Johannesburg School of Flying, Any Info?

[flyber]

Been trying to look for information about this Rand Airport based school in the forum to no avail.

Considering it for my CPL training due to its fair weather location as compared to coastal based schools.

I would appreciate any information on them, good or bad.

[cavortingcheetah]

I can't answer for the specific flight school but, having done all my CPL/ATPL training actually at FAGM centuries ago, would suggest that you look seriously at Grand Central, FAGC or Lanseria, FALA. FAGM was a thoroughly nasty little airfield with short runways, extreme density altitude considerations and dreadful forced landing possibilities especially off runway 35. Proximity to FAJS used to cause problems too especially during night circuits.
Depending on where you are going to be living, it's a trek to get to, no one goes there, fewer still like the place except as a watering hole on a Sunday and your opportunities for networking are limited.
Based on my experiences and they are not up to date ones, I would select Grand Central as an airport and then home in on the flight schools there.

The above is an account of events as I experienced them and as they affected me. It necessarily reflects my own view. Others may have different experiences and opinions. If my interpretation offends anyone I would like to apologise for that was not my intention.

[cavortingcheetah]

Yes indeed, FAWB is often neglected by the English speaking aviation fraternity but it is close to a decent GF, has its own let downs and there are some good Afrikaans speaking instructors about too and some of them can speak English.

[The Ancient Geek]

Wonderboom sits in a valley, it can get very hot on a summer afternoon pushing the density altitude up. I once used most of the runway in a C150.

[cavortingcheetah]

Well, yes you would, but the really scary part is that climb gradient for EFATO situations is so tremendously degraded, both for singles and twins and turbines. I have long thought that DCA or the CAA as it now is, should regulate the use of training aircraft so that, for example, the PA 112 was effectively grounded at density altitudes higher that 5,000ft and the C150 and PA140 grounded at a DA of 7,000ft. There simply isn't enough climb performance in these small engine aircraft to cope with the hot and high of the reef.
The performance is compounded if you take a couple of beefy men and cram them into the cockpit and I defy any school in Johannesburg to prove that it always requires students to consult the performance graphs before going out on a training sortie.
There was one instructor, yonks ago, over at NAC/FALA who used to insist on a weight and balance sheet before twin training. That was a very valuable exercise but I think he must have been unique. He certainly wasn't popular for it.
Climb gradients after take off are not the only dangerous situations arising for these little puddle jumper aircraft either. Recovery from Forced Landings an even Precautionary Landing practice can be adversely affected by aircraft performance under such meteorological conditions. As for climbing a Tomahawk sufficiently high to recover from a full spin by 1,500ft all-or whatever it is these days-go whistle in the wind!

[Bell_ringer]

There is some good choice in the area and something to consider is where you intend staying, travel etc.
Most of the fields are getting quite built up, RAND particularly.
They all have fairly high elevations FALA - 4500 ft, FAWB 4094, FAGC 5300 ft and FAGM 5480 ft.
In summer it is warm (almost 36C today and it's still spring) often with afternoon storms.

I'd suggest you look at facilities and availability of aircraft.

At FALA look at Skyhawk or 43 airschool.
Lanseria is an international airport, near the general flying area and has good instrument and emergency services (just in case).

[ohitsro]

Stay away from FALA, landing fee's are expensive. FAGC is a better choice, Superior and Fly LFC are both very good schools.

[cavortingcheetah]

I have found FTS and FAGC to be excellent in the past however I have noticed that their attitudes seem to be changing recently, perhaps as a result of having many foreign/up Africa students. Too much canon fodder for a flight school to function at top intellectual capacity perhaps? True comment or false comment?

[ohitsro]

FTS has got new management I believe, a lot of the instructors fed up last I heard. Also last I heard they have aircraft availability problems. Take it with a pinch of salt, this is last years news. Its unfortunate because they have a good team of instructors.

[Bell_ringer]

Stay away from FALA, landing fee's are expensive. FAGC is a better choice, Superior and Fly LFC are both very good schools.

Fala is actually cheaper than fagc which is mainly a heli port.
Fees are a small part of the costs.
Better Fw schools at fala vs fagc.

[cavortingcheetah]

Have the deadly duo sold up at FTS then or just lightened the work load and in a vaguely related but slightly off topic context, what happens these days with SAA intakes and the instructors at FTS? Any comments from agents on the ground?

[ohitsro]

SAA cadet program is over as far as I understand. Either that or Superior is handling the contract as 43 AS definitely no longer runs it.

[JosuaNkomo]

I did my ppl there in 1985. Orpheus Panayioto, Earl McVicker and Hannes ( young Afrikaans instructor, tragically killed in an aircraft accident). Good times had.

Ended up working there as a general dogsbody, reception desk to sandblasting sparkplugs.

Set me up for a career including military rotary and A320/ B737. Fond memories.

Not sure what it is like now. Remember gazing in awe at a King Air parked outside the terminal and thinking how big it was.

[cavortingcheetah]

Orpheus worked for Avex at FAGC?

[JosuaNkomo]

Have checked first log book. Stamped Johannesburg school of flying. Names flown with Hannes Young, G Viljoen, E McVicker. Orpheus Panayiotou. Seem to recall Orpheus's wife (Christella?) ran the roost. I enjoyed my time there. Some chap had an EFATO on Northerly runway and ended up landing on the golf course.