Flight training in South Africa
 

Has anyone been trained at an FTO in South Africa? I am considering a school around Pretoria to do my PPL and would be most grateful for any recommendations and experiences. Many thanks

Good day am110.

Yes sir, I started my training in South Africa in late 2008, and I have my commercial license right now. Due to some financial and family problems it took me a while to finish up, and that made me get to know a lot about south africa and flying down there.
If you have any question you can reach me.

FTO
 

Abby,

Many thanks for your reply. Which FTO did you train at? There seem to be so many that I defer to the wisdom of those at pprune who might have specific recommendations.

It depends what your end goal is.

If you only intend to do a PPL, then a smallish flying club is best. You will get to know other recreational pilots, get exposed to interesting small aircraft types, get a better over-all picture of recreational aviation and most importantly it will stoke a passion for aviation. If you only intend to fly privately, then enjoyment should only be second to safety.

If you intend to do a CPL and make a career out of aviation, then one of the bigger professional flight schools, such as AIFA or 43, is better. The bigger professional flight schools put more emphasis on procedural flying, knowledge of the CAT's, CAR's, AIP's, AWOPs etc. From day one, the emphasis is on professionalism. Even if you intend to do "bush flying" once finished, all companies will look for this professionalism.

(Disclaimer, I'm not saying that small flying clubs can't, or aren't professional, I'm just saying that it is a different environment.)

I started in Bevrick trading as AUAA in Mafikeng, but ended my training in Johannesburg. and at the moment I'm down by the beach.
I have to disagree with CAPSLOCK.1 on bigger schools to be better!
Its all about quality and safety and satisfaction of the student, and some big schools seem to be forgetting about that!
As you yourself said, there are a lot of flying schools down in SA, but how does one really choose a school? well its all about how people are satisfied with their way of training and treating you!
I believe a good quality of training is when you know your instructor is aimed to fulfill your needs when it comes to learning! and in so many of the big schools this doesn't happen that well, due to the instructor being busy flying with a lot of people everyday so he doesn't wanna waist his time telling you exactly about what you have asked! And unfortunately I have seen a lot of this in those big schools that are there!
So if you really wanna go to South Africa to do your course, maybe you can send me a PM regarding your exact intentions in aviation and I can show you your best options to choose from.

Thank you Abby and CAPSLOCK . My intentions are purely to fly for pleasure but to also place myself on a trajectory where I continue to learn about flying. Therefore an instrument rating after PPL would certainly be something on the cards, if I can afford it. I'll look into the 43 Air School. Are there any specific smaller FTO's you might recommend from personal experience who would meet the criteria of being both professional and personal, if you will. I've done a quick search on line and found the following: Aeronav Academy - Flight, Pilot and Ground School Training, Lanseria, South Africa (fly Diamond DA20s for training); Virgina flying school Virginia Flight School ; Lanseria Flight Centre Lanseria Flight Training | FLYLFC | Pilot Training South Africa ; and Superb Flight Training Superb Flight Training Pretoria - Learn to Fly! . Any thoughts? Many thanks again.

Try one of the coastal schools. Flight Training College, Algoa or APTRAC.
43 is too big and impersonal in my opinion.
AIFA? Is that a Chinese flying school? In Africa? What's the world coming to!
Wonder if the Chinese would allow a foreign school in their country.

Nothing personal but 43, I don't recommend them!
Yeah try one of the schools around coast, preferably in durban area and around it! there are I think 3 schools in Virginia-Durban and there is another one an hour away from Duban called zero four. I do have all info on zero four and know they are great people.

negus,
AIFA is a joint venture school for the Chinese, but if they have space they will consider applicants with the right qualifications.

So the Chinese employ South African instructors to teach in South Africa? Presumably all their students are Chinese. Why not Chinese instructors then? And why not in China? Thought there were plenty of flight schools in SA.

Negus,
I give you one simple reason why SA!
I dont know if you have ever flown in SA, but at the moment South Africa offers one of the cheapest trainings in the world due to fuel price! and unlike some countries like Philippines at some points they didn't destroy their picture completely! (I dont know if you know about the era where some schools in Philippines gave away licenses for money!) and also SA has high standards when it comes to training.
Do I need to continue on why SA?
I know a lot of people are gonna think why not USA or Canada! just recently couple of my friends went to USA to do their training, according to what they say, the amount they have to spend in there to obtain a PPL is equal to getting a PPL and Night Rating and some hour buildings in SA!!!

Cape Flying Service
 

He Guys,


Just wondering if this flight school is still alive ?
Mr. Gerald still running Cape Flying Service in George ?
I did some training there a long time ago, not as a happy chappy.

