Choice of schools in Australia

[Dhlawrence]

Anyone out there with any remarks on the following schools: CAS, Sydney NSW -- General Flying Services (Ross Carrington's) -- And has anyone had any experience (Good/bad) or indeed rumours of the Papua New Guinea Airlines Cadetship program....I have heard some good and some bad on this...

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Dhlawrence

[engine out]

CAS are pretty good, CFI good guy though losing experienced instructors to Qantas so don't know what the leftovers are like. General have good aircraft but having seen some of their pilots around the place and flown with a few I'm not overly impressed with the results, too many young instructors with no real experience either instructing or commercial teaching as a way to get hours up, though a few good seniors. The only person I know from PNG had a ball but left after a year as it can be a one way street with some airlines not keen on PNG pilots.

[weasil]

Something to think about too, don't be afraid of junior instructors. Think of them like this, they just completed the training you are now doing and it is fresh in their minds.
I have good and bad experiences with both senior and junior instructors over the years. Just cause they've been doing it longer does not mean they are better at it or more knowledgeable. Sometimes having been a GA pilot for a long time can focus a person on the needs of GA and not on teaching you the airline skills you might need down the track also!
Good luck with your training.

[Dhlawrence]

Thankyou very much for your response. Interesting to note what is said about GFS and CAS - the latter coming out of it better, I tend to think....Would anyone disagree?

Weasil, thanks for your comments re png pilot. Would appreciate a little more on what differences you have in mind when you speak of long term GA versus Airline pilots.

Once again, thanks for your help, and please continue to contribute....

[Dhlawrence]

Just wondering....do you have to include the words "FLY A JET" in the text of your post-it to secure a response.......No??? Just take a look.......

[Vincent Vega]

weasil,

I find your comments interesting (not wrong, but interesting). From my experience I have found that my senior flying instructors are far superior in terms of the quality of their lessons.

When flying with a couple of my junior instructors, I get the feeling that they are simply there watching the VDO tick over thinking about how close they are getting to 500hrs CMD so they can send their Qantarse application in. (All of whom did when they reached that 'magic' number)

When I've asked them questions, either on the ground or in the air, the most common response is "I don't know, ask the CFI/Senior instructor". Often this is simply a lack of experience.

None of these junior instructors want to be career flying instructors, and are just there for the hours. The senior blokes however, are instructing because they chose to. Instructing is what they enjoy, and are good at.

My point is, before you lay out wads of cash on training, make sure you know what you want, and what you will be getting.

Cheers, Vincent.

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[This message has been edited by Vincent Vega (edited 27 March 2001).]

[esreverlluf]

With reference to the new vs more experienced instructor discussion, I would like to point out that whatever the vocation there will be some very very good inexperienced people and some very very poor experienced people. The converse is also true, but most sit happily somewhere near the middle.

Ofcourse that little musing will help no one in particular - but there you are.