Thinking of training in Florida?
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: world
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OBA/EASA not worth your money and time!!
I just had a disatrous experience at OBA/EASA in March this year - never ever go there, just a big WASTE of money and TIME!
Any questions - ask me!
Any questions - ask me!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: essex
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Wrong again
It is hard to really get to grips with the stupid and incorrect statements made on these PPrune forums.
Rumours are just what the word means - rumours.
Captain Fisher has NOT 'relinquished' his CAA examiner ratings, in fact the CAA have withdrawn all their insinuations following the flawed and totally spurious allegations made by three students who failed to reach the CAA standard for their particular courses.
Folk who swallow false rumours and make snide comments, should do what Dad always does ...keep Mum!
Rumours are just what the word means - rumours.
Captain Fisher has NOT 'relinquished' his CAA examiner ratings, in fact the CAA have withdrawn all their insinuations following the flawed and totally spurious allegations made by three students who failed to reach the CAA standard for their particular courses.
Folk who swallow false rumours and make snide comments, should do what Dad always does ...keep Mum!
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: London
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Just back from EASA.
No complaints.. enjoyed my time there, and got done with minimum fuss.
Talked with students who were back for 2nd, or even 3rd time for hourbuilding.
Will def return myself.
No complaints.. enjoyed my time there, and got done with minimum fuss.
Talked with students who were back for 2nd, or even 3rd time for hourbuilding.
Will def return myself.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA
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What nonsense!
I'll "read betweenthe lines" for you
Here's my two cents (after training in Florida a couple of times, it's all I can afford!). Although I've been to two Florida flight schools not all of the points can be said about both. Once was pretty good in fact, but reading other people's posts from the big 4 JAR schools in Florida, these are my tips.
"British owned and operated" - means NOTHING. The people running the school may be British, but they are US companies and are subject to US law.
YOU have NO LEGAL RIGHTS whatsoever if things go wrong. If you are unhappy and want to leave, it will cost you DEARLY. There is no Citizens Advice Bureau or equivalent that has any powers to do anything.
Thats why you only go to accredited schools. You do have rights and if you are mistrated the school can lose accreditation, thereby lose all visas. And there is always the courts.
If the school goes bust, YOU LOOSE EVERYTHING. You are a foreigner after all, and US law is not there to protect you. NEVER PAY UP FRONT, EVER EVER EVER. No accredited school has ever gone "bust."
THE CAA DO NOT CARE. You may think that all will be ok after a quick call to the CAA when things go wrong. Unfortunately this is not the case. You are ON YOUR OWN - the CAA do not want to annoy the FTOs over there and risk their all expenses paid inspection trips to Florida and they will do very little.
Check, check and double check contracts BEFORE you sign over a penny, book time off work or book a flight to Florida. Read the small print. My £3000 CPL cost me £1700 to Cancel, having flown for just two hours, and despite the cancellation fee being listed at 25%. Not to mention an emergency repatriation flight home (I was given 24 hours to leave Florida, and made to promise I would not approach another school for training [see point below]). So all in all, I got less than £1000 back. Of course. You should do that any time you sign any contract. Duh. Know their refund policy before you decide on a school. Just ask.
If you do want to change schools - you can't. Your original school will cancel your visa, meaning a very expensive one way ticket home. You then need to do the whole visa process again, returning the Florida once approved to go to your new school. Complete nonsense. Schools transfer visas every day and they do all of the paperwork for you.
And NO - I am not one of "the ones who were always down the pub" - which allegedly the ones who are trouble makers. I kept my head down and got on with it - and things still turned out VERY nasty!
Consider the exchange rate, lack of low cost flights to Florida and the increased living costs of being away from home. Yes a few weeks with Micky Mouse was great, but looking back I'd rather have saved my money and went back on holiday - flight training abroad is not as exotic as you may think. You really could be anywhere as so see so little of the place.
You are going to spend a lot of time and money. Spend the money to go visit your top 2 or 3 accredited choices, and demand to have private time with current students and instructors that you choose at random. There are some very good, very proud and caring schools in the USA.
Here's my two cents (after training in Florida a couple of times, it's all I can afford!). Although I've been to two Florida flight schools not all of the points can be said about both. Once was pretty good in fact, but reading other people's posts from the big 4 JAR schools in Florida, these are my tips.
"British owned and operated" - means NOTHING. The people running the school may be British, but they are US companies and are subject to US law.
YOU have NO LEGAL RIGHTS whatsoever if things go wrong. If you are unhappy and want to leave, it will cost you DEARLY. There is no Citizens Advice Bureau or equivalent that has any powers to do anything.
Thats why you only go to accredited schools. You do have rights and if you are mistrated the school can lose accreditation, thereby lose all visas. And there is always the courts.
If the school goes bust, YOU LOOSE EVERYTHING. You are a foreigner after all, and US law is not there to protect you. NEVER PAY UP FRONT, EVER EVER EVER. No accredited school has ever gone "bust."
THE CAA DO NOT CARE. You may think that all will be ok after a quick call to the CAA when things go wrong. Unfortunately this is not the case. You are ON YOUR OWN - the CAA do not want to annoy the FTOs over there and risk their all expenses paid inspection trips to Florida and they will do very little.
Check, check and double check contracts BEFORE you sign over a penny, book time off work or book a flight to Florida. Read the small print. My £3000 CPL cost me £1700 to Cancel, having flown for just two hours, and despite the cancellation fee being listed at 25%. Not to mention an emergency repatriation flight home (I was given 24 hours to leave Florida, and made to promise I would not approach another school for training [see point below]). So all in all, I got less than £1000 back. Of course. You should do that any time you sign any contract. Duh. Know their refund policy before you decide on a school. Just ask.
If you do want to change schools - you can't. Your original school will cancel your visa, meaning a very expensive one way ticket home. You then need to do the whole visa process again, returning the Florida once approved to go to your new school. Complete nonsense. Schools transfer visas every day and they do all of the paperwork for you.
And NO - I am not one of "the ones who were always down the pub" - which allegedly the ones who are trouble makers. I kept my head down and got on with it - and things still turned out VERY nasty!
Consider the exchange rate, lack of low cost flights to Florida and the increased living costs of being away from home. Yes a few weeks with Micky Mouse was great, but looking back I'd rather have saved my money and went back on holiday - flight training abroad is not as exotic as you may think. You really could be anywhere as so see so little of the place.
You are going to spend a lot of time and money. Spend the money to go visit your top 2 or 3 accredited choices, and demand to have private time with current students and instructors that you choose at random. There are some very good, very proud and caring schools in the USA.
