Does anyone have any experience with Air Richelieu? I'm contemplating alternatives to doing my training privately, and the fact that Richelieu is now part of the Jazz Pathways program is appealing. If it's possible to do the 18-24 month program and come out with a chance of going straight to Jazz, that would be very attractive. Cost is not mentioned, but I've requested information.
Up until now I've liked the idea of training privately because it's allowed me to keep my current job, which offers lots of free time, great benefits, and a salary which allows me to pay all my bills (including flight training). But getting the first flying job to work my way to Jazz (or similar) threatens to be a challenge. The Air Richelieu program may help with that. On the other hand, it's only the top students that get a shot at Jazz, correct?
Anyone have any experience or opinions to share?
Air Richelieu
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TalkingPie
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Re: Air Richelieu
I flew there in 2011 for the first 20-25 hours of my PPL and enjoyed the instructor and the availability of the planes. I went back this year to write a written exam and the place was packed, I thought to myself how chaotic it was and how I wouldn’t like to do training there because of the amount of students. There were two full classrooms of ~8-12 students each and I had to wait 20 mins to pay my fee with the dispatch. The planes are well maintained from what I remember and the instructors were good but I’d be wary of the scale of training they are doing now. I’d
prefer a smaller operation that can cater to my needs instead of having to follow a set curriculum. It’s a good school, just depends what you want. Lachute Aviation or Dorval aviation would be my choice.
prefer a smaller operation that can cater to my needs instead of having to follow a set curriculum. It’s a good school, just depends what you want. Lachute Aviation or Dorval aviation would be my choice.
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TalkingPie
- Rank 3
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2019 11:39 am
- Location: YUL
Re: Air Richelieu
Thanks for your perspective.
I'm currently nearing completion of my PPL at Cornwall and like the small-town feel, so it's relevant to me that Richelieu is busier. To be clear, I'm fairly happy at Cornwall; my instructor is very pleasant, the place is professional, and the commute from where I live - west of the island - suits me. The appeal of Richelieu would be for the Jazz Pathways program and to a lesser extent the fact that I think experiencing more schools and more airports would help my development as a pilot.
I'm currently nearing completion of my PPL at Cornwall and like the small-town feel, so it's relevant to me that Richelieu is busier. To be clear, I'm fairly happy at Cornwall; my instructor is very pleasant, the place is professional, and the commute from where I live - west of the island - suits me. The appeal of Richelieu would be for the Jazz Pathways program and to a lesser extent the fact that I think experiencing more schools and more airports would help my development as a pilot.
