FTC South Africa & SA ATPL (Merged)

[Gin Slinger]

Anyone got any experience with these guys they'd like to share?

Pricing looks damn good - the Rand has droped through the floor in the last year or so.

Also, SA is more ICAO-orientated than the US, the other 'cheap' JAR CPL option.

Comments?

[Gin Slinger]

Thanks for that Mr Rich.

Has anyone done any flying with FTC?

Trying to get behind the usual sales guff.

[cockroach-one]

FTC has a lot of staff, who don't seam to know what the hell is going on. They have not been running the JAA course for long and seamed to be behind on the knowledge requirment side of the course. Just make sure you have every thing in black and white so that if you do hit a problem, you have every thing in writting. They also have to get an examina out from the UK so are not as flexiable as the school in the UK. JUJst make sure you know the requirements for the course and are uptodate with them as it is a long way back to the UK.:(

[WO]

I was interested in their courses a bit earlier this year. It all looked very good, and I very nearly signed up with them. One thing that I did find strange was that in their brochure said that when looking for training in SA, request prices in Rand, but when I made some enquiries with them, they only gave prices in GBP!

WO

[pugzi]

I've been to FTC, actually for there for 2 years.
I was a fresh faced student, then became a ground instructor and eventually a flight instructor.
Flying is there absolutely amazing, the instructors are keen and talented, albeit low hours (i was a low hours instructor!).
Whether they know JAR very well to teach to the required standard, well, only time will tell. But, to be honest, I cant see it. Talent they have, but experience of JAR, I'm sorry. Thats the crux.
JAR is unique in some testing aspects (ground studies), and unless you know it's quirks, it's very hard!.
Anyway, as mentioned, get it in black and white, signed, dated, etc etc. The management is friendly and keen, but when rubbed the wrong way, run, (as with any school and management really) As a result they have been through instructors at a hell of a rate.

I certainly loved it there and would love you say unconditionally to go out there and enjoy it. But to go get JAA CPL, or even ATPL standard, sorry. Maybe one day, but not yet. It took Oxford 2 years.
Got get your PPL and some great flying, but for everything else, go with those that have been around JAR a little longer, Bristol, Oxford, Guildhall etc.

I hope I havenb't offended too many people, and if i did, i'm sorry. It's just my view, you did ask for it.



:( :( :(

[Token Bird]

When the CPL course starts running, Vicky will be doing the mock test, so will be unable to do the actual GFT. The plan is to get an examiner over from the UK in the last week of every month,

TB

[orninn]

Does anyone here know anything about hour building in South africa? Preferably twin hours.
What is the exchage rate?

regards
Orninn

[porridge]

Take a look at this SA web site guys and their client list!! : www.43airschool.com
:)

[RED WINGS]

At those prices quoted i would recomend Australia
You can hour build in an Arrow for GBP48 and take advantage of the great Aussie beer and the fact that every time you land the plane someones not gonna try and rob or murder you!!!

[Sky Goose]

RED WINGS

I can’t imagine that every time you land you get robbed or murdered!!

Don’t make things sound worse than they are, people out there depend on foreign business, comments like yours could stop foreign pilots training in SA and therefore cost jobs, hence creating your above mentioned robbers and murderers.

When is SA you must be vigilant, but I have lived there for 25 years and as yet have not been robbed or murdered!

[Gazeem]

Dissapointing press for the JAA Cpl course.

I was quite keen to go but now I am hesitating, any good views on the likelihood of getting through the JAA CPL??:confused:

edited for spelling

[Troy McClure]

I'd agree with Red Wings re Australia (no comment on the SA angle, not been there, but would love to). Aussie $'s not as cheap as it was when I was there last September, but some great flying and had a fantastic time. 56 hours in 3 weeks in an Archer at less than £40/hr. Even a little incident on the 11th didn't detract too much from my mood...

BTW 'Red Wings' - Detroit ice hockey team reference, or something a little more, shall we say in light of topic, down under.....?

