Know anything about South African flight schools?

[jimmyj]

I have recently found a website for Progress Flight Academy in South Africa and they seem to be offering flight training to ATPL (frozen) standard for £15000 including housing, ground schools and everything but the initial medical and the ATPL exam.

This seems too good to be true but I cannot spot the catch. There is an explanation for the price in that the exchange rate leaves the South African Rand undervalued and therefore to us the training is at least 1/2 the cost it is at home.

The site is www.flightacademy.co.za (http://www.flightacademy.co.za) and you need to convert the costs via www.xe.com. (http://www.xe.com.)

Please, if you know anything about this or other South African schools, or if you have spotted a catch that I haven't, let me know.

[fritz_2001]

I don't think that it is a JAA licence!! it FOLLOWS the syllabus but it states that it is a "South African Commercial Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) with unrestricted multi-engine Instrument Rating (CPL/IR (ME))." that you will be getting.

I'm not sure about the costs to convert this to a JAA one though.

MW

[BMM389EC]

Training in SA will leave you with a South African ......You'll still need to convert back to JAA. Shop around though, try 43AirSchool.com Might be a little more expensive but offer the highest standard of training in the country.

[rolling circle]

It will cost you as much to 'convert' a non JAA licence as it would to get a JAA licence in the first place (provided you shop around for your training). If you spend money getting a SA licence with the intention only of using it as a stepping stone to a JAA licence, you will be throwing your money away. The same applies to any non-JAA state licence - they are worthless within the JAA.

If you want to fly in the JAA, consider only schools that are JAA approved. Bear in mind, however, that a licence gained as a result of training at any school outside of the JAA (e.g. SA, USA) will not have been gained in accordance with JAR-FCL and there are JAA states (e.g. France) which will not recognise it.

[theodor]

Just a little about sa schools that I´ve learned. The best school seems to be 43 air school, but they are a long way from jar. If you want a jar there only seems to be FTC-SA near Johannesburg, check out their website www.ftc-sa.co.za (http://www.ftc-sa.co.za) , It seems to be okay and just about to get the full jar. 2 freinds of mine are down there right now taking their ATPL theory, already have their ppl, night, rec gear and const speed.
best of luck

[AeroBatfink]

OK - this is what I've heard and/or know from experience:

Progress: it was about 45 mins from where I did my training, and the standard of training was pretty good (I did my Warrior conversion there). HOWEVER; I feel I was overcharged for what I did there, the place is REALLY out in the sticks, you'll be flying from a grass strip all the time, and the accomodation was shocking - seems to be made up of trailer-park style caravans and dingy prefab bungalows.

43 Air School is supposed to be very good, but seems to exist in a bit of a bubble - ie the chief twin instructor type position tends to be treated like a sort of god - there seems to be limited interaction with the outside world.

Flight Training College (FTC) are supposed to be very good BUT very expensive. Very big, and I've heard that people can get 'lost' in the system. They also have a school in George (Garden Route - between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth).

Lanseria Flight Centre was the best I came across - I went there to do my C172 conv before coming back, and they seemed to have a very professional attitude combined with a one-to-one tutoring, and an interest in the service you get. They do their theory subjects through with Av-Ex, who produce excellent notes.

Wherever you pick, make sure you ask all the right questions before picking a school - especially about accomodation; it may not seem that big a deal in comparison, but it makes such a difference. Also, ask searching questions about the number of aircraft and instructors at the school, and the ratio to students, how easy slots are to get, ask about proper debriefs after flights - very important! Meals, transport expenses etc as well - costs like that mount up. Mind you, at around 40 to 50p for a beer (no exaggeration!), you can probably afford to splash out every now and again...

I've also posted some information at the following URL: http://www.pprune.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=011658 - some of that may be some use...

The price isn't unreal though, it's just so ridiculously overpriced in this country...

Give me a shout if you want any more info.

AeroBatfink
:D

[AeroBatfink]

Just a note on Lanseria - they don't have any accommodation as far as I'm aware...

On SA in general: I'm really glad I went there to do my flying, the lifestyle is great, its a beautiful country, and it's an interesting time to be there - the place is in a state of major culture change and it seems to be becoming a country with an amazing future ahead of it... And if you're not too bothered about flying under JAA rules, why bother going to all the extra expense. There seems to be a great deal of opinion around (especially in Europe, and at the earlier stages of ones flying career) that there's no flying worth doing other than military or airlines.

[Guy Bowen]

I did some flying with 43 Flight School last January to gain some necessary crosscountry time. I can thoroughly recommend them as a professional flying school. Tuition is great and they are now officially used by South African Airways as their official training school. While I was out there BA was also looking at taking them on.

Flying itself is awesome. As there are not too many airfields cross country's are on an awesome scale. For my first cross country I flew in to Port Elizbeth International. Great fun being in the same circuit as a 737. The working environment is friendly and professional and all of the instructors are greatly respected within South African aviation with a lot of them ex-military.

Hope this can be of help. If you go remember your sun tan lotion as it can be bloody hot...oh and enjoy the malaria tablets!

[Speedbird59]

Hi,

I'm currently doing my PPL at Cape Town International. The good points are that you fly from the word go in rather busy & Controlled airspace so your confidence/competance levels are naturally high. Bad points are that the novelty of being sat on the ground with the engine running and watching a dozen 737s or 747s depart before you soon wheres off!

I'd be interested to know whether anyone considering doing the JAR Modular route has considered getting a South African IR. Given the current 15Rand/£ exchange rate.

My reasons are as follows:

1. Inspite of the fact that you need to do the full 55 hours JAR apprived IR course a holder of a foreign IR gets that reduced to 50 hours thats already a saving of about £1500.

2. The cost of an IR in South Africa is about £3000 I think its money well spent if that experience will ensure you pass your JAR Approved IR course first time. At £300+ per hour I hope you see my logic.

Any comments welcome.

[jimmyj]

Thanks for all your info, especially Aerobatfink. I would love to do my flying in SA but have now heard that it is difficult to obtain a work permit there and a conversion to a JAR licence would cost between 17-20k.

Decisions, decisions. I don't know why I'm bothering, I haven't even secured a loan yet. That is the hardest part in my position.

[Atlanta]

I've often heard mention of FTC's place at George. Has anyone used this establishment? How does it compare with their main establishement? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to training at George as opposed to the main establishment?

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Broomstick_pilot:

I don't know about the flying school but it sure is fun watching the dolphins body surf down at the beach.

..................

:D The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no. :D