Orlando Flight Training
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Opinions on Orlando Flight Training
Hey guys
Just asking for your opinions basically. I am currently looking at flying schools to undertake training all the way through to a frozen ATPL. Ive been looking at Oxford and Jerez and i am about to book assessments t both. However i have been lately looking at OFT partly due to shorter training time and the cheaper costs.
What are your opinions on taking th OFT route? Anyone done the course out there? Would airlines prefer Oxford or Jerez?
Any Help greatly appreciated!
Just asking for your opinions basically. I am currently looking at flying schools to undertake training all the way through to a frozen ATPL. Ive been looking at Oxford and Jerez and i am about to book assessments t both. However i have been lately looking at OFT partly due to shorter training time and the cheaper costs.
What are your opinions on taking th OFT route? Anyone done the course out there? Would airlines prefer Oxford or Jerez?
Any Help greatly appreciated!
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: With my head in a sandbox!
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If you can afford Oxford/ FTE, go for them no question!! The key thing to look at is who has managed to gain the most employment for their students in the UK and OAT and FTE would win by miles in that context. That said, you pay well in excess of £70k for the privilege which is out of reach for a great deal of people.
I only did my PPL and NR at OFT about a year ago now and I must say I was fairly impressed, although transition from US airspace back to the UK is bloody difficult of you only know US procedures and have only used US RT. I guess that is fairly dependent on the individual though. I found that I saved probably close to £2k on my PPL having done it in the states (some of that offset by having 2 1/2 hrs dual conversion when I returned to the UK) but still a good deal. The accommodation was fine (in fact I was pretty chuffed with it - we had a pool and tennis court which was great after a long day at the airport and the rooms were a good size and well furnished. My instructor was pretty good - she was perhaps letting me get away with errors she should have jumped on but other than that, she got me through fine. I flew the 152 and had no real problems there - the warriors at the time were very busy but I managed to get booked in everyday at least once on the cessna. They were ... shall we say rickety, but had plenty of character! I could have paid another couple of grand and flown in the lovely 172 S models but I was on a budget. The ground school teaching in all honesty was a bit of a shambles - not that useful, but the confuser and my CBT stuff got me through all the exams. So all in all, I left pretty happy but I think I would prefer to train in the UK if I had the money.
However, I do know someone who is out there at the moment doing a bit of training who trained with me last year and he says it has definitely gone downhill a bit - a few too many aircraft going tech and not enough instructors. This is only secondary source though so don't take it as is necessarily - just make sure you do lots of research! With OFT, general advice is budget to spend at least 10-15% more than quoted and allow more time that stated. If you allow for this, you shoudn't find yourself under too much pressure.
I am getting through the Single Engine phase of my commercial training now with an excellent institution who operate as closely to an airline operation as they can and I much prefer it this way - there is pressure to achieve certain things in a certain amount of air time with little room to play with but my flying has improved already quite a bit and I find myself preparing a lot more on the ground before going up. I think you would see something closer to this at OAT/ FTE and that might be preferential to you. It's all individual at the end of the day - the money you save could allow you to get a type rating and be more employable that way.
I only did my PPL and NR at OFT about a year ago now and I must say I was fairly impressed, although transition from US airspace back to the UK is bloody difficult of you only know US procedures and have only used US RT. I guess that is fairly dependent on the individual though. I found that I saved probably close to £2k on my PPL having done it in the states (some of that offset by having 2 1/2 hrs dual conversion when I returned to the UK) but still a good deal. The accommodation was fine (in fact I was pretty chuffed with it - we had a pool and tennis court which was great after a long day at the airport and the rooms were a good size and well furnished. My instructor was pretty good - she was perhaps letting me get away with errors she should have jumped on but other than that, she got me through fine. I flew the 152 and had no real problems there - the warriors at the time were very busy but I managed to get booked in everyday at least once on the cessna. They were ... shall we say rickety, but had plenty of character! I could have paid another couple of grand and flown in the lovely 172 S models but I was on a budget. The ground school teaching in all honesty was a bit of a shambles - not that useful, but the confuser and my CBT stuff got me through all the exams. So all in all, I left pretty happy but I think I would prefer to train in the UK if I had the money.
However, I do know someone who is out there at the moment doing a bit of training who trained with me last year and he says it has definitely gone downhill a bit - a few too many aircraft going tech and not enough instructors. This is only secondary source though so don't take it as is necessarily - just make sure you do lots of research! With OFT, general advice is budget to spend at least 10-15% more than quoted and allow more time that stated. If you allow for this, you shoudn't find yourself under too much pressure.
