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-   -   Stapleford Flight centre (https://www.pprune.org/professional-pilot-training-includes-ground-studies/381108-stapleford-flight-centre.html)

Evan21 13th Jul 2009 09:55

Stapleford Flight centre
 
Hi All,

Just seeing if anyone has trained at stapleford flight centre?? I am thinking of starting commercial flight training shortly and was considering doing it at stapleford. Any experiences of the school would be much appreciated!

Evan21

AIRWAY 13th Jul 2009 10:02

Hello,

Use the search function, plenty of recent threads about Stapleford.

I can always provide you with further info about them, please send me a private message, and I shall try and answer all your questions.

Regards.

Mordacai 13th Jul 2009 17:28

I was there in 2002. They have generally a very good reputation, and I enjoyed my time there. I don't think you will have any problems.

scott5988 13th Jul 2009 17:38

hey,

Im thinking, BCFT G/S, Satpleford for all the flying. Hear its pretty good! :}

what do you guys think??

Cheers guys

Scott :ok:

SVoa 15th Jul 2009 17:32

I finished my PPL there in march. Really good school and I reccomend it to anyone wanting to follow the modular route. Very helpfull instructors always wanting to help. Alot of my friends on the IR there were 100% satisfied by the level of training, and noticed they were really prepared for the IR skills test. All of the CPL/ME/IR instructors are career instructors and are always so eager to help. And a VERY friendly atmosphere.

I highly recomend this school to anyone.

SVoa

Evan21 10th Mar 2010 06:59

Now that i got my PPL at stapleford i must say all of your above comments are v.true. Thanks

Wee Weasley Welshman 10th Mar 2010 07:21

These are the sorts of comments I've come to expect over the years regarding this school. When I advise Wannabes to find a good UK school with long established reputation employing career instructors who can take you from zero to IRT it is places such as Stapleford that I am referring to. More expensive than a cheapy course in Florida but so so much better for you.

There are plenty of other great schools to choose from.

Enjoy.

WWW

G SXTY 10th Mar 2010 12:53

I did my PPL at Stapleford a few years back and was very happy with them. Went elsewhere for the commercials, but that was more a reflection of the airfield / ATC / instrument facilities than the school or its training standards.

You hear very few complaints about SFC.

student88 10th Mar 2010 14:06

I'd give SFC 8/10

They'd get 10/10 if it wasn't for certain rude, unprofessional members of the reception team. One in particular seems to think it's okay to openly discuss students financial situations out loud in front of other customers. (this hasn't personally happened to me but I've witnessed it).

The instructors are great, they really carry the company.

S88

Muddy Boots 10th Mar 2010 15:38

I had a bad experience...
 
I'm going to write something that bucks the trend here I'm afraid.

I was there in 2006 and had a bad experience I'm afraid, I'd made a long hard decision to go there and take the modular route rather than Oxford and go intergrated.

There were more politics and infighting there than Northern Ireland. I absolutely agree that the reception staff were rude gossips and unprofessional, it was hard getting noticed by them when you were standing there. The head of the school, Capt. Collin Dobney, has had carisma by-pass surgery and whether or not he is a captain is truly to be verrified. In my time there he never said hello or took an interest in my training even though I had signed on for the full course.

The planes were very heavily worn to such an extent the wings on all the 152s were dented where the students leaned on them to fill them up as there was never a ladder by the pumps. The runway is only half asphalt and goes to grass just after you touch down and has a fairly extreme upslope, the plus is, if you can land there you can land anywhere.

There was no continuity in the instructors and it was a nightmare trying to get the same one twice, therefore most lessons were spent with the instructor trying to work out what you knew rather than what they needed to teach next. Most of them were fairly jaded, all apart from one who taught me little nuances I still practice today, I believe has left now.

I know that this may be different to the good experiences that some may have had but I know there are definitely others who share my bad experiences.

I left after a month and completed my PPL training at Pilot Flight Training in Oxford and had a very happy time there.

Don't be tempted to go there just because it is local for you.

