Baltic Aviation Academy provides tips on how to find a credible aviation training centre

Aviation training centre Baltic Aviation Academy (Vilnius, Lithuania) continues to deliver webinar presentations for commercial aviation pilots-beginners. On the 30th of November the Self Sponsored Pilots Manager at Baltic Aviation Academy Miss Ausra Garuckaite will give a presentation on the topic of ‘How to Choose a Credible Aviation Training Centre’.

In the last 3 months, Ausra has arranged training sessions for clients from Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Moldova and Latvia. The content of her upcoming session will cover most aspects relevant to picking the right aviation training centre for type rating courses specifically suited to fit the applicants’ individual requirements.

Ausra, why is it so important to choose the right aviation training centre?

None of us would probably disagree that flight safety is the primary issue for both pilots and passengers. And safety is largely dependent on confidence which, needless to say, comes with the knowledge that as a pilot you have skills and the necessary practical experience to deal with a number of not only ordinary tasks but also unexpected situations. Therefore it is of an utmost importance that a training centre would have all the necessary means to ensure that all theoretical and practical sessions conducted are sufficient to prepare a future pilot for any challenges ahead.

Imagine that I‘m a pilot searching for an aviation training centre to conduct my type rating training. How do I even begin the search? What should my first steps be?

At first, you have to decide upon which type rating training you want to undertake. By the way, I talked about it in my first webinar. Make a list of all major criteria relevant to your needs and position. Use Google, read forums, seek recommendations – conduct a complete search of all aviation training centres which could potentially fulfil your expectations. An interesting thought came to my head before preparing for the webinar. Checklists are an aviation mainstay aimed at ensuring that all procedures necessary for safe flying are accomplished. The same principle can be applied when selecting a good training academy. As a result, I have developed a checklist based on my experience gained whilst working with pilots. I will certainly cover it in my webinar and I hope that it will prove to be helpful in pilots' searches for the most suitable training centre.

What are the main qualities of a good aviation training centre?

Look for a reliable training centre which has been in the market for no less than 2 years. If you have any questions or interest, do not hold back – write an e-mail. The amount of time it takes to receive a response can be a good indicator of an attitude you may expect to receive whilst training. Always ask for a draft of the agreement. They are reluctant to provide it?! Probably they cannot be partners that you would like to communicate and place your trust in.

What aspects of training process are the most important and which should be taken into consideration?

Usually pilots immediately look at the FFS phase. But they must not forget that a ground course constitutes a half of their entire training program. Usually the ground course lasts for 14-16 days. The question to ask oneself is whether you want to have detailed studies or simply pass to the practice faster. An extensive network of simulators is also important. In case one gets out of order will you have a chance to continue training or will you have to wait? Additionally, you certainly need a minimum of base training. Another important aspect to consider is whether there is an option to undertake line training. Is the training centre capable of providing it? If they could provide at least an opportunity for this kind of training, your recruitment potential increases significantly.

Instructor is the person who will lead a pilot through all training stages. How can you identify a good instructor?

Your instructor might be a great pilot, but can you say that he/she is also a great teacher? After all, YOU are there to learn how to operate a commercial passenger jet and you want the best instruction for your money that you can possibly get. More experienced instructors can obviously deliver more information, make you feel better in the classroom and, of course, he/she has had more practical experience in more unique cases to make your lectures more useful and interesting.

Sometimes the courses offered significantly differ in price. What does it depend on?

Make sure you’re comparing apples with apples. Carefully check what that price includes. Some training centres provide the price inclusive of accommodation, etc. – And do not forget the living costs! I am sure that living costs in the UK are entirely different from those in Romania.

How is the final decision to be made?

If you have found a single aviation training centre which matches all your requirements, all I could recommend is to visit it. Yes, it requires time. Yes, it may cost. Yes, you need planning. But you need to perceive the idea of working with them. No company creates itself - people create it. Imagine you are already having a tough time and there are a lot of both academical and personal challenges you are faced with. Suddenly you have a car accident. You are in a different country and you don’t have your close friends or relatives around you to rely on. You obviously need to put trust in the employees of your training centre. Imagine they are not helpful. Not a very good situation, isn’t it?

So lastly, could you name one criterion on which every pilot with different needs could rely on?

Every academy is a living organism - think to yourself if you could be a part of a certain specimen of the kind. The single month you will spend there may come as nightmare or as a great platform from which you may continue towards achieving your greatest dream. Join our webinar on 30th of November and I can assure you that we will help you to get a much clearer picture.

Thank you for conversation.
Interviewed by Natalja Chrustaliova, the Assistant Communication Manager at Baltic Aviation Academy.

The webinar is available for free viewing and can be accessed by registering and logging on to the Baltic Aviation Academy website (www.balticaa.com). You can check out the first Baltic Aviation Academy presentation “European Aviation: Current Opportunities for Commercial Pilots” via the link: http://bit.ly/snUIwK