CAE Brussels (Sabena Flight Academy)

[ChevalierDuCiel]

Does anyone have any experience with the above?

What surprises me most is the pie chart in the link below. The figures listed don't really seem great imho. Judging by the fact Brussels Airlines is going to sack a great number of pilots, JetairFly having it's own scheme, the rumour (http://www.ppjn.com/Jetairfly_(TUI_Airlines_Belgium)-pilot-jobs) of ab-initios being used and fired afterwards. Thomas Cook having a fleet of just five aircraft, currently not hiring with the possibility of redundancies. Lion Air being a blacklisted airline, ...

The only decent option seems Ryanair? Which requires you to pay for your own typerating. The integrated ATPL course at CAE Brussels costs €85.000 which is not cheap to say the least. Add another 35k for a typerating and you're looking at a debt of €120.000.If you're 'lucky' enough to get a job in Belgium, which I somehow doubt, you'll have to bend over while the tax administration is having a go at you. A net sum of approx €1400 seems about right.

I was recently looking into CAE Brussels as it might be the most convenient way for me to train, without having to relocate during training. I've always had a 'negative' view towards Belgian flying schools. Rightfully or not? Should I be looking at greener horizons?

Another interesting quote is as follows:

Job allocation
We will actively contact airline companies and scan the market in search of possibilities for our graduates. After having your approval, your file will be sent to every company in our network (over 80 companies).

This does not seem to reflect in the pie chart. I've also heard of CAE Amsterdam (NLS) being a pilot-supplier of Easyjet. Does this count for CAE Brussels as well?

I'm not trying to bash CAE Brussels, not at all. But I'm just trying to look at the positive and negative sides of the company. Unlike OAA, CTC etc, they are more of less failing to convince me. I hope this topic will be of any help. I'm probably going to attend an open day and see what they have to say about the things I listed above.

[Biket]

Dear,

I'll try to get as short as possible. If you behave professionally, have an open mind, and hit the best possible scores at every stage in the training, you will land a job via CAE SFA 100%.

From my experience, the best people are hired by Brussels and Thomas Cook. The rest by Jetair, Ryanair, Lyonair (lately), even private companies having like 1 jet ...

The only 2 people from my prom without a job (out of 14) were either "I know it all" or the lazy type (who never kept up hes ATPL knowledge for the selections).

If they have the good material to sell (you), it's sold. They got pretty far reaching hands.

I could spend more time on this, like "it's the experience of your life" , "usa training is so blablabla" but ...

'nough said.

[Da-20 monkey]

I don't keep track of everyone who finishes at SFA, but as far as I know, of the people that finished from 2011 up till now, all job offers were at RYR.
The other Belgian airlines hardly hire any ab-initio's at all at the moment.

[ChevalierDuCiel]

of SFA being the best school in Belgium I have absolutely no doubt. I know a lad who was strutting around like a peacock in his BAFA uniform, all paid for by his daddy. I always said he wouldn't get anywhere. I was absolutely convinced of it. Now, over 2 and a half years later he still hasn't made it. I pity the lad.

Eventho I know CAE SFA is the best possible choice in Belgium, I am not convinced of Belgian flight training organizations, atleast not yet. If you look at organizations outside of Belgium, for example EPST in the Netherlands, Oxford in the UK etc. Our Belgian schools just cant compete, in terms of employment statistics as well as in terms of connections. Just my 2 cents

[Poeli]

Like you didn't know that before you joined the school:ugh:
How do you learn how a plane works then? Fly it? Look at it? I'm sorry but you can say you don't like the way how they split theory-practical flights, but you should have known this before joining the school. Please enlighten me; I don't see how you'd know how an airplane works without the theory.
9 months is nothing. What do you think engineers/doctors and other uni graduate students get? 5 years of PPT's at least. Theory is a part of the process, whether we like it or not.

[Da-20 monkey]

you will not be able for at lest your 9 first months to see, to enter or even touch an aircraft

Well, at least you are able to do observation flights, which you can't do on most schools as far as I know. You will also get BFC and probably some FNPT missions before Arizona. :rolleyes:

Some FTO's split the theory in modules or do the VFR part of the practical part before the theory. It doesn't make much difference I think.

Perhaps you can do one or two gliding lessons on your day off.

[pablo]

Hi!

I don't know about other belgian schools, but imho training standards at CAE Brussels (aka Sabena Flight Academy) used to be good.

About assistance with job allocation, they do try to help a lot more than other schools do, and for several desk jobs they used to hire former students (which is nice because it keeps you in the loop). Nevertheless, you get hired but you have to pay for the type rating and the initial contract is 12 months. I do not know what the salaries are like or how many of the guys have been offered a contract extension.

About price, SFA is not cheap, but on the other hand the equipment (aircraft and fnpt sims) was fairly good and maintenance standards pretty high. And imho the syllabus/organization was pretty decent. If you admit my opinion I think it's better to get rid of the theory first, and then do the flying at once.

When I was student (in another school) combining theory+flight was a mess. Even for students at SFA combining theory and fnpt missions was already a high enough workload imho.
If you feel the urge to fly during the theory part I suggest you go get a gliding lesson in the weekend (or a trial lesson at an aeroclub).

You might also want to take a look at CAE-Évora.

Going modular is a cheaper alternative, but you have to watch out for certain outfits as their standards aren't that high and later on you pay the toll.