Training in Spain
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Schools in Spain
Hi
I have been looking for recent threads on different schools in Spain for my ME & IR and MCC. Are there out there any modular people with some usefull feedback from their recent adventures in the Spanish skies?? Heard that alot of the controllers dont speak a decent spanish and would rather be left to their coffe than having a PA28 or 172 in the curcuit! How is the general level of english at the different schools, I have heard that it varies quite alot from school to school?? Feedback, comments and PM's appreciated!!!
I have been looking for recent threads on different schools in Spain for my ME & IR and MCC. Are there out there any modular people with some usefull feedback from their recent adventures in the Spanish skies?? Heard that alot of the controllers dont speak a decent spanish and would rather be left to their coffe than having a PA28 or 172 in the curcuit! How is the general level of english at the different schools, I have heard that it varies quite alot from school to school?? Feedback, comments and PM's appreciated!!!
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I think flight training europe (Jerez) are about to stop doing modular courses, but if you can get on one I'd recommend them. I went to check the school out for an integrated course last week and it was excellent.
The only other place I know is aeromadrid. Have spoken to them by email, not sure how good they are. Give them a call.
The only other place I know is aeromadrid. Have spoken to them by email, not sure how good they are. Give them a call.
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Hi
Cant recommend AEROMADRID for modular me/ir, they promise alot and kept maybe half, the amount of complaining that had to be done in order to get into the air just to get close to the initial promised 2-3hours of flight every day was alot - and if you were lucky you flew 3-4 times a week incl simulator. The most annoying thing is that the airport has no ils or nbd apr so alot of cancellations took place, and maybe 6 out of 10 times when you walked back to the bus due to a cancellation the other schools flew,now that pisses you off
- and having a cpl licence before I went there it made me wonder and dispair at 60% of the cancellation, which i could understand for ppl student but not cpl/me-ir. The initial contact by mail or phone is done by their director of marketing in perfect professional english - certainly very different to the standard of the school when you arrive!
Cant recommend AEROMADRID for modular me/ir, they promise alot and kept maybe half, the amount of complaining that had to be done in order to get into the air just to get close to the initial promised 2-3hours of flight every day was alot - and if you were lucky you flew 3-4 times a week incl simulator. The most annoying thing is that the airport has no ils or nbd apr so alot of cancellations took place, and maybe 6 out of 10 times when you walked back to the bus due to a cancellation the other schools flew,now that pisses you off
- and having a cpl licence before I went there it made me wonder and dispair at 60% of the cancellation, which i could understand for ppl student but not cpl/me-ir. The initial contact by mail or phone is done by their director of marketing in perfect professional english - certainly very different to the standard of the school when you arrive!
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A good friend of mine just returned from Malaga after trying to do his FIC, did all his other training in the UK, came back after one week and only one flight!!
Says the facilities are fine and the instructors seem professional but their organisation skills suck!? Even after complaining to the main man no positive action was taken to resolve the problems?
Shame because everything else looked alright?
YYZ
Says the facilities are fine and the instructors seem professional but their organisation skills suck!? Even after complaining to the main man no positive action was taken to resolve the problems?
Shame because everything else looked alright?
YYZ
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Hi
Just finished MEIR at Aerofan, Can't recommend them enough. I can see why you make the comment about Aeromadrid. I think maybe their insurance only allows them to fly in absolutely perfect weather (anymore than 5kts crosswind and they appear to be grounded). The standard of English is good, throughout ATC which is more than can be said for the ground. But you are in Spain what do you expect. Aerodynamics seem to be well talked about, but during my course I spent a couple of nights flying in and out of Malaga. Great fun, but had I been doing my complete MEIR there, I think I would soon have tired of the massive taxing distances and long waits due to Easyjet etc.
Just finished MEIR at Aerofan, Can't recommend them enough. I can see why you make the comment about Aeromadrid. I think maybe their insurance only allows them to fly in absolutely perfect weather (anymore than 5kts crosswind and they appear to be grounded). The standard of English is good, throughout ATC which is more than can be said for the ground. But you are in Spain what do you expect. Aerodynamics seem to be well talked about, but during my course I spent a couple of nights flying in and out of Malaga. Great fun, but had I been doing my complete MEIR there, I think I would soon have tired of the massive taxing distances and long waits due to Easyjet etc.
