This Review Overall Rating
I attended Diamond Flight Academy Scandinavia for the CPL ME/IR course in Summer 2019, and found it to be a flawless two months.
The school is based in what was a Spa Hotel on the edge of Kalmar Oland Aiport (ESMQ), conveniently a 5 minute walk from the simulator building and a similar distance from the apron. Top quality en-suite accommodation was included with the course, with spa facilities, and they recently refurbished the kitchen. Briefings took place as a class in the main room in the accommodation building, and were highly informative, leaving you fully prepared for the next flight detail in conjunction with the robust SOPs. The SOPs were sent out with plenty of time to read through them and learn them, and they made good sense with justifications and explanations for procedures in place.
Every instructor was friendly, helpful and spoke fluent English. They were often happy staying into the evening to fly to make sure that you got the flights in, and you progressed at a steady pace. Classes are small, usually 4-6 people a month, which results in a great instructor ratio and explains why classes finish on time.
The aircraft are maintained in Germany, which for me resulted in two trips to Berlin (a 2-night and a 1-night stay), which was a nice added bonus.
Kalmar itself was a nice place to be for 2 months. The Swedes are all nice people, the town and the countryside is clean, and there were plenty of amenities in town. Prices in the supermarkets weren't too expensive, and there were some nice bars/cafes/restaurants in Kalmar. There was a regular bus from near the school, or you could use the school's bikes to cycle into town. The local woods and beaches were nice for a cycle on a summer evening too.
Being based at Kalmar airport is convenient also with ILS, NDB, VOR and RNP approaches allowing us to fly in all weathers and take full advantage of IR training.
Henrik really looks after you and cares about his students, as do his instructors. The facilities and aircraft are fantastic, the SOPs and training to an exceptional standard. I genuinely cannot flaw my time in Sweden, and would recommend that anyone strongly considers the school.
Course(s) taken:
General
Aircraft
Simulators
Practical Training
