modular flight training, using the same fto throughout?

[king rooney]

Hi all, can anybody shed some light on this question?

I am currently considering modular training options for frozen ATPL and am consistently advised that it is important to use the same training organisation throughout.

Can anybody explain why this is the case?

Also, which are the most important parts of the training to have the consistency of training organisation? Would it for example be a great disadvantage to do ones PPL say in america to get it over with quickly then do everything else, hours building, cpl ir etc with another orgaisation?

Cheers,

the king.

[Sans Anoraque]

The people who are 'consistently advising' you to use the same organisation throughout your training, wouldn't by any chance be organisations that offer to train you would they?

Short answer - it's utter bollocks.

[High Wing Drifter]

Sans,

If you read the Flyer Show thread, there was some feedback from a Flybe bloke who reckons the same FTO = a better and more consistent level of training.

I have to wonder though, what additional benefit it would have. I mean, it isn't as if you have the same instructor throughout, so where does the significant level of consistency come from? Stoppping to think for a moment, surely, changing FTOs would be better as you would spread the risk of less than optimal training, stand a much higher chance of of imbibing a greater range of experiences, not to mention the networking benefits.

In that same thread, somebody questioned if these pilots dishing out such advice really know what they are talking about! He might have a point, just because they are making decisions on who to recruit, there isn't really anything objectively measurable to justify their decisions. Hence I wonder if we are just up against one bloke's opinion vs another's :{

[no sponsor]

Cabair (the Cranfield lot) offered me a big discount if I did all my modular training with them, (at that time I had a PPL, so it would have been the groundschool, MEP, CPL and IR) which amounted to about £3k.

(I didn't go to Cranfield, even with the offer, but it is one of the only reasons why I could see an advantage, but as I've said elsewhere, don't go to a school just becasue it appears cheaper)

[Sans Anoraque]

no sponser - if you wanted to save money, then doing each part with different organisations would probably have saved you more than 3k?

HWD - I wonder what evidence the Flybe geezer uses to support his supposition? Perhaps the fact that that is what he did.

I still can't see any reason why one FTO would suit the majority of modular wannabes. (Although I can think of a reason why an FTO would suggest as such).

Bristol GS get very good writeups from ex-students on this forum for their distance learning course, yet (AFAIK), that's all they do. For hour building, you don't need an FTO at all.

[High Wing Drifter]

I wonder what evidence the Flybe geezer uses to support his supposition? Perhaps the fact that that is what he did.
An excellent suposition. That would be my guess too. Hence the apparent preferment of Integrated over Mods?

[FlyingForFun]

The only reason I can think of why using just one school could be a bonus is that you will then be using the same techniques, checks, etc, right throughout the whole course. Or at least you will do if your school has standardised everything.

But on the other hand, that might be considered a disadvantage. Far better to use a variety of schools, and learn a variety of different ways of doing things. That way you're better equipped to choose a method which works best, and you're also more likely to have come across the techniques which are used in other environments if you subsequently fly from somewhere else.

If the schools are spread out geographically (e.g. different countries), you will also get experience of a variety of different flying environments. So maybe use a UK school for your PPL and IR, a Canadian school for your hour-building, an American school for your CPL, etc.....

If you are offered discounts, watch out. First of all, do they want payment up front? Never pay more money up front than you would be able to deal with loosing. Secondly, check whether you can save more money by shopping around.

FFF
----------------

[Alex Whittingham]

The argument from one or two of the airlines that have only taken integrated in the past is that they would be happy to accept modular candidates if they could get a reliable training report from a modular FTO or a series of modular FTOs - hence the new emphasis at OAT on modular training and, probably, hence the blather about how important it is to train at one place.

It's obviously easier for someone who's trained at Cabair or OAT to get a report on a his/her training than someone who's trained at a number of schools. One or two of the providers of 'structured modular' courses (Aeros/Multiflight/Stapleford) are addressing this by getting their training programs ticked in advance by these airlines so that they can provide said reports when requested. Once it is set up it would require us or London Guildhall to raise the part of the report for groundschool whereas the FTO would report on the IR and skills test etc. It's a new thing, and probably a good thing.

[FlyingForFun]

Hmm, interesting Alex, I didn't know that but it makes sense.

In other industries, a student goes to school/college/university/etc, and comes out with grades. Employers can then use the grades to help decide which candidates to hire.

In aviation, we don't have grades as such, we just have a pass/fail system for each of the licenses and ratings. Maybe we need an official grading system, so that you can pass your IR with a B+??? As long as you get a C or higher, you get your IR and you get the same privileges, but employers could use the grade to help them choose who to recruit?

FFF
---------------

[machlimter99]

fff, Why does this need to be applied to the aviation industry. For instance theres plenty of industries where there are only pass or fails; for instance medical school. In all reality there has to be a line drawn whereby if the candiate is unsafe or does something stupid, he fails, otherwise he passes. If an airline wants to see your flying they give you a sim ride.

[Megaton]

Rumour circulating is that Flybe won't be taking on any more modular students anyway. No major crisis unless you have your heart set on a Q400 job!

[Alex Whittingham]

Not true as you've stated it, I think, Ham. If you combine your post with mine you'd be closer.