Tayside Aviation

[FlyerJoe]

Has or is anybody currently studying at tayside? I am looking to do my ppl leading to cpl there and I would like to know people's views and opinions on Tayside. Also any info on ways to help fund the training e.g loans, would be great.

Any advice would be of great help.

[Dan the weegie]

Take a look at Perth as well, particularly the PATH program at UHI. You get student status and a good deal on flight training.

My understanding is that the instruction is adequate at Dundee but I believe a lot has changed and from the sounds of it, the already limited customer service has decreased.

If it was my money, I'd choose to go elsewhere, in fact after my okay CPL and my less than okay FI course - I did.

[turbulentmonkey]

Flight training is expensive and it's worth shopping around. As well as the student status granted on the PATH programme there is an excellent maintenance facility at Perth, with a really friendly and helpful engineering team.

And another thing to consider is that although controlled airspace is nearby, Perth airport itself sits in an area of uncontrolled airspace and is a good place to learn the basics.

I'm not sure about landing fees at Tayside but last time I visited it was £17 a landing although I'm sure students get a discounted rate. This is something to consider as you will clock a lot of landings during your training, especially during the circuit stage. I was logging around 6/7/8 landings a lesson and at £10/£12 a landing they don't come cheap.

Perth has free landings! :ok:

Just a few things to consider.

[turbulentmonkey]

"Also any info on ways to help fun the training e.g loans would be great."

Until you start paying them off they are!
You haven't provided any info on your age or circumstances and I cannot say what is best for you, but working hard and earning money to pay for training is generally a good idea. I would do this for the PPL anyway.

[Dan the weegie]

Have Tayside started charging for Landing fees?

If so, that will definitely bump the cost up.

[FlyerJoe]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I will definately look into PERTH. I have just finished A-levels and I was planning on going straight into an integrated school like Oxford, however the price deference between integrated and modular is huge and paying as I go seems to be a lot more sensible then winding up in huge amounts of debt :ugh:

[turbulentmonkey]

Don't just 'look' at schools (unless you have money to throw away).

Actually go to the places you are thinking about training at, talk to the instructors, ask them any questions you want answers to etc.

The instructors should be more than happy to help with any queries you may have.

[4redsyourdead]

I completed all my flight training at ACS at Perth and although I wasn't on the PATH programme I was training with their students all of which seemed extremely pleased with their service.I suggest if you are seriously interested in both schools then go up and visit them as their only 15 minutes apart. I personally would have no doubt recommending ACS. I also have a friend who is on the same TR course as myself who trained at tayside who had a good experience with Tayside :)

[DB6]

Hmmm. I'm a part-time instructor at Tayside so unable to give an unbiased opinion, however I can tell you the following:
There are no landing fees for Tayside students, either at Dundee or Glenrothes.
Good, well equipped aircraft, based at a commercial airport so straight into the ATC/commercial environment.
Very good simulator on site, and an agreement with Loganair to supply candidates for assessment, that uses that simulator for those assessments.
That said Perth is a nice airfield, so you should visit both before making your decision.

[Dan the weegie]

DB6 can't argue with any of that.

Part of me wishes I'd put up with the problems I had to get into the Loganair programme but I didn't so I missed the boat there.

[The Old Fat One]

My understanding is that the instruction is adequate at Dundee but I believe a lot has changed and from the sounds of it, the already limited customer service has decreased.





Have Tayside started charging for Landing fees?

If so, that will definitely bump the cost up.


Got an agenda have we?

Op, you'll find this sort of snide remark all over the place on Pprune. usually from someone with a vested interest, or an axe to grind. The only valid advice is to visit everywhere under consideration and make your own mind up by talking to the people you meet, both instructors and customers.

I'm retired, I have no affiliation or interest in any aviation business whatsoever.

[FlyerJoe]

thanks for all the advice,

I have recently completed a flying scholarship at Tayside and previously visited open days at both oxford and ctc and I believe that they are all very good, the main driving factors are the cost and job prospects of course.

[Dan the weegie]

Got an agenda have we?

Nope, I haven't been associated with any flying school other than a wee bit of part time here and there for nearly 2 years. I have no axe to grind, but they're not good enough and they need to lift their game. When they do, I wont have any hesitation in saying it's worth going. If all their instructors were like DB6, it would be brilliant.

I trained at PPL-FI at Tayside but did my IR elsewhere and did not know what a really good school was until I went away.

Happy to explain to anyone interested via PM.

FlyerJoe, if you're happy there then that's great. Just remember a scholarship is a whole load of difference from doing a full course in terms of cost, so going and checking out at least 3 or 4 schools is definitely good advice. It's a hell of a lot of money to spend.

Outside of Scotland there are a few schools whose names appear time and again for modular training as being excellent, go to those places too.

[bravobravo74]

I did my CPL at Tayside a couple of years ago. The instructor was good, the school didn't present me with any logistical problems and the aircraft (Arrow IV) was always in good working order.

My only gripe was that it sometimes felt as though I was being taught to cater to the Perth-based examiner's personal preferences as a matter of routine. There was a fair amount of "he doesn't like like this" and "don't do this on the exam" throughout the course. I can't blame Tayside for this - it's not their fault that there's only one examiner in the area.