Becoming a Flight Training Organisation

[Klute]

My club is presently a registered facility and we are considering becoming an FTO. Has anyone out there gone through the process and all advice welcomed.

[BEagle]

Yes - we had to become a FTO for the purpose of Multi Engine Piston Class Rating training and for the JAR Flight Instructor (Restricted) Course. You can either get hold of CAP 682 and wade through it yourself; alternatively try www.flightexaminers.com (http://www.flightexaminers.com) who will be able to do the whole process for you - but ask for a price estimate before committing yourselves!!

[Klute]

Thanks BEagle for the advice. I must admit I like the idea of someone else doing it. I assume that your club did it themselves. If that's the case did it involve a lot of time and effort to obtain the approval. I appreciate that this may be difficult to answer because the size of the organisation may be proportional to the amount of paperwork. My club consists of 60 members, three part time flying instructors and a couple of aircraft and I have concerns that the size of the club and the lack of any full time staff may mean that getting approval to teach the MEP rating is difficult

[BEagle]

It took our HT (Multi) and HT (FIC) a lot of time and effort to get the approval - although it helped that we have a CAA staff member as one of them (but that didn't mean any special treatment, I can assure you!) Plus the aircraft have to be inspected, your Ops manual (Flying Order Book) has to be approved, etc, etc. And there are fees to pay. We also have to have a 'Quality Assurance' system in place.........a lot of hassle indeed to do a few MEP Class Rating and SE/ME FIC courses at a Club with restricted membership eligibility!!

[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 08 April 2000).]

[BlueLine]

Klute

You will have to provide the following documents, details of which are given in CAP 682 Pt 7.

A Flying Order Book which effectively points out the procedures and rules for your organisation, and which protects you from your members should it come to littigation following an accident.

You must provide specific Training Orders for the Course you are running, this amounts to no more than another Part or Section of the FOB.

The Quality system is to indicate that you self-audit what you do. i.e. Do you comply with the ANO; JAR-FCL; CAP682; your own FOB? Are your instructors properly qualified etc?

You will then need a Financial Statement to say that you can fund the approved course, no more than that.

An ideal job for say a retired bank manager!