Anyone at 43 airschool or Progress at the moment?

[oompa loompa]

Hello,

Is there anyone training at Progress or 43 airschool at the moment? I'm planning to do my CPL at one of these schools, but can't decide which.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's there at the moment! The things I want to find out about are:

- what are the instructors like?
- Are there any 'difficult' characters?
- What is the aircraft/student ratio? - how many flight can you do per day?
- What is the instructor/student ratio?
- How reliable are the aircraft?
- If you're not sponsored, do you ever get overlooked to make way for larger groups of students?
- What is the accomodation/food like?

Thanks!

OL

[Irishwingz]

Have you heard of Algoa flying club in PE?

www.algoafc.co.za

Do a search on this forum on my name or simply Algoa.

I was there last year, fantastic school, instructors, location and your mixing it up with Boeings.

Cheers:ok:

[dartlylou]

43 rd are better than ever. Algoa small and emotional. If you are going to fork out the bucks....................try 43rd!! :cool:

[Tiger Bob]

Algoa small and emotional

Have you been there?

[George Tower]

Once and for all it makes very little difference where you train. Generally it is impossible to compare objectively the differences between flying schools. A PPL or CPL etc are something that you will only do once.....its not like comparing different brands of washing poweder etc.

It is important to remember that the licence you get at the end is the same and that the exams you pass are the same exams where ever you go. Having not trained at 43 I guess the advantage that 43 may offer to some people is that you are able to totally immerse yourself in flying with very few outside distractions. Given that they own the airfield they operate from there is very little even in the way of other (commercial) traffic to distract you from your task.

On the other hand places like Cape Town offer more to see and do. The down side with Cape Town from a flight training perspective is the time spent on the ground due to the amount of traffic. This can also be an advantage as it adds to one's confidence.

Overall having flown from Cape Town, PE, and George I would say that George and PE offer the best environment to learn to fly in. This is because whilst they are not as busy as Cape Town. You become used to the disciplines of controlled airspace but don't have quite as many commercial movements to affect you.

[NickGreen]

From someone who has actually been to Algoa - they're certainly well placed to offer what you want. A flying school operated within a very social and friendly club environment - non-profit (all goes back to benefit the members). I am also about to do my CPL and would not hesitate to go back to AFC (did my PPL there in 2001 and been back yearly since).

My knowledge of 43 and Progress is limited but I do know they operate along 'Cadet' school set-up. Neither are within Controlled airspace so you'll end up going to Port Elizabeth to do your approaches etc. AFC are based on the airfield.

Where Emotional comes from I've no idea! Small - nah!

[oompa loompa]

Thanks for the replies chap/esses;

Will have a look at Algoa as well then: they seem to be popping up quite a lot elsewhere too.

Agree with you George Tower; good points, well made; PE does look a good compromise. Though washing powder!!?

Irishwingz/Nickgreen/Tiger Bob: assume you've been thru algoa then? would love to hear more; could I PM you?

Cheers

[silverknapper]

OL
I notice you are in Bristol. One question - is it a JAA CPL you're after?
Maybe a stupid one but seen people before go to schools that don't teach JAA as they didn't ask the right questions.
If it's an SA one then apologies
:O
Any word on 43 getting JAA approval?

SK

[NickGreen]

You're welcome to get in touch. Not sure how PM'ing works but I'll trust the system!

[oompa loompa]

Eventually I'm after a JAA ATPL, but I'm planning (at the moment!) to do an SA CPL, then convert. It seems to cost roughly the same, though it's a bit (ok, a lot) more work. Why bother? Because I fancy flying in Africa for a while before I get too old, and a lot of a/c over there seem to be operated on a ZA registration.

43 are not JAA approved yet, though their website says this is coming.

Thanks Nick, I'll PM you now. (PM => hit the 'Private message' button) You can see if you have a message if you scroll to the forums page.

