First Post - Algoa or 43?

[ParisFlyer]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post on pprune so I'm not too sure how it all works, but I've been reading through most of the forums over the last week and have been impressed with the amount of interesting and useful information being exchanged, not to mention the many views on the current airline industry, especially from those in the know such as Scroggs, WWW, maximum and pprune towers.

I'm lucky enough to have been given the opportunity by my parents to start my flight training (from PPL to fATPL) when I graduate from university in June this summer, I know I'm very fortunate! I will have just turned 21. I've weighed up a lot of important factors and I've decided that for me, training in South Africa (as opposed to the States or Canada) would be ideal (much cheaper than in the U.K - and potentially another great life experience). I plan on converting my licences to JAA on returning to the U.K and then writing the ATPL exams.

I've narrowed down my search to two schools, 43airschool and Algoa Flight Centre. Both seem to have fantastic reputations and have no shortage of praise on pprune. But here lies my problem! How to pick between the two!? I understand 43airschool is more of a flight academy, and Algoa a flying club (and non-profit!) - but at the end of the day I'll finish with the same qualifications! As an academy, does 43airschool have a better reputation? Will a future employer look on me in more favourable terms having graduated from here than having graduated from Aloga? I read a thread recently suggesting that airlines will seldom pay too much attention to where one has acquired their licence. Is this really so?

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on either of these two schools, especially from those who are either attending now, or have done previously in their careers and perhaps give me an unbiased view about their experiences there. Equally any feedback that may help me make my final decision will also be much appreciated.

Thanks for your thoughts and views and my sincerest apologies if I've posted this in a wrong forum or under a wrong thread!! (my first post)

Kindest regards!

ParisFlyer! :ok:

[whiskey1]

Paris Flyer

Don't forget you must have completed those 14 ATPL exams before you can do your CPL and I/R flight tests and be issued a licence. That will take you about 6 months by which time you be out of flying practice and will need to brush up before testing.

Why not consider doing your PPL in the UK over summer. Get the ATPL Theroy exams out of the way next before going anywhere.

Perhaps after that go to South Africa to Hours build or do you CPL/IR there. Remember of course that when you get back you'll have to convert and that is hours as required for CPL (probably at least 5, more if your not used to UK airspace) and 15 Hours for IR (again the minimum heard stories of people taking 40 hours).

When comparing costs don't forget to include Visa's, Flights and accomodation. A friend of mine has just done the sums on training in the US and declared that the saving would be about £30 and not worth it.

Good Luck what ever you decide.

[kibbi-what?]

ParisFlyer,

Algoa gets a big :ok: from me. I spent 11 months there last year doing everything from my PPL right through to my multi engine CPL/ IR and am now back in good old blighty doing my ATP exams at Oxford before converting the licence itself.

It's going to be a lot of hard work wherever you decide to go but all I can say is that at Algoa you'll have a great time in doing it. The instructors are excellent and the club members range from micro light pilots right up to current SAA Captains - all ready to have a drink and a chat at the customary Friday night 'solo party'.

Can't praise it enough.

Good luck!!

[Down 'n' Hanging]

Firstly, welcome to Prune ParisFlyer.

I notice that you are from Exeter.

There are three schools and a club at Exeter, and between them all they can offer everything except the ATPL theoretical training.
Have you checked them out? Airways Flight Training, Flightpass, Aviation South West and Exeter Flying Club.

Whiskey 1's idea of doing your PPL over the coming summer, then doing the ATPL study is sound one.

Don't dismiss training in the UK altogether. If you intend flying as a career in the UK, then why not get to grips with the UK way of doing things first, including dealing with the great British weather? You never know, you may just decide to stay on and do the whole lot here. You can always hours build in South Africa.

Hope it goes well

Regards D 'n' H :ok:

[Leezyjet]

ParisFlyer,

I'm currently donig my PPL at Algoa, although I'm back in the UK for a 4 day pit stop (but that's another story), I'm going back out tomorrow night to complete my course.

Can't fault them, instructors are great, and I feel that training from a commercial airport rather than a grass airfield gets you more used to proceedures and flying with the big boys right from the start, also the G.F. isn't far away either.

I just had my solo party last Friday along with 2 other guys from the UK, I went solo last Thursday.

There are lots of great people to be found hanging out in the "Gremlin's Grotto" at the end of the day's flying too.

I chose Algoa for the simple fact that as I am paying for the training then I wanted to do it in a relaxed environment, not a regimented school, where I can wear what I want and not have to wear a uniform - I wear one to work so I'm dammned if I'm wearing one to learn to fly in for a PPL, although the CPL/IR students do wear a uniform of sorts, and even thats debatable with some of them. :\ Also when I ran a search of Algoa on here, there was not 1 bad comment about them, where as other schools had mixed opinions so that swung it for me too. Also the weather in P.E. at the moment is similar to our summer, with some decent strong winds thrown in too, just it's slightly more reliable to get the hours in.

Also have a word with Irv Lee. He has been approved to conduct SA re-tests in the UK and has a website all about fying in the UK on an SA license, although I'm sure he will reply to this thread when he sees it.

http://www.higherplane.flyer.co.uk/



:)

[grim421]

Hi there,

check also www.th-aviation-connexions.com, excellent service and packages. clear sky!