dont pay up front
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: uk
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
dont pay up front
i dont want to repeat the detail of rumours that might be wrong but its always good advice not to pay a school up front for your training unless you can risk loosing the lot if it goes bust like sft did last year 
it may be that there is one business failure left in the uk flight school industry before long i hope not for both the instructors and students sake but the advice is good anyway
dont ask me to say which school because i wont and if youve heard rumours i would advise you not to put the name of the school on this thread as these rumours are often wrong
it may be that there is one business failure left in the uk flight school industry before long i hope not for both the instructors and students sake but the advice is good anyway
dont ask me to say which school because i wont and if youve heard rumours i would advise you not to put the name of the school on this thread as these rumours are often wrong
Guest
Posts: n/a
indeed! take care!
never pay too much in advance - you'll see "money" can be often used as a mean of pressure for whatever goes wrong for your flying training... don't forget you, wannabee, are basically a customer compared to your flying school who pays to get an excellent service, if there's shortage you are entitled to say it and receive a 'correct' answer, not lame excuses.
never pay too much in advance - you'll see "money" can be often used as a mean of pressure for whatever goes wrong for your flying training... don't forget you, wannabee, are basically a customer compared to your flying school who pays to get an excellent service, if there's shortage you are entitled to say it and receive a 'correct' answer, not lame excuses.
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: EGKK
Age: 42
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Always pay with a credit card if you can as you will get your money back from the card company if the flight school folds.
I was paying my IR course at about £2,500 a week on my MasterCard - as soon as the payment went through I paid the £2,500 off by phone with my debit card the same day. So there's never any interest but your money is still protected if things go wrong.
Earned about 3,000 Air Miles out of my CPL and IR modules doing it this way too!
I was paying my IR course at about £2,500 a week on my MasterCard - as soon as the payment went through I paid the £2,500 off by phone with my debit card the same day. So there's never any interest but your money is still protected if things go wrong.
Earned about 3,000 Air Miles out of my CPL and IR modules doing it this way too!
Join Date: May 2002
Location: A long way from here.
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hours building
I know that most of this thread really pertains to the UK industry, but I've got a pretty attractive offer price-wise to go and do some hours-building with Good Hope Flying Club in Cape Town. Problem is, they want a 50% deposit- about £1300 or so. My initial reaction is that I'm not happy to pay this, but I wonder how easy it is to find places to do hours-building that won't ask for a fair bit of cash up front?
If anyone knows of anywhere- preferably:
Southern hemisphere (so I can go in Jan)
No deposit
Cheap
Benign visa/licence validation requirements
Let me know!
Ciao!
CC
If anyone knows of anywhere- preferably:
Southern hemisphere (so I can go in Jan)
No deposit
Cheap
Benign visa/licence validation requirements
Let me know!
Ciao!
CC
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: europe
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have found an interesting article in the flight international 19-25 november."Advice for students".
Tony R. thank you very much for your article and thanks to flight international for publishing!
Tony R. thank you very much for your article and thanks to flight international for publishing!
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No matter how good a deal may be, you should never pay up large sums of money at the begining. The only exception is if you pay a block of say 5 lessons to keep you in credit for the next week, or to cover test fees (which may be required in advance)
Paying large sums of money in advance carries the following risks:
1). The FTO going bust.
2). The FTO not being up to your expectations.
If you stopped your training due to reason 2, then how easy could you get your money back ? Even if you could get your money back, you could suffer an unreasonable delay which could waste valuable flying time (especially during the summer months in the UK).
You are secured with a credit card, but only if the FTO is in the UK.
Paying large sums of money in advance carries the following risks:
1). The FTO going bust.
2). The FTO not being up to your expectations.
If you stopped your training due to reason 2, then how easy could you get your money back ? Even if you could get your money back, you could suffer an unreasonable delay which could waste valuable flying time (especially during the summer months in the UK).
You are secured with a credit card, but only if the FTO is in the UK.
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 1,040
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Vast sums of money are a no no, even with the promise of discounts. The FBO I use will give block rate discount if you are going to fly over 10 hours but doesnt make you pay all up front.
If you are new you pay in $750 and just run it down, once they get to know you they will let you credit as little as $500 to your account and still offer you the preferential rate.
Heard too many stories of students loosing thousands. Go for pay-as-you-go, credit card or iEscrow.
If you are new you pay in $750 and just run it down, once they get to know you they will let you credit as little as $500 to your account and still offer you the preferential rate.
Heard too many stories of students loosing thousands. Go for pay-as-you-go, credit card or iEscrow.
Jet Blast Rat
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Sarfend-on-Sea
Age: 51
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not entirely sure why you'd pay upfront. You wouldn't for your personnal flying, so why in the CPL? I assure you there are schools out there where you pay in arrears. Lack of block discount does not matter, as some are cheaper than the prepaid courses elsewhere!
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: europe
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yep, I remember the good old days where the flightschool boss would grab the poor jetlagged students as they came off the airplane, promise them 10% on the 0-1500/ATP and what happens.. 3 months later and a ppl they've lost all the money(18.000$ PPL great..)
THEY ARE ALL BANDITS OUT THERE!! all these FTO's are crooks and will promise you the world/ lower airplane rates/ gueranteed jobs..etc.etc..
Its all crap and given the chance they will profit on your naivity.
Be smart give em a 1000 every so often so thats all you lose.. keep the dosh in your own accounts so it stays yours!! (i don't trust the escrow stuff either..)
Read the small print, know your rights; like your GF, give'em a little at a time..
IMHO
(yes this is harsh but it should be food for thought..)
THEY ARE ALL BANDITS OUT THERE!! all these FTO's are crooks and will promise you the world/ lower airplane rates/ gueranteed jobs..etc.etc..
Its all crap and given the chance they will profit on your naivity.
Be smart give em a 1000 every so often so thats all you lose.. keep the dosh in your own accounts so it stays yours!! (i don't trust the escrow stuff either..)
Read the small print, know your rights; like your GF, give'em a little at a time..
IMHO
(yes this is harsh but it should be food for thought..)
