which aussie training schools are best??

[combi pilot]

i'm still on my ab-initio training (less than 10 hours) with a small outfit and am looking further for a professional school to go with for reaching CPL/ MECIR. I'd really like to make it to the airlines later on so this would really help me in making a decision.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions or recommendations/ experiences on this side of the world?? Ta!

[A and C]

Phone all the places in the phone book and if you get to speek to an instructor the chances are that they are interested in teaching you to fly and not just trying to sell you something , it,s not fool proof but it,s not a bad filter.

[Bleater]

BAe systems school at Parafield is pretty good, I did the UK ATPL subjects there and would reccommend it.It is a big school with many foriegn Airlines sending Cadets there, so should be well recognised. Downside is due to size the personal touch will be less than a small school. Will be more expensive I think unless it is a JAR licence you are after, in which case it is the only option in Australia and probably one of the best places around.

[HPSOV]

BAE Systems at Parafield Adelaide is without doubt the best school in Australia. However you will pay about 20 grand extra for the privelige!
Is it worth it?
Well, if you have the cash lying round maybe, but if you dont it would be hard to justify. If you head out in the GA and apply to an airline with 1000 hours Multi time they are hardly going to care what initial school you went to.
Will the GA operators care? Maybe, perhaps there is someone in a better posiiton ti answer that than me!
Other than that, if in Melbourne use GFS, Sydney use CAS. Why? If they're good enough for Qantas then I'm sure they're good enough for the rest of us!!

[Speed Racer]

Im not too sure about old australia, but i do know that Massey University in New Zealand offers the BAv, majoring in airline transport pilot.. good NZ$60k for the full 3yr course, but that covers lots of stuff.
http://aviation.massey.ac.nz if you wanna take a peek.. it aint quite aussie, but it aint that far away!

[engine out]

The above places are good but too much emphasis on getting you through the door and parting with your money. Many of the smaller schools are much better with more staff student contact. Just because they are not doing cadetships for airlines doesn't mean they are bad. Where I used to work CFI was ex-airlines, senior Grade 1 career instructor with keen juniors and I learnt a lot. Try schools out of main cities, generally nice folk with easier training airspace but close to CTA and Navaids. Want more info e-mail me.

[Hermie]

Speed Racer !

dUdE, mAssey Cost NZ$60K for full 3 years. You got to be kiDDin. Sorry dude, my brochure puts roughly to about NZ$100K. I've talk to the course coodinator and boy the charges are a little more than that, ++

I might have heard wrongly...!!

Update me yea !

Cheers,
Herman

[combi pilot]

Hi folks,

Really appreciate the advice you've given.

I've checked out BAe Parafield before but being self-sponsored, the fees are kinda hard for me to put up...

Speedracer, I've sorta heard about the BAv course at Massey. Trouble is, I'm in my final year of a media degree..I don't know if I'm up to another 3 years of academia! (not to mention the disposable income for that course if it really is $100K...) I'm also asking myself whether a BAv is really necessary (is it??) But i'll give that website a look thru.

I'm not complaining about the school I'm with at the moment. They've got some really good instructors who are always approachable and who don't live/teach by the clock or dollar sign..so in that sense, I'm happy. It's just that consideration of whether I'm doing the right thing (maximizing training time)or not.

engine out. I'll take up that offer for more info pls. Could you give us your email add or mail me? Thanks!

once again, thanks all for your input.