Orlando Flight Training

[island]

hi guys well just some updates on the current situation at oft....
1 yes none of the atpl instrutors holds a JAA ATPL
2 most of the extra cost is from what i hear due to bad instruction that causes students to complete the licenceses with far more hours than needed
3 two instructors "left" at the end of the last module and only one has been hired....
4 there are problems with the cgi attitudes and some students wonder about his real background, rumor has it that he got the job because of his friendship with the school's owner

[chris-squire]

Jesus Christ!

Gets better and better doesn't it! Definitely made the right choice and really looking forward to Moncton now!

I still think alot of these US FTO's are what you make them and they're all having a hard time of it at the mo to be fair. But don't get me wrong, there isn't any excuse for some of the things that seem to happen there!

[Alltheway]

OFT

Hi Plinky,

Hope all the OFT Post's haven't discouraged you too much. Are you doing any theory prior to PPL?

I'm flying out on the 2nd so have Great Christmas If I don't hear from you before.

By all means email when you arrive - [email protected]

[jono1978]

OFT

Hi all,

I too had the same experience as the poster above.
I too didn't get my PPL done due to lack of hours.
When I tackled JP & my instructor about the fact I needed to get it done in 21 days, JP laughed and said nobody gets it done in 21 days!
This really annoyed me, I felt conned. I arrived on Wed with view to starting Thurs but didn't start flying untill Monday!
Monday was apparently the day all the courses started but booked me in for Thursday.
All they want is your money. To be realistic, you need at least 5 weeks to get it done, I had done all my exams prior to going to get a headstart but it made no difference.
I think OFT's only use at present is good for hour builders, but I hear that there are far too many of them now too.
They're just too greedy and sooner or later people will stop going

[david_NY]

oft?

Ciao all!! I am Italian and would like to get the frozen atpl licence at OFT! Every licence is jaa approved exept IR. So I have to convert only IR( I'll do it in the UK, in Italy it cost 20000). But I wonder if i can follow an english corse. I mean: I will study technical words never heard before. Do they help foreign students?? I don't know whether to go through with pro pilot course or not!!please help me!! I think is difficult to follow a lesson without understanding!! Thank you....grazie a tutti

[acshawuk]

Hi all

I was booked with OFT to complete a CPL ME course. I've been training part time at Multiflight but couldn't finish the course due to the weather and work commitments. I thought an intensive 2 weeks in Orlando was the way to go and booked with OFT in October.

I got the email about lack of Instructors, then a phone call 48 hours before I was due to travel saying there was no point in coming because they didn't have a CPL ME instructor to fly with me. Apparently a guy from CABAIR was supposed to be going out but cancelled at the last minute.

I know it was short notice and all but on the phone they seem a reasonably genuine outfit. Any thoughts on whether I should wait for their staff troubles to subside, or find another FTO ?

Cheers
Andy

[Sam Rutherford]

Hi,

My experience (and that of friends) is that OFT are good (not fantastic, but not at all bad). My impression is that the majority of posters are the minority of complainants (people are always noisier in complaint than in satisfaction - unfortunately).

Stick with them, and if (as has just happened) things don't go as planned, work together for a solution - you'll find one that keeps everyone happy.

Sam.

[PrittPower]

Second that..

I second that.
They got me through my JAA CPL in 9 days! Including test. Which was a full 1st time pass. Took me 2 months to get there though with the new TSA 'visa' requirement. Be prepared to spend one WHOLE sweaty day in the American Embassy, alongside 400 other people trying to get USA visas. Pleasant..

[cerealkiller]

Pro Pilot Course

Hi everyone,
it's my first post here and think this is a really good community where to find a lot of informations.
The object of my question is the Pro Pilot Course at OFT.
I read that there are 24 weeks of ground school, in the phase 1 of the course.
I'd like to know, from somebody who was there, if the 14 examinations requested can be done there, while going on with the other phases, or if I'm supposed to do them when I'll be back to my country.
I can't find this information on their site but it's really important to me.
I know that if you just attend to the ground school, that is 27 weeks long, you do the 14 examinations at the end, in the last 3 weeks, but I can't find if it's the same way for the Pro Pilot Course.
Thank you all in advance.
See you,

Cerealkiller

[sTaurinn]

My understanding of the Pro Pilot Course ground school is that it is divided into three 8 week modules, each being 6 week lectures, 1 week selfstudy followed by a week og tests.

