Another school bust
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Greed
Our club was promised exclusivity at this field some years ago.
Within a week another started and shortly after a third.
Our club and one other failed but our only debt was to the airfield.
Within a week another started and shortly after a third.
Our club and one other failed but our only debt was to the airfield.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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I am sorry to hear of your issues with it also, and yeah, well, we all know the scenarios and the real reasons why a lot of this has happened.
The innocents, of course, are always the real losers in these situations, and perhaps do not understand that there is always a story behind the smoke
Frankly we all knew, when, not if, with a number of these business's.
Does not make it any easier if you are on the losing side.
The innocents, of course, are always the real losers in these situations, and perhaps do not understand that there is always a story behind the smoke
Frankly we all knew, when, not if, with a number of these business's.
Does not make it any easier if you are on the losing side.
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Frankly we all knew, when, not if, with a number of these business's.
And yet if you check the array of websites you will see..
They are best/biggest/longest operating/whatever.
And then when a punter does tries to do a little bit of homework by posting on pprune, up comes a reply along the lines of..."oh yeh, trained here 5 years ago...they are great", or yeh..."they are all the same, don't pay upfront"
Here's a message for the punter...
Caveat Emptor
To find out the biggest, go to the flying school and count their aircraft and instructors (it'll be on the ops board).
To find out the best, go to the flying school and speak to the students.
To find out the most financially viable... find out the company registration details (it'll be on their stationery) and pay £10 for a full credit check.
If they appear in anyway uncomfortable/huffish/whatever at your enquries do not go there.
Use pprune and any other websites as a little wee bit of the jigsaw...not the whole story.
Join Date: Jul 2011
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Ted the shred!
I'm sorry to hear that some have lost money as a result of the closure of CFS (or whatever it was/is called). Once again people are learning that aviation is a difficult business, and not one that it is easy to make money in.
Has anyone looked at the prop on the one remaining Katana left at cumbernauld? As a pilot i wouldnt go anywhere near that machine!
While i am sad that some people have lost considerable sums of cash, i think it should be noted that CBN will be all the better without Ted and his crappy business.
On a last note, i have no sympathy for Maria, who new full well what she was getting into. And if she didnt, then she should have! Or was it all just to keep her son in work, who instructed there?
Has anyone looked at the prop on the one remaining Katana left at cumbernauld? As a pilot i wouldnt go anywhere near that machine!
While i am sad that some people have lost considerable sums of cash, i think it should be noted that CBN will be all the better without Ted and his crappy business.
On a last note, i have no sympathy for Maria, who new full well what she was getting into. And if she didnt, then she should have! Or was it all just to keep her son in work, who instructed there?
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I have calmed down a bit since my previous rants. We are moving on to another school but not in Cumbernauld.Thinking about Prestwick after a recommendation. My daughter will not pay upfront . Has anyone any commen6s about facilities at Prestwick?,
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Yes I'll comment about Prestwick but I'll declare an interest as an instructor at one of the clubs there.
Two clubs; Prestwick Flight Centre; and Prestwick Flying Club. The former is effectively a business with all the advantages that brings. For example it is staffed 9-5 seven days a week; it has a large and varied fleet; good examiner availability; it's also where the local R/T practical test is held. Slightly more expensive than the club for landings and membership.
The latter is a private members' club. No full-time staff therefore contact can be difficult although the guys do try very hard to follow-up email and web enquiries. Slightly cheaper than the Flight Centre for landings and membership but more expensive on the flying rate (especially if you chose the Chipmunk!) Instructors all part-time but usually something can be arranged as they run a prime/backup pairing arrangment - unlikely that you'll ever fly with more than two instructors.
What may be a consideration for you and your daughter is the environment - at the Club there is only one female member I can think of, but another young woman does fly from time-to-time. There are more women at the Flight Centre and the ladies on the desk are very motherly. I'm not saying that the chaps at the club are a bunch of grumpy mysoginist middle-aged pederasts, far from it, but I can understand that the flying environment can be intimidating enough. Depends on the character of your daughter.
Web sites for both, if you Google. Good luck
Two clubs; Prestwick Flight Centre; and Prestwick Flying Club. The former is effectively a business with all the advantages that brings. For example it is staffed 9-5 seven days a week; it has a large and varied fleet; good examiner availability; it's also where the local R/T practical test is held. Slightly more expensive than the club for landings and membership.
The latter is a private members' club. No full-time staff therefore contact can be difficult although the guys do try very hard to follow-up email and web enquiries. Slightly cheaper than the Flight Centre for landings and membership but more expensive on the flying rate (especially if you chose the Chipmunk!) Instructors all part-time but usually something can be arranged as they run a prime/backup pairing arrangment - unlikely that you'll ever fly with more than two instructors.