I am getting through the Single Engine phase of my commercial training now with an excellent institution who operate as closely to an airline operation as they can and I much prefer it this way - there is pressure to achieve certain things in a certain amount of air time with little room to play with but my flying has improved already quite a bit and I find myself preparing a lot more on the ground before going up. I think you would see something closer to this at OAT/ FTE and that might be preferential to you. It's all individual at the end of the day - the money you save could allow you to get a type rating and be more employable that way.
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: orlandjo
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i used to work there and ill tell you NOT TO GO. this place is all about takung your money...many times i was forced to take a student on a "review" flight numerous times before skills test even though the student was ready...
many broken airplanes and being forced to fly them
dont do it
many broken airplanes and being forced to fly them
dont do it
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: orlando
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oft
standards and customer service have dropped since oft moved from there old base to the white shed at the end of the runway, too many indians and cabairs swanning around like they own the place, the access road is an accident awaitng to happen, too many students, too smaller maintenance, seems a lot of the more experienced instructors who were gonna stay, have recently gone (plane crashing?) and i believe poor Prudence is the JAA flight department on her own. it seems greed has entered into the equation and standards have dropped considerably. full marks to the place when i first went there last year, however its a fail now. one last thing....instruction has gone up, even more than the Naples schools and east coast schools, and thats for a zero hours instructor and FAA checkrides are $450 compared to $275 most other places......i never did get justification for the high cost and the high fail rate for first timers.
OFT
Hello guys I used to work for OFT as a CFI on the Helicopter side and I did have an interest in the Fixed wing side and I noticed the staff where good and you do get what you pay for. There is not one school in the USA that everything runs smoothly in and if there was the price would double. So enjoy where-ever go.
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: doncaster
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orlando flight training
Hi all
any comments on oft.
am going out in oct already have jaa imc rating am going for the faa ir, hour building atpl ground school and the cpl me at the end
anybody been out there and please let me know your opinions
CJ
any comments on oft.
am going out in oct already have jaa imc rating am going for the faa ir, hour building atpl ground school and the cpl me at the end
anybody been out there and please let me know your opinions
CJ
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: uk
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next time don't be lazy to do your research
What did they quote you for all that? Double the money and the time frame, then give yourself a surcharge of five percent then another one of ten on top of that and add some tax to it and you'll get it done.
Join Date: Sep 2007
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OFT
Don't go! Been there this summer for two months! Lots of hidden fees, price increased for instructors WITHOUT notice. One of the very annoying things there is that for the FAA training they had only one very "unfriendly" examiner. My SE IR skill test with this guy was the most unpleasent flight ever (I passed the skill test the first time).
If you want to go, double your planned money, add 20% extra and buy an open plane ticket.
I wish I knew about this forums before I transfered my money to OFT.
Good luck!
If you want to go, double your planned money, add 20% extra and buy an open plane ticket.
I wish I knew about this forums before I transfered my money to OFT.
Good luck!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: UK
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JP - Overpromises and under delivers "We'll get ya done!
" - No we won't get ya done...... ever
Mclaird - Deserves to take a lesson in customer service and how to talk to people properly without letting his ego come into it - jumped up t*at
" - No we won't get ya done...... everMclaird - Deserves to take a lesson in customer service and how to talk to people properly without letting his ego come into it - jumped up t*at
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: uk
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hi
i go every 2 years to oft to fly my 12 hours for my license, also with a mate we do 24 hours flying in totall and used to fly the c152's but we had a few problems with them such as fuel not being taken from 1 wing, engine starter motor going and being stuck at cedar key for 4 hours while waiting to be rescued!
but generally we have had no other probs and are going out on thursday to get 24hours in but flying the c172sp this time.
vikki
i go every 2 years to oft to fly my 12 hours for my license, also with a mate we do 24 hours flying in totall and used to fly the c152's but we had a few problems with them such as fuel not being taken from 1 wing, engine starter motor going and being stuck at cedar key for 4 hours while waiting to be rescued!
but generally we have had no other probs and are going out on thursday to get 24hours in but flying the c172sp this time.
vikki
Friends are mid-way through a ppl course with OFT. There are areas that are not 'perfect' but on the whole they are very happy. Two on aeroplane JAA and one on rotary FAA.
Will post again once course is complete!
Sam.
Will post again once course is complete!
Sam.
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Mordor :(
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Just returned from OFT, renewed my MEIR with them last week, had no problems, found them very good. What i would say is this, all flight training organisations have problems, not just OFT. It very easy to log on to PPRUNE and whine about your bad experience, but what you need to do is talk to JP or Andrew, in a plesant manner and tell them your problem. What is most important, is your flight training, anything that distracts you from putting your whole effort into this needs immediate attention. I have found from experience that most things can be sorted out through talking to those involved. Enjoy your training, it will be one of the most fun times of your life, and what seem like huge problems now, later on will seem only minor.
Good Luck To All!!
Good Luck To All!!