NZ MEIR - Any good suggestions
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NZ MEIR - Any good suggestions
Need to shovel more hard earned readies into that huge aviation pit and do the multi-engine IF course!!! Here we go again.
Have you done it? Have you got an IF job? YES!! Then where would you do it if you had to do it again.
Considerations-
Experienced instructor
Cost
Contacts
Commercial Opportunity
COST
Location
Air switch
C O S T ! ! !
Mainland Air - Expensive, opportunity if you do all your training there, Experienced fella there John P
Southern Aviation, Invervegas - Expensive Partenavia
Motueka - Not cheap, loosing experienced guys, no commercial opportunity, Nice weather
Ardmore - Expensive, lacking any REAL experience, absolutely no contacts, and no commercial opportunity, nice paintjobs
Bay Flight - Oh Dear!!!
Canterbury - Not interested unless you do the whole caboudle from scratch there.
Sunair - Commercial Ops, price ok, the mighty Aztec ... oooh...(with self opening doors) What's the training like?? What are the chances of a job at the end??
Waikato, Hamilton - Absolutely no idea....
Who Else???
Any recommendations and or info on the above or any others.
Ta very much
Have you done it? Have you got an IF job? YES!! Then where would you do it if you had to do it again.
Considerations-
Experienced instructor
Cost
Contacts
Commercial Opportunity
COST
Location
Air switch
C O S T ! ! !
Mainland Air - Expensive, opportunity if you do all your training there, Experienced fella there John P
Southern Aviation, Invervegas - Expensive Partenavia
Motueka - Not cheap, loosing experienced guys, no commercial opportunity, Nice weather
Ardmore - Expensive, lacking any REAL experience, absolutely no contacts, and no commercial opportunity, nice paintjobs
Bay Flight - Oh Dear!!!
Canterbury - Not interested unless you do the whole caboudle from scratch there.
Sunair - Commercial Ops, price ok, the mighty Aztec ... oooh...(with self opening doors) What's the training like?? What are the chances of a job at the end??
Waikato, Hamilton - Absolutely no idea....
Who Else???
Any recommendations and or info on the above or any others.
Ta very much
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Waikato Aero Club is a good option. They're using a PA30 Twin Comanche and AT21 sm. Prices are reasonable and they have two very experienced multi IFR instructors. I think the rate on the twin is around $350 dual, or you also use an Archer.
Hope that helps. PM me if you want more info.
Hope that helps. PM me if you want more info.
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Anywhere there may be an opportunity to work ATO's.
Sunair - ok I guess, lots of new faces there at the moment, suppossedly a few from doing their MEIR with them.
Others to consider -
Air Gisborne (Seneca 2's, experienced instructors, Air Ambulance work + other commercial work)
Hawkes Bay & East Coast Aero Club/ Air Hawkes Bay( Seneca 1 & 3, AT21 sim, 1 very experienced instructor, others coming along, Air Ambulance again, downside - 3yr course students would have priority in the job stakes but if you time it ok then you could be in)
Air Charter Manawatu (Partnavia & PA31, good instructors, aircraft not cheap though.)
Air Wanganui ( Baron 55 (?), PA31 Mojave, Beech 99 on the way I hear)
Dare I say it
.... Air Napier ( Seneca 2's & Cherokee 6
S2K
Sunair - ok I guess, lots of new faces there at the moment, suppossedly a few from doing their MEIR with them.
Others to consider -
Air Gisborne (Seneca 2's, experienced instructors, Air Ambulance work + other commercial work)
Hawkes Bay & East Coast Aero Club/ Air Hawkes Bay( Seneca 1 & 3, AT21 sim, 1 very experienced instructor, others coming along, Air Ambulance again, downside - 3yr course students would have priority in the job stakes but if you time it ok then you could be in)
Air Charter Manawatu (Partnavia & PA31, good instructors, aircraft not cheap though.)
Air Wanganui ( Baron 55 (?), PA31 Mojave, Beech 99 on the way I hear)
Dare I say it
.... Air Napier ( Seneca 2's & Cherokee 6S2K
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Air Hawkes Bay or Air Gisborne would be my first options, knowing what I know now. Would also seriously consider Waikato.
