Baltic Aviation Academy

[uberfly]

I think nothing changed so far since October 2018. BAA has around 200-250 enrolled students but they have only 4 VFR and 5 IFR instructors where 2 of them is teaching only ME/IR (plus some part time FI comes and go for couple of days a month). I wonder IF they do anything to fix this situation because it doesn't look so. Again students lost contact with BAA and they are not informed about anything, they are all left in the dark. They just pray to be scheduled and hoping to finish. They don't even expect to receive simple service because they lost their hope about BAA. Only information provided with students is how many total hours flown in VFR, IFR and ME per month. It is total mess in terms of organization and planning. New AIP was published therefore charts has changed but BAA was not even aware of that students have to solve this problem themselves. It is never flown in the morning all flight are scheduled in the afternoon therefore students depart IFR but have to land VFR for their IFR training. Multi engines are back but their maintenance takes 1 week, this means they fly 1 week and they are off in hangar for a week. With this performance, bottle neck for each phase of the training narrowing down so waiting time for it getting longer and longer.

On average students could fly 4-5 hours per week. Students invited to start certain phase of training but they could only do their first flight in 2 weeks. There are many more to write down here but I hope someone who has more clear insight about the situation could support.

Students just need information, explanation and the service they are paid for. You have to give them this otherwise you will create bunch of unsatisfied people.

[saxamen]

BAA "kindly asked" students to move from Lithuania to Spain, claiming that life in Spain is cheaper and they will complete the flights faster. Result: rent and products are 30-40% more expensive and about ONE IFR flight per TEN DAYS from October until mid December. People lost tons of money for just sitting and doing nothing. Rent in Spain - about 700 eur when in Vilnuis - 350 eur. Guys payed brokers 700 eur for deposit. Each one. Others lived via AirBnb.

[saxamen]

For example - from October until end of November they had 2 (TWO) c172 for IFR flights for about 33 (THIRTY THREE)! students! After this BAA sent about 20 students back home. Do you realize it? People had CONTRACTS for rent and BAA sent them home saying there will be no flights.

[fflyby]

Training quality in BAA is extremely low. My personal experience and sudjestion not to start training with them. Better pay a little more to anoher ATO, and you will get better training? better instructors and create solid base for your future job search and career

[polskipilot88]

worst form of pay2fly

Originally Posted by RomanK

Air Baltic will phase out their 737s this year so 'possible contract renewal' is not likely.
Plus they have their own training center Air Baltic Training with 737 simulator, it is not BAA's business apparently

co like air baltic are killing the market. these models should finally come to an end. please don't reply to them at all

[aviatorfromIST]

Hello guys, newcomer is here.

Firstly, i must say im very sorry to hear all this problems from students of BAA. I was looking around for detailed reviews from students and graduates and found out this website.

Here is my story, all of you must have heard Turkish Airlines. the company is running cadet program for years now. i was accepted couple of months ago and company informed us due to long wait list for air schools in Turkey, we will be sent to BAA, Lithuania (around 20 cadets).

My question is now, all discouraging events happened, delays and everything, did the academy solve your problems? is it getting any better now? or are we coming into a mess?

Also, i would like to hear any other opinions from you, if you have any. cheers

[aviatorfromIST]

It is actually an ATPL. we were thinking an MPL program like you, but the company clearly stated that it will be an ATPL. Yes the company is behind us, in fact they will regularly visit BAA to inspect both cadets and academy (training and everything). I think BAA promised a training time to the company and idk what will happen if any delays occur. the meetings between BAA and the company took months.

We heard if Turkish Airlines finds training good, they might send new cadets in future.

[aviatorfromIST]

Originally Posted by tecnamflyer

Again, you have Turkish Airlines behind you, it is a totally different scenario, they will take care of you regardless of what BAA do, it will be their responsibility. Also as i am understanding it will not be money from your own pocket? Turkish pay for your transport, rent etc etc? Also then the hits the school love to give will not affect you so much, except the wasted time and frustration with the delays. It is more a problem for self sponsored cadets who have to fund for themselves the mess BAA create for everybody.

Yes, all expenses covered by the airline, we are already hired, and working for them (as cadets

[youngretired]

It made me laugh when I read your post aviatorfromIST and the reason is TK is famous about picking the worst but seemingly big ATOs every time they need one. There was a FIT experience and one can still find the cadets’ google group and read all the drama (it was a public group back then)
Anyways, good luck with that.

[JamiButt]

Hi,

I am about to do an interview with BAA on the 13th of May, for the Wizzair cadetship. Has the situation improved since then in the academy?

Thanks

[youngretired]

Yes, they invented the wheel again in one month.