Muddy Boots

negativeROC 10th Mar 2010 20:54

I know Stapleford. The runway is 1100m, 600m is tarmac. Why touchdown halfway down the runway or am I missing something?

tigermagicjohn 10th Mar 2010 21:06

"Muddy Boots" First of all, how can you compare PPL with CPL training, the question here was for commercial training.
I had to do my PPL retraining at Stapelford, due to expired license, and I found them excellent and honest, they did not make me fly more than I required.
Another thing you fail to mention, landing there is not ideal, but it's free, you have a VORDME on the airfield. I did not fly C152, because I don't like them, the PA28 for PPL training looked a bit tired, but did what it said on the can.

For the CPL they use other aircraft, and it is another setup. Yes they might not pussyfoot around you, and you might need to take and show some own initiative, what I appreciated the most, was that because they are fair busy, they are not just looking to milk the most possible hours out of you.
As anything else, a flying school is a business, but it seems to be a well run business, and at a fair/decent price. I am sure there are others, sure your decision for going there instead of Oxford must have been hard, approx. £50.000 difference!!! :ugh:

If I wanted I could have blown my money on Oxford, but I did not even consider it for one second, because for that extra money I rather have it for a rainy day or a TR if required.

Now to know what gossip the staff talks about there, yourself you have to be a little but gossip too, to stand with long ears and listen. It's an open plan office, what you expect, them to go in the backroom to do their job.

I know not all are as friendly, specially when you make them wait 3 hours extra because you got back from a late flight, after closing time as I did once, overall they are friendly enough for my liking, and anyway I am not there to make friends with them either.

I know of plenty of PPL students who never turn up on time, dont prepare themselves or just simply do not have good enough airmanship or flying skills, there are many factors to consider. View it from the other side too. Nobody knows how flexible you was for training either, what instructors was available, bad weather etc. I could go almost anytime, so was never a problem for me.

And the Airfield, is not the worst I have seen, could be worse. I havent said hey to Colin either, how you expect that, school is busy, that is good, means many people are happy and passing, nobody forces anyone to go there. You probably only see Colin for your check ride CPL/IR - and from what I have heard - better not expect to many smiles, however he is not there to be our friend, he is there to judge if you are good enough to get your license.

Stapelford, 8 of 10, but then again, who would get 10???

Muddy Boots 10th Mar 2010 22:38

Dear Tiger Magic John

I am glad you had a good experience at Stapleford, I however didn't and Evan 21 who started this post was seeking our opinions on this forum, he now has both mine and yours. If everyone only posted positive experiences what a bed of roses life would be.

To address some of your points but not all of them, I started there on a CPL modular course but was so put off by them that I didn't stay and complete the PPL part of my training. I am currently embarking on the CPL portion of my training.

Flexibility, alas not money, was my decision on going modular rather than intergrated.

I was resident and therefore never late and was available to fly anytime.

I have no idea what the gossip from the chattering classes was but I had the nerve to dare to interupt them to be served as a customer as I stood in reception. By the way it was Student 88 who had the pleasure of hearing the details of the gossip plus he also had the same sentiments about some of the staff.

Wow, they had a VOR/DME on top of the hill that was their runway, not exactly an ILS. It is shear luck for them that it's there, if they closed down tomorrow it would still be there as it forms part of the standard terminal approach and hold for traffic inbound to Heathrow amongst others.

Yes the runway and airfield could be worse, there could be a cattle grid at the transition from the asphalt.

Finally, so you clearly agree the Capt. (ahem) Collin Dobney is an uncharismatic old :mad:...

If we are giving it a score I personally would rate it 3 out of 10.

Go on, your turn to shout...

Muddy Boots

As an addendum, there were others who were disgruntled by Stapleford, my experiences are 3 1/2 years old, maybe they have cleaned up their act.

Pilot2/b 10th Mar 2010 23:36

Stapleford Flight Centre
 
I finished training at Stapleford in Dec 09. I would rate them 10/10. I completed the hours building CPL/ME/IR with them and was very happy with the school and training. I found the instruction was fantastic and the instructors were all willing to help at anytime. I passed the CPL/ME/IR first time in min hours.
If anyone wants further information/guidance I'm happy to help PM me.

