PPL at Ravenair - Good value?

[Okavango]

Hi All,

I'm considering Ravenair for PPL instruction as it's the most convenient school and seems to get relatively good feedback for PPL training. Their costs are £7000 though this doesn't seem to include any course study material (which others seems to). I'm also unsure of the instruction time - the web site makes reference to 90min lessons though from elsewhere on the site I'm assuming this is block to block, rather than actual flight time. Should this be investigated further and/or is this typical for other UK schools?

Cheers,

Oko

[adverse-bump]

the 90 mins is a booking for the a/c and the instructor, it gives time for briefs, a checks etc

you only pay airbourne + 15 mins.

good school, but book in advance.

[Scouse_Phil]

I called them a couple of months ago to get some questions answered and the reply i got was "have a look on the internet". I told him that i had done so and still had questions to which he huffed and reluctantly answered my questions in as few words as possible!!

That put me right off Ravenair (Liverpool), however he might have been having an off day and if someone can tell me they're not normally like this i might look at going to do my ppl there again!!!

[Brgsstm]

I do my PPL training at Ravenair Barton, loving every minute, in fact I had my first solo today!:eek:

Great instructors and much better rates than I was spaying at Manchester School of flying at EGCC.

[Absoulutley lad]

Yeh The person must have been on an off day when you called.
Usually the people are friendly and go to lengths to help you out. Try to go and have a look at the school, it doesnt look great but the instructors and staff are friendly and helpful.

I recomend ravenair

[Slipstream86]

Well I went to view a group aircraft that Iwas interested in recently. It was based at EGGP, hangered and serviced by Ravenair.

When I arrived at the enterance to the site, I called up ravenair on the intercom to gain access through the gate. A gruff voice in a needlessly unfriendly tone then answered. I politely mentioned that I was there to view an aircraft on the site, mentioned the name of the chap who I was planning to meet.

They hung up on me! without opening the gate or offering an explanation despite my further attempts:rolleyes:

Sounds like they are a generally moody bunch!:}

[JUST-local]

I tried to book a proffesional course with them some time ago and was puzzled why they were still advertising!

I found them a useless bunch to say the least with regard to training courses, I could not get as much as a retun phone call after 6 attempts so went elsware! This was at Liverpool not sure about Barton.

On the other hand the aircraft handling service is expensive but very good if you need to use Liverpool.

[steveja]

I am currently taking my PPL with Ravenair. These people are bunch of arrogant unhelpful people. The guy who takes the bookings at their head office is very impolite, arrogant and snobby person I have every spoken to. They forget that we are the customers and they should be helpful. Their fleet is most outdated PA-38 I have ever seen. Every time you book a flight, you will have new instructor who hasn’t got a clue what you haven’t done in the past and makes you to take extra lessons. If you are a payment behind they treat you like a criminal.
To be honest I was thinking of doing my CPL with raven air but after what has been happening I will try another school.

So my recommendation is: RAVEN AIR WASTE OF MONEY AND WORSE CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER

[Hudson Bay]

I have never understood why people train with Ravenair. There reputation is terrible and always has been.

Plenty of other Flying Schools at Liverpool with quality instructors. Shop around!

[flightlevel1985]

Or at Barton as the case may well be ...

[FlyingOfficerKite]

I have completed a number of courses and renewals at Ravenair without a problem.

However, it has to be said that the attitude of some of the staff might be construed as arrogant and standoffish to the uninitiated. Maybe, due the fact that I've known some of the personalities for many years and the training I have undertaken has been for the renewal of commercial licences and ratings, I have not witnessed this first hand.

But I can see their attitude would be seen as less than appropriate in a 'flying club' environment. The accommodation always seems austere and unwelcoming for some reason - I'm not sure why because a portacabin is a portacabin?!

The staff run the organisation very much as a 'flying school' rather than a 'flying club' and I think the professionalism they try to attain is seen as cold and unwelcoming.

I wouldn't steer clear until you have visited the place yourself. If you have come across bad manners, then so be it - but at least give them a try.

FOK :)

[the peoples voice]

please please do not pay for your course in advance.....my son is being given excuse after excuse asto why he cannot fly....once they have your money,you will not recieve any priority at all.....
today i took my 16 yr old son to ravenair liverpool for a pre arranged solo flite,we arrived to be told it was too windy,fair enuff,safety first....
the instructor then said circuits were ok for today considering the wind....
i asked the instructor to his face if my son was definatly flying before i left the airport for my 1 hour trip home.....he assured me he was...
my son arrived home 4 hours later after a £40 taxi ride only to inform me that he did not fly at all because the instructor had a trial flight booked with some potential clients......
the short version is,this has gone on for 10 months and my son has only 29 hours clocked up.....we have had at least 50 lessons cancelled....
they are cowboys who abuse honest decent 16 yr old boys....

dont do it..

