Smart Aviation Poznan
 

Good day folks, hope you are all enjoying the summer as best we can in this COVID days. I was hoping to get some information from folks who have attended or attending Smart Aviation in Poznan. I completed my ATPL's in 1 month and looking to hit the ground running. Any information good or bad would be helpful. Thanks for your time. Stay safe and healthy.

One word - AVOID at all cost.

May i ask why?

Actually there is a lot of trolling when it comes to reviews of flightschools, good and bad. I would advise you to visit the place, meet up with some current students to hear the real story, and spread your payments if you decide to give it a try.

Usually there are quite a few trolls here who will tell you not to do it, no matter what you're trying to do.. but in this case the "avoid at all cost" comment actually seems like the right thing.
Look on page 2, there's a discussion about Smart Aviation (can't post the link as I'm still a newbie)

When I found it, I was immediately interested because of the price. Then again, you get what you pay for. And while that might not always be true, I feel like it is most of the time.

That's probably the best thing to do, always.

Thank you folks. Hope you are all healthy and managing like we all are during this pandemic. Appreciate the information.

Smart Aviation is one ATO, what about Smart Aero in Modlin, Warsaw ?

Because there seems to be conflicting reviews about Smart Aviation and very little to no information regarding Smart Aero, I think I have to personally visit both in the smallest possible time frame and decide between the two which feels more right to go with. Kind of a test-drive.

Since I am looking to do EASA PPL (A) as cheaper as possible, are there other schools worth mentioning and checking in Poland and Czech Rep (both quite cheap) and I heard alot of flocking to Hungary for its attractive prices but does anyone have recommendations ?

Recent students of Smart Aviation?
 

Hi there,
I am nearly completing my ATPLs with BGS and hours (finally!) and looking to start my CPL/MEP/IR training.
My plan was to do everything in the UK but since Brexit and the current market changes I am leaning towards some good deal in central Europe.
I've contacted a few schools in Poland and Smart Aviation seems to have a nice deal with a new fleet, plus they are very responsive.
Since the last reviews are from 2020 - has anyone completed the training recently with them?
Thanks!

I did my PPL at Smart Aviation this year (completed it in early May) and now started the distance learning ATPL theory program with them. I intended to start an integrated program before but was advised by members of this forum to go modular which was good advise as I have very much enjoyed the training so far. I want to do my CPL there too. The instructors have been very helpful especially during the lockdown and the aircraft are all new ( the type I used at least). Poznan is a great place to stay though again because of the lockdown i didnt experience much of it but it seems to be the most modern city in Poland and very safe. At the airport there was obviously not a lot of traffic when I was there but they also use another airfield for basic training when it gets busy. All in all the experience was very good. The planes and sims they use for the CPL are impressive, before I left there were quite a few new students that started the CPL so they are worth checking out.

Obtain a Class One Medical first
Always visit the establishments on your short list.
Get a full official tour. Sit in the aircraft. Look in hangar. Expect lots of ‘Marketing speak’
Speak to the customers (students) but away from the staff. Most likely to get a true picture.
Staged payments over the course are normal practice.
If large upfront payments are offered (with any discount) or demanded simply walk away immediately.
Read the contract carefully, better still get a qualified lawyer to inspect it. Invariably weighted in favour of the ATO. Look at Force Majeure clauses & repayment if you cancel prior to completion.
Do not sign unless you want to be legally bound by the contract. Cooling of period?
These pointers are not an exhaustive list.

I am sure that in these times there are some amazing deals to be found and for that now might be the best time to start your training.

As has been mentioned above, make sure you pay in instalments and yes, always visit the schools that are offering these great deals. Another point is whether you are allowed to slow down or expedite your training as you see fit. You need to be able to time your graduation date to coincide with the first green shoots of the market recovery.

Take it one step at the time. Whatever the schools want you to believe, there is no rush to get the training done.

Thank you folks!
I am now even more decided to go there and check everything myself. I will do exactly what you said - view the place, paperwork, talk with the students etc.
I know they deal with the first deposit to book and then instalments are spread as you go, so that is a good sign I guess.
Will let you know how it went.

I've trained there
 

Hi you all,

Here are my opinions about the school. I've been training there and did my CPL and ME+IR. I was a holder of SEP IR before I got there. Is the school a good school? Short answer is YES, and I would recommend other people to train there. Long answer, see below.

The time from when I started looking for a flight school until I arrived in Poland was basically like 2-3 weeks. I've checked the whole Europe and decided that I wanted a combination of fast training pace, good instructors, "new" aircraft and a fair price. I also wanted to have an experience of flying abroad, which I haven't done so much in my previous flight training. The school responded very quick on e-mails and were always very polite and helpful to me. I got a briefing package before I started and I paid an up front fee for registration and to secure my spot. The price was 1 000 EUR and in my opinion, I think it's fair to pay a smaller fee up front. If you can't pay the 1 000 EUR up front, could you really afford the whole training which would end up with more than 10 000 EUR? You will still get the 1 000 EUR in credit on your account so you will fly for it anyway and spend the money on flying. The money went in to my account and I continued to pay the fees when I was flying. Worked fine for me and they are very serious about the handling of payment in my opinion.