Ade :)

Wee Weasley Welshman 11th Mar 2010 09:13

I like this thread.

Its a really good illustration of a wider point. Peoples expectation, experience and opinion of the same school does vary widely. The obvious conclusion is that the school is pretty constant and the wide variance reported by the student/customer is down to them rather than the FTO. Instructors often come and go and replacing a bad one with a good one (or the reverse) can transform a school its true.

Just be aware - its ALWAYS been the case that one mans food is another mans poison when it comes to flying schools.


WWW

Cirrus_Clouds 11th Mar 2010 11:00

......just like anything else WWW.

I agree that this thread is useful, mainly a positive vibe about the school. It's pleasing to see, as this is one of my potential options for the future.

3bars 11th Mar 2010 11:38

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Muddy Boots.

Did some commercial training with them and he's summed up the CFI and some of the Instructors perfectly. I know a few people who went there that wouldn't have a good word to say about SFC.

I suppose they can't keep everyone happy!:suspect:

3bars

G CEXO 11th Mar 2010 12:21

I completed my PPL in October 2009 at Stapleford. The instruction was excellent and the instructors were always there if you needed any help.

However, their receptionists were very unprofessional. One of the ladies at the reception was brilliant, however a few of them were just a ****in pain in the arse. Numerous times I would stand at the front desk waiting for their attention and assistance and they would just ignore or blank me out. This is really pathetic especially as it's people like us who pay not theirs but everyone's salary at the flying school.

Overall, I have been very pleased with the instruction at Stapleford and I will be coming back to do my hour building and commercial training.

Rating: 8/10 ( would have given 10/10 had it not been for the pathetic individuals at the reception)

G-XO

BellyAir 11th Mar 2010 12:47

The reception is open at Stapleford, for those who don't know.

The women who work behind there have work to do and just because they can be seen does not mean they can instatly jump up and attend to questions at the drop of a hat.

A lot of the comments on this post appear to be from people with an unreal expectation.

As a pilot, you have to be open to criticism whether good or bad, so why does it matter if people discuss you? Information is shared so lessons can be learnt.

Get yourself a thick skin. You are going to be watched, observed and graded many times during your flying career.

Colin Dobney is a miserable sod, but if you are putting the work in and have a problem, go and speak to him and see how he reacts.

I cocked up 1 thing on my CPL so I required a retest (approach to Southend 06 from the South). Colin came up to me a called me a C*** afterwards.

It was like a hug.

TangoPapaCharlie 11th Mar 2010 13:42

I totally agree with what Pilot2/b said about stapleford training on the previous page. Likewise, I completed a CPL/ME/IR with them and I must admit, the instructors were all very good and very friendly. Passed everything first time as well.
Concerning the IR, some might wonder if the fact that there's no instrument approach at stapleford is a problem. To my mind, it's not an issue at all. Southend Airport is just nearby and is perfectly suitable for training.
The school is providing accommodations and a student car is available as well...

I'd be more than happy to answer any specific question about their training!

Rating: 9.5/10 because the food could be better at the clubhouse :)

ei-flyer 11th Mar 2010 13:54


Colin came up to me a called me a C*** afterwards.
Haha what a man. :ok:

Mile High Nutcase 11th Mar 2010 18:44

question for Evan

did you enjoy your course at Stapleford, what do you make of the school.

let us know innit

MHN

justasmallfire 11th Mar 2010 19:13

Did my MEP there and after leaving the screens(for partial panel) right at the back of the a/c and after climbing back and giving Colin my size eleven in the face I looked at him and called myself a c### he just nodded in agreement but the test went ok after that.Personally I like to know where I stand with someone.
Found training and instructors good and the free t/o and landings there can be worth their wait in gold when you need the practice.

RB311 11th Mar 2010 19:53

I too find this an interesting thread.

For sure, if you judge a school by it's reception rather than the standard of it's teaching and results then perhaps it says more about the judge than the judged.