:D

TMC

[Grim Reaper 14]

Currently in SA with FTC, albeit 'only' doing a ppl course. My thoughts are as follows:
- The general view here is that the school is excellent, training -wise, but DOES need to seriously look at its organisational side. It's not unusual to find that your booked aircraft has suddenly gone for a service and is unavailable, or that you have no sessions booked and are fast falling behind with your hours;
- Regarding cost, the noticeboard in the school reception area quotes all prices in sterling (even for locals), but even so I would suggest not paying in full for anything until you arrive. I agree that if you don't like the place when you arrive, it's a bit more expensive to turn round and go home from here, rather than from Wolverhampton 'International', but at the prices here, I think it's worth the 'risk'.
- The local area is not a muggers and murderers paradise, any more than any other place, but the local town is pretty lacking in things to do. If you're gonna be here for a while, I'd suggest 'Rent-a-Wreck', tatty but reliable cars, R2000 per month. Otherwise you're dependant on another student to go anywhere, a taxi (which is cheap, but usually late), or a 30 minute walk into or from town (which is NOT recommended on your own after dark). I'm not scaremongering here, but the locals are extremely poor, and for the want of two quid for a taxi, could save yourself a lot of unnecessary trouble. Honestly, there are a thousand places in the UK where that also applies.
- PPL wise, if you're looking to complete in 4-5 weeks, do some of your exams first and look to get suitable credit on the quoted price. If you fall behind a bit, it's tough and extremely tiring to try and get 3 hours flying and 2 hours groundschool in every day, believe me.

Overall, a very good school. I've spoken to no one here (from all parts of the world), who have said that it's either not up to it, or not worth it, so why not go ahead and try, it's only your wallet that will suffer if you don't!

Grim;)

[Token Bird]

Secure and guarded compound my arse!

It is only guarded during the week up to about 5pm. Nothing at evenings and weekends. As a female of medium stature I can still manage to climb the gate with minimal difficulty even after having consumed copious amounts of alcohol down the local (Giuseppes!),

TB

[skeet surfer]

I was at ftc last year doing the atpl groundschool (which is what token bird is there for (i think))

Security in SA differs from the rest of the western world in only two respects:

1. There are a large amount of very poor people (and you have to see the level of poverty to believe it)

2. When being mugged in the UK, the guy may punch you or brandish a knife before you reluctantly hand over your wallet - In SA they stab you to death/shoot you in the head and then remove your wallet from the corpse....

I used to walk back from town to the ftc compound regularly and never saw any trouble, I'd rather do that again than walk around South London where I'm living at the moment......

Having re-read what I've just written you'd have thought I was trying to dissuade you from going to SA - but I'm not - lots of great people (of all creeds/colours) and a great climate....

The flying's pretty good too!

[Token Bird]

Skeet surfer is correct. I am here for the ATPL ground school. And I'm not drunk that often. I'm actually very studious, I'll have you know ;)

TB

PS. Skeet surfer, do I know you?

[wheels up]

The concern about safety and security is intriguing considering that most pilots end up flying poorly maintained single engined light aircraft around at night and in IMC dodging thuderstorms at some point in their careers!

I have survived 30 years in SA without being murdered once - it just takes a bit of common sense!

[pugzi]

Token Bird, your a woman, be carefull Russel doesn't get frisky, he has been known, a lovely chinese girl was a victim I remember, and a young girl from the uk a few years back who then became an instructor.
Anyway, more pilots will die in aircraft crashes in S.A. than being muredered. When I was there for 2 years, 5 pilots lost there lives, through crashes of various sorts, bad weather, skill etc (not all from the school I must add!, just at Grand Central) Though FTC has lost a plane and the guy died. ZS-SCM was the fatefull twin that went down. I was the last to fly it alive!. Scarey stuff.
Anyway, Afriac flying is en experience you will never forget or regret. I learnt about flying from SA. Thunderstorms that could knock your socks off and truely petrify you. Learn them though.
:cool:

[ghostriderp1]

Hey guys,

I am South African and did my PPL with FTC and i found them really good and professional.The planes are well maintained and they have just bought 3or 4 new Piper warriors.

After moving to the UK to study my ATPL i had to go back to S.A to do some hour building and again chose to do it with FTC and really if you have the pound there is not a better place to do it. You would all have the time of your life. Since i completed my Frozen atpl, i have been planning on going back to do some twin hours so hope to meet up with some of you there.

About the crime! I lived in Johannesburg for 4 years and the worst thing i ever saw was a car crash. It is like anywhere in the world, there are places you just dont go into.

