Testimonials

Martin Scott Testimonial

I thoroughly enjoyed my whole experience with AFTA. From making initial contact about an assessment right through to my CPL and MEIR Flight Tests and APS MCC course, AFTA helped guide me through the whole process, helping to keep it as straight forward and stress free as possible.  Their staff always went the extra mile to ensure high training standards were maintained and also that the course was enjoyable!  Even through a Pandemic, AFTA were able to successfully keep operating with new safety procedures in place to ensure the safety of all students and instructors at all times. The preparation also given to me leading up to my assessment and interview with Ryanair was second to none. I felt very confident heading into the assessment day and I was thankfully rewarded with an offer of employment a few weeks later. I would highly recommend AFTA to anyone considering a career in commercial aviation, and wish all the Team at AFTA all the best success in the future.

AFTA Training Programme - 2022

Hugh Maguire Testimonial

I would definitely recommend AFTA to anyone, they brought me from zero hours to airline ready in 16 months! The guidance throughout was great, I never felt like I was going through on my own. The flight instructors are exceptional, and together with variable weather conditions in Cork and a varied fleet at AFTA, they produce some of the best pilots around. Finally. The Boeing 737 simulator is one of their best assets, it really helps with preparation towards the ultimate goal of being an airline first officer. Going to AFTA has stood to me so far in my career and I’m sure it will for a long time to come.

AFTA Training Programme - 2021

Nathan Hampton-Jones

AFTA have been exceptional for helping myself and many others undertake Commercial Flight Training. The Staff and Instructors are always personable and subsequently willing to go the extra mile to help students, offering support at any stage. The teaching standard throughout PPL and ATPL Ground School was outstanding, maintaining inspiring classes while also allowing our independence through self-study.

The fleet of aircraft held by AFTA is impressive; thoroughly cared for by a dedicated team of Engineers and Technicians who evidently take great pride in their work, which results in immaculate aircraft for the Students, Instructors and Examiners to fly. Operating out of both Cork International Airport and Waterford Regional Airport pushes each Student to differentiate procedures and understand the importance of adapting to varying situations – a key skill for a Commercial Pilot.

Overall, I am sincerely filled with pleasure and honoured to say that I completed training with the Atlantic Flight Training Academy. I enjoyed every flight from the Private Pilot License through to the Multi-Engine Instrument Rating, and especially the Multi Crew Cooperation phase. I extend a massive thank you to every member of the AFTA team for their help and kindness!

AFTA Training Programme - 2021

Colm Murphy

AFTA’s world class fleet, coupled with the fact training happens in a busy commercial airport, means students get a real-world airline experience from their first day of flying. Experienced, knowledgeable and approachable instructors provide great support for all aspects of the course. Colm Murphy, Ryanair Mentored Programme

AFTA Training Programme - 2021

Thomas Splendori

This 2 years at AFTA have been really enjoyable, looking back I consider it a great life experience.

The course started off a bit too slowly during the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) phase mainly due to only few bookings per week, only after the ATPLs I noticed an improvement and everything went smooth, nonetheless this past year was full of achievements and personal satisfactions. 

I am really thankful to AFTA for all this. I am also happy with all the support received in preparation for the Ryanair assessment as I felt genuine interest towards me during the process!

AFTA Training Programme - 2021

Micheál Masterson

I really enjoyed my time in AFTA. It is a very friendly environment where everyone is approachable and helpful. It certainly lives up to its reputation as a family environment and I’ve made some great friends from my time here. With the varying weather in Cork it can be challenging for Ops and the instructors to plan a day’s flying but I found them very accommodating liaising with you if they thought there would be a break in conditions to fit you in. The APS was very enjoyable, giving you a taste of what the type rating will involve and giving you an understanding of Company SOPs from day one. I thought this was hugely beneficial to lay the groundwork for some good habits. I found the RYR assessment preparation great. AFTA were very thorough in all aspects, covering HR, technical questions and the sim assessment process. I would recommend AFTA to anyone considering a career in aviation.

Peter Kirk

My name is Peter Kirk. I am 20 years old and I completed my Ryanair Mentored training at AFTA in May 2021.

The idea of becoming a pilot was first floated to me around the age of 12 or 13. At the time, it seemed more of a dream than a realistic profession however as I progressed through secondary school I started to realise that it was not as unrealistic as I originally expected. Although I explored many other career options, once I visited AFTA’s open day at the age of 16 I was sold. I booked a private show through in which a senior instructor gave us a tour and answered all of our questions. A few weeks later I took my first introductory flight and from this moment, I could not see myself anywhere else.

The Ryanair Mentored Programme particularly appealed to me as it was a direct gateway into one of the world’s biggest airlines straight out of flight school. I was fortunate enough to be accepted onto the programme and be offered a place beginning September 2019. The opportunity to learn Ryanair SOPs from the beginning is a huge advantage as it will give us a head start as soon as we begin our Type Rating. AFTA and Ryanair also organise frequent meetings with Ryanair crew where we discuss various aspects of the job and ask any questions we may have. