This Review Overall Rating
I officially started my PPL training in October 2018 after taking several trial flight experiences previously. Aviation South West were very welcoming and informative when it came to finding out more regarding the course. At the time I was studying full time for my A-Levels so was only able to fly on most Saturdays, this made progress slower than it could've been but enabled me to achieve a balance. That alongside the Great British winter weather meant it took me about 10 months to complete the course passing my skills test in August 2019 on the minimum 45 hours.
One of the highlights of the training was the location. Exeter Airport albeit currently running at very low volume was a fascinating place to train during my time there. Wanting to eventually become an airline pilot, being amongst airline operations every day certainly prepares you and builds your confidence at a large controlled airport. In addition, the Southwest made a great place to fly. Uncontrolled airspace all around gave you great freedom along with miles of countryside and the stunning coast to the south. I don't there could be a better place to train in the UK. The office was very conveniently situated right at the airport, somewhat snug at times and availability for a classroom for a debrief/exam occasionally limited. I haven't got much experience with other flying school's aircraft, but Aviation South West's seemed fair. Each PA28 Warrior varied slightly on the interior/avionics which occasionally took a bit of time to adjust if you were fairly inexperienced, however never a huge issue as it kept you learning and the instructors would always be happy to help.
Throughout the 10 months I went through 3 instructors, partly due to instructors coming and going and those having different schedules to what suited me. However the stand out for me was Brian who I had for approximately 75% of the course. His years of experience were invaluable to draw on during flying and his friendly nature made him more like a friend than a teacher.
I felt internal communications could at times have been better. For example, there was a time I had arranged to do an exam and the necessary staff were not present to carry this out on the day. That being said, the staff were always very proactive in seeking a solution to issues that arose.
An online booking system was used to schedule flights. It used to be very effective as you always knew when your flight was due for days in advance and they would always try their best to facilitate your booking request. However, nearing the end of my training they seemed to change the system to doing the schedule the afternoon before. This made planning both flying/life tricky as you didn't know what time, or even if, you would be flying the next day.
Finally, the whole friendly feel to the school was excellent. All members of staff were super friendly and Andrew's door was always open for a chat. Similarly were the students, being one of the least experienced in the room and only going for the PPL I always felt comfortable talking to others for help and advice.
Overall, a friendly school in a great location that I would recommend to anyone seeking a 'real world' feeling whilst operating at an international airport.
Course(s) taken:
General
Aircraft
Practical Training