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Check ride in Spanish airspace, Spanish equivalent of the CAA will issue it.
Secondally, do research well in advance of going to another country and what you'll hve to do to work wherever you see yourself.
Secondally, do research well in advance of going to another country and what you'll hve to do to work wherever you see yourself.
- Some JAA states ATPL exams aren't recognised in all the other states (i.e. was recently at BGS with a bunch of Italians, they informed me that they were doing their ATPL's in the UK as there were no preconditions attached to ATPL's sat via the CAA, I think there may be an issue for Spain too)
- Check validity with the authority in your chosen country (i.e. UK = CAA)
- Check terms of immigration rules, work permits, etc. As a UK citizen can you work in Ethiopia?
Join Date: Feb 2006
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ME & IR in Spain
JAR-FCL & Flying in Spain
All flight training done for the issue of a licence (PPL or CPL), must be done in the same JAR country where the theoretical training and examinations have been done.
Flight training for additional ratings, i.e. IR, ME-IR, MEP, FI, CRI, A320 etc, can be done in any JAR member state. All new ratings will be inserted into the JAR licence by the "State of Licence Issue".
Spanish Air traffic controllers do like drinking coffee and tea, just like any other air traffic controller, but I think you'll find that it's very rare in Spain for a controller to deny you permission to fly a few approaches, even if you're in a PA28 or a C172. Obviously this might not be the case in large class 1 international airports such as Malaga, Palma or Alicante in summer, due to traffic.
RT in Spain is in either English or Spanish. RT in most countries is exactly the same... either English or the local language.
Hope that info. helps.
All flight training done for the issue of a licence (PPL or CPL), must be done in the same JAR country where the theoretical training and examinations have been done.
Flight training for additional ratings, i.e. IR, ME-IR, MEP, FI, CRI, A320 etc, can be done in any JAR member state. All new ratings will be inserted into the JAR licence by the "State of Licence Issue".
Spanish Air traffic controllers do like drinking coffee and tea, just like any other air traffic controller, but I think you'll find that it's very rare in Spain for a controller to deny you permission to fly a few approaches, even if you're in a PA28 or a C172. Obviously this might not be the case in large class 1 international airports such as Malaga, Palma or Alicante in summer, due to traffic.
RT in Spain is in either English or Spanish. RT in most countries is exactly the same... either English or the local language.
Hope that info. helps.
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Finished an ME-IR conversion course with AEROFAN at Cuatro Vientos airport outside Madrid yesterday and I can't recommend them enough. Absolutely fantastic, and with the added bonus of having an English chap there to smooth the way.
I completed the course bang on the time limit i set them, the only thing i can say if you do want to come out to Spain, book well in advance because James the English/Spanish instructor is only allowed to take on so many English speaking students at a time. Which i have to say works perfectly and avoids delays and conflict.
I completed the course bang on the time limit i set them, the only thing i can say if you do want to come out to Spain, book well in advance because James the English/Spanish instructor is only allowed to take on so many English speaking students at a time. Which i have to say works perfectly and avoids delays and conflict.
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Read Section A8 of Lasors
Still amazes me the amount of misinformation that's thrown around.
JockyGB, please download a copy of Lasors from the CAA web site and read section A8.
You will see that it is possible to complete the theory exams, flight training and even medical in one JAA state and have a licence issue from another.
It depends on the states and their willingness to co-operate with one another.
Although you will receive some good advice on pprune, there's nothing better than doing your OWN research.
Good luck.
JockyGB, please download a copy of Lasors from the CAA web site and read section A8.
You will see that it is possible to complete the theory exams, flight training and even medical in one JAA state and have a licence issue from another.
It depends on the states and their willingness to co-operate with one another.
Although you will receive some good advice on pprune, there's nothing better than doing your OWN research.
Good luck.
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Aerodynamics Malaga
When I started training in Spain I looked around a lot of schools including aerofan and aromadrid but was most convinced with Aerodynamics, they have an excelent Handeling company, loads of planes new sims, really nice offices and class rooms and english speaking instructors. I did the VFR flights from a nearby LEAX airfied and the IFR from Malaga int. that way saved waiting time at malaga. 