What may be a consideration for you and your daughter is the environment - at the Club there is only one female member I can think of, but another young woman does fly from time-to-time. There are more women at the Flight Centre and the ladies on the desk are very motherly. I'm not saying that the chaps at the club are a bunch of grumpy mysoginist middle-aged pederasts, far from it, but I can understand that the flying environment can be intimidating enough. Depends on the character of your daughter.
Web sites for both, if you Google. Good luck
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Prestwick would be a good choice, both clubs get an excellent rep.I have trained at the Flight Centre and found the whole experience pleasurable.
There is also Glasgow Flying Club, based at Glasgow, and Edinburgh Flying club,obviously based at Edinburgh.
One comment, due to all the constraints placed on an individual whilst training, weather being the main one, it can be wise to choose a school where you are relatively close to the airfield. This can save wasted travel time and arriving at the field,to find the lesson cancelled because the weather has alterred/closed in.
Yes a call to the airfield to ask prior to leaving is prudent, however, sometimes this does not work. A small point, but from experience it can save a lot of wasted trips.
There is also Glasgow Flying Club, based at Glasgow, and Edinburgh Flying club,obviously based at Edinburgh.
One comment, due to all the constraints placed on an individual whilst training, weather being the main one, it can be wise to choose a school where you are relatively close to the airfield. This can save wasted travel time and arriving at the field,to find the lesson cancelled because the weather has alterred/closed in.
Yes a call to the airfield to ask prior to leaving is prudent, however, sometimes this does not work. A small point, but from experience it can save a lot of wasted trips.
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I'm glad that she's going to continue, but why not with either of the other schools at CBN? Just because CFS has gone bust doesn't mean the other schools are about the fall over.
I've been associated with Leading Edge for a long time (I was CFI there a few years ago) and it's in no danger of shutting up shop.
Border (downstairs at CBN) has some very good instructors too and I'd be surprised if there were any financial problems there.
I've been associated with Leading Edge for a long time (I was CFI there a few years ago) and it's in no danger of shutting up shop.
Border (downstairs at CBN) has some very good instructors too and I'd be surprised if there were any financial problems there.
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I would like to recommend leading edge as a former ppl student they offered me excellent instructors and availability, well maintainained aircraft with reasonable rates! They also encouraged unlike other schools not to pay up front but after each lesson. Although I cannot comment on there finances all I can say is leading edge seems so be growing stronger and stronger with the aircraft online booking pages never been busier!
I have also done training at pretwick flight centre for my night rating and again experienced high quality training, well maintained aircraft and the advantages of flying from a controlled airfireld would be a plus point for a wannabe commercial pilot.
There is also the new branch of BAT at Cumbernauld which has undoubtably one of the nicest and my personal opinion one of the best cfi's you will find, so that could also be worth a look!
Having personally or known people who trained at these I'd say you can't go wrong
Leading edge
Prestwick Flight Centre
Prestwick flying Club
I have also done training at pretwick flight centre for my night rating and again experienced high quality training, well maintained aircraft and the advantages of flying from a controlled airfireld would be a plus point for a wannabe commercial pilot.
There is also the new branch of BAT at Cumbernauld which has undoubtably one of the nicest and my personal opinion one of the best cfi's you will find, so that could also be worth a look!
Having personally or known people who trained at these I'd say you can't go wrong
Leading edge
Prestwick Flight Centre
Prestwick flying Club
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Hi , Many thanks for all comments.I will continue to pursue a refund by legal route as I can pay via legal insurance policy so wont cost me anything.
My daughter is very sociable and polite girl and gets on with everyone so she will fit in at any school she chooses and with any instructor .Im confident of that.
We currently live in Glasgow , Bearsden and we are inclined to try Prestwick despite being very close to Abbotsinch.
Mr Veitch did a very good job of rubbishing all the other schools at Cumbernauld and whilst it makes sense to ignore this I just cant face going anywhere near that airfield.
My apologies for sounding like a mad woman with a vendetta but I was very upset for her. Her dream is to be a pilot and had her dad not died I think it would have remained a dream as I certainly couldnt afford to pay her fees.I am very proud of her and what she hopes to achieve with her life . She has had a plan since she was 14. She is now approaching 16 and had not been swayed despite recent events.
My daughter is very sociable and polite girl and gets on with everyone so she will fit in at any school she chooses and with any instructor .Im confident of that.
