Flying Training in New Zealand

[millandmitch]

Airline training in New Zealand

I am emigrating to New Zealand in 2006 and want to have a change of direction and become an airline Pilot. Has anyone got any info on the best training courses and establishments?

I have heard that Nelson and Christchurch have good training facilities, but can anyone who has been there give me some advice?

Also do the major airlines have any links with them and help any prospective pilots?

Many Thanks

[kileA]

I think that CTC have a new training centre open in NZ at Hamilton. I am hoping to go through my training with them after i finish college. the official site is:
www.ctcaviation.com
I know that alot of the applicants have gone onto Easy Jet, and they have said they found it really good. They also have links with:
............................................................ .............................................
Aer Lingus
Air Europe Italy
Air Malawi
Air Mauritius
Air Seychelles
bmi
Britannia Airways/Thomsonfly
British Airways
BMed
Channel Express
Cyprus Airways
easyJet
El AL Israeli Airlines
Eurocypria
Excel Airways
First Choice
Flybe
Fly Globespan
FLYJET
GB Airways
Helios
Irish Aviation Authority
Jet 2
Kuwait Airways
Martinair Holland
Middle East Airlines
MK Airlines
Monarch Airlines
My Travel
PrivatAir
Royal Brunei Airlines
Royal Flight Oman
Royal Nepal Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines
Transavia
............................................................ .............................................
I only know of how many get chosen for Easy Jet, not too much info on the others, sorry.

[millandmitch]

Thanks for the info I will have a look at the site this evening.

[Luke SkyToddler]

Do you want to become an airline pilot in Europe or New Zealand?

You need to understand that NZ is very different to Europe in that there is no way on earth you can just finish flying school and go join an airline, you need several years of commercial experience on light piston singles and twins before you can even get your CV looked at at the most basic of regional turboprop commuter airlines. Flight training is cheap compared to Europe but there is intense competition for jobs and not a lot of them to be found (why do you think there's so many kiwis and aussies over here in the UK? )

There's a whole forum devoted to this stuff elsewhere on the site, 'dunnunda & godzone'.

As far as schools go, do you know where you're going to be living? There are good schools all over NZ, I know it's hard to grasp this as a wannabe and especially one from the European culture of flight training, but the main thing to keep in mind when selecting a school in NZ is maybe not the training itself but what do they have to offer after you've finished? Where you trained for your PPL and CPL is not really that important to the NZ airlines as it is here in the UK, because you will have done at least 1,500 hours of flying single and twin piston before you get the first airline interview.

Because as I said it's impossible to get an airline job on completion of your bare licence, the best schools to train at are the ones that hire their own graduates as instructors or even better, the ones that have an air taxi / air ambulance / piston twin charter operation as a sideline so you can work towards getting some multi hours and getting your CV on those airline desks once you've got 1,000 - 2,000 total time.

As far as individual schools go, I guess I have a few opinions as to good schools and also a couple of bad ones that you want to avoid. PM me and I'll give you the low down.

[Piltdown Man]

Honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath for a job "Down Under". You have to be damn lucky, know the right people and be there at the right time. There are less jobs there and more punters hunting. Spend your money training to be a dentist or a plumber or something.

[smith]

I think the airlines are more likely to hire a kiwi national, I suppose however if you have the right to live and work there, there should be no discrimination theoretically. The problem in NZ and Oz is vast areas and relatively small population therefore not really the need for the amount of planes we need in the congested skies and densly populated western europe.

[FatboyTim]

"there should be no discrimination theoretically"

In NZ? You must be joking.

[captwannabe]

New Zealand Pilot Training

Which is a better school, Ardmore Flying School or International Aviation Academy of New Zealand? Any other FTOs that you would recommend for CPL multi IR?

[Mooney12]

Do you like planes taxiing onto the runway just as you hit short short finals?

Do you fancy the challenge of 12 planes in an uncontrolled circuit, with half the pilots unable to speak English properly?

Do you like the idea of an old military jet up your arse at 400kts? Again in the circuit....

If the answer is "yes" to the above, then Ardmore is the school for you

[planeshipcar]

I got my PPL in New Zealand and my 100 hour building for my JAA (f)ATPL.

For its size Kiwi land has quite a few flying schools. I have knowledge of the IAANZ and serveral of my friends went there. They set the standard very high there to that of the equiv of NZRAF courses. They have no nonsense and if you find things hard have no hesitation to kick you off the courses even if you're preapred to work or are working very hard. They turn out good pilots (or throw out mediocre) but it is very pressurised and there is no real personal attention. Ardmore I have been told ahs a very similar tin can factory approach.