Aircrafts are very nice. Some of the are almost brand new and I really liked the Tecnam. I flew the P2008 and P2006t. Both of them equipped with EFIS. Either G500 (P2008) or Garmin 1000 on the P2006t. Maintenance seemed good also and they have their own maintenance facility so short turn-around times which will speed up your training. Very important, which I didn't think of in the beginning. Aircrafts = very nice!

Instructors are of different experience and I trained with 3 different. All of them were very good and knowledgeable! It's very nice to have some with airline background and some without since they tend to focus on different things. I felt very comfortable during the whole training. We basically flew a lot and they are flying as soon as the weather and aircraft status permits. From early in the morning to late in the evening. No problems at all and good to get the experience of flying odd hours in my opinion. Instructors = very good!

They have 2 simulators and I flew one of them for just 2 hours. Nothing to complain about and one of them are almost brand new and that's for MCC course and also some IR training I think. No comments here really.

The school is located at the GA terminal at Poznan international airport. Good place to have the base and sometimes pretty much traffic so you get to practice your radio comms. a lot. Which is very good for a future aviation career! There are not really any fancy place where they have the school compared to like a brand new building and everything but it seems like they're prioritizing what they spend their money on, which is great. More money on new aircraft and a good class room than a great class room and not so nice aircrafts. Over all = very good!

To be honest, I've already recommended the school to a couple of friends and I highly encourage everyone who are considering the school to either go there or contact them. I think they do a great job and are very focused on the student so that you will go through the training with ease!

Good luck with your aviation careers everyone!

Ive trained there (also)
 

hello.
I completed MEP/MEIR/CPL(A) with Smart Aviation Poznan in small blocks of time from December 2020 finishing in August 2021.
I was working for a UK licence and I now have my UKCAA licence in my possession.
The aircraft are nearly all brand new, as is the SIM at Poznan and i believe they have another now.
The instructors are all very knowledgeable and experienced.
The SIM instruction time is intense and very professional.
I had never spent any time in Poland before, I'm from the North of England. However language was not a problem and the culture is similar.
My biggest compliment is the mentality of the school and their work ethic. I had some very specific time limitations with regard to how long i could get away from work. Smart Aviation were able to easily deal with this and facilitate my training around my time off.
Accomodation is available with the school, they even have a hire car now for students.
The school is very ambitious and has big plans for the future, including a tie-up with BGS.
If anyone is considering from the UK, defo take a good look. The flights from the uk are frequent, and the school is a 5 minute walk from the terminal at Poznan.

Avoid Smart Aviation - Poland !!!
 

I'm currently a student to Smart Aviation, and i will definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND the school. The guy that represent the school is just sealing donuts, no management what so ever, no structure in the school and the instructors doesn't seems to care that much. They are one or two exceptions that actually do they best but everything you can hear around, from student and instructors are complains, about the school. They do have their own maintenance, but that doesn't mean are the best or the fastest. Most of the time you're wainting for the plane to come out of maintenance. And another think is, they took way to many students for what they can offer. They are selling a price but at the end you will be charged something else. And please be aware of the landing fees, are NOT included. You will end up with 2-3k extra at least. They increase the price all the time and the quality of the training it's moderate. If you looking for a cheap training in Europe definitely Smart Aviation isn't one. It's a shame that the fleet it's relative new aircrafts (2-3) years average.

Hi, I want to join this school later, do you recommend another school in Poland? Did you still finish your CPL/IR/ME ?

I definetly recommend Smart Aviation. Most, but not all of their instructors are highly professional. Out of the instructors I flew with, without naming, there is one who definetly needs to work on their instructing skills. Talking about instructors, I would like to highlight 3 of them: Mr. Serwa, Mr. Abdurrahman and Mr. Kośmider. If you ever get to choose an instructor for one of your modules, I highly recommend these guys. Their levels of knowledge and professionalism is what probably everyone dreams about. These guys are not only just professionals, but they DO care about their students, helping them through whatever difficulty may come, so in short, also friendly and helpful. So if you ever read this, thank you for helping me achieve my dream and building up confidence!

I have no problems with the school whatsover, they provide you everything needed to complete your training successfully (this includes study materials, SOPs, printing services and headsets too). Reading others complain about the maintenance, I agree and disagree. The planes indeed go on maintenance like every 1.5 week, but this means they are used thorougly, mostly by instructors for students. If it happens that an aircraft is out for a longer time, well, accidents happens everywhere. This is not the school's fault.

The price is something to consider. Out of the schools I checked before, this school provides one of the best prices, so in my opinion, the price/value ratio is really good. The school is also located on an internation airport, which is not that busy, but it's a perfect place to train among the big ones (in the end, that's what you sough after, right?)

Did ME/MEIR/CPL/Time building here, on the schedule they initially provided. Also totally agree with what Capta1n said a few posts above. Cheers.

How much did you get paid to post this? Only 1 post so you either work there or you are the owner - sorry not reliable

Hi Sir. If you look at the above users, most of them have 1 or 2 posts too. It's okay to have different opinions, we are not the same. And if you read my post, there is some criticism in it too. Cheers.

P.S. I'm not the owner and did not get any bribe for this, just had a really pleasant experience. End of discussion from my side.

To get a honest feedback i would suggest having a look on their social media page whether instagram or facebook etc, or actually fly out and check the school and speak to current students if possible, but the time frame start to finish is around 10 weeks or less, if time is of the essence then perhaps look at Adriana Aviation, also in Poland