We currently live in Glasgow , Bearsden and we are inclined to try Prestwick despite being very close to Abbotsinch.
Mr Veitch did a very good job of rubbishing all the other schools at Cumbernauld and whilst it makes sense to ignore this I just cant face going anywhere near that airfield.
My apologies for sounding like a mad woman with a vendetta but I was very upset for her. Her dream is to be a pilot and had her dad not died I think it would have remained a dream as I certainly couldnt afford to pay her fees.I am very proud of her and what she hopes to achieve with her life . She has had a plan since she was 14. She is now approaching 16 and had not been swayed despite recent events.
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I could tell you some tales about CFS that would turn your hair white. Let me put it this way, I've been an FI for a fairly long time and I feel very comfortable in recommending either of the two remaining schools at CBN.
The quality of the instructors is not up for question at either place. Mind you I certainly have no issue with any of the instructing that I've seen from either of the Prestwick schools for that matter.
There is only one place where I had any concerns about the teaching and the way things were done and that place has just gone bust. Whilst many of the FI's were good, the problem did not lie with them but with a certain person who ran the place, the very same one who spent his time rubbishing the other schools. He offered me a job once. I decided not to take it after meeting him and taking a look at the setup.
I would never recommend a place I didn't think was any good. I've seen enough rubbish schools to know what I'm looking at.
I spent 3 years as CFI at Leading Edge and I can assure you that the teaching is top notch there. Graham who's CFI at Border used to work with me at LE and he's an excellent instructor too, as is Paul. CBN is lucky to have 2 very good schools.
If you want to take Ted Veitch's word over mine, then go ahead, but I know where I'd send people!
The quality of the instructors is not up for question at either place. Mind you I certainly have no issue with any of the instructing that I've seen from either of the Prestwick schools for that matter.
There is only one place where I had any concerns about the teaching and the way things were done and that place has just gone bust. Whilst many of the FI's were good, the problem did not lie with them but with a certain person who ran the place, the very same one who spent his time rubbishing the other schools. He offered me a job once. I decided not to take it after meeting him and taking a look at the setup.
I would never recommend a place I didn't think was any good. I've seen enough rubbish schools to know what I'm looking at.
I spent 3 years as CFI at Leading Edge and I can assure you that the teaching is top notch there. Graham who's CFI at Border used to work with me at LE and he's an excellent instructor too, as is Paul. CBN is lucky to have 2 very good schools.
If you want to take Ted Veitch's word over mine, then go ahead, but I know where I'd send people!
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Cathy that's a shame although understandable. The problem for you I'd suggest isn't the aerodrome it was the school. I don't know the BAT folks but Leading Edge is friendly and busy and the field really is your local one. You'll find the Kingston Bridge a real bind!
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Fair enough. We came across the same sort of thing after Flight Academy went bust a few years ago, unfortunately this sort of thing isn't that uncommon and I've seen it too many times unfortunately.
Good luck with your daughter's training.
Good luck with your daughter's training.
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Don't discount the Prestwick flying club.
There instructor base is quite unique in the UK.
You have university boffins through to very senior airline examinors. You might have issues with fitting in lessons etc but for building the foundations of a life time of flying your really going to struggle to beat it. The PPL's I have flown with from there have not been to far off Commercial standard and have a very solid grasp of the basics.
I wouldn't worry about being the only young girl about either, I wouldn't have thought being a dippy chick will do her any favours. But if she is keen, polite and not discounting fun I wouldn't have thought she would have problems.
There instructor base is quite unique in the UK.
You have university boffins through to very senior airline examinors. You might have issues with fitting in lessons etc but for building the foundations of a life time of flying your really going to struggle to beat it. The PPL's I have flown with from there have not been to far off Commercial standard and have a very solid grasp of the basics.
I wouldn't worry about being the only young girl about either, I wouldn't have thought being a dippy chick will do her any favours. But if she is keen, polite and not discounting fun I wouldn't have thought she would have problems.
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Hi We have returned from holiday refreshed and Mairi is ready to fly.She has read all the posts and has had some fun doing so .Our next concern is retreiving her training records.
Ill let you all know how she gets on.
Many thanks again
Cathy xx
Ill let you all know how she gets on.
Many thanks again
Cathy xx
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As already said, the training records "thing" shouldn't be an issue. The CFI of the new school should be able to just ask for them and get them.
If there are any issues, then the CFI of the new school will kick up merry hell. I've done it more times than I care to mention unfortunately and I've never had an issue to date.
If there are any issues, then the CFI of the new school will kick up merry hell. I've done it more times than I care to mention unfortunately and I've never had an issue to date.