AEROFAN Flight Training (merged)
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: manchester UK
Age: 52
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the officed isnt open on sat/sun, only the operations office is open and no calls are taken there at weekends. also if you call in the week, the office is shut from 2-4 siesta, but open untill 8 at night.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: france
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hello everybody!
have you ever flown at Aerofan for hours building ? any feedback would be appreciated.
the prices are low but in fact I am interested because I want to improve my english (by the radio) and I would like to know if spanish controlers speak english well and instructors too. i am french and spain is not far from France (i live in the south of france...) so it is cheaper than going to USA.
we can flight in english in France, but it is not the same thing...and the accent is easier to understand.
have you ever flown at Aerofan for hours building ? any feedback would be appreciated.
the prices are low but in fact I am interested because I want to improve my english (by the radio) and I would like to know if spanish controlers speak english well and instructors too. i am french and spain is not far from France (i live in the south of france...) so it is cheaper than going to USA.
we can flight in english in France, but it is not the same thing...and the accent is easier to understand.
Last edited by sam34; 15th Oct 2006 at 21:55.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 3 NM on final!
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If you just want to build hours there's a cheaper Aeroclub also in LECU where you can rent a PA28-150 and a PA28-180 for 80€ and 100€ plus VAT respectively.
Yes, no problem with ATC nor the instructors, they all speak English.
When are you planning to come?
When are you planning to come?
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: france
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But soory i don't understand, i have searcht LECU i did not find anything, what is ?
I think to come next year :february/march. Before I am going to work a few months.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 3 NM on final!
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I forgot to write the Aeroclub's name. It's called "Club de Vuelo TAS". This is the web: www.clubdevuelotas.com
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: On the flight deck of course !!
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Well, at Paris, it is even cheaper to fly than in Spain ! 92 Euro per hours (VAT included !) of flight http://ac.aiglons.free.fr/home.php !
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Edinburgh
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I've posted previously, but just thought you would like to know that I did my ME/IR and FI at Aerofan (and renewal) within the last 18 months. The school is professional and they are making a big effort to keep the Brits happy during their stay.
The aircraft ARE quite old, worked hard, but are all maintained to the standards you would hope and whenever there has been a problem they have been fixed quickly. The 310 is no better or worse that most Senecas that you see kicking about in the UK. A 172 is a 172 the world over (for the most part) and had pretty good instrumentation. I thoroughly enjoyed the Bonanza.
What I would say is that you will get out of Aerofan as much as you put in. The standard of instruction is good but with more emphasis on the practical side of flying compared with the UK. Less theory all in all. The examiners ARE easier going and you have a higher chance of passing there. It's a fact.
I'm now a CFI, regularly fly the airways and have two interviews with major airlines coming up. Got through the MCC too, so pretty confident the instruction did work.
That's not to say I don't have work to do, but Aerofan did get my ME/IR done in 3 weeks which was hard work but fun. FI quick too but that's a rating that you learn most of it on the job. My time in Madrid was hilarious - mainly because of my lack of Spanish when ordering things off Spanish menus at night, but even went out with the instructors a few nights. Still in touch with all them...
PM for any other info.
The aircraft ARE quite old, worked hard, but are all maintained to the standards you would hope and whenever there has been a problem they have been fixed quickly. The 310 is no better or worse that most Senecas that you see kicking about in the UK. A 172 is a 172 the world over (for the most part) and had pretty good instrumentation. I thoroughly enjoyed the Bonanza.
What I would say is that you will get out of Aerofan as much as you put in. The standard of instruction is good but with more emphasis on the practical side of flying compared with the UK. Less theory all in all. The examiners ARE easier going and you have a higher chance of passing there. It's a fact.
I'm now a CFI, regularly fly the airways and have two interviews with major airlines coming up. Got through the MCC too, so pretty confident the instruction did work.
That's not to say I don't have work to do, but Aerofan did get my ME/IR done in 3 weeks which was hard work but fun. FI quick too but that's a rating that you learn most of it on the job. My time in Madrid was hilarious - mainly because of my lack of Spanish when ordering things off Spanish menus at night, but even went out with the instructors a few nights. Still in touch with all them...
PM for any other info.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: france
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do the spanish students from aerofan, airmed, aeromadrid etc, speak english or spanish to the ATC ?? Most of time he ATC is in english or spanish ? I have not flown in an other country...but I suppose the ATC is in the language of country maybe? (i will not understand spanish anyway) 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 3 NM on final!
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ATC phraseology is generally in Spanish, however if somebody speaks in English we all speak in English for situational awareness.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: On the flight deck of course !!