Reason #1 - value for money. Both place require their intructors to do air ambulance (i.e. short-notice anywhere flights with sick people). Excellent value having "this-is-what-I-did" in the right seat instead of "this-is-what-I'd-do".
Reason #2 - Cost overall. Air Hawkes Bay has a good simulator and a good system to use it. They'll let you in gently in single-engine PA28s for the basic Instrument Rating then the Multi-engine endorsement removal, so your brain has time to adapt, also keeps the cost way down. Air Gisborne is inexpensive but not "cheap", also both Gisborne and Hastings are pretty cheap to live in (and you can live on-site at Hastings). Think half the rent of Auckland, and maybe 30% of the day-to-day travel. And the beaches are less crowded.
Reason #3 - CONTACTS!!!!! There's a lot of East Coast people in a lot of airlines reading this...
Reason #4 - work - as mentioned if you time it right and fit the 1000hr B-cat mould, you'll be welcomed. Some other experience is also nice like charter, tailwheel etc. but insurance dictates quite a lot.
Good luck with the search and remember it's YOUR money.
Reason #1 - value for money. Both place require their intructors to do air ambulance (i.e. short-notice anywhere flights with sick people). Excellent value having "this-is-what-I-did" in the right seat instead of "this-is-what-I'd-do".
Reason #2 - Cost overall. Air Hawkes Bay has a good simulator and a good system to use it. They'll let you in gently in single-engine PA28s for the basic Instrument Rating then the Multi-engine endorsement removal, so your brain has time to adapt, also keeps the cost way down. Air Gisborne is inexpensive but not "cheap", also both Gisborne and Hastings are pretty cheap to live in (and you can live on-site at Hastings). Think half the rent of Auckland, and maybe 30% of the day-to-day travel. And the beaches are less crowded.
Reason #3 - CONTACTS!!!!! There's a lot of East Coast people in a lot of airlines reading this...
Reason #4 - work - as mentioned if you time it right and fit the 1000hr B-cat mould, you'll be welcomed. Some other experience is also nice like charter, tailwheel etc. but insurance dictates quite a lot.
Good luck with the search and remember it's YOUR money.
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Hello nbman0602, for what it's worth I did my MEIR with New Plymouth Aero Club (albeit 17 years ago!). I understand that Wayne Harrison the CFI is still there. He has a significant amount of experience and is well respected by the NZCAA. The training I had was excellent and started with the basics of VOR/ADF tracking on a c152 before progressing onto the 'bigger stuff' to do the cross country and ME work, saving quite a sum. The routes flown on the training provided a variety not available in the UK ie high MSA's, DME steps and arcs etc. Might be worth dropping them a line to see what they can offer, after all an e-mail costs nothing. The address is [email protected].
Ironically I had a passenger on a flight recently (I'm a 767 capt with a Uk charter airline) who was about to do their PPL with them, which tells you something.
Hope this is of some help and best of luck, I wish you well!
Regards.
Ironically I had a passenger on a flight recently (I'm a 767 capt with a Uk charter airline) who was about to do their PPL with them, which tells you something.
Hope this is of some help and best of luck, I wish you well!
Regards.
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G'day Bman
From the inside!!!
Just got my MEIR with Sunair in the Mount and no complaints, exactly what I expected.
You train in the old girl of the fleet DIR but since they've got 5 other Aztecs screaming around they've got ready access to other planes if you're one ****'s itself coming up to the test.
They've got a brand new workshop/hanger and things are getting done by the book these days... pretty much.
I was falling behind a bit, due a need to work and earn some money along the way, but we went hard the last week before the test and all went sweet.... well as sweet as any damned flight test when the pressure's on.
They've got three instructors at the mo' and they all have different styles and they all know different stuff - how to make you pass, how to make you work operationally, how to make you live, how to make you employable in Eagle and Air Nelson, and how to make you do the hard yards with the right attitude to get you there!!!
