Originally Posted by
bubi352
I did my conversion also a couple years ago. I did it as a backup plan with Naples Air Center with distance learning and then went to Spain. This is probably the best place to do it. It is cheap and I got it done relatively quickly with no issues. I paid everything included for the IR ME $3000 when other places in UK, France, Belgium, Germany were advertising closer to $10,000!!!! They are hurting for business so I am sure you can get a good deal and get it done fast. Look at 'Aerodynamics Malaga'.
Yeah, I went to Aerodynamics to convert the MEIR. They are still the cheapest around but their price has gone up a little. They have a low student to instructor ratio, and can get you done in less than two weeks most of the time. Compare that to minimum 4 weeks in the UK (just to get 10 hours of sim time and 5 hours of multiengine instrument time), that just gives you an idea of how slow things are done in Europe, aviation-wise. None of this All ATPs get done in 90 days, forget about it.
On a personal note, I wouldn't recommend Naples Air Center. I'm glad it worked out for you Bubi, but they don't have the best reputation for JAA training.
On another note, yep, things are not looking good at all in Europe. A lot of airlines are now adapting to the European 'recession'. Air France announced a reduction in labor, EasyJet is closing its Spain base,... and that's just the beginning.
Not to mention that Spanair and Malev recently shutdown, BMI Baby will be closed down, Thomas Cook with debt issues, and I could go on and on. There are some airlines succeeding, and some new startups, but seems for every good news, there is twice the bad news.