[Dukaster]

Originally Posted by JamiButt

Hi,
I am about to do an interview with BAA on the 13th of May, for the Wizzair cadetship. Has the situation improved since then in the academy?

Some students sue the school.
It gives you an idea of the current toxic ambiance there...

[Warlock1]

Wizzair may be phasing out BAA and switching to L3 instead:

https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/pil...grams/wizz-air

[uberfly]

Originally Posted by Warlock1

Wizzair may be phasing out BAA and switching to L3 instead:

https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/pil...grams/wizz-air

I don't think that would be the case. As long as I know, L3 has Wizz Air cadet program even before BAA started it.

[Dukaster]

Originally Posted by Warlock1

Wizzair may be phasing out BAA and switching to L3 instead:

https://www.flightdeckfriend.com/pil...grams/wizz-air

Yes

Some colleagues told that Wizz approaches other schools in Eastern Europe to generate cadet programs.
They are not satisfied with BAA. And it's proven by the new procedure that wizz steped up with BAA.
Wizz cadets apparently have a low level, wizz decided to check them after the MCC to check their level.

You see clearly, all those clues that BAA is an unprofessional school.

[LegioX]

How is the current status quo in BAA at the moment ? I have been asked from few friends some comment on it. Thanks.

[barkerlut]

It‘s mixed - things are definitely improving, there is no more significant waiting time between ground school and flying. They got rid of most bad ground instructors, but also lost some experienced flight instructors.
Nonetheless be aware that BAA is still BAA. It is and always will be run by the mother company (Avia Solutions), which does not give a single thought about giving students a great time. It’s about the money and you feel that BAA has no real option but to press it through towards the students. Incompetency has greatly reduced, though. They had (maybe thanks to the outrage here... who knows) lots of staff changes and it seems to pay off slowly. Information flow towards the students has also improved. But keeping in mind what has happened to the former students people are still expecting fishy things at every corner, which makes the overall relationship between students and BAA somewhat salty.

The reports from others in this forum are definitely true - they reschedule flying so that you might be forced to rent and cancel apartments in Spain, Kaunas and Vilnius on a short notice and commute between those cities without compensation. But in the contracts they informed you this could happen. Its just that nobody expected them to actually use this to the extent they do. It’s run by a mother company which has an interest in earning as much as possible. ˋnough said. But on the other hand... do other big flight schools behave differently? I honestly don’t know.
They equip you with wrong LogBooks? Good luck trying to get them to equip you with the right one. Sue them for those 40€ or swallow the pill and complain in a forum like PPRuNe (which people do, as you see). Those are the small things which make the relationship somewhat spoiled and leave you with some sort of disbelief, seeing that they actually trying to squeeze the last 10€ out of the students.

Overall - be aware of two major things I’d say: Things like „Wizz is pulling out“ is not true and things like „this place is falling apart“ is also not true. It’s the frustration of students which have been ignored by BAA too long and it needs to unload somewhere. What’s true, however, is the general behaviour of BAA (described by many posters above, so no need for me to elaborate) towards the students in case something goes not as planned. This is what the one poster above means - some sue for compensation, some others swallow the pill and keep on going.
They‘ll train you to get the license you paid for. If you’re satisfied after all is another story.

[travis.karl]

BAA is BAA and will never change

Absolutely one of the worst flight schools I have ever heard of.

I still don't get it: why are you still selecting cheap of quality? You wouldn't like to put your kids on a plane flown by bad pilots, would you?
Save your money, work hard for a higher budget and select a good school with reputation.
​

[hid3]

BAA has launched a separate site to promote their marketing even more: tapkpilotu.lt
Among all the information I found that the acceptance criteria is age between 18 and 30, high school maths and physics grades of 7 and above.
I'd say these criteria can be considered as key ones for selection to WizzAir cadet programme (just my personal opinion).

Also, there has been quite A LOT of publications in local yellow press ordered by BAA on how being a pilot is cool, how pilots earn the most, how there's a lack of pilots, how it's a dream job, etc etc etc.
You can find (and translate) all the publications here:
https://www.delfi.lt/multimedija/tap....d?id=77229097
https://www.15min.lt/mokslasit/strai...lu-646-1029982
https://www.delfi.lt/multimedija/tap....d?id=77477351
https://www.delfi.lt/multimedija/tap....d?id=77087923
https://www.delfi.lt/multimedija/tap....d?id=78384313
https://www.delfi.lt/multimedija/tap....d?id=78126637
https://www.delfi.lt/darbas/profesij....d?id=80299625
https://www.delfi.lt/darbas/profesij....d?id=81100571

I think there will be more to come, as these publications appear about every 3-4 weeks

[av8tor396]

It makes sense to appeal to non English speaking medias. The international forums (such as this or Facebook etc) is already aware of their chaotic environment.