I know some of the bigger schools have a reputation for being a little money hungry, BUT, 53 hours for $50,000 that's almost $1000/hour. That is a bit hard to believe. Yes I know there are other costs than the aircraft hire, like the exam fees and class room tuition etc but I cannot see believe that someone could have spent $50,000 for 53 hours flying.

I understand your position regarding being able to compete against schools that provide access to loan funding when you cannot. However there are schools without access to loan funding that do compete reasonably well.

Also I should point out that there are many schools providing loan funding that provide very good value for money to their students.

DACMAN 767

There is currently no requirement for an AOC to carry out GA flight trainng in New Zealand. There will be some certification requirements (but not an AOC) for certain facets in the near future but no requirement for PPL.

you have really to be a moron if you think about flight training.
there is no job all around the world.
schools tell you anything just to get your cash, and kick you out dry with eavy debts and with 200-250h, you will never find a job.:{

just forget about aviation, save your soul!

hey guys!

I'm doing PPL in canada, but I was wondering if it's best to stop and continue in the US or get my PPL in Canada first? I was considering OFT, Aerosim, Dean international and flightsafety.

I heard OFT is a rip off and I find Aerosim way to expensive for his program from IR to CFI...

Dean is kinda cheap but I'm scared of cheap schools...

regulation costs
 

...and even worse is the state regulating something. Now you pay on top of flight school for the state to bungle the regulation.

Hey guys!

I'm gonna go visit Aerosim this week, I read that it's $10K deposit when you start training and then it's $5.5K every 30 days until training cost is met.

I wonder if anyone one in pprune have had bad experiences with Aerosim?
I want to go to that school but I don't wanna make the mistake and regret it afterwards.

hey Nixpilot,
so any luck with your planned visit? howdy find that school,any good?

Changing flying school
 

Do not go for Dean or Flight safety. I recently completed my multi engine training and had a great experience with a school.If you want details on the school you can PM me but I will again warn you about Dean and flight safety.

I came back pretty satisfied, the guy was really friendly too. I've been in one CPL for about 20mins, good instructor, even though im a ppl student.

The airplanes looks good, they have a quite new building which they built 3 years ago.
they have lots of simulators for cirrus sr20.

And before I left I met a guy who was working at Pam Am and he was the same guy who took me for Pam Am school tour back in february.
Most instructors are fairly young and there're lots of chinese students and boy do they know how to keep the campus clean *sarcasm*

The only thing I didn't like was the campus laundry and kitchen which were quite messy.

Other than that it's a pretty good school, their pass mark is higher than FAA, 80% in all courses.So gotta work hard, but I think I will go to Aerosim instead of a school here in Canada.

CAE Simuflite Dallas
 

Hi there,

Does anyone recommend this school??
Planning to do type rating soon....

Mauna Loa Helicopters Shaft
 

Be careful of Mauna Loa Helicopters in Hawaii.
A great bunch of instructors but the management will say ANYTHING to get you to empty your bank account into theirs.
I was one of MANY who was told "If you get your CFI, we have a job waiting for you.
Then once I got that, "Well we really need you to get your instrument before we will hire you"
So now $60,000.00 later with my CFI and instrument rating in hand I hear "Well, we really can't hire you unless you get your CFII so you can teach instrument students and then we are realy to go and make you part of the team here. Your our best student and we can't wait to have you teaching here"
So another $15,000.00 out from my bank and into theirs and finally I graduated every rating that they teach just short of the ATP, which requires 1200 hours anyway so I wait to be hired.
Time passes and still nothing.
6 months pass and I get a e-mail saying, "We regret toinform you that your 6 month has passed since your date of graduation and our company policy states that "After 6 months your no longer in the hiring pool""
Ouch, what happened?
Did the tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars I spent there count for NOTHING?
A friend who works there said he overheard the owner saying he was not going to hire me since I was too old.
OK, I am only 45 at that time.
I was not too old for them to take all of my life savings and not too old to keep telling me that I was their next CFII.
There are MANY others who got the Mauna Loa shaft so be careful.
In hind sight, I would go with a reputable school that puts it in WRITTING that once completed and graduated we will hire you for XXXXX number of hours as instructor and PIC time and then let you go.
Unfortunately, they didn't put that in writting nor the claims that they would hire me so it is my word against them.
Sour grapes, not just for me but many others.
Be carefull.
There are other flight schools in HAwaii if you need to train here but whatever you do, get it in writting BEFORE you give them al your money.

