Paying up front for PPL course at Orlando Flight Training.

[Gav28]

Hello all,
I'm going over to OFT in a couple of weeks for the JAA PPL course.

Would be very interested to hear from others who have done this course at OFT, on what the deal is with paying money up front. Says in the material thy sent me that courses of less than 30 days in duration must be paid for up front.
However I was told over the phone, it seems erroneously, in my initial enquiries that this would not be the case.

How have others dealt with this issue? Admittedly the price of the PPL course is not vast compared to the amounts people spend on ATPL training courses etc but still don’t fancy handing ~£3000 over before I’ve stepped in an aeroplane.
Any advice from others who have been over there would be very much appreciated, or any other tips re OFT.

Have searched and been through the various threads on OFT and other US schools which has provided some valuable insight on what to watch out for…but haven’t found anything specifically on this at OFT though so please direct me if any relevant info is knocking about somewhere on pprune.
Thanks very much.
Gav

[hobbit1983]

Do a search for the other OFT thread, there's a lot of info/opinions on there - but as a general rule, the recommendation is to NEVER pay up front for your flying training IMHO.

[BackPacker]

I paid the whole sum by credit card but negotiated the credit card fee down. My reasoning was that if I ever would get into trouble with them I would have the credit card company on my side.

Other than that, paying up front is their terms of sale. You can take it or leave it - but then you probably have to leave as well.

[PPRuNe Towers]

Backpacker's post to hours ratio is completely inverted.

Check out the last 4 days worth alone. Keyboard in opinion overdrive.

Those of us with 30 plus years flying say don't pay up front regardless of clever credit card knowledge. You are stuffed at the time out there. You are captive. You don't know the system. You have very limited options and a clock ticking.

In fact you are being bent over the table. Bohica time.

The credit card bit only comes into play long after you've arrived back home shafted and without your licence.

Don't pay up front. There are plenty of other ways fair to both sides.

Rob

[TurboJ]

I did my PPL and hour building at OFT a few years ago. You will thoroughly enjoy the course. Make sure you ask the instructor if you can go and do some touch and gos at Orlando Intl; its great especially at night.

I would not pay the whole course fee up front. Its stupidity and there are some people who have lost lots of money by doing so.

They will argue a better rate for paying up front. Its up for negotiation. I think I negotiated paying $1000 a week over the few weeks I was there and always keeping my account in credit. You will use the money up quickly when you start to fly, but I wouldn't be paying $3000 or more all in one go.

I think the the staff may well have changed since I was there. Paying by credit card is also a good one as well as you always have the credit card company to fall back on as well, but again not all in one go.

Enjoy. :)

[Dannyboyblue]

Gav28,

Remember, there are soooo many flying schools out in Florida, they know this, if its up front or nothing get the direct e-mail or number of the owner and not the manager.

Make sure you say you are happy to pay the money and you have proof you can pay just not all up front. Say there are plenty of other places you can go at short notice, it is a customers market out there at the mo.

DBB

[Dannyboyblue]

I didnt think that was the case for PPL's because you will be there under 90 days you can travel on the Visa waiver program, and to do any training you need to visit the embassy in london to get permission but i thought you had to put what state you were going to so you were not restricted to a flying school?

Im more than happy to be corrected guys because my knowledge is NOT up to date.

Anyway good luck with the PPL wherever you get to do it

DBB

[BackPacker]

Dannyboy, your knowledge is indeed not up to date anymore. This has been discussed in various other threads, including the borderline cases, but as a foreigner, with the intent of obtaining a PPL (regardless of whether that's JAA or FAA) you need an M-1 visa and TSA clearance, both of which are "sponsored" by the flight school you're going to. It *is* possible to change schools while you're there but it requires some effort on the bureaucracy side.

[Dannyboyblue]

Cheers for the correction, didnt realise it was such a nightmare to do it now!

DBB

[hijack]

Yeah, some of you may have heard of the intial downpayment for the training. It is not recommended to put all your money down at a goal, as a smart consumer I would advice you that you should pay as you go. What if you realized that quality of service for the training ain't good. Eg, planes are not well maintained, weather etc, what if the facilities are not good?. And you've decided to leave, what would you do? take the 75% off from the account. Beware of what you signed as it could be really crafty.