GFPT Moorabbin

[ILS 31R]

I have been doing my GFPT over the past 14 months at a flying school at Moorabbin airport and have logged 55 hrs total time with 6 hrs solo and 3hrs IF.(I am part time and try to fly once a week,weather permitting).
Have passed all my theory exams and went first solo at 17 hrs. I have had 10 different instructors,and have also completed my pre GFPT flight test as well.

Due to the continious change in flight instructor there opinion conitniously changes on my developement such as you need 10 hrs solo minimum before your ready for your GFPT, or another instructor will mention you need more x wind circuits, or another one will say lets go back into the training area and work on a few things. The thing is i've already been signed off on every thing except solo hrs,but when its good weather i don't seem to be given the opportunity to fly solo?

My question is when i have a different flight instructor they decide to work on something different. They have my flight records i'm sure they know what is required next but there seems to be many differences and variances in the way my flight training is going, its not consistent.

Since my Pre GFPT test i have done another 10 hrs TT with an 1 hr solo. There have been many times when i have had the chance to go solo either in the circuit or training but that hasn't been the case and it seems this is never going to end.

I then decided to do some research with other various flying schools and ask what there opinion is on the number of flight instructors i have had as well as the number of hrs. The consensis was that i should of already completed my GFPT and its ridiculous that i've had 10 instructors.

After talking to another flying school they offered to test me to see how my flying skills are. After the lesson they said everything was satisfactory and at GFPT standard.

The flying school has offered me 1 more lesson and then i'm ready for my GFPT test.

I guess my questions from all of that are

1. How long should it take the avearge student to complete there GFPT.
2. How many hours Solo do you require.
3. How many instructors should you really have, and why aren't they consistent.

It feels as if there just sucking money out of me and dragging it out for as long as possible.
The only good thing is that the other flying school has mentioned that the TT will go towards my CPL Total hours.

I have now transferred schools and looking forward to contining on with my flying.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[787 Captain]

G'day, I sort of experienced something similar. I had more than 10 instructors for GFPT, however I did my test after about 30 or so hours. I think the difference was that the instructors I had knew where I was up to before I had each lesson and I ended up following the flying school's syllabus quite closely throughout my GFPT. Different instructors did pick on different aspects of my flying, as can be expected, but once I had done the lessons that made up the syllabus and had the required number of hours I was booked in for my test. They didn't waste my time and money doing the same thing over and over again despite having many different instructors.

Good move to switch schools. Your new school sounds much better and I hope your training goes smoothly from here on.

787

[A37575]

and have logged 55 hrs total time with 6 hrs solo

Unfortunately this is a common event. Last year a student clocked up over 55 hours of dual based at a small country airport close to Melbourne before he twigged he was being rorted and this was with the one instructor who himself was the CFI. He attended another flying school and after one hour of dual check was sent on first solo.
There is no shortage of anecdotal evidence that some junior instructors are reluctant to put their students up for a solo check, either because they lack experience to judge when their student is ready (most common problem) - or in worst cases, they hang on to the students to milk more dual. This is not common just to Melbourne, but judging by students comments in other websites, it happens in USA and UK.
The problem is lack of close supervision of both the student's progress and of the instructor's log book by the CFI of the schools concerned. CFI's tend to be concerned with advanced training and as a result leave the inexperienced instructors to themselves. The next thing the student has clocked up 15-20 hours of dual without ever flying with a grade one or the CFI.
The responsibility lies squarely in the hands of the CFI to closely monitor every student's progress and start asking serious questions of the instructor (s) before things get out of hand. All too often the CFI hasn't got a clue what goes on with ab-initio students and unless the junior instructor puts his hand up and admits difficulty with a student (fat chance where money in the pocket and hours in the log book are concerned) the CFI is rarely fazed if students are clocking up inordinately excessive dual hours. In fact he may not be aware of it.
While new instructors have to pick up experience somewhere, it should never be at the financial expense of an innocent student who is not in a position to question his personal progress.

[chicksdigpilots]

Gee I wonder whaT school it may haVebeen? Surely this is A good lesson learnt?

[Jnr380]

I totally agree that is b t, 55 hours and 1 solo...........hmmm you should have a lot more solo IF qand even your PPL.

I cant really recall with me but i did the minimum solo for my PPL and i think i finished it at around 48 something hours. All i remember i had 56 hours solo to chew up before i went dual for my CPL.

Also another note:

A rumour around MB is a few companies are already going belly up due losing students due to bad treatment. A FS in MB (now closed) was hiring mostly Junior Instructors that did their rating with them and i heard that it got to a point where 8 instructors are sitting there doing nothing.

jnr380

[A37575]

They have my flight records i'm sure they know what is required next but there

Not necessarily so, unfortunately. Most of the "progress" reports I have seen over many years in the business, are appallingly written. Such gems as "Richard, you must check all clear left and right before turning base." Or how about this for concise clear language. "Can't land properly yet."
Until the CFI of the instructor takes the time to pore through student progress reports one by one and ensure they are well written and able to be easily followed through by the next instructor who in turn can then plan the students next session, then the student has done his dough yet again.
Too often, the business of correct writing of progress reports is not adequately covered during the grade 3 instructors course - probably because the grade one instructor teaching the course has little idea himself.
Some of the so called "progress reports" sent on (sometimes with marked reluctance I might add) to the next flying school to whom a disgruntled student has gravitated, are nothing less than disgraceful and a sad reflection on the CFI's administration - or sad lack of. Typically a brief scrawled comment with time flown - repeat that a number of times by instructors who lack basic spelling and English grammar competency and no wonder the student gains nothing from being passed down the line to bored instructors who simply fleece the student on yet another "revision" period.

[YesTAM]

Wonder which skool it is? I learned at YMMB and I had the same instructor from whoa to go. Solo in 20 hrs, GFPT at 35 hrs dual + 8 hrs PIC. PPL test at 60 hrs dual and 20 hrs PIC. Taught by same Grade 1 instructor with same Grade Three instructor every now and again as a check and sign out first solo.

Of course the interesting thing is then flying with other instructors on endorsements, etc. I have never, ever yet met two instructors who will approach the art of flying in the same way.

This is both a blessing and a curse, if you know what I mean.

[Di_Vosh]

At least you got out early.

Well done for making what can be a difficult decision. Often the part time student can be very isolated in a flying school, and can have very little resources (such as Prune) to assess their progress against others.
Your situation sounded disgraceful, and you hear of this kind of situation only too often.

Mate, PM me if you want the DIVOSH recommendation for a good flying school at MB.

DIVOSH!

[ILS 31R]

Thanks everyone for there feedback and comments its made my choice reassuring that i have now made the right decision to move flying schools to complete my GFPT.I just hope this situation dosen't happen to others and that the flying school i left stops taking advantage of other students for monetry puposes only. I still can't believe how much i've spent on my first licence


Cheers
ILS 31R

[ILS 31R]

"Gee I wonder whaT school it may haVebeen? Surely this is A good lesson learnt?"

Lesson learn't, sure was

[VH DSJ]

I don't know whether this is the same school as yours but there was a similar thread just a few weeks ago about something like this happening to another student.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=265582