Cheers

:ok:

[406pilot]

hiya all..
was at progess a long time ago,i was very satisfied with the value for money training that i received.
one thing that crossed my mind is that while Algoa is located at vervoord...ooops thats "port elizabeth international" which is a further from the general flying area (gfa),progress is located inside the gfa so thats less time u spend cruising along to practise,when it comes to instrument approaches progress is closer to port elizabeth international
as far as the instructors are concerned i cant tell u much was a long time ago that i was there but Mr.engish does not compromise training at any cost...
hope u find this info helpful

no more 406pilot

[DualDriver]

406pilot

when did you do your training at Progress?

DD

[Alfred Kamara]

hallo OL

I know i miss your question but I trained at Cape Flying Services.
I would highly recommend them if you are looking for a great lifestyle and freedom while training.

i loved the accomodation and the instructors was great.

the owners becomes like family after a while and they had tears when i left. so did i !!!

A great school with great people and professional training.

all the best and good luck with your ppl

Alf

[Stephen Stark]

Alfred

Glad you had a good time!! I hope that all your training on the other side is going well, and all your comrades are in good health. You certainly were a good addition to our crew and friends! Please send my regards to all, and tell Phillip to e-mail me!

Regards

General

[Alfred Kamara]

hallo Stephan.

it is very good to hear from you.

all the best to you and the rest of the crew.

Alf

[406pilot]

hello dual driver

did my training in 93-94 good old days when alan totman and ted lunt were still there god bless their souls,
were u ever there?

no more a 406pilot

[Chase]

WHATEVER YOU DO. DO NOT, I SAY AGAIN DO NOT GO TO PROGRESS FLIGHT ACADEMY.

if you go there you will shoot yoursel in the foot. the instructors are stuck up, all except one of them. the owner, well dont even get me started on the owner.

do yourself the favor and check out 43 airschool, airline pilot training centre or algoa flying club.

[sky waiter]

Hi

Having done my PPL in cape town and completing my Comm in George, my advice would be to do some home work and come out to the schools and decide for yourself, have heard so many varying reports on different schools for instance 43 is too militaristic,although they have an excellent reputation, and others are too relaxed, it pays to come out and see for yourself most places have courses starting at the beginning of each month but will make a plan for a tailor made course if you flash them your money and show you are interested. if you are going all the way to comm it would pay to make suure because remember that you will have to spend the best part of a year in the area you choose and having some extra curricular activities besides flying does help.
Good Luck :D

[josh sitanga]

Come on guys, lets not start this argument again about which school is good and which one is'nt.

Most of the schools in SA are pretty good and well regulated.

43 Air School is a great school, but right now they are very busy, and I am told that it is not always possible to fly more than 1 hour per day.

Progress has an eccentric owner.... yeah good ol Mr. John, but training there is superb. You will learn everything you wish to know, and they are thorough. Lovely old planes to fly too. Is the Dove flying yet? Anyone know?

Both the schools in PE are also very good. Such a pity its so windy there. Should be called the "windy city", not the "friendly city". Algo Flying Club is the older of the two, but both provide professional and thorough training. I rember a good ol man down there called Robbie Bert. Is he still there? Mind you I left there in 1981, and its now 2005. Robbie may well be retired. Anyone know?

Gerald Todd at CFS runs a very good ship, and so does Wally Waldeck. These guys are doyens of the homebase PPL courses, and yeah its true, Alfred Kamara did learn to fly there.

Such a pity that the boy have became so lazy now to fly. He's drinking tooo much and partying tooo hard. Eeeesch! He's not touched a stick for a looong time, this boy. His cousins now call him "seagull". He's so lazy to fly they have to throw a stone at him to make him fly.:ok: Eh heh yes Alfred, you need a good spanking from your father. All the hard earned flying money wasted on eh... eh..Tassies!!:{ :ugh:

One school I was also very impressed with was Central Flying Academy at Grand Central Airport. Very good ground school, books etc. Some instructors are Airline Training Captains, and apart from being very nice people, they all love aviation.... especially teaching it, and they do a damn good job.

