Leeds Flying School IR OK ?

[RVR800]

Chapesses and Chaps

Seem a reasonably priced set up - any
recommendations ?

[RVR800]

..?

[G-LOST]

They managed to get me a first time pass, so no complaints. Cost effective and good instruction. However, to be totally 'transparent' I should add that I am now doing an instructor rating there to help pay the bills in the future whilst awaiting a reply to CVs, and as I'm a permanent fixture I've also started working part-time in Ops, so you might argue that I am no longer impartial.

Hopefully the likes of Max, who was there recently, will add comment for you.

Good luck choosing - an important decision!

[expedite_climb]

120 % Ok...

[Luke SkyToddler]

I've never been there, but one of my work colleagues has been giving the place a right old slagging off recently. This guy took time off work and went there on two separate occasions trying to get the IR done, and according to him they totally took the piss with regard to aircraft and instructor availability, he spent days waiting for a flight or even a briefing, apparently it was shambolic. He got sick of waiting around and went elsewhere in the end.

[Nic Denson]

As the Ops Manager for Leeds Flying School I feel I should reply to the above message.

I can guess who the student in question is, and I will admit that he did not have a particularly smooth training course and I can understand where he is coming from. We suffered from aicraft going tech, and although we tried our best to recover the situation as quickly as possible, it was not possible to complete the course in his very fixed timescale. The student was not actually being trained by Leeds Flying School, but had made a private arrangement with an instructor who was working freelance out of here. Consequently, we had very little influence over his training but our own instructors also gave him extra briefings and spent time with him, as we did feel guilty about the aicraft problems. Incidently, the other student who was on the same IR course passed first time and was perfectly happy with the service he received. The student in question had an unfortunate experience, something which will happen at every flying school in the world from time to time, despite peoples best efforts.

[MAX]

I flew with Leeds Flying School Only last month. Finished my CPL and the 50hr IR in less than a month. My instructors Tony and Kevin couldnt have been more helpfull. Knowing my tight time frame they bent over backwards to get me through and were more than prepared to work much longer hours than 9 to 5.
The price was excellent and instructing superb. My 100% recommendation.

MAX http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[G-LOST]

Luke,

I would have expected you to have learnt about the dangers of publishing hearsay after the lambasting you got in April when, as I recall, Deck-Cam put you right for slandering the Aussies recruited by BMC. Remember that careless comments can have a significant impact. I'm now doing my instructor rating with the contract instructor in question, and have absolutely no complaints about his availability or capabilities.


Max,

Good luck with the Britannia testing day. Share your experiences with the rest of us please....

[This message has been edited by G-LOST (edited 14 June 2001).]

[This message has been edited by G-LOST (edited 14 June 2001).]

[Luke SkyToddler]

Fair point G-LOST. Now if you could just point me in the direction of this so-called 'lambasting' I received for 'slandering' people back in April, I'd be very grateful, I must have blinked and missed it :rolleyes:

I'm well aware of the consequences of misinformed comment on PPRuNe, my own employer has received an unjustified slagging off on this very website a damn sight more often than your one has ...

The guy was asking for good/bad stories or opinions about your school, which I provided. I happily admit everything I posted was hearsay, hence the reason why I used lots of words like 'allegedly' and 'according to so-and-so' when I posted it. Since the subsequent post from your very own ops manager seems to largely agree with my version of events, I can't say I feel particularly racked with guilt over it ...

Nevertheless, I fully apologize for any misrepresentation made, and I admit that I wasn't aware that my colleague had made private arrangements with a sub-contracting instructor not working for Leeds Flying School. (He certainly didn't phrase it to me in those terms).

I'm sure that your company wouldn't have been in the IR training business for as long as you have, if you couldn't deliver the goods, and there are plenty of posts from satisfied customers on this thread to attest to the fact. Nevertheless, I think people that post here are looking for stories from both sides of the tracks, if they weren't they might as well just go and read adverts!

Remember when all is said and done it is only a 'rumour network' ...

[Deck-Cam]

Geez Luke I'd change informants if I were you. If you'd like to refer to my reply http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum2/HTML/009002.html you would have seen that you were completely off-target with that one. Can't comment on Leeds Flying School but I do agree with G-LOST that sometimes blame lies with both parties when a flying course doesn't go as you would like. Rumours are great but you get sick of reading negative slaggings. And I thought you for on would have realised this if your boss had been on the receiving end of so many.
But as with any press, good news isn't always as scandalous.
Surely with you being in the industry you would able to offer advice to your "colleague" as to where he would be best suited for his course.

[Luke SkyToddler]

Well I guess that's me told off then :)

I mean seriously guys, one minute I'm telling a true story about a friend of mine being less than satisfied with service received - next thing I know I'm getting roasted alive over an unrelated, throwaway comment I made two months ago? If you look closely you will see a bloody great 'according to rumour' at the top of that post as well, which is why we're all gathered here after all, isn't it? Or do you have some other agenda perhaps, a bit of free advertising for the company maybe, keep an eye on the thread and make sure to pick a fight with anyone doesn't sing your school's praises to the skies?

You'll be pleased to know that my 'colleague' already went elsewhere, and subsequently passed his IR first time with a minimum of hassle, and was nothing but chuffed with the training he received.

I better not say where he went though, that would only be fanning the flames of idle rumour and speculation wouldn't it now ;) Funny how people never throw their toys out of the cot when everyone is only saying nice things about them!

[G-LOST]

Lets put this one to bed before it turns into a massive slanging match, which is not really what we want because I suspect that all the participants are fellow countrymen.

Luke, all I was saying was that although this is undeniably a rumour network, negative comments can have a massive effect. If someone has something negative to say, that's fine, but perhaps it's better if it comes from the horses mouth.

Glad to hear that your colleague passed. Send him my regards.

G-LOST

[Luke SkyToddler]

'Onya G-LOST. Sounds like a good idea to me as well. I didn't realise we were fellow countrymen - needless to say, we can't go slagging off at each other until we have achieved our secret masterplan to take all the flying jobs in Britain for ourselves :)

Email me if you're up this way and I'll buy both you and Deck-cam a conciliatory pint ... and I hereby solemnly promise not to make wild and inflammatory statements on PPRuNe any more, so help me God!

[Joaquín]

Personally, I think there is no harm at all in posting any rumours here (hence the name). Rumours travel anyway, so if you make them public, the people concerned have the opportunity to reply. :)

I'm looking forward to start my training with LFS next July, specially after this thread.

Fly Safely

[Rob 747]

Ermm....Interesting...

Just to add a little bit of Spice!!!

Would Leeds Flying School be better than Multiflght???

No really, This is a genuine question. They are the only schools near me that offer all the Advanced flying i need!.

[mad_jock]

To be honest i think lukes comment and the reply were fair game. And i hope people will continue posting information like this. If the guilty party responses in a resonable manner it makes me think more of them as a result. In fact leeds has proberly made a sale out of this thread to me.

And as for beer thing i take it that the topic of conversation will be all the lost lovers from the foot and mouth :)

MJ

[G-LOST]

Rob

The best thing you can do is pay both a visit, speak to the staff and students, and make up your own mind. Both organisations will help you get the required ticket, it's really only the atmosphere that will differ. I am biased toward LFS as I did my IR there and am doing an instructor's rating with them at present, but I went to Multiflight for the MCC course and cannot fault them in that regard as it was an excellent course.

The only thing you need to decide is whether to book an appointment to discuss your requirements and risk getting the smooth sell, or alternatively just turning up to see each outfit in the raw, so to speak. Good luck.

G-LOST



[This message has been edited by G-LOST (edited 16 June 2001).]