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do the spanish students from aerofan, airmed, aeromadrid etc, speak english or spanish to the ATC ?? Most of time he ATC is in english or spanish ? I have not flown in an other country...but I suppose the ATC is in the language of country maybe? (i will not understand spanish anyway)
Studients from "english" promotions had everything fully in english and the ATC was performed in english all over spain, balearic islands and south of France !
Anyway, after a couple of months there everybody was almost fluent in spanish
(apart from english guys who could only say "hello" in spanish after 24 months ).Airmed was a WONDERFUL european school some years ago, believe it or not
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: UK
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Just to add my twopenceworth. I did the full JAA MEIR course at Aerofan earlier this year and passed no problem - less than 3 weeks in total. More to the point, they tailored the course to suit me. I wanted to do more twin time than the standard course offered so did 25 hours in a 172 and 25 in a C310 (grown-up twin). Total cost including flights from UK and accommodation in the centre of Madrid, food and drink came to +/- £9k.
I had two instructors, one for the 172 and one for the twin. One was Argentinian and one, the CFI, was Spanish. Both spoke excellent English and knew their stuff (the CFI had several thousand hours commercial operations on light twins and was also rated on the 767). The boss, James Ward, is English and is also a FI although i get the feeling he is mostly office-bound these days. I was against the clock due to work commitments at home and Aerofan bent over backwards to get me through on time.
As for the aircraft, they were as good as any I have flown at any other flight school (and I have flown with US and UK schools in my time). The engineers were ex-military, the workshop appeared well-equipped and the planes appeared well maintained. What more can I say? Aerofan - professional and top value in my experience.
I had two instructors, one for the 172 and one for the twin. One was Argentinian and one, the CFI, was Spanish. Both spoke excellent English and knew their stuff (the CFI had several thousand hours commercial operations on light twins and was also rated on the 767). The boss, James Ward, is English and is also a FI although i get the feeling he is mostly office-bound these days. I was against the clock due to work commitments at home and Aerofan bent over backwards to get me through on time.
As for the aircraft, they were as good as any I have flown at any other flight school (and I have flown with US and UK schools in my time). The engineers were ex-military, the workshop appeared well-equipped and the planes appeared well maintained. What more can I say? Aerofan - professional and top value in my experience.
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: france
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i would like just warm you, because some french guys who did an IR at Aerofan had to pass an exam with a FE (IR) when they came back in France...
Ok IR is a rating and we can do it in another JAR country but IR in spain would be a low level than in France...it is not my word...I say what happened...
So maybe french IR = spain IR. But here we do IR in 12 weeks!! so what's wrong ?? 3 weeks in spain
one guy who did his IR at aerofan said me that spain IR is like US IR, more easier, without calcul matematics etc...not like in France. and in US you do IR in 3-4 weeks too.
I do not know how is the level in UK, but I think it is like in France. I think you do IR in 12 weeks like us, don't you?
so how do they do in spain ??
Do not tell me that it is because the weather is great because in the south of France, the weather is superbe too and the IR course takes 12 weeks...
Ok IR is a rating and we can do it in another JAR country but IR in spain would be a low level than in France...it is not my word...I say what happened...
So maybe french IR = spain IR. But here we do IR in 12 weeks!! so what's wrong ?? 3 weeks in spain
one guy who did his IR at aerofan said me that spain IR is like US IR, more easier, without calcul matematics etc...not like in France. and in US you do IR in 3-4 weeks too.
I do not know how is the level in UK, but I think it is like in France. I think you do IR in 12 weeks like us, don't you?
so how do they do in spain ??
Do not tell me that it is because the weather is great because in the south of France, the weather is superbe too and the IR course takes 12 weeks...
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: france
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I know...but it was just a question...because I though that students had to think about the fly, time to assimilate what they learned etc...
but i said opionions from other guys who did IR in spain and Ir in France (just an another test or some extra hour because french CAA does not like spanish IR), they could compared.
When I looked at documentation of stapleford "it is written IR between 8 and 12 weeks". I noticed it is a very big difference with spain. However Stapleford is a good school, high level but so if I understand they are slow like most other FTO in UK or France. (i don't know the during of IR course in other country..).
But i think Aerofan is a good school because lot of student are satisfied. It is more important finally.
but i said opionions from other guys who did IR in spain and Ir in France (just an another test or some extra hour because french CAA does not like spanish IR), they could compared.
When I looked at documentation of stapleford "it is written IR between 8 and 12 weeks". I noticed it is a very big difference with spain. However Stapleford is a good school, high level but so if I understand they are slow like most other FTO in UK or France. (i don't know the during of IR course in other country..).
But i think Aerofan is a good school because lot of student are satisfied. It is more important finally.