There are also a number of good schools at Lanseria and at Wonderboom Airport north of Pretoria as well. Give it a go! Buy a World Air News to check out the ads on some of the schools.Other well known SA Flying Magazines like SA Flyer and African Aviation will also help.

Cape Town Flying Training Centre at Fisantekraal is also a great school. Excellent rates, a beautiful new simulator and young and enthusiastic instructors. CFI is a pilot with a SA Feeder Airline, and he's very good at teaching Instrument Flying. The owner, Findlay Smith, is a smart guy, and teaches aerobatics in a YAK.

One thing I have noticed on these threads though throughout the last couple of years, is the fact that too many of the schools get bad mouthed by students who have had bad experiences, rightfully or wrongfully, and then all the dirty washing gets hung, which of course is not good publicity for general aviation in SA. Good training is important, and no one likes to be ripped off financially, but I do think in some cases a lot of "authors" have really let rip on these threads on issues that could have been calmly resolved thru constructive and sensible dialogue with the school owners. I find the South Africans not unreasonable, and most of them do listen and are willing to resolve a problem, should it exist.

So all you potential wannabee flyers out there...... go fly. Its a great career. Pack your suitcases, head down south to sunny SA and make the most of your training.

I loved every minute of my time down there...... especially learning to fly the Enstrom with "Oom Koos Smit" at Wonderboom. Great time..... really great time!:ok: Wonderful guy! Alledgedly fathered twins after I left. Mmmmm, at age 75, not bad!:ok: :D Now I know why the bumper sticker on his Chev said.... "Helicopter pilots get it up quicker".:cool:

[clipboard]

:D ;) Josh, you're funny!

I loved the part on Alfred. Where is he? He's gone awful quiet? One does'nt hear from him all that often these days.

By the way, I don't think Keith was 75 when he fathered the twins. More like 60. If you were right, that he was 75, I would kinda have to check on the postman's moves around that neighbourhood at that time.;) :ok:

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Klippies

I believe the young lady in question was 20 or so at the time. Onya, Keith!:ok:

[sky waiter]

Gentleman to get the facts straight, Alfred did learn to fly at CFS, he is on a military contract with the sierra leonian government so knowing them it could be a while before he flies and knowing alfred he would be dying to fly cause at CFS that is all he wanted to do. Keith is now 67, the twins are 3 and a bit and his wife is 27. Still not bad going though! so 75 is a bit out? :O

While we on the subject, flying is a lovely career if you can find a job, so does anyone know of any work for a 450hr Comm pilot who is prepared to do anything at the moment?

Shot!

[PretoriaSillyperson]

"Uncle" Keith is in his 60s and his wife in her late 20s. No sign of him slowing down as of yet, either. They build 'em tough in the Royal Navy.

TW56
EGKK

[janekatzke]

Was at 43 in 2002 and it is an awesome airschool.

Usually fly twice a day, weather permitting. Loads of A/C and instructors. A/C are reliable and there is an AMO to take the A/C to on campus with any snags. Accomodation is great and food is normally good.

Would recommend 43 Airschool, plenty of friends will be made and will be the best year of your life !!!!!!

[Alfred Kamara]

hey josh - how di body pa ?

me na fine oh my father did not pay the GOSL paid and i will always be thankful 2 them

sadly our alou 3 had a clucth failure about 6 months ago.

gunss reported it and eventualy nellis decided to ground it . all our tng stopped.
then our puma rolled over in liverpool due to a storm and that was the end of that story

gunnss has left or is still on holiday and we do not know what is happening they do not get paid shame

i wish to return one day to gerald as they where great to me as a person but i have not piloted a minute since i left them nearly a year ago :((((

God bless u all i must go the internet cafe is ful of lovers that wants to chat on yahoo and msn

byeee

alf

[chopperkie]

I would say your best bet is to go for progress. 43 Air school is a big name though, but that's about it. It's expensive and with that you get the bonus of a image. Always liked the guys from PE. Nice chaps. You could say 43 is like the Clifton of Cape Town. You can use the name, but the rest. I don't know. Cheers

O ja guys. Forgot. Also did my training in George. Awesome place. Wally Waldeck tested me for my comm. 2 great schools down there! Good choice. Think twice about 43. Just a number. :ok:

[janekatzke]

Shame Chopperkie, just because you didnt have the pleasure of going to 43 airschool, dont mock what you dont know....