There is no comparison between the larger flight schools vs flying clubs when it comes to professionalism.

Flying clubs let you fly in jeans, whereas the flight schools require your shirt to be ironed, shoes polished and you to present yourself in the same manner as you would to future employers.

I did my initial training at 43, but since then I have been involved with 5 or 6 other training organisations.

It does depend on your end goal.

I'll reiterate what I originally said, if you want to do a PPL only, don't do it at 43 or AIFA, or a large air school. Do it at a local flying club somewhere. Do it somewhere nice, somewhere scenic, and have fun while you do it.

If you want to pursue aviation as a profession, then go to a large Air School. They will make you fly when you don't feel like it, they will make you fly early mornings, late at night, they will make you fly when you would rather be in the pub. They won't hold your hand, and you will fly with many different instructors. At times you will feel like you are in a sausage factory, but at the end you will emerge a more professional pilot.

However, if all you want to do is a PPL, then find somewhere small, somewhere nice, that allows you to go at your own pace, somewhere with a core of old pilots who will tell you stories around the braai, somewhere that you will enjoy.

Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, they don't do it in China because all low level airspace is military?

I think that CAPSLOCK.1 makes a distinction that is a very valid one. It's also a point that I don't think I've seen here before and worthy of serious consideration.
Perhaps you should cast your research net into the area of South African Aviation Forum where you might find a website dealing more with general aviation.
Pretoria is a lovely city, home to the Afrikaner. Afrikaans flying instructors can be extremely dedicated but they have their own clique coterie just as does anyone else and you may feel more socially comfortable at a club or school where English is the common tongue. Hard choices with limited information at your disposal. The quality of instruction is important though, whether you wear blue socks and shorts in the cockpit or a full flight suit. This man has a good reputation.

ROB RHODES-HOUGHTON
newrob2
Rob Rhodes-Houghton started flying at Wits Flying Club while he was still a Maths lecturer at Wits University in 1990 and completed his PPL, CPL and instructor’s ratings at Wits with Andre Kluyts and Sias Swart. After 26 years of teaching he went into full-time aviation as Chief Flying Instructor at National Airways Corporation (NAC) at Lanseria, in 1996, obtaining his ATPL (SA) and ATP(US), after which he was employed at Nationwide on BAC1-11s as a First Officer in June 2000 and made Captain and instructor in 2002. He later became a Training Captain on the Boeing 737-200 & 500 at Nationwide after which he joined MANGO as a Boeing 737-800 Captain and also worked for the SACAA as the manager of Testing Standards. Rob is a DFE I(A), radiotelephony examiner, Language Proficiency Rating examiner and has over 10 000 hours total time, with nearly 4, 000 hours instructor time and about 50 aeroplane types on his instructor rating.

The club used to be quite good when it was run through Avex by an SAA pilot who went to Australia. Avex has gone now, used to be at Rand, a flight school where both private and professional pilots were catered but those days of barnstorming fun are, I fear, long past. You could smoke in training aircraft in them days and sometimes the hang overs melted into the morning's stupour from the night before.

abbey, yes I have flown in SA and don't get me wrong. I think it is the most wonderful place to fly. Just wondering why a Chinese school is allowed to set up shop in a foreign country. Wouldn't be allowed in the Europe I don't think. Gerpols don't even get me started on CFS

If I'm not wrong AIFA is not 100% chinese, is a partnership between a chinese and a southafrican company...plus all the instructors are local guys/girls and the wx that they can find between Outsdhoorn, Beaufort West and George is quite difficult to find in China, so it means less time to obtain the licenses...the only problem? Try to understand their english...those poor chaps at George ATC are incredible how they understand all those chinesenglish...do they?:O

Negus, gerpols, CFS is history. The Chinese bought them out a while back.

cfs
 

So Gerald,


The Chinese bought your flightschool....!!!
Good for you man, now you can pay me back the 16000 Rand you owe me !
My account number is 1234567890, including rent please pay 26000 Rand.


Have a good day !

Brilliant news. Hope the Chinese are more ethical. But they're not know to be.
Hope they're only training Chinese students.

flight schools in Durban South Africa
 

Hi, does anyone have any information about flight scools in Durban, South Africa? Which ones are recommendedand reputable? Costs? Anyone with any experience? Im thinking of going there to complete my training. I hold an FAA ppl and around 250 hrs. I am from sweden.
Would be thankful for any advise or recommendations.

Coastal weather is always a bit iffy. Winter weather on the highveld is always good, thunderstorms in summer in the late afternoon.