From my experience, SFC does what it says on the tin. The CPL school is there to train people not just to pass the exam but to be suitable for a career in commercial aviation. If you can't take a few well judged expletives from people who only care what standard you can attain then join the public sector.

SimJock 11th Mar 2010 20:26


The CPL school is there to train people not just to pass the exam but to be suitable for a career in commercial aviation.
I agree with that, if you think Colin is bad, then wait till you meet your type rating instructor/examiner. He/She will have no hesitation in (vociferously pointing out your shortcomings) especially if you fly (badly) !

Did my residential CPL at Stapleford and no real complaints. The only frustration was the bad weather days when you had to find something else to do and the occasional cancelled session when something else came up for the Instructor. In aviation, you have to be adaptable, so you could say that is all good practice.

Good to hear that Staplefords equivalent of james Bond 'Stapleford 007' is still going strong, cheers Brian :)

ruthers 11th Mar 2010 20:28

I stumbled across this thread and felt compelled to comment on my (rather negative) experience(s) of SFC.
Please bear in mind this was back in 2003, so perhaps not so relevant now, but from what i've read here some of the characters may not have changed very much.

Living in north Kent it would have made perfect sense for me and my friend (who was also looking for a commercial school) to do our CPL/IR's there and save on accomodation expenses. We were basically pleading with them to convince us to part with each of our £17,000 (or whatever a CPL/IR was in those days) - and we really would not have needed much convincing!
We went along for a pre-arranged informal chat with one of their instructors and our impression was very similar to some earlier comments on this thread. It took an eternity to be dealt with by reception (who were only busy talking to each other as far as I could work out), and the instructor we sat down with spent the entire time complaining how exhausted he was. After a rushed mini tour of the 'facilities' which even included a grunt from the 'head honcho' we left feeling rather disillusioned.

Still, I felt perhaps we'd been unlucky and I decided to go back on another day for a second opinion (afterall I really DID want to train there if only for convenience). I spoke to a second instructor (whose name I forget but was the type who would be probably call 'a spade a spade' and who I believed at the time might be better suited as a London cabbie). After lecturing me on how unlikely it was that i'd get through an IR test first time and how he despaired at how inexperienced 200 hour pilots hoped to pass in minimum training hours I once again left feeling dissappointed, and with cheque book firmly in pocket!

Both myself and my friend ended up going to Professional Air Training in Bournemouth (and with the extra accommodation costs) who sold the course to us in 10 minutes flat by telling us they'd ''get it right, first time'' and subsequently helped me (and my pal) get through our CPL/IR's first time, AND in minimum time... fabulous place and people, but I digress.

Maybe if i'd still done my training at SFC i'd have a completely different impression and I completly accept that others have had very positive experiences......I didn't (twice), and I am still amazed there are businesses like these that turn good money away from their door.

I echo the earlier comment to refrain from training at a school just because you live close by.

As an afterthought can I just mention that in my limited experience flying commercially for the last 5 years with 2 different UK carriers I have never once been called a c**t in a training environment (and would never expect to be). I personally don't think that particular style of training has any place in modern day aviation training, it's just lazy and serves no purpose....it perhaps worked 40 years ago but I hope we have moved on from those pre-CRM days. I was lucky enough to instruct for a year before gaining my first airline job and found that the best results would always be gained from building a students confidence, not destroying it.


Good luck to all.

Cirrus_Clouds 11th Mar 2010 23:10

Some food for thought.

Muddy Boots 12th Mar 2010 02:04

I feel compelled to post a reply in defense of some of the comments as I was the first person to have a negative view of Stapleford.

I went there to really make it work and it was with heavy heart that I left SFC and I didn't do it lightly. My parents live in Oxford so if I was going to go anywhere that was easy for me Essex wasn't it but no I liked the look of the place and wanted to go there.

I left after a myriad of different issues not just how the receptionists behaved but the surly attitude from Colin Dobney dribbled down to the instructors who thought that his example was acceptable behaviour. I was not the only one, there was a raft of other students in the summer of 2006 who felt they were being treated badly.

I left and went solo in two days with another instructor in Scotland, did the bulk of my license in the UK and completed it in San Diego. So I have had plenty of experience of other flying schools and at the time Stapleford was not being well run.

