BASAIR flight training

[mudpig]

Thinking of doing CPL with Basair. Unsure if I should do
Instructor rating or ATPL course.
All those Basair students past and present could you give
me some feedback. If you don't want to post on the forum
so you can remain anon just pm me.
More feedback on picking up employment on completion would
also help.
Thanks

[iamanaussiemavrick]

dont go to basair mate...

its too crowded there.. too much students... and less aeroplanes...

think they give jobs to everyone who do instructor rating there..

try other schools...

[DUXNUTZ]

It seems they are marketing themselves towards the international set more than the local kid that wants to work on their ppl etc. Thats where the cash is.

Did the integrated course many yrs ago and found it great, but that was because we had a really experienced instructor teaching both the flying and the theory. I think these days it would be hard to get someone with more than a few hundred hrs experience teaching... but thats another kettle of fish.

The training is thorough, though pricey.

[Atlas Shrugged]

The search function is your friend :ugh:

[milehighsociety]

I employed 2 basair pilots. Both were instructors taught by Basair with CPL and IFR.

Both of these pilots required about 40 hours icus in a 210 each just to get to bare commercial standard. Both had no idea how to conduct a cross wind landing. Both had some of the most skewed idea of how to fly a circuit, Ive never seen anything like it. I wouldnt have passed them for a private license.
Neither pilot lasted long, whilst they did get up to flying scratch, the poor attitude and beleifs of what was required by a commercial pilot, clearly instilled by the flying school itself, basically made them unemployable in the long term. Neither worked for us for that long and 1 has already been fired from their second job, the other I understand still has their second job only due to short staffing.

Save your money.. Go anywhere else.

Apologise to Basair, but your reference for these pilots recommended them as both being extremely capable and with good attitude. Quite frankly they were neither.

Perhaps this is a message that can be taken constructively but Im sure Ill get spanked anyway.

[bizzybody]

I Tend to agree with you milehighsociety and we were in the same situation.

FLying in a circle around an airfield in an aircraft that weighs 500kgs (Tecnam, spam in a can) is much different to real world stuff. To be fair to this person, after getting endorsed on some heavier twins and a bit of ICUS he did fly it quite well but they are all pretty young with next to know real world flying experiance.

The tecnam is not the best aircraft to learn to fly in but on teh up side, if you can land a tecnam in 20kt crosswind you can land ANYTHING.

Bizz

[DickyPearse]

A couple of queries from your post milehigh...


Both had some of the most skewed idea of how to fly a circuit, Ive never seen anything like it.


das ber soldat raised this point on a different thread - how does a Basair circuit differ from a normal circuit?



I wouldnt have passed them for a private license.



Surely a testing officer would have tested them at some point during their PPL/CPL studies - why haven't these faults been picked up through that process?

[Wilcome]

Basair trains ALOT of students. There are bound to be slack students who have just scraped through. There are also bound to be very good Basair trained pilots.

It is unfair to tarnish them all with the same brush. I'd like to see employers put their hand up and mention the dilligent Basair trained pilots they have employed for a fair argument.

[stickywastegate]

Since Basair do train many students, it is unfair to take the circumstances of "a select few" as the standard coming from the college.
If some of the above employers have come accross students who lack CPL qualities, then i suspect it is the student who is at fault and not the college.

The instructors and staff there can only do so much to help students become good pilots, so i hardly see it fair to dump the blame on a company, especially when in order to pass the CPL stage, they have to have reached the required outcomes, if not, then i know who this thread should really be about.

[milehighsociety]

As I said, I am likely to be spanked.

Quite frankly, Im sure that there is a little cross tarnishing there and Im sure that there are a few good students however I pose the following for you.

In my experience.. BASAIR has had 100% failure rate with me so far. More so, the pilots had so little idea that I dont actually beleive they used a testing officer.

I am not starting discussions regarding curcuits techniques and variation of them. But when an approved instructor requires 4 hours of remedial crosswind landings becasue they went off the runway with a 10 knot crosswind in a C210.. there is a drastic problem... DRASTIC.. This was the same for both pilots!! I dont care where your loyalties lie, if you cant admit that there is a serious chink in their armour then you are either short or near sighted... gain some focus. These poeple were approved to teach other people and were offered job with BASAIR to train their next coming students.

DISGUSTING!!!

I would also tender that many of my peers as cheif piltos and owners have had similar experiences. I can say with confidence that across 4 companies that I am particularly close to, spread across the nation, we have all experienced a very poor performance from numerous basair pilots and will no longer hire from that gene pool.

Apologies to whom I offend. This could be a good wake up call to get basairs standards above average. I understand once upon a time thats where they were.

Until then... its my opinion. You dont like it, train better pilots. And while you are there.. Stop convincing them they are airline captains the second they get a commercial. Its annoying.