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If you want an IR in 3 weeks for less than half the price of the UK then cross over that little bit of water that separates us from the rest of Europe and visit Aerofan near Madrid. Friendly (remember that?), professional and efficient. I cannot believe that anyone still does it in the UK; still, ignorance is bliss, I suppose.
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Thanks for the great replies and PMs so far, keep them coming, seems like im not the only one who needed some new feedback.
Lightheart - thanks for your lasors concern - im well aware what they say - im looking for info on the flightschools and their proffesionallism, in order not to pick the wrong place for my me/ir, that is the exteent of my own research.
Lightheart - thanks for your lasors concern - im well aware what they say - im looking for info on the flightschools and their proffesionallism, in order not to pick the wrong place for my me/ir, that is the exteent of my own research.
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So Lightheart if went to Spain for a me/ir,i can get it put on my lience in Gatwick?Is it true by doing my atpl`s in uk i can only do a cpl at certain schools in Spain?
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Pipertommy
According to Lasors,
"An applicant may only apply to change the state of licence issue of a JAR-FCL licence provided that employment or normal residency is established in that state. NORMAL RESIDENCY means the place where a person usually lives for at least 185 days in each calender year because of personal and occupational ties...
This means that yes, you could do the training is Spain , get a Spanish licence and then convert to CAA. There are fees for this process.
However, you should get written approval from the CAA and Spanish authorities first, in order to cover yourself.
A list of recognised FTOs in Spain is also available on the CAA website.
If I were you I would find out how much the courses are to do in Spain at your choosen school, add living expenses and CAA fees for the conversion and then compare against doing all or part in UK to see if it is worth your while.
If in doubt about anything get it confirmed by the CAA and leave time (two months ago I sent an email to the CAA regarding another issue and am still awaiting a response) for responses, especially from the Spainsh side of things as they are slow.
Please read Lasors.
Good luck and safe flying.
"An applicant may only apply to change the state of licence issue of a JAR-FCL licence provided that employment or normal residency is established in that state. NORMAL RESIDENCY means the place where a person usually lives for at least 185 days in each calender year because of personal and occupational ties...
This means that yes, you could do the training is Spain , get a Spanish licence and then convert to CAA. There are fees for this process.
However, you should get written approval from the CAA and Spanish authorities first, in order to cover yourself.
A list of recognised FTOs in Spain is also available on the CAA website.
If I were you I would find out how much the courses are to do in Spain at your choosen school, add living expenses and CAA fees for the conversion and then compare against doing all or part in UK to see if it is worth your while.
If in doubt about anything get it confirmed by the CAA and leave time (two months ago I sent an email to the CAA regarding another issue and am still awaiting a response) for responses, especially from the Spainsh side of things as they are slow.
Please read Lasors.
Good luck and safe flying.
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So which Spainish school would you go for then guys ?
Aerofan ?
Aerodynamics ?
Any of the others ?
Or is it still going to have to be the UK to keep the employers happy ?
Anyone had any negative feedback from employers who see a Spanish school on their CV ?
How about the Uk schools when its time to do a checkride and keep current. Do the CFI's roll their eyes and shoot steam through their ears ?
Any other comments are most welcome !
Aerofan ?
Aerodynamics ?
Any of the others ?
Or is it still going to have to be the UK to keep the employers happy ?
Anyone had any negative feedback from employers who see a Spanish school on their CV ?
How about the Uk schools when its time to do a checkride and keep current. Do the CFI's roll their eyes and shoot steam through their ears ?
Any other comments are most welcome !
Have talked to them, now I just need to book.
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With what I have seen at Cuatro Vientos AEROFAN can do it in the time frame you have mentioned, they are quite go minded and let you fly to the limits of your licence, aeromadrid certainly could not do it within 3 weeks!
If you ask most schools they will say yes - not that many can offer that service.
About your other question look around in here many wonnabees and pilots have uttered their opinions on that subject.
If you ask most schools they will say yes - not that many can offer that service.
About your other question look around in here many wonnabees and pilots have uttered their opinions on that subject.
Last edited by jar-dk; 26th Apr 2006 at 07:50.