I had worked in the film industry for years as my day job before I started flight training and spent a year working for Michael Winner when I was 19, so I think I can take being called a c:mad:t.

When you're paying over 45k somewhere you are at the end of the day a customer as well as a student. I appreciate the positive quotes that are here for the place and maybe they have learnt and turned a customer sevice corner? As I said my experiences were 3 1/2 years ago.

3bars 12th Mar 2010 10:27

It's worrying to me that certain people on this thread think that, not only is it acceptable, but normal to be called derogatory names during flight training and indeed during your PROFESSIONAL career:sad:. It's not.

Thats part if the reason the industry has gone the way it has.... :ugh:

BellyAir 12th Mar 2010 11:43

don't be soft.

3bars 12th Mar 2010 13:03

BellyAir...it's not about being soft:=... It's about respect. Which is sadly lacking in the UK...just look at the posts about the way security staff treat pilots:(.

Anywho, enough negative thoughts about SFC...those days are long behind me:ok:

TractorBoy 12th Mar 2010 15:00

Just to shove my tuppenyworth in here...

First of all, I've only done my PPL ( + Night rating later) at Stapleford back in 2005 (ish). My experiences were

1) I was lucky enough to get the same instructor for the entire course, except one time when he was on holiday. That was the day of my XCQ so I had someone else sign me off for it.

2) A couple of the receptionists were very pleasant and chatty. The rest seemed to just get on with their jobs. As someone pointed out, the reception area is open and they have to deal with phone calls (alot), booking aircraft in and out, tech logs plus a load of other crap, and they can get VERY busy. Just because they didn't want to shoot the breeze that day doesn't mean they're being rude.

3) Colin always seemed a bit distant to me - I never really spoke to him. But then again he did run the CPL side and seemed to have nothing to do with the PPL syllabus. However, there are several exceptionally good and helpful instructors there - Keith Pogmore, Tony Glover spring to mind - who are very experienced, a pleasure to fly with and are more than happy to have a chat with you if you have any problems.

4) The airfield can get a bit boggy during the winter, but there's not many places you can train on grass one day, tarmac the other, plus some off-putting gradients !! You also learn from day one the importance of keeping a good lookout and operating in a very busy environment.

5) The aircraft (152s) are in a state. There are about 3 that are ok, the rest look knackered. This was a real issue for me. Fortunately, my instructor favoured one (one of the good ones). He always got it, as the abbreviated callsign was his initials. The P28s seem well-maintained though. Shame they got rid of their one 172.

I don't regret learning there. I've since moved to the other side of the M25, but still go back for some training (Night rating, some aeros) every now and again.

I'm thinking of doing a CPL in a year or two, and would go back again. Probably wouldn't fly at a weekend, though, as it gets very busy.

BellyAir 12th Mar 2010 15:55

3 Bars

your point about how security staff treat flight and cabing crew is specious.

It is unconnected to banter between equals, colleagues and friends.

Security in the UK is now the responsibility of people who did not excel at school and to compensate, their rules of engagement are stightly wound because they can't be trusted to make a decision for themselves.

Callsign Kilo 12th Mar 2010 16:34

Stapleford testimonies
 
Each person's experience of a particular place will certainly differ as time progresses. I finished up at SFC in May 2007 and felt that I passed through their doors at a time when things were riding high. By and large, there were a group of individuals (both instructors and commercial students) who were a fairly tight group. There was certainly a positive atmosphere about the place, people worked hard and achieved results. I for one formed a lot of firm relationships at SFC and often reminisce upon fond memories. Even Colin brings a smile to my face when I look back at it!

To me Stapleford was what it was. There was no bullsh1t, hidden agenda or earth shattering promises. You worked hard at your flying, you made your mistakes along the way, you corrected them with the aid of some very good instructing. You sat the skills test, you passed. With CD at the helm, no prisoners were taken. In order to reap everything that SFC could offer you needed to take your training seriously. I watched a few guys piss about and Colin et.al duly let them. We were all adults at the end of the day and it was all down to the individual. People weren't only in the receiving end of flight training lessons, but also lessons on how a life in aviation would treat you.
If you couldn't stand up to a bit of blunt treatment or a few choice words at SFC then how were you going to cope on the line? I've been flying commercially for two years now and if you get the impression that this is a touchy feely environment where people's feelings are the forefront of everything, then please don't give up that day job!