If you've only got 2-300hrs go somewhere else, if you've got a crap attitude or are a **** pilot go elsewhere because they'll make no bones about telling you. They need to train pilots that are employable or they are wasting there time and your money. I had my theory done before I got here and I'd recommend that (you've plenty other **** to think about). I did the Initial Multi endorsement, and sat the single pilot MEIR with the first 10hrs training in a single the rest in the Aztec. Total cost came to about $10k or $11k.
I was ****tin myself about failing cos I had no idea how I was gonna raise another 2-3 thousand.... phewww!!!
The mount's not the cheapest place to live but it's bloody cool, nice bars, nice folk and wicked beaches.
If you pass, meet the mark, are a reasonably sensible person, are willing to do the hard yards, and somebody leaves, then you'll get a job.... and they only do Multi flying and almost all IF so it should get you to the next step.... just don't f#@k up.
Limited places and quite selective so go to their web site and fill in the form.
Nah, I've no connection with them (you can check out my other posts if you like) I think we get screwed enough in this industry as it is and cant stand all the cr@p I read, and I just post as I experienced it.
Get into it mate, the only way forward. Even once you've past the test you still have a **** load to learn.
Just for a laugh set up Tauranga (which is pretty straight forward) on MS Flight Sim, set the weather to bang on Tauranga approach minimas (cloud base and vis) and try an approach - you just see the runway lights as you go around. Now sit back and think about that when its real life, somewhere worse, it's pissin down rain, freezing and you've punters aboard.... AND limited fuel....
You don't want to JUST pass your test - you want to know exactly what you are doing....!!!!
All the best
GW
From the inside!!!
Just got my MEIR with Sunair in the Mount and no complaints, exactly what I expected.
You train in the old girl of the fleet DIR but since they've got 5 other Aztecs screaming around they've got ready access to other planes if you're one ****'s itself coming up to the test.
They've got a brand new workshop/hanger and things are getting done by the book these days... pretty much.
I was falling behind a bit, due a need to work and earn some money along the way, but we went hard the last week before the test and all went sweet.... well as sweet as any damned flight test when the pressure's on.
They've got three instructors at the mo' and they all have different styles and they all know different stuff - how to make you pass, how to make you work operationally, how to make you live, how to make you employable in Eagle and Air Nelson, and how to make you do the hard yards with the right attitude to get you there!!!
If you've only got 2-300hrs go somewhere else, if you've got a crap attitude or are a **** pilot go elsewhere because they'll make no bones about telling you. They need to train pilots that are employable or they are wasting there time and your money. I had my theory done before I got here and I'd recommend that (you've plenty other **** to think about). I did the Initial Multi endorsement, and sat the single pilot MEIR with the first 10hrs training in a single the rest in the Aztec. Total cost came to about $10k or $11k.
I was ****tin myself about failing cos I had no idea how I was gonna raise another 2-3 thousand.... phewww!!!
The mount's not the cheapest place to live but it's bloody cool, nice bars, nice folk and wicked beaches.
If you pass, meet the mark, are a reasonably sensible person, are willing to do the hard yards, and somebody leaves, then you'll get a job.... and they only do Multi flying and almost all IF so it should get you to the next step.... just don't f#@k up.
Limited places and quite selective so go to their web site and fill in the form.
Nah, I've no connection with them (you can check out my other posts if you like) I think we get screwed enough in this industry as it is and cant stand all the cr@p I read, and I just post as I experienced it.
Get into it mate, the only way forward. Even once you've past the test you still have a **** load to learn.
Just for a laugh set up Tauranga (which is pretty straight forward) on MS Flight Sim, set the weather to bang on Tauranga approach minimas (cloud base and vis) and try an approach - you just see the runway lights as you go around. Now sit back and think about that when its real life, somewhere worse, it's pissin down rain, freezing and you've punters aboard.... AND limited fuel....
You don't want to JUST pass your test - you want to know exactly what you are doing....!!!!
All the best
GW
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Groundsman Willy,
One question,
Is it or is it not true that the CAA recently grounded two the aformentioned operators operational (ATO) aircraft on grounds of maintainence?
