Flight Training in Atlantic Canada

[liveforflying]

I am looking to do some training in Atlantic Canada. Can anyone provide me with some direction on where to go? I have always wanted to be a pilot and want to get into the industry as quick as possible with the best instruction and not waste any time. I have heard some things about Moncton and not all good. wondering if anyone can provide some advice on Moncton and where I should do my training.

[Slappy the Squirrel]

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[appilot]

There is a flight school in Fredericton, NB that has a joint BBA-Aviation training program with UNB-F. They'll do only flight training as well if that is what you're interested in. It's Capital Airways (http://capitalairways.com/) They have two 172's (2000 and 2006, the 06 has the garmin 1000 glass cockpit...reeeeally nice!) and a Navajo for multi/ ifr training. Give them a call! Fredericton is a great little city and is pretty cheap to live in too!

[flyblue2]

Well it depends on what you like. MFC and GFT are both good schools. I can tell you my experience.

I was a student a Career Academy in St. John’s, NL when it went bankrupt. This really hurt our education and stopped our training just like it did temporarily at MFC. We were all told not to worry about it, that it would be fixed in a few weeks, but that did not happen. Eventually after months, the NL Government had to step in and help us continue our training. “ It is too bad we did not have other flights schools come in and tell us what our options are. We lost our money and our time.

One good thing did come out of this though, at least for future student in NL. The province established a thing called a Train Out Fund that all Private Colleges have to pay into every year based on their revenue. If you go to a private college in NL and they try to take your money and run, the NL Government will use that cash to continue your training elsewhere. Kind of like insurance for a student but the student does not pay.

MFC has been around for a long time and has produced many great pilots. I hope it all work out for them in the long run, it would be a shame to see such an icon go under after 80 plus years.

I also read on the GFT website that they are getting new Cessna 172s with G1000, glass cockpit. They also have the airline and promote their students and instructors to First Officers on Beech 1900s. GFT actually has a lot of good things going for it and their students. They also get their students through fast.


In the end the choice is yours. Call the schools or talk to their graduates. It your money.

[toelessjoe]

Truro Flying Club.

If you don't go there, you run the very real risk of NOT becoming JUST LIKE ME!!


Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Toeless.

[Luscombe]

Most definately I would recommend the Truro Flying Club. Stu is a real straight-up kind of guy and the folks there are from the real world. It's a fun small flying club that will let you learn in a fraternal environment. They have members there that you can share a coffee with that have real world airline experience (not that pretend kind that others profess to have) and can advise you on career choices based in the real world.

Drop me a pm if you want further explanation

[blacknwhiteice]

Hey, I went to Gander Flight Training and for me I was interested in getting through my PPL and CPL quick, get into the industry and start working. I found the PPL too structured and I wasn't able to go very quickly (3 months, although this was in the winter and the weather was an issue!). Once I had my PPL ticket it was a different story. My instructor advised my to aim for some ATPL requirements such as needing 25 hours night cross country PIC, so I would fly every night time building and getting my night hours, flying across the Rock to Stephenville and St John's and back again. I had my CPL 3 months later and then moved across Canada right into an instructing job. I would have liked to stay in NL as an instructor because of the opportunities mentioned above, the airline etc. and have many friends who did it that way and are there now.

That was my experience, I wanted it quick and I got my CPL in 6 months regardless of the weather, the planes were always avaliable especially if you want night flying and because of the airline there is always someone at the school to dispatch you no matter the hour. I guess that is one benefit of a bigger operation over a small school, availability and hours of operation. Don't get me wrong though, I worked at a smaller school for the past 3 years and I love the atmosphere, if anything you can be finished even faster but you may not get service all hours of the day. For me I'm glad I went with the bigger school!

Good luck finding your place!

[liveforflying]

I like the idea of getting through quick. With as much as the training is going to cost i would like to start making money as soon as possible. You say Gander has the airline associated with it. If I go there is it easier to get into the industry over the smaller flying clubs? How easy is it to find a job after the training is done? Does anyone ever graduate into a flying position without working on the ground first?

[newfie123]

I would not recomened going to gander flight training and because of the sister airline this school suffers not enough staff for the flight school. Talk to some of the students there and you will understand. They do not have enough planes for the students going there