Nearly three years have passed since I left and I hope that the old place is, by and large, still promoting the same culture. It won't be everyones cup of tea and if you want a bit of flash and glamour to your FTO with some ego caressing when you feel needy, then I would rethink. I sought a place with a reputation for getting results. I felt I got that, as did many others who i trained with at the time.

AIRWAY 12th Mar 2010 17:21

Hello,

I did part of my PPL training with SFC around 2004/2005, then due to personal issues had to stop. I had a great instructor whom I believe has retired and is now working for the CAA. He was very good, sometimes tough, but very professional, always providing feedback and testing ones knowledge and preparation for the flight, and he was also approachable when one wanted an explanation.

Learning from Stapleford Airfield was a great experience, having a choice of grass/asphalt runway and the gradients too.

With regards to reception I concur with some opinions already expressed above, not a good experience, but then again I was there to fly, so my contact with reception was minimal.

Can’t comment about an opinion on Colin, since I never spoke to him, the fleet is generally old but well maintained and never had any problems.

Overall I had a great time with SFC, I am planning to resume my flying once again and will be looking at SFC, 5 years passed since I last flew so I am sure the place is different and with new faces, etc… (if anyone can recommend a good PPL instructor please PM me).

G SXTY 12th Mar 2010 18:14

Some fascinating comments. It doesn’t sound like the place has changed much since I last flew there (2007), and there’s not much I’d disagree with.

On the plus side, Stapleford has a long history of producing airline pilots and, IMHO, a deserved reputation for decent quality training. They are also cheaper than many alternatives, and the DA42s are an attraction if glass screens float your boat. They would certainly be well worth considering.

However, - and this is particularly relevant for commercial training - Stapleford aerodrome is an A/G radio field, in uncontrolled airspace, with no instrument approaches. It gets extremely muddy in winter, and if your Seneca or Diamond goes off the end of the tarmac bit, it’ll take ages to dig you out (have seen it happen). Bear in mind as well that the IRT has to be done at Cranfield. Compare and contrast with Bournemouth (I ended up going to PAT) which is class D airspace, with radar facilities, ILS and NDB approaches at both ends of the runway, and CAA examiners on-site. I felt that environment was more beneficial for someone aiming for an airline job, and my view hasn’t changed since then.

Less important, but still a consideration, is the ‘feel’ of the place. It’s certainly not the friendliest place I’ve ever been, which was an issue for me – bearing in mind the amount of money I was about to spend. I didn’t want sunshine blown up my behind or a group hug every morning, but I too have heard the HoT describe another student as a c***, which - in full earshot of anyone in reception - I felt was unprofessional. And for what it’s worth, I have never heard a TRE/TRI or indeed any trainer at my airline talk about anyone in those terms. Personally, I don’t think it’s big or clever.

Still, horses for courses, and I still say it’s a decent school.

Evan21 12th Mar 2010 19:57

ye the course was great except the instructor was a :mad: ....just kiddin! Found ya!

NukeHunt 12th Mar 2010 21:02

Wow what a balanced thread about a school for once on here !!.

I too trained at Stapleford, and agree with most of the comments on here, both good and bad but this one caught my eye as it is the one thing that really pi:mad:ed me off about Stapleford...


When you're paying over 45k somewhere you are at the end of the day a customer as well as a student.
That is what lets them down, their "customer" service - some of the people on the "customer service" side of the business seem to forget that you are not just a student, but you are a CUSTOMER too, and one that is spending a small fortune with them - well enough to pay for Colin's shiny new Merc anyway !!. If you walked into a car showroom to spend £45k+, and you were gossiped about and called a cyounexttuesday, then you would walk right back out again and go elsewhere.