One question,
Is it or is it not true that the CAA recently grounded two the aformentioned operators operational (ATO) aircraft on grounds of maintainence?
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Oh dear! I think you may be brainwashed GROUNSMANWILLY
Its obvious you didn't do much time in the old girl! but you are correct in doing your training in it because it is very basic, no RMI, HSI and crap avionics. These are the sort of aircraft you should learn in.
Without making personal attacks on the instructors I'm kind of confussed about them making you employable with EAG/NSN ect when none of them have actually worked for either companies and know their SOPs
Take this company for what they are a GA operator who will shaft you if it means making money for them, sure your chances are greater at getting a job if you do your training for them. BUT make no mistakes they will try and make you do flights in aircraft that shouldn't fly.
If you do your training with them and then get a job (well done) but make sure you stick to your guns and personal minimas, you may loose flying out of it but you will survive and enjoy your time even more.
Happy flying
splat
edited this post so it dosen't look like an attack on Sinair employess
you train in the good old girl of the fleet DIR
Without making personal attacks on the instructors I'm kind of confussed about them making you employable with EAG/NSN ect when none of them have actually worked for either companies and know their SOPs
Take this company for what they are a GA operator who will shaft you if it means making money for them, sure your chances are greater at getting a job if you do your training for them. BUT make no mistakes they will try and make you do flights in aircraft that shouldn't fly.
If you do your training with them and then get a job (well done) but make sure you stick to your guns and personal minimas, you may loose flying out of it but you will survive and enjoy your time even more.
Happy flying
splat
edited this post so it dosen't look like an attack on Sinair employess
Last edited by splatgothebugs; 5th May 2005 at 06:25.
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Oh dear that appears to have rattled a cage or two. Typical Pprune though you've just got to read between the lines.
Anyway as I said I'm reporting what I experienced and you make your own bad and lie in it, according to me dad.
I have absolutely no idea about history and as I remember from school the only good thing about history is that we should learn from our mistakes.
They've got a pommie guy doing their maintenance now and does it by the book, with two other fellas helping out in their brand new custom built workshop. They've got a guy whose sole purpose is paperwork, legislation and safety - never seen that in the previous two GA companies I've worked with. The Ops manager makes no bones about telling you that safety is critical at every opportunity - if you look after yourself chances are the plane and the passengers will be looked after too. If your not happy dont do it which is how I was taught in the south anyway.
They've lost 4 pilots to Eagle and Air Nelson in the two months I've been there and 3 just before that.....
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GA operator who will shaft you if it means making money for them
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does this statement even warrant a response.... Yes they are a GA Operator which means they are a business which means they need to make money. If I get a job with them I will get paid. I will get paid about the same as the other light twin IFR operators. I will get paid to fly a plane with two engines on intruments and not a single in the fleet doing VFR tourist flights, been there, done that, thouroughly enjoyed it but need to move on.
And finally.... I admit DIR is no spring chicken (nor am I), she even had a couple of issues while we were training (autopilot control unit decided to trim to limits just for fun - interesting when you disengage) but the money was spent the plane was fixed and we carried on training. If you train in an oldie and can fly on old instruments, fixed card ADF etc. everything else just gets easier.
I am convinced it was the right choice for me - cost, experience, instruction, contacts, and I am sure it'll lead me where I need to go sooner than most.... hopefully.
Happy flying, may we all get there in one piece and with money in our pocket.
GW
Anyway as I said I'm reporting what I experienced and you make your own bad and lie in it, according to me dad.
I have absolutely no idea about history and as I remember from school the only good thing about history is that we should learn from our mistakes.
They've got a pommie guy doing their maintenance now and does it by the book, with two other fellas helping out in their brand new custom built workshop. They've got a guy whose sole purpose is paperwork, legislation and safety - never seen that in the previous two GA companies I've worked with. The Ops manager makes no bones about telling you that safety is critical at every opportunity - if you look after yourself chances are the plane and the passengers will be looked after too. If your not happy dont do it which is how I was taught in the south anyway.
They've lost 4 pilots to Eagle and Air Nelson in the two months I've been there and 3 just before that.....
