate other schools on the airfield.

The first was Sussex Flying Club. The young girl was very pleasant on the desk and introduced me to the CFI. I told him of my woes and that I was looking to find a new flying school and the reasons behind it. To be honest I left after 5 minutes feeling rather short changed. If I am to hand over 200 of my hard earned a couple of times a month then the least I would expect would be to be shown the aircraft I would have the pleasure of flying in. Not a chance.... despite the weather grounding all aircraft and a few staff milling around the school, I was swiftly shown around the office and a rate card thrust in my mitts. Next please!

Perry Air was my next visit if only to get my logbook signed off by an ex-Omega instructor. Started off very well, a kind chap who took the time out to show me the aircraft, the hangar and to be honest a very well spent hour. This was better; making me feel welcome and a sense of an environment where I would be happy to finish my training. I left it a couple of weeks and went back to have a chat with my prospective instructor who was running half hour late that morning. Not an issue I though, I would sit in the club waiting room and read the Operations Manual. Well the chap on the desk had different ideas. He suggested in no uncertain terms that it might be more beneficial if I took a trip to the terminal and had myself a coffee whilst waiting, despite immediately to his right a very well used kettle and all the equipment required to make a potential new recruit a welcome coffee. Wow, grumpy was an understatement. Despite his advanced years, I am used to finding dragons at the doors to the Airport Lounges, not at the "first impression" stage of a business that I would have imagined would be chomping at the heels of new business.

Don't get me wrong, I smile when I think of the lengths that these companies feel they don't need to go to in order to secure current and new business; hence my question. Are flying schools doing so well, they are able to pick and choose their customers?
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