This Review Overall Rating
I selected VA Airline Training for the WhiteTail APS MCC B737 course based on a number of people who had recommended it. During the booking process, I spoke with AP (the managing director) who was incredibly helpful and friendly and had lots to say about the Coronavirus pandemic and it's effect on the industry and job market. After being reassured that I would be supported after the completion of my APS course I booked. Immediately I was given access to all the necessary SOPs, technical manuals and training advice that they provide, specific to either the B737 or A320 course.
Prior to the course, there was a lot of pre-reading to do. The course is 4 days of TKI followed by 10 days of sim, each 4 hour sessions (split into 2 hours PF and 2 hours PM). Because in total, it's 14 days you don't have any time to waste. You need to be ready for probably the most intense part of your flight training so far. Whilst being incredibly busy and having a lot of information to take in and understand, the whole process was a lot of fun and I easily consider it to be the most enjoyable part of my training so far.
The office itself is made up of numerous briefing rooms and one main board room which is used during the TKI. There were 4 of us on the course and we often made use of the "Cardboard Bomber" which is a cardboard replica of the simulators, very handy bearing in mind how much the sims cost to run. We used them every day to get used to the setup flows, checklists and memory items. The whole building is brand new and really nice. It's an incredibly professional outfit and really makes you feel like you're on your way to getting that First Officer position.
The simulators themselves are impeccable. It's essentially a Level-D sim without the motion. If you've been to a sim before you can pretty much forget what you think is good, the setup is brilliant and for the first 20 hours you spend the time pinching yourself because it feels so real.
Positives
- Professionalism prepares you for the industry and how you're expected to act & behave
- Instructors are friendly and easy to chat to, but give very good constructive criticism which you are expected to improve upon immediately for the following day
- Support is fantastic. Free 4 hour sim session 6 months after you finish to maintain skills, and their close connections with various airlines (Ryanair, Titan and AirTanker to name a few)
Negatives (not really anything to worry about)
- Quite expensive but the APS is so worth it. It's miles ahead of the MCC and whether you like it or not, in 2-5 years it'll be the new standard, for good reason too.
- The use of video guides would be fantastic, to show how certain procedures are done perfectly in the sim. Sometimes certain SOPs are a bit confusing, especially to new pilots whose first experience it is with SOPs and airline ops.
As I have finished my training during the COVID-19 pandemic as of yet I have been unable to find a First Officer position, however, I feel completely comfortable knowing that VA are there to back me up by keeping me current with the "Competency Assurance" scheme and also knowing that airlines and operators often go to them to ask for new crew is a great thing.
Thanks so much to the whole VA team. AP, Lucy, Steven, Nick, Alan and the others. Can't wait to come back and visit for the competency assurance and maybe one day to teach!
Course(s) taken:
General
Simulators
Theoretical Training
Practical Training
