This Review Overall Rating
I went to VA to undertake a B737 APS MCC in May 2019 (Course 1911), mainly due to the great feedback received from colleagues from FTA who had been there previously. This course lasted 3 weeks, consisting of a few days of theory followed by the simulator sessions.
VA is located at Cambridge Airport which is easily accessible by public transport from the City Centre and also has its own Car Parking Facility. The building itself is to a very high standard, with a comfortable and friendly professional atmosphere. The classrooms were well equipped, and the cardboard mock-up simulators were useful in practicing for the simulator sessions. Add to that a crew area and a kitchen with tea/coffee and microwave facilities, this made for a very welcoming and studious atmosphere.
The facility is located close to Cambridge City Centre, which allowed for plenty of stuff to do on days off; Cambridge is a great place to explore and relax in. Throughout my course I stayed at accommodation linked to VA which saved a lot of time & stress in looking for AirBnB’s and places to rent. Be aware that Cambridge is quite an expensive area, so the rent is considerably high compared to other areas; this is obviously no fault of the school whatsoever.
The Theoretical Knowledge Instruction (TKI) focused a lot on CRM Training, as well as 737 basic training on the use of the PFD, ND and FMC. This was quite difficult, and I cannot stress the importance of fully using the Pre-Course Study Materials Pack that VA provide; it was incredibly useful and gave me the confidence to do well in the APS/MCC. Furthermore, the study materials provided are VA's own which I found to be highly informative and following industry standard. This helped give me an insight on the knowledge and skills required in a multi-crew cockpit. All of the instructors are Active Airline Pilots/Training Captains with vast amounts of experience, which definitely came across during their teaching. All were very approachable and helpful, and all wanted the absolute best from you.
The MCC Simulators are fully approved and maintained to a great standard; they are real life replicas of the B737-800 and A320 Aircraft, which gives you the sensation of flying the real aircraft. As previously mention, the cardboard mock-ups of both aircraft are located in the main building and allow you to practise the SOPs and checklists with your simulator partners, something that I found incredibly useful throughout. The Simulator Sessions involve a wide variety of jet handling exercises and airline oriented scenarios, which will improve your skill levels and competencies, all whilst having great fun at the same time.
Overall, it’s a very well managed company with excellent communication from the Management and Office Staff, who were all helpful and approachable. It's an intense but very fun 3 weeks which prepares you well to bridge the gap between flight training in a single pilot environment to airline flying in a multi-crew environment, but with hard work you will definitely take a lot from it.
A huge Thank You to the team at VA!
Course(s) taken:
General
Simulators
Theoretical Training
Practical Training