I am more concerned on the pro pilot course which I am going to take this year at OFt is initial ground school for PPL. I am not sure if I am supposed to self study for that or if there are any lectures.

[cerealkiller]

Thanks for your quick answer sTaurinn, I really appreciated.
Where did you find that description? I couldn't find it in their website.
If it's a supposition you did, I'd like also to know, from somebody that attended to the Pro Pilot Course, if it's really like you said.
Thanks again,

Cereal

[Bambe]

PPl

Hi guys,

I wondered if a visa is required for the PPL course as it only lasts 21 days...
Thanks,

[nh2301]

So here's a rumot for you.

OFT is moving out of congested KISM.. How soon? Who knows!

[david_NY]

hi!! In the italian forun orlando flight training has not a good reputation becouse people say they don't help foreign students! Is that true? Can someone tell me his experience? thanks!!!! ciauzz!

[Woody946]

"nh2301 So here's a rumot for you.

OFT is moving out of congested KISM.. How soon? Who knows!"

I highly doubt that for several reasons.

1. Marc has invested too much money into KISM to move now. The building on the approach end of 6 and the old American Fliers building within the last year.

2. 2/3 of the traffic is OFT. Moving that many planes to another airport will just congest that one. And god help you if it would be to an uncontrolled airport. Indian, Brits, and Icelanders all doing their own thing in the pattern? No thanks.

3. Housing. Nearly 95% of all of OFT's clients require housing. Finding an airport with that much available housing would be rough.

4. Instructors. Hard enough to find find/ keep instructors now. Imagine having to start fresh in a new area.

Crazier things have happened there, but I call bs on this rumor.

[falkirk81]

As a current student of OFT, i thought it appropriate to report on whats going on there NOW. I too got the email about lack of instructors, and in 3 weeks ive done 15hrs towards my PPL. Although i am doing well, going solo in 2 lessons time. Met JP a couple of times, he seems ok from what ive seen. A lot of students have, shall we say 'billing issues' from their accounts. But i guess as long as you check your balance and query anything thats not correct then nothing should go wrong. There are loads of indian students, but the whole place has just been split into two parts. One building on the west of the airport is now for all the FAA students, and the old building next to the kissimmee airport terminal is for the JAA students. I lost a week of training because of this change, my original instructor was being moved to the JAA side, and as my PPL is FAA, i had to change. apart from that, im doing well. Staying with family so no accomodation needs which is one less hassle. Some students on the same course as me are STILL in the $50 a night hotel due to a shortage of student accomodation.

[abs_kols]

im going to OFT for the pro pilot course

hey im starting my JAA pro pilot course with OFT on the 7th of april. hopefully its going to be a good experience. did some research into it and have decided its the best choice and cheaper than cabair nyways. so any pointers from people who are going there or have been would be useful! also if youre attending the same course PM me.

[BillieBob]

It has always struck me as odd that people who have a problem with JAA training at OFT (and/or MFC) do not take up their gripes with Cabair. After all, it is Cabair that hold the approvals and are, therefore, responsible for the training. Whereas it is difficult to pursue a claim against OFT under US legislation after the course is finished, it is much easier to prosecute a claim against Cabair, a UK company, who are, actually, responsible for the training provided by both OFT and MFC.

It seems self-evident that, should the training provided by Cabair in Kissimmee or Moncton not meet the same standards as that provided at Cranfield or Bournemouth, it is Cabair that should be held to account and not their sub-contractors. Remember that, although you might pay your money to OFT or MFC, your contract is, in reality, with Cabair since it is they who hold the approval.

[sparx007]

ummmm interesting point that above. Thinking of going OBA or OFT for 75 hour package and JAA CPL..... anybody with any recent experience of either??? Have OFT got things back in order after reading a few posts on this thread about instructor/student ratios etc.

If it were your money.....OBA or OFT???? or back to square one with a compltely different option????

Cheers.

Sparx

[moona]

OBA vs OFT

I went through the same OBA vs OFT depate when I was deciding where to finnish my PPL. For me cost was a big issue so I listed all the costs and OBA came out as the clear winner. With OFT there are alot of additional charges that you need to take into account. $50 hotel per night, SEVIS, TSA, fingerprints.

Obviously this is only one criteria to basee a decision on but if cost is a deciding factor its good to list everything out.