Stapleford anyone

[VECTOR THRUST]

Anyone got any advice about other schools. I went down to stapleford recently and after being greeted by a couple of present students that just happened to be bloody gorgeous(female) i was quite impressed.

I thought of stapleford cause i could actually commute, saving a little money ( no rich daddy) Also after hearing some nervy stories about OBA, im goin to look at usa again. anyone there at the moment, been or goin i would be gratefull for any help

Cheers

[The Yank]

Use the serch function about Stapeford. Most of the stuff is very good. Small Gripes, but you will get that in any place. On first hand knolgedge it is a great place to train with a lot of good instructors.

[GusHoneybun]

Might be better to post this in the professional training forum and you might even get some constructive opinons, but don't hold your breath :rolleyes:

[Ray Ban]

When I was there a few years back it was a good place. As it's become more commercial the welcoming feel of the place has definitely gone but it's probably still a good place to train. The food is over-rated and over-priced though. The Yank was one of my instructors and he was one of the good guys from the 'good ole days' but I'm very happy to see he finally got his break flying the mighty 747!:cool:

[Windmill Wiz]

I did my IR at Stapleford in 2003. Instruction was very good (to the point, no pomp and circumstance just getting on with the job); All Ops staff were friendly and supportive. Booking system may not look very much but it works very well. This may sound like common sense, but nothing is as annoying as turning up for a lesson just to find there is no aircraft/instructor. I had no such problem at SFC; for every slot I booked there was an aircraft/simulator and instructor at the agreed time.

I did my renewal in 2004 at SFC; as some of the instructors had left, the atmosphere may have changed, but still the renewal was a good learning experience (I would never call an exam "enjoyable").

Only gripe: I would agree with the comments on the restaurant

Ps. I have no affiliation to SFC

[mjc9967]

Vector what stage are you at?

If you have done your ATPL theory and are ready for CPL I can vouch strongly in favour of SFC.

I did mine there about 6mths ago, they have two excellent Warriors and two excellent Arrows dedicated to CPL training - it is highly recommended to pay a little extra to do 10 of the 25hrs in the Arrow, not just the 5hrs required. This way, once you subtract the 5hrs sim training, leaving you with 20hrs aircraft, you have a neat half and half package that lets you effectively crack off the whole syllabus twice - once in each type.

I was lucky to catch Jonathon Said breifly without any other students and flying mostly twice a day got the CPL training done in 2wks flat!!! For your guide, Jon is a great instructor for working WITH you, and is very constructive particularly in confidence building.

Seemed like a very tight ship as far as CPL goes to me....

[Pilot16]

mjc9967

That was a good move getting the whole thing done in 2 weeks. Can I ask, just how intensive did you find doing this and what season was it you did it in?

I was fortunate enough to have Jonathan Said for PPL but unfortunate that it took 3 switching of instructors before I finally got him, he is a superb instructor, and agree with every bit you said about him.
At the moment, Im completing my ATPL theory, just hope he is still there when my turn comes round to do the CPL ;)

P16

[mjc9967]

P16

It was June04 and yes a contributing factor to the 2wks was good weather.

It was fairly intensive but my view was "less time to forget what I learnt yesterday". I threw myself into it full time (except the two days a week you have to have off) and made use of one of the cheap rooms they have to rent there which helped the mental immersion somewhat.

There were a couple of times I found myself on the wrong end of the stress curve (self inflicted - trying too hard!) but thats where Jonathon Said's approach was so valuable. My experience with most learning situations is more pain more gain.... The main thing was to try and develop the oft quoted pilot mindset - "throw away what just went wrong and take the next task with a clean sheet" ie don't take the mistake with you.... its very true both mid flight and between sessions!

[superstar]

Went back to Stapleford this year to renew my IR and have only seen this school improve.

There have been instructors move on over the last couple of years but the standard of instruction has not changed.

There are a few gripes about the clubhouse but the chef has recently changed and although food is perhaps a little expensive it is very good quality now with a lot more choice!!

The accomodation has also improved a great deal - the white house in particular!! And still at a very reasonable rate per night.

All in all I am still really pleased with the service provided to me at Stapleford!!