ahah keep dreaming...nobody will sign you a work contract before your license.
just go get a job and good luck.
u are a US citizen?, so don't complain.you got the FAA at 60'000$, still a good price.

when i was in the USA, i hanged around a helicopter school, and all these idiots told me there will be a heli pilots shortage( i got LOL). 3years later, I see nothing.even we are in a recession now.

it s always the same trick..like when a school wanted to offer me jet time.I told them no and I was right, school closed a few months later.we are just $ for them.

hawaiianhigh

Other than living and flying in Hawaii for 7 years, I have no affiliations either way with the school or you...I merely offer my $0.02.

And you believed it-----I have a bridge to sell you..... I do not know of ANY school that will guarantee you a job other than Boatpix. Therefore I do not know which other "reputable" school you are referring to.

They are a business..... Many people go to college and spend way more money, yet do not expect the college to find them a job. The industry is what it is.... Personally I would have warned you against spending your money for ratings at your age..... And yes I know there is no "age discrimination" in the US.

I own Flight Academy Blackpool and have taken a number of these suggestions onboard. To be fair, a number of the suggestions on here was already protocol for us.

One thing I have noticed, a lot of people actually WANT to pay upfront fees! The amount of times that I have talked people out of paying upfront I could have probably retired on the profits alone! I'm not saying I don't take payment upfront, its just that I prefer not to. This protects both parties.

With the costs of flying constantly increasing, the price you pay today could make the course unaffordable for me to operate in 1-2 years time, which would mean operating at a loss, or I could increase the students costs (which I refuse to do)

A friend of mine said that Flight Training Europe use any previous hours flown towards a licence allowing you to fly less and that they will refund those hours at the end of the course.

However when it comes to the end of the course, they only refund 40% of the hourly rate claiming the other 60% is an "administration fee". Has anyone else heard of this? It sounds very unethical.

helping hands!
 

It's not always that sound, i've been searching flight schools in philippines and they don't do as what they say :=. . My friends been there too and no corruption happened. .try it, it's worth a try. .:) Be smart enough to know what really was the trick!;)

Read the career guidance chapter on the Flight Training College website.
Flight Training South Africa Pilot Training Garden Route
FTC is in George on the southern cape of South Africa and have a few tips on how to avoid the con-artist scams.
Flight training is an expensive business so make sure you get value for money. By the same token - make sure YOU are committed to your dream. Lots of students are very lazy and spend their time wasting their sponsors money. Don't expect the flight school to do you any favors if you don't work hard.
If you are lazy, learning to fly will be MUCH more expensive than it needs to be. If you aren't prepared to fly regularly you will be repeating lessons, and that costs money! If you don't study, you will be repeating exams, and that costs money! Just like universities won't guarantee you a degree, nor will any decent flight school guarantee your success.
These days students think if they just pitch up with the cash - that will be enough to pass. Not in this business!!! Be warned - don't start flying unless you are prepared to work hard! Otherwise you will lose a LOT of money! That is the most common way the con-artists will catch you. If you are lazy you will be easy pickings. Seldom have I seen a hard working student ripped off but I've seen plenty sluggards lose it all.

As with any investment a good way to reduce risk is to diversify. An old hand aeromed senior pilot advised me to do each stage of my training at a different school. You get to meet more people and experience more "flavours" of instructor so that if you get a dud who teaches it the wrong way you will realise it when the next shows you something different.
Schools want you to sign up for all your training to win your business. A good quality school will win your repeat business buy providing you with a quality service.
P.S. I have tried 3 schools but keep going back to my local aeroclub.

celroy
 

Even i was considering going to NZ for my flight training. But then i came across this institute in India and joined it.
The name of the institute i am currently doing my CPL is NFTI.

So how was your experience in NZ?
Have u applied for jobs anywhere?

NZ flying training is pretty good. The terrain and weather provides a unique leaning environment.

NZ Nelson Aviation College
 

Hi,

I did my initial flying in New Zealand at the Nelson Aviation College. It is a great environment and FTO to do your training. They have incredible high standards and flying in the South Island is breathtaking and challenging. You will, guarranteed, have the best time of your life:D

NAC have a long history and hunreds of pilots have gone there before you. Ask them for references.