[Foyl]

I had no problem with Basair, I both enjoyed and gained from the training I received there, and there was no question of letting me loose before I showed competency. They do use testing officers (or at least they did while I was there).

A lot boils down to the attitude of the student and whether or not they actually practice what they learned to ensure they retain it. Perhaps they kept the cream of the crop? :ok:

[Cap'n Arrr]

IMHO I don't believe that people should be given or not given a job on the basis of what school they went to, but on the effort they put into both learning and improving on their flying.

Back to the topic, Mudpig, it comes down to personal preference... have a look at all the schools at Bankstown, and decide on a few which can cater to your needs, eg... are the aircraft in good condition, can i get along with the instructor etc, and then maybe go for a TIF with the one or two good ones to see what they're like in the air. It also mightn't hurt to ask what schools people recommend, as compared to what ones they would not... I've heard of shocking pilots from the same schools that have also taught exceptional pilots, so it comes down to "you get out what you put in:ok:"

[Wilcome]

"IMHO I don't believe that people should be given or not given a job on the basis of what school they went to, but on the effort they put into both learning and improving on their flying"


YES - Exactly my thoughts. If a CANDIDATE is stronger than another, fair enough. Until that is established, it should be even grounds.

[stickywastegate]

A lot boils down to the attitude of the student and whether or not they actually practice what they learned to ensure they retain it.
Exactly. I actually feel sorry for anyone who has experienced any sub-standard applicants, as they have not seen the quality of student that can actually come from being trained at Basair.
And to refuse to employ anyone from the company due to those applicants is unfortunate as the better students coming from Basair are excellent pilots that would make a fine addition to any aviation organisation.
If a CANDIDATE is stronger than another, fair enough. Until that is established, it should be even grounds.
And if a candidate is refused to be even considered for a position due to the flying school that they attended, then it is highly un-ethical. They should only be judged on the outcomes and necessary requirements for the position available.

[milehighsociety]

If you guys went there and have done well.. good for you. And yes you are right, a good attitude can make all the difference.

Im a little over this argument as everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Wait until you own a company and pour hours of training, money and effort in a pilot just to learn that it was all for nothing..... Then have your colleagues say they went through the exact same experience with other students.

Sorry guys Im drawing the line somewhere.. and its right here. Im not saying everyone else should. If Im missing out then its my problem. Frankly, I am more than satisfied with my decision and since then have had a string of pilots with whom I am far more impressed from numerous other flight schools

Leave it at that.

Regardless of your flight school, good luck to you all.

[mudpig]

Cap'n thanks for the advice. I know it easy for some of these threads to become quite, how do I say it, heated at times with the views of many. But that is one of the principles of these forums. Milehighs comments will also be taken on board by myself and probably some others now as well. Of course I wont make my decision on the basis of a single view and I'm sure milehigh would not expect me to.

[iamanaussiemavrick]

Hi,

I know a lots of students at basair. There were very good instructors over there, but almost all of them have left now. Not a lots of experienced once there now..

I know students at basair who have done all the exams and passed with very good marks and they are struggling to get bookings, too much students.... bad attitude of some instructors.. they dont care that it is our money...

I will strongly suggest you try some other school over bankstown..

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Aussie Mav:
I can give you a possible reason why it's a 'struggle to get bookings' at Basair and 'some Instructors have a bad attitude'....

The Instructors must have accepted below standard pay and Basair can't attract more experianced staff with what they offer.

Basair web quotes $45 for an Instructor on top of solo?.

There is no way Basair can employ Instructors on the correct money and charge out only $45 (and stay in business!).

Aussie Mav: It's an oldie but a goodie - You only get what you pay for.

[iamanaussiemavrick]

But from a students point of view, why should he care about that.

More than that that was not told to him or was neither in the brochure that they give:}

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Aussie Mav:

Maybe the lure of 'cheap 'n nasty' flight training is keeping your mate at Basair.

Otherwise, he should vote with his feet and transfer right now to a better run school (bookings and Instructor attitude).

If he chooses to stay at Basair then it can't be all that bad then can it.

[DUXNUTZ]

Well its hard to leave when you've paid up front!!!

[Rich-Fine-Green]

Duck Nads:

Well its hard to leave when you've paid up front!!!

No Excuse. Even if a student at Basair or any other school has paid up front, a refund of the unused portion will be due if he/she decides to leave.

Every state has laws about this.


Also, I caution anyone paying up front. Check out the stability of the company first (not refering to Basair - but in general).

There are a coupla dozen ex-Arena Aviation students that have lost all they paid up front - only to watch the company set up again under a different name!.

[bizzybody]

i heard once from an instructor at Basair that for aone hour lesson and ground briefing, as a grade 3 he gets about $30.00 for it

Bizz