Yes at 43 airschool you do pay for the name, but if that doesnt help you to get into the flying world a bit quicker then what will?

43 Airschool is an EXCELLENT school, which produces good pilots due to wonderful instructors. Why else would SAA send there cadets there....?

Think before you talk !!!!!! ;)

[cavortingcheetah]

:=

Greetings one and all,

Just down here for a wee willie while.
All my mates in SAA attest to the excellence of 43rd as a training establishment. I understand that it is run a little like a military operation but this is probably no bad thing.
As for this passport thing, I am all in favour of only getting a ZA licence if you have a ZA passport. When I first had a UK licence it was useable as a passport for entry and exit to that country. It was only issued upon proof of UK citizenship. Jobs for the nationals first please. :eek:

[birdlady]

Good evening

I suggest you check out www.avcom.co.za if you want to train in SA. Your questions should be answered there.

I cant believe Im actually going to agree with Cavorting Cheetah on a point he mentioned (as I know how he feels about women pilots :E :E :rolleyes: ) but he does have a point. Be very careful obtaining an SA CPL if you dont have a work permit. I dont know if you've seen the new AIC but there is an old regulation that the comissioner has brought to attention. Basically it states that no licence is going to be issued or renewed if your not a south african citizen, permanant residency etc. Dont know how to provide the exact link, but check out avcom as its been discused there.
:ok: :ok:

[cavortingcheetah]

:p
Yes and another caveat. Things change in ZA quite fast. New aspirants to the heights of professional licences might well find that regulations and requirements alter even as the training is being undertaken. I would suggest that obtaining a copy of Notams/AICs from CAA Pretoria would be a useful idea. This used to be a sunscription service, free to Professional Licence Holders.
Birdlady
:)
Do not take my comments about female flyers tooo seriously. I had one the other day from Ams to, well, that would be a give away. She never stopped talking at the Captain. His irritation was better than the in flight movie.:E

[oompa loompa]

I didn't realise this thread had revived itself after all this time!

I decided to go to 43ed a short while back, and start in the next few months. Why did I choose 43rd? Well I had to choose one or other from the many good schools that people had told me about, and, apart from the food(!), most people seem to rate 43rd pretty highly.

Thanks for your comments Birdlady; you got me worried - for a moment. I've clarified with the za caa that I'll need either a study permit or a work permit for issuance of licences (in case anyone else needs this info).

Don't worry; I'm not intending to take any jobs from South Africans (whatever the rights and wrongs of that - no-one get started on that please!); I won't be able to with a study permit anyway. Given that it costs much the same to convert as do JAA directly, I recon why not - SA's a place I've wanted to visit for a long time now anyway.

Josh S: thanks for your balenced and rationale response; more like you needed in some of these forums.

[josh sitanga]

;) Mmmmm Miss Jane....... Where are you these days? Are you done now flying in the right hand seat of the B200 in the jungles of West Africa?

Mmm, last time I saw you, I'm sure... was in Cameroon. Right?

How is the young missy doing?

At least 43 did it for you huh?:ok:

' Tis good when a plan comes together.:D

[janekatzke]

Doing well thanks "Josh Sitanga" !

Check your PM :ok:

[birdlady]

Goodevening

CavortingCheetah - No offence taken. I say if you cant handle the heat get out of the kitchen ;) ;)
Oompa - I promise you that you wont get s.africa out of your system. Its a great place to fly and the booze is cheap :ok: I suppose I better get started on getting a work permit or even permanant residency :) :) Good luck with the flying and happy landings :ok: :ok:

[rich66]

Cavortingcheetah,

Please check your p.m.'s

[cavortingcheetah]

rich66:) Done that. Hope you received yours.CC