Anyway i hope this will help some of you out there and e mail me with any questions.

SAFE FLYING

Ghostriderp1

[dannyweaver]

:confused:
Looking through the FLYER classifieds this month, I saw a few adverts for JAA training in South Africa with, for example, the Flight Training College (South Africa) at 'Grand Central', near Johannesburg.

I was amazed by the prices (perhaps less than 1/4 of the cost of an integrated at Oxford/Cabair), but do these reflect the quality of the training provided? The facilities sound good and they have new aircraft, but how decieving could this be?

Has anybody trained at this or other (JAA approved) schools, or visited the airfields, as it would be useful for me to find out exactly what the training and facilities are really like.

[Token Bird]

If you check back a couple of days you will find a discussion on FTC. I am there at the moment. E-mail me if you want to know more,

TB

[Grim Reaper 14]

If I were you I'd exercise extreme caution here, SERIOUSLY!!!

One thing leads to another, and an e-mail will become a phone call, and before you know it, Token Bird will have her 'talons' into you and be showing you the easiest and fastest way to reach her room (over the gate), without Clayton fining her R50 for the privilege of having you in to exchange 'ideas'.... :eek:

[Token Bird]

Grim Reaper,

I think it very unfair that you post such defamatory things about me when I don't know who you are. Since I'm the only female JAR student at the school, it's easy to figure out who I am. So who are you? Are you still here or did you leave recently?

TB

[Grim Reaper 14]

Oh God I'm tired.....

Who shall I respond to first? G-RICH I think. Dear Sir, How long have you been a school teacher? You may feel free to chastise me whenever you wish, but your worldly-wise view that my apology will be an end to it, shows a lack of maturity that one such as yourself should be suitably ashamed by. Your opinion of what is right, together with an order, does you no favours, however chivalrous your intentions may have been. I do not request an apology from you Sir, merely perhaps the acknowledgement that perhaps accusing Token Bird of being drunk all the time was as misplaced a statement as you consider mine to have been.

Token Bird. It's so difficult to deal with someone 'on paper' when all previous conversations have been face-to-face. I know that the 'abuse' you take face-to-face everyday at FTC is far worse than the humourous intent that was meant by my last reply. That said, perhaps I have misjudged you and your 'sense of humour' is not as open on the internet as it is 'up close and personal', particularly when the PPRuNe world and its chivalrous watchdogs are baying so closely. I know that I have said worse things to you face-to-face, the same as I have received abuse in return. Isn't that one of the things that makes FTC such a good natured place? Everybody rips the **** out of everyone else, yet still we patronise Giuseppes together. If I caused you any offence, it was not intentional. As to whether I am still there, or have recently left, I can offer no clues, but I'm sure that you've worked it out for yourself by now.:p

[Token Bird]

Grim Reaper,

I was joking. I'm not offended. And I know who you are - I think,

TB

[pugzi]

Token Bird

You weren't at FTC before were you, say a few years back?, or perhaps you know some Irish people that were there, like Shane Dooley, or even Katrina, Francis, or perhaps a well endowed blonde irish lass (can't remember her name)?.
In the bad old days, it was Bull Dogs (called something else now i think) and then onto Seven teese that did the damage.
Russel still thinks all English people are Alcholics. Maybe he's right.
Boy did i have fun at FTC! (too much i think)

[Token Bird]

Nope, I wasn't there before. This is my first time. Giuseppes, by the way, is our local. Bar/restaurant - does very good pizza and pasta. Great atmosphere. I think FTC students keep the place from going bust!

TB

[pugzi]

above back steers?, next to a great butchers who does excellent biltong!!!
Boulders, the memories!
Is LLY or LXE dead?

[Token Bird]

Pugzi,

LLY is dead I believe, but LXE is still around I think. Not really sure since I don't fly Cessnas. Killed While Training (KWT) is currently out of commission for a while, Jump Or Die (JOD) is still going strong.

Yes, Giuseppes is above Black Steers - mmm, ribs! The best in the world apparently.

By the way, check your email, I have mailed you a couple of times recently,

TB

[Grim Reaper 14]

TB
Next time you see me in Giuseppes, creep up behind me, yell "You are the Grim Reaper and I claim my prize!". I'll then owe you a beer!!;)