[lazy george]

I had no problems with ravenair , planes are getting on a bit but instructors and staff are helpfull at Barton. If you dont fly there tends to be a good reason not too.

[the peoples voice]

was talking about liverpool george.......not barton......

[mikeyc1985]

I am doing my PPL with Ravenair and it going great. Ive been to a few training organizations and Ravenair is the best so far. I think some of the posts on here are a bit unfair and should be taken with a pinch of salt!!:ok:

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Take a look at LAC flying school, Barton, as an alternative to Ravenair.

[shaun ryder]

[QUOTE]they are cowboys who abuse honest decent 16 yr old boys..../QUOTE]


Well I never? Ravenair instructors certainly do seem to be getting themselves a reputation these days!

[Ashley Byrom]

May be a bit late but, I do my PPL Training at Ravenair, Barton. I'd recommend to anybody. I'm 16 years old and the instructors there make everything extremely easy to understand.

I passed my Air Law on Friday with 90% and if it wasn't for the CD's they provided me with that were Ravenair's own learning materials I doubt I would of achieved a score even close to that. I could read Jeremy Pratt's books inside out but nothing compares to the CD's they provide you with. They even teach you off the CD and you can take it home and read on...

[Uncle Ray]

I'm very sorry to read all these comments about Ravenair. I did my PPL with them at Manchester Airport from 1986 to 1988. It looks like some of the Tomahawks I flew them are still plodding around the circuit. The owner, Geoff, was a great guy, always had time to chat and I had the same instructor, Graham Price, almost from start to finish. We used to get sent over to Woodvale or Liverpool for circuits then. After I got my PPL I found Manchester a bit restrictive, getting held for ages because the jets always of course had priority but it was still fabulous to mix it up with the big stuff. During my training I had a few cancellations of course, you've got to let them make the call with the weather but I never found them anything less than helpful and encouraging. They even helped me to compose a grovelling letter to the CAA when I caused a 727 load of holiday makers to do a missed approach at East Midlands when I got lost trying to find Nottingham of a misty day. Managed to keep my license thanks to them!

[mikecharlietango]

I can only highly recommend Ravenair. Great flying school, fantastic instructors, I've had mainly Barton experience so far, with some Liverpool, so the Tomahawks are old...so are 747's. Some of the comments above are ridiculous...people would be complaining if their approach to flying training was laid back and unprofessional, not to mention allowing flights to continue in weather way out of training limits! Simple thing is this...do your research, there's many flying schools around, browse the internet, talk to people, go visit places, and chose what's right for you. Ravenair were, and are, brilliant for me, and I have no doubt this will not change throughout the rest of my training.

[Kestrel]

Why not take a look at LAC flying school at Barton, they have 3 different types of aircraft to choose from and always a friendly receiption both over the phone and in person.

The Cessna and PA-28 is more suited to Barton than the tommy.

In balance like LAC Ravenair have been going along time so they must be doing something right.

If i was learning again i would only use either LAC or Ravenair at Barton.

[mcculchris]

Hi i know how you all feel, last year i went there for a trial lesson for an hour, and as i was up in the plane it was like i was in a museum, i wasnt allowed to touch anything, mt instructor took off climbed took me on a tour over black pool let me do one turn and then he flew us back, I am now doing my flight training at Highland aviation up in scotland it is the best place i have ever been to, plus it is cheaper their time is from take off to touch down, on my first lesson with them he gave the control over to me after take off, it was great, it was a bit pricey tho £300 for 2 hours, i would recomend them to anyone that wants to learn to fly

[gazza2205]

My name is Gary Burgess and I am astonished to read that people are unhappy with Ravenair.

Back in the eighties I was an instructor at Ravenair (Manchester) instructing in Night Ratings and IMC ratings as well as PPL.

I loved the job and we were all one big happy family and we always wanted to help any budding pilot as much as possible. Jeff Nuttall was a really nice guy and always tried to make time for everybody although it was plain that he was extremely busy.

When a student had come for a booking and the weather would not permit them to fly I took that as an opportunity to get them up to speed on their groundschool so I hope they never felt that they had wasted their time or journey.

Many students from Ravenair went on to be Commercial Airline Pilots including myself albeit briefly.
When I have met former students they have always without exception have always tell me how much fun as well as learning the whole process was.

[JP1]

mikeyc1985, 1 Post, has a favourable post about said School

Uncle Ray, 1 Post, has a favourable post about said School. Also is a veteran of 25 years on the flying scene but has not felt compelled to post or share his experience here before.

mikecharlietango, 1 Post, has a favourable post about said School

gazza2205, 1 Post, has a favourable post about said School. Now Gary was an instructor back in the Eighties at Ravenair! Someone else we have missed for half a century.


Seems like Ravenair is a place to avoid at all costs.