Western Michigan University May Course

[skysoarer]

What with the value of the dollar at the moment I cannot understand why the May course numbers are presently very few at West Mich...? It's the same Uni, same facilities, excellent area (albeit cold this time of year!), great staff...

I will be visiting there from tomorrow until next Tuesday to 'try' out the area and see the college for myself (finally!). The May course needs More Numbers to run at this time.

If you are interested in going for the May course, please Register your interest on this thread or, Even Better, Text Message me on 0044 7989 609368 (No Spam Please) so we can try and Make a May course... you don't have to commit just register your Interest...

When putting together a 'plan' to go here, I ended up with $84000 for all expenses (including the course), which at todays exchange rate of $1.87 gives a grand total of £44919.79 ... a steal, *relatively*...

PM me if you like but don't expect a reply until I get back...!

Rgds;

Graeme
http://www.swindongliding.co.uk

[Jonny]

Hi Graeme -

Have you seen this thread on the topic?

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=118401

I was all fired up to get my application for the May course, following some research, but unfortunately I have decided to take a step back. Whilst what I have heard doesn't write it off completely I certainly think you should either get some concrete assurances about the state of play there or let some guinea pigs try out the May course first and get some feedback!

However as you're visiting WMU you should be able to get a good idea about what's going on and it will certainly be interesting for us to get your feedback. It seems the important questions are regarding there commitment to JAA training and the amount of JAA instructors they have and will have in the future.

I was told that applications for May had to be in by around now in order to allow time for visa apllications. Is it not too late for the course to become sufficently subscribed for a May course? Personally I cannot wait till September as I've reached that age when I stop getting any younger so I'm considering some Modular options (a year in Jerez would be nice but I'm not sure I can stretch to that at the mo').

I hope the trip goes well and you get some positive feedback.

[skysoarer]

Yeah... I read some of those points too. I have spoken with the staff there and the situation is ok now. Going out there to see the place is the best way and I know only too well what rumours on this network Can do (but if you worked there then ... eyebrow raised greatly and now listening for gossip!).

I still think this is a great school, and hopefully this trip will confirm that. Sure the weather's not as good as Jerez, but even Jerez is having bad weather at the moment (I have been reliably informed!)... and personally I think learning in 'less good' weather (i.e. Oxford, Cabair, West Mich) is very very benificial. I've flown in some pretty naff conditions in gliding and this enables you to handle most weather (within reason) with confidence...

It's about -4'C out there at the mo, so if my frozen mass makes it back to the UK I'll check back here...

Rgds;

Graeme

[PPRuNe Towers]

"I have spoken with the staff there and the situation is ok now"

Really?? You're to be thoroughly congratulated on the get up and go to check out the school properly. We cannot recommend that highly enough.

However, if I was a marketeer I'd read your post and decide you'd already made up your mind.

There are some very hard questions that WMU need to be asked - particularly the groundschool side. I'm sure ppruners who read the other thread can come up with a few such as: In the last 24 months how many JAA ATPL papers have been sat at WMU and how many passed?

Once we've given the groundschool a coat of looking at we can move on to the flying side and training for Cafu examiners.

Regards
rob

[Screwballs]

May is too early for me but maybe July/August. Please let us know what you find out there. Kudos for going out and checking the place out.

Screwballs

[skysoarer]

Well... been out there to visit now... and really rather impressed...!

Ok... it was Very cold and can get alot colder... it was around 34'F at night and about 40'F during the day... increasing towards my return date to around 59'F. I was very lucky with the weather apparently. It was sunny, clear, and cool for the most part... and then went overcast and damp for the last couple of days.

As for the airfield, absolutely huge, the white-elephant 747 is still there and is largely unused by the college as it just doesn't assist the sylabus at all. Within 10 minutes of arrival saw a bunch of A10's take-off, that was a sight having never seen one before except on Vietnam films...

Sure yes, there have been problems with instructors. But at least the numbers there at the moment are appropriate to the number of students. The college's main selling point to me is, like Oxford, that the college is owned by Western Michigan University itself - a college with 35000 students. When you start a course there, they are bound by contract to provide the course to you and provided you put the work in and don't fail it like any other Degree course ... you will get that license and probably a job at the end of it. There was a visit by BA staff while I was there and they are still interested in taking students from there in the future (presumably when the airline sorts itself out).

They are getting rid of their full-motion simulator, and selling it to oxford I think... but they are replacing it with two Embraer simulators (excuse spelling...) as this is more in line with first aircraft types in the US when you get a job - arguably even in the UK... I know at least one Cabair student who went straight onto CRJ's. The course still has the same tried-and-successfully-tested formula that was in use with the sponsored students. There is a bit of a crisis in the US generally with people not wanting to learn to fly... this is old news. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that not many FAA students are on courses there, but there are enough for the courses to run. There is very little interest in JAA courses for May, but a good level of interest for the September course as this is after people graduate.

Martyn was very honest and answered all my worrying questions honestly and openly. I am satisfied that if I were to choose a school, I'd go here no contest. If only for the security offered in writing by WMU, who own the College of Aviation. Even if they pulled the plug, your course would run to completion.

The aircraft are in good condition, well kitted out, the airspace offers a challenge but isn't so manic that you can't learn. The weather is also a challenge as it's not always cavok! In fact, when I was there they had not had a decent series of flyable days for ages and the 3 ft of snow was evident in places! As such the flying list was absolutely chockablok...!

The area is a little flat, but I suppose that makes emergency landing practice easier! But it is pretty and Lake Michigan is huge... there is quite a bit to see and do and the area has everything you at least have around where you probably live now... i.e. cinema, loads of shops (IT, housewear, 24 hour cafe's, shops, etc)... Denny's (great breakfasts, cheap too), Bob Evans (similar to Denny's, but different menu), and some really good ale bars I was introduced to by Martyn.

It comes down to this... if you are even 10% interested in this school, give Martin Grant or Martyn Dickinson a call. In fact all the staff there were fantastic. What really surprised me was how caring they were towards past/present students! They could recall previous courses and details about what the students were doing now... and a few called to say Hi while I was meeting with Martyn. A couple of people flying for BA came over on a standby ticket for a holiday and to pop by to give an update... one was flying Airbus (presumably A319/A320's) and the other 737's... For every student who knocked on the door, they knew what they were up to and seemed to know them all as well as good friends.

To be frank, don't dwell in the past and put yourself off with past comments about WMU... many don't really apply now. Look at the school Now and make a judgement on that, and use your foresight to see where it's heading. I think the school will do very well and exceed itself.

My ticket over there with AA was £315 with the TATC, but Airline network had one for £345 I think... both including the connecting flight to Kalamazoo. Talk to them, go visit, see for yourself!

Feel free to drop me a line if anything still nags at you, but I've tried to be thorough...

[Groundloop]

"The college's main selling point to me is, like Oxford, that the college is owned by Western Michigan University itself"

Not sure what you mean by this but you give the impression that you think Oxford Aviation Training is part of the University of Oxford.

There is absolutely no connection between the two and, in fact, the University often gets quite p*ssed off when OAT use phrases in their advertising like "get an Oxford education on your CV"!