Integrated course payment.
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Madrid
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Integrated course payment.
Its frightening to give up 60 to 100k Euros to a flight school up front.
How should a payment be, for it to be secured and do not lose the money if things go wrong?
What terms should I look in a flight school before paying such amount? How much should I pay before starting the course, and after starting?
Thank you
How should a payment be, for it to be secured and do not lose the money if things go wrong?
What terms should I look in a flight school before paying such amount? How much should I pay before starting the course, and after starting?
Thank you
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Flugplatz
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Hola Spid,
When you fly from A to B, even with perfect weather conditions and an airplane you know very well, things can go wrong, e.g. weather, technical malfunction, toilet etc.
Unless you are dealing with one of the big flight schools with airline connections such as L-3, Jerez or CAE (and even then I would be careful), it is too risky to part with that money at this early stage. What if you lose your medical next year, you don't like the school or the instructors, the school goes bankrupt, you want to give up everything for a girl etc.? Once, I was even told about a situation in which a maintenance organisation got its part-145 certificate revoked and a flight school had all of a sudden part of its fleet grounded. Students couldn't fly for a few weeks and it was not the school's fault. Bottom line is that a lot of things can happen after giving up that money and in the end, it is nobody's fault, an act of God.
I understand that you might want to learn at that school though. Hence, if I were on your shoes, I would be open to the school, make clear that you have and want to give them that money and suggest something along the lines of paying their administrative fee plus theory plus the first 10 flight hours in advance. Paying (in advance) as you go might be acceptable since in this case, there is not much to lose for them. If later something goes wrong during your journey, you do lose money, but it is a managed risk.
If your preferred flight school is in Spain, you will know that many of these schools are currently looking for students. Use this for your own benefit! :-)
When you fly from A to B, even with perfect weather conditions and an airplane you know very well, things can go wrong, e.g. weather, technical malfunction, toilet etc.
Unless you are dealing with one of the big flight schools with airline connections such as L-3, Jerez or CAE (and even then I would be careful), it is too risky to part with that money at this early stage. What if you lose your medical next year, you don't like the school or the instructors, the school goes bankrupt, you want to give up everything for a girl etc.? Once, I was even told about a situation in which a maintenance organisation got its part-145 certificate revoked and a flight school had all of a sudden part of its fleet grounded. Students couldn't fly for a few weeks and it was not the school's fault. Bottom line is that a lot of things can happen after giving up that money and in the end, it is nobody's fault, an act of God.
I understand that you might want to learn at that school though. Hence, if I were on your shoes, I would be open to the school, make clear that you have and want to give them that money and suggest something along the lines of paying their administrative fee plus theory plus the first 10 flight hours in advance. Paying (in advance) as you go might be acceptable since in this case, there is not much to lose for them. If later something goes wrong during your journey, you do lose money, but it is a managed risk.
If your preferred flight school is in Spain, you will know that many of these schools are currently looking for students. Use this for your own benefit! :-)
de minimus non curat lex
Its frightening to give up 60 to 100k Euros to a flight school up front.
How should a payment be, for it to be secured and do not lose the money if things go wrong?
What terms should I look in a flight school before paying such amount? How much should I pay before starting the course, and after starting?
Thank you
How should a payment be, for it to be secured and do not lose the money if things go wrong?
What terms should I look in a flight school before paying such amount? How much should I pay before starting the course, and after starting?
Thank you
The thought of paying such an amount up front at once would fill me with abject horror.
This is simply wrong. There is something terribly troubling about an organisation financial state if they require such large payment at the start of training. They are also niave to think that the punter, even those with limited intelligence, would contemplate such a move.
Sure staged payments in advance of training is perfectly normal. Take a copy of the contract to a lawyer and ask as to 'threat & error" which are apparent.
Why not research what payments "the big three" ask from their whitetail customers.
If ground school is completed before any flying, then the progress payments will increase during the course, as the expensive part is not the EASA exams.
Due diligence is critical if SCAMS are to be avoided. Where large discounts are offered for advanced payments, don't be gullible. Negotiate your own terms & conditions. You must be prepared to loose a month's payment if you choose unwisely.
