ASL (the people who check our knowledge) are dumber than we are!

[PA31 pilot]

You have all noticed how incompetent Aviation Services are,
I think it about time something gets done about it.

How can we wipe them off the face of this Universe?

It would certainaly be alot less stressful without them around.
We need someone who actually know something about Aviation to take their place.

I have just missed one of my ATPL's because they never "recieved" my application form. I subsequently never got an acceptance slip, so I called, (no joy of course).
But they must've recieved it because they debited my credit card $166 bucks.

W@*nkers, now I have to take extra A/L to sit it at a different date!

Can we do anything about it?

An angry and concerned pilot!

[whiteknuckleairlines]

Welcome to the joys that us in NZ have been having with ASL for a number of years!

I sat the CASA ATPL cyber-exams and couldn't believe how unreliable the system was....and ASL couldn't care less!

I suggest that you make a complaint and at the very least they will probably give you a complimentary sitting. It won't compensate you for the A/L day but it is something.

[rmcdonal]

I think the worst part about it is that they have a monopoly over the whole thing. If you don't like it where else can you go?:*

[Barberspole-5]

PA31,

What u can do is complain to the head of ASL- ring CASA for his name.

I meant to sit an exam several months back, I travelled 3 hours to the exam center only to be told that the exam venue was unavailable. The supervisor had not made any arrangements.

I saw red and was able to scum a free exam off them for my trouble. Moral of the story, give ASL grief, stir them up, and they will eventually listen.

GA has no hint of customer service on the whole!!

[DeltaT]

PA31- did you cancel the payment of the fee on your credit card, seeing as they said they never received it?!!

[6080ft]

PA31 Pilot
Are you referrring to ASL NZ, if so yes I have to agree they are useless. When you call them up trying to get someone with english as a first language who you can communicate effectively with is a mission.

Try emailing the general manager - he seems to me to believe ASL are faultless. Perhaps yet another complaint may help him change his mind. Let us now how you get on.

Good luck......

6080ft

[Auschick]

I'll drink to this topic...tried to transfer an ATPL exam a week ago..their website states a minimum of 4 days before the booked date...couldn't do it...guess they meant 4 WORKING days...yep..obviously an aviation bunch as we all work the standard Mon-Fri 9-5 regime....and what's with the paper restrictions?? To ask for more paper prior to the start of the exam only to be told to put my hand up when I've run out (yes MA'AM...)...then to wait 5 mins with my hand flapping in the air to get some attention...and if WE have to turn our phones off or put them on silent...shouldn't the supervisor do that also??

[whiteknuckleairlines]

Auschick......it's not just me who suffered the wrath of the paper Nazis! I was literally told off because I used five sheets of paper in my Flight PLanning exam and I was reluctantly given more.

The things which gets me with ASL is that exams are stressful enough without the examiners unprofessional attitudes and the unreliability of the system as a whole.

Let's hope that the examinations become centralised again with perhaps companies competing to be the providers.

[heliduck]

This isn't what I need to hear!! I'm booked in for the IREX in Cairns this month, so if there are any horror stories about the Cairns branch of ASL please give me a heads up now & maybe I can avoid some hassles.

[outofwhack]

Auschick et al,

About 12 months ago I had the same problem with shifting an exam date with ASL. They said they want '4 working days' but their terms and conditions say '4 days'. At first they refused. I complained to there MD who refused me once more. I then faxed them a legal letter advising them that they were not following the Trade Practices act properly. You should have seen them jump! They changed my exam date and waived the fee. I emplored them to change the wording on their website. They still havent! They are out for your money!

Anyway I've passed all CPL(A) and CPL(H) exams now and only failed one exam and retook it and passed so I cant be too bad but gee does the exam system piss you off.

However i think ASL are the least of a students problems and the main culprit is CASA.

1. Bad grammar or even missing critical words in questions leading to ambiguous meanings. Why cant CASA put the questions in front of someone who really understands English before they put them in an exam? They put them in front of flying instructors. Oh great, half of them cant spell anyway! I have much sympathy for overseas students when English is their second language. If CASA could improve the quality of exams this could make Oz a much more attractive destination for overseas students!

2. A dispute resolution process that takes too long. I made the mistake of disputing one only exam failed by 1 question. Ofcourse I couldnt tell them the exact wording of the question because we are not allowed to take any of our written notes out of the exam room. CASA Ts and Cs quote 2 week turnaround for reconsiderations. It took much longer than this and resulted in me basically having to restart the learning process for that exam from scratch. I should have just rebooked the exam one week later. Dont complain it doesnt work!

3. ASL throw candiates out of the exam room for not having a BAK test [basic aeronautical knowledge]. They didnt get me but in just about every one of the 11 exams I attended at least one person was thrown out for not having a BAK. I dont understand why they cant just make a warning that you have to present your BAK prior to your very last exam as you cant get your licence without all exams! Is this just a money making plot for ASL and CASA?

4. Why on earth is there one exam for Fixed Wing Airlaw and one exam for Helicopter Airlaw???? Dont fixed wing pilots need to know that a helicopter is legally allowed to make a straight in approach to an airfield from any direction????? In reality the helicopter air law exam is the same as the fixed wing one with 1 or max 2 of the 40 questions pertaining to helicopters. You can imagine how pissed I was when in the same day I passed the helicopter airlaw in the morning yet failed the fixed wing airlaw in the afternoon!

Gee I am glad those exams are over. I think there's 10 to 15 percent of each exam that is down to good luck and not skill.


Good luck to everyone in the exam system. You need it!
OOW

[Biatch]

Heliduck..... Be warned.... that f@t b!tch that works at the ASL centre at cairns is THE exam Nazi.... do not go into the room before you need to.... once in you must stand where she tells you to stand... and it goes on from there.... be prepared man....

I had a go at her cause she insisted that i put my sunglasses on the floor rathar than on the side of my desk because they weren't "exam material".... no sh!t.... they're sunglasses.... that i don't want to put on the floor only to be trodden on.... man she was a git...

[CaptainToBe]

Biatch, im told you're spot on the money. I hade a mate in Cairns that experienced the same thing. He called me up after the exam and we both had a jolly laugh at her expense. Im almost sorry I dont have any more exams to do (but not really) as it would be quite an experience with her im sure.