Flightschool

Flight schools? Often I get the question about what flight school I attended? And why I chose this School at the time? I’ll try to explain why I did this and why I didn’t do a PPL (private pilot license) first etc.

I was finishing up my high school when I started to orientate for flight schools, I went to 3 different schools at that time to have a look what fitted me best. First I went to the KLM flight school because this was the most famous one at the time if you would be taken to this school you for sure would find a job within KLM they told us. (That didn’t go as planned, because of the recession). Thereafter I went to the Martinair Flight Academy, with about 15 other guys we waited for the director to come in and gave a speech about the flight school in Lelystad, close to where I lived at the time. He spoke about the aircraft and how the school worked and didn’t sound too bad either. Last I went to the NLS, Nationale Luchtvaart School. The oldest aviation school in Europe. They as well had a nice story about the school, how they helped people to get a job after you finished flight school and they could help with financing everything because they had contacts with 2 banks.

The school? I went to NLS, the story just worked with me, the airlines took almost everyone from that flight school directly as a first officer on a big jet. The students walking around on the Introduction had nice answers on my questions and they showed us the simulators that CAE had in the building attached to the school. At that time that didn’t mean too much to me but we found out that this simulator helped me to get a job. (different blog different day). I was impressed by everything they showed me and together with the part that they did the practical flying in Evora, Portugal sounded perfect for me. Moving to Portugal for 8 months sounded like a dream. The NLS promised to do the theory and flying in about 18 months total. Because all of this I chose NLS as my flight school.

The NLS offered an integrated APTL program, this means that if you finish your flight school you have a so-called Frozen ATPL, you are ready to go directly on the Big jet you always dreamed about. I didn’t want to do my PPL first and grow in to flying because I already knew that I wanted to become a Pilot, and I wanted to make money with it no matter what.! So I got the financial part done by one of the banks and started the NLS when I was 18 years old in September 2007 (A.I.0709).

This photo was taken in the TB20 they flew within Portugal.

Comments

    1. Post
      Author
  1. Jan Zac

    Hello ,

    I saw your tweets and thought I will check your website. Have to say it looks very good!

    I have subscribed to your newsletter. 🙂

    Hope to hear from you soon.

    Regards
    Jan Zac

  2. Nimit Gupta

    Hi,

    It was a good read. I just have a little question. Once, you got enrolled in the NLS; Did you find, or satisfy with what they told, or promised you at the time of induction session for new students was correct in terms of ground course learning, faculty availability, and training aeroplane inventory etc, or not?

    Regards,

    Nimit

    1. Post
      Author
      Raymon

      hi Nimit,
      Well, they told us a lot like that the practical flying part would take 8 months, at the end it turned out to be 16 months. There were not enough planes and instructors to get everyone flying in such a limited time. As well the economical crisis didn’t help.
      Soon more.

  3. Toni lets

    Thanks this is help my knowledge about aviation school in another country. I have request! can you make a detail video about you job as pilot,from the first you came to the airport and then you enter the aircraft, turn on the aircraft(how to turn on),take off(how),landing (how)until you turn off the aircraft(how).i already wacht lot video about that but there is nothing very clear to me.so i hope you can,i know this is not easy! but can you make it?

    1. Post
      Author
      Raymon

      Hi Toni,

      Its not allowed for me to do that because of company policy. Soon i’ll write a blog about a typical Day in the office.

      I hope that is sufficient info for now.

      gr raymon

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