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GA operator who will shaft you if it means making money for them
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does this statement even warrant a response.... Yes they are a GA Operator which means they are a business which means they need to make money. If I get a job with them I will get paid. I will get paid about the same as the other light twin IFR operators. I will get paid to fly a plane with two engines on intruments and not a single in the fleet doing VFR tourist flights, been there, done that, thouroughly enjoyed it but need to move on.
And finally.... I admit DIR is no spring chicken (nor am I), she even had a couple of issues while we were training (autopilot control unit decided to trim to limits just for fun - interesting when you disengage) but the money was spent the plane was fixed and we carried on training. If you train in an oldie and can fly on old instruments, fixed card ADF etc. everything else just gets easier.
I am convinced it was the right choice for me - cost, experience, instruction, contacts, and I am sure it'll lead me where I need to go sooner than most.... hopefully.
Happy flying, may we all get there in one piece and with money in our pocket.
GW
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GW
I think you will find that you would be closer to the truth if you said
"1 person has moved on to Eagle in the past four months - after working for this company for over 5 years."
"2 people have completed the Eagle g/course - of these two, one has been with the company for nearly two years (he spent 18 months working for another operator prior to this company, and the other has recently come back from flying overseas for 2 1/2 years"
"1 person has had an interview with Air Nelson"
Of the "3" pilots they lost just before you started, 1 had been there for 2 1/2 years after 2 years working for another twin operator and the other two had left some 12 months prior to that.
Each of these 7 people will have different stories to tell about the company, but I can guarantee you they will all be similar to what Splat has said. He spent a great deal of time dealing with this company a long time ago.
I think you will also find that when you actually look under the surface of the operation that the maintainence controller, the ops manager and the instructors are just mere puppets on the CEO's string. They are there purley because the law says they have to be.
I think you will find that you would be closer to the truth if you said
"1 person has moved on to Eagle in the past four months - after working for this company for over 5 years."
"2 people have completed the Eagle g/course - of these two, one has been with the company for nearly two years (he spent 18 months working for another operator prior to this company, and the other has recently come back from flying overseas for 2 1/2 years"
"1 person has had an interview with Air Nelson"
Of the "3" pilots they lost just before you started, 1 had been there for 2 1/2 years after 2 years working for another twin operator and the other two had left some 12 months prior to that.
Each of these 7 people will have different stories to tell about the company, but I can guarantee you they will all be similar to what Splat has said. He spent a great deal of time dealing with this company a long time ago.
I think you will also find that when you actually look under the surface of the operation that the maintainence controller, the ops manager and the instructors are just mere puppets on the CEO's string. They are there purley because the law says they have to be.
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Groundsman
Don't take it personally chap! I wasn't having a go at you or your choice of training institute I was just trying to open your eyes a little much like the rest of these posts.
If it means you get quick multi and get out before you experience any GA problems then good, thats how it should be.
happly flying
C U around
If it means you get quick multi and get out before you experience any GA problems then good, thats how it should be.
happly flying
C U around
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Hey Bman
Just one other wee thing that I had no idea how to budet for, Airways costs. You don't have any option on them but you've still got to find the money.
Just totalled all my bills up today and airways alone came to $1335, my initial multi $1500, and the Instrument Rating $9500 giving a mighty grand total of $12335 incl gst.
All the best where ever you go, just make sure you're paying by airswitch or flight time, you do spend a lot of time on the ground doing checks and briefings which you don't want to pay for.
Later
GW
Just one other wee thing that I had no idea how to budet for, Airways costs. You don't have any option on them but you've still got to find the money.
Just totalled all my bills up today and airways alone came to $1335, my initial multi $1500, and the Instrument Rating $9500 giving a mighty grand total of $12335 incl gst.
All the best where ever you go, just make sure you're paying by airswitch or flight time, you do spend a lot of time on the ground doing checks and briefings which you don't want to pay for.
Later
GW
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I'd also be looking for a place with a Sim for initial part of the training. I found it hard enough flying the sim at first, don't know what it would be like jumping in the a/c first up.