Sadly though with aviation training, nobody wants to get a bad name for themselves right at the start, so probably don't bother to complain for fear of being failed on a test or loosing out on a job or an interview as a result (aviation is a small world after all) so Capt Dobney feels he can get away with it as there is not even anyone to complain too about it !!.

I don't expect smoke to be blown up my a$$ or have things done for me, I have worked hard for everything I've achieved so far and I've been in the industry long enough now to know that how things are at Stapleford isn't how it is in the real world, so why he feels the need to make people feel uncomfortable there I don't know - maybe it's an ego thing, or maybe he is just bitter and twisted as all these students passing through are potentially going on to have a successful airline career :hmm:. But when I'm paying good money for a service I at least expect them to help me out if I have an issue or need guidence on something, especially when it is related to something which they are supposed to know about.

They mucked my training up big time by not acting on info I had given them until it was too late, and it ended up costing ME as a result - both in terms of extra time and money - didn't even get so much as an apology despite them having plenty of notice about the issue and being reminded several times.

It annoyed me so much that I actually looked into going elsewhere to complete my training - however the only reason I stayed was because I was going onto the IR, and the IR instructors there are excellent, and the DA-42 and the sim's were pretty much the best on offer at the time.

At the end of the day though, if you can put up with a little BS from time to time, the instructors are excellent, they did what I'd paid them to do and I walked away with that blue book, and still saved money on what other schools charge despite going over hours through no fault of my own.

tigermagicjohn 12th Mar 2010 23:17

I am sure there are other good schools too, I am not proclaiming Stapelford is the best, however from what I have experienced they seem to run a pretty clean machine. And if they are busy, well that shows a few things, many students, they don't need to drain your pocket for money, because they need to free up space for the next student.

I have seen many schools/instructors maybe less busy, but this also means they will depend more on your business, and for you to stay their student longest possible.

No place will be perfect, everyone will have their positive and negative stories, I personally like the places that do not oversell their establishment, and give me peace to make up my own mind and then decide, there are many slick sales people, and to be honest they love you, and make you feel they are your best friend, until you have handed over your money, and you dont exist anymore!

Also personally I would want the training to be rather harder then the real test, and the instructors to be more strict then maybe required for the CAA exams, I personally would not like to get an easy ride just because I might feel to sensitive.

I have heard many stories of some pretty awfull PPL students & PPL pilots, flying at both Stapelford and other flying schools - and maybe some of these do deserve a rough ride, so they either wake up and get their act together, or if not possible to adhere with good airmanship quit flying completly.
I also believe it depends on each students attitude, when I started I did not go asking them for advice, and what to do, I knew what I wanted, I got one instructor, I was happy with him, and agreed directly with him that I did not want to swap around with instructors, and planned all my bookings directly with him, and guess what? I did every lesson with him, sure there was frustrations due to weather conditions, runway conditions etc., however considering the price and their reputation is pretty good, you can't go to much wrong.
I am sure there are other equally good around, which might have similar prices, and there are others that cost much more.

What I liked was the honesty that they did not try to rip me of by making me fly more hours then I needed, when they felt I was good enough, they let me have my skill test, and to be honest, at much less hours then I expected. I had not been flying for 16 - 17 years, and I had 14 hours dual before my skill test, I actually wanted to fly a little more, but was not required.

Would I want to pay another extra 30.000 - 40.000 (Oxford example) for someone to hold my hand, a place like Stapelford it's up to yourself and what you make out of it. For some, this is not always the best.

Dreamshiner 12th Mar 2010 23:57

A reasoned reply by tigermagicjohn.

I did a portion of my training there and would comment as follows with respect to MY experience:

PRO's
Efficient
Good Facilities/Aircraft
Brian Peppercorn

NEG's
Priority given to 0 to hero students over modular. Little cliques, "them and us" prevalent, however to be fair, maybe not for SFC to resolve.
Inappropriate behaviour by discussing my payments and account in reception loudly.
Runway.
IR instruction consisted of reading book, show up and fly, I was used to a more consultative discussion/instruction before a lesson than just a debrief.


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