From what I have witnessed and I won't give too much away about myself Nelson Avaition College is situated in the beautiful Motuaka and is a very nice relaxed college with a great student buz. Another good school is Flight Training Manawatu - a very personalised approach and friendly school with no pressure. In Christchurch, there is an up and coming school in Wigram which is really friendly and now has multi-engine aircraft and full time courses. You can complete your courses here in half the time. The above three are just a few to mention but in my opinion they are schools where you can really enjoy your flight training. There is no uniform or hierarchy where the instructors have one room to have their lunch and the students another. Beware as well that the main so called 'premier school' you are mainly trained by 22 year olds who have just got ther C Cat 2 months before you started!

I hope this helps. I would like finish by saying that different peoples personalities suit different environments. So IAANZ or Ardmore might be right for you - but ndeffinately not for me!

[Bramley]

You'd also do well to consider Mainland Air in Dunedin, who have a good and very personal setup, or even Air Wakatipu which would get your flying up to an extremely high standard in a stunning environment before doing your IR elsewhere. No groundschool at the latter, though.

[planeshipcar]

The IAANZ is 4 hours away in Christchurch. Your confusing the Nelson Aviation College which is a 40 minute drive a way in Motuaka fromNelson Aero Club.

The IAANZ is a 3 to 4 hours drive away from Nelson.

Hope this helps the muddle up,

once agian good luck guys!

[Luke SkyToddler]

If it's hour building you want, you'll tend to save money in general by staying away from the big sausage factories - and by that I mean IAANZ, NAC, AFS and certainly Massey. It doesn't really matter which one but a lot of the posters here are right in that you tend to get a more enjoyable experience and 'sometimes' a bit more personalized attention at the Aero Clubs.

If I was to do it all again I'd probably toss a coin and decide between Queenstown & Tauranga, they are both awesome although incredibly different flying environments - Queenstown with those incredible mountains and scenery and hard core flying, and Tauranga with all those incredible bikini clad chicks down the beach along with fantastic surfing, nightlife and general party town feel. Can't speak for Wakatipu but there are at least two schools on the airfield at Tauranga that can sort you for CPL/IR, the Tauranga aero club and Bay Flight.

Mooney12 wasn't joking about Ardmore either the place is an absolute nightmare for training purposes, I instructed on the airfield there for several years (although not at AFS) and I have to say the way it's structured at the moment - uncontrolled - its an accident waiting to happen. Oh and 12 planes in the circuit is an average day there, it can and does get a lot worse than that on sunny afternoons. The all time record from the time that I was there was 27 in the circuit with 8 on the ground waiting for taxi, and 5 others holding clear of the circuit waiting for joining clearance (back when it was controlled).

[pinns84]

Hey folks, i'm looking around for a CPL course and so far like the sound of New Zealand. Has anyone done it out there? Any recommendations on schools out there? A line or two on any general experiences whist out there would also be helpful, cheers now

[wagstaff,B]

Hi, I am currently applying to join the RNZAF and thought id look at my options if i am unsucessful. Im after any information or advice about any of the training institutions in New Zealand. For example any recommendations you may have or advice on the ones to be weary of. Im from down south but am willing to train anywhere if it will better my chances of employment and provide me with the best training environment.
Any information will be appreciated,

cheers

[AerocatS2A]

Mainland Air is in Dunedin and is (or was, when I was there) an excellent flying school.

The Wakatipu Aeroclub in Queenstown is good if you think you might like to get in to the Queenstown flying scene.

[wagstaff,B]

Thanks thats good to hear. I have heard Mainland Air has a good reputation. Do you think there is a disadvantage in studing for a diploma of aviation which Mainland offers compared to the bachelor of aviation through Massey Unversity?. Or is is industry just as accepting of both qualifications?

[AerocatS2A]

If I was you, and had the time to do a degree or diploma, I'd do it in something non-aviation related. That way you have some back up qualifications in case flying doesn't work out.

Some airlines like you to have a degree, but they don't specify an aviation degree.

[CDP8]

I had a great time with Peter Hendriks at Aspiring Air in Wanaka. An awesome place to live the whole year round and nothing has ever compared to my experience of flying round the snow capped peaks and glaciers of the southern alps. cons of the school may be the occasional over laid back approach and their main business being scenic flights. They offer PPL to CPL training only, and Pete has an awesome tiger moth you can get rated on. They have a web site you can find easily through google. I personally found Wakatipu a little pompus and over priced, however they do promise a job at the end of CPL training.

Best of luck

[Kiwiguy]

Aerocats, they've bureaucratised everything to do with learning to fly in NZ since making taxpayer funded loans available. The politicians want to call it a diploma or bachelor's degree so that colleges can muscle in on aviation.

When I learned to fly one couldn't get loans like this so it is the medicine one must swallow for being treated like any other career. Of course it isn't and sometimes colleges don't get it.