Durban Aviation Centre

Virginia Flight School

Pilot training in South Africa | Ayre Aviation

KwaZulu Natal Flight Schools and Pilot Training (PPL, CPL, ATPL)

Thanks for your reply. Do you have any experience from any of these schools? Is one better than the others?
I am talking to Virginia flight school right now and trying to figure out how much it's going to cost me.

My experience with Virginia flight school a fews years ago was very postive; competent and friendly.

any difference in prices?
 

It seems like most of you gentlemen agree on that the size of the fligh school/club doesnt matter when it comes to quality. I was looking at virginia flight school but now I just read about this one called 43 that I havent seen before.
im looking at flying as a career. I hold an FAA PPL and about 150 hrs so far and my goal is to fly for a commercial airline one day.
So guys, 43 would be better if youre looking at a future as an airline pilot?

Any further guidance would be really appriciated. It is so hard to make a choice when it comes to flight schools.

And the other important question, is there any difference when it comes to prices between this flight schools?

Ps. How come there are no female looking smileys, like with long hair or a bow on their head?:confused:

Well, if you are worried about pricing, just forget about 43, their complete program right now I am told is going at around 100,000 USD..


And another thing, no women there mate, or rather very few. But luckily there is a location bodering the school and Grahamstown is not so far off.

swe.flyer
 

and 43 Air has a lot of cadets sponsored by some of the African airlines! Not sure if anyone will be paying attention to you!

You are better off to go back to USA and get IR (If you didn't get it), CPL and Multi add on. You have some very good hrs on your PPL so by the time you finish your CPL, i think you will be better off than your peers coz most of them finish their CPL with 150hrs!

Then you can head back to Africa and enjoy GA.

Check out Stellenbosch Flying Club, I can really recommend them. Cape region is also nice to stay :)
stelfly.co.za

First, find out if you can really complete your training in SA. Don't know about FAA but almost impossible for EASA licences.

Lots of misinformation here. 43 Air School has an excellent reputation and world standard training. The fees are way below that quoted here, and with the exchange rates well worth further consideration.
South Africa's weather also allows for more training days per year than most other places; with a good balance between air space congestion and freedom to get into all aspects of flight training.

Gosh!
Why not?
Send in for an estimate?

http://www.43airschool.com/pilot-tra...urses-offered/

And ask them:

Whether you would have a dedicated flight instructor and if so whether that would that be with a cutting edge Grade II or an hour building Grade III?

Try either Flight Training College in George (www.flighttraining.co.za) or Skyhawk at Lanseria or FTS at Grand Central. All are owned and operated by current airline pilots. And I'm sure a hell-of-a-lot more reasonably priced than many others.

I'd certainly try some other flight schools.

Unfortunately 43 seems to have turned into a pilot 'sausage' factory & if you don't fit their mould, they don't do much to assist you. :ugh:

There are a variety in SA & probably at more reasonable prices; hopefully with better use of the English language & spelling than on 43's website!

Might want to try further inland as well. Highveld winters are generally dry and cloudless. The coast can be a little damp and windy at times.

Hi!
 

Howzit?

Im doing my CPL in Durban at the Virginia Flight School. I've already had a PPL (former EASA now JAA)before I came here so I had to convert it to SA-CAA. (just finished that 3weeks ago)

That is not a problem at all. You have to write air law, meteorology and human performance. You can write the exams on-line in the school whenever you want. Than you fly a skills test with a grade 2 instructor. Usually they make you fly a dual cross country and some circuits before your skills test just to make sure that you are on a desired level for the test. It is same with the FAA licences as well.

Im very satisfied with the VFS so far.
If you need any detailed info about the school, living costs, accomodation, transportation, etc. I can send you an email.

Cheers

Thanks for the reply. Yes I would very much like to have information about living costs, accommodation, transportation and everything else that you have to share.
Thanks

Hi not so much flying school.But something that has been bugging me for 3 years. We landed at joburg airport july 2011, for a change in day light and I am sure I saw a handley page victor parked up outside some hangers on right of airport does anyone know if this aircraft exists or was I seeing things. Would appreciate any comments. cheers

wheellathe

Definitely too much free booze on that flight!

You were probably looking at several 'white tailed' a/c that were available for charter. Being in front of one another, you may have seen a white shape of a Victor that was a composite.

timeline
 

Hi how long did the conversion process last?
What is the Fastest possible (i am planning to do this in february)

Aviation english pro test
 

Hi there,

This may be irrelevant,but please help.
English is not my native language so i am going for an english pro test.i am stressed,can you please enlighten me on the kind of question asked.what are you really looking for and what you expect from the person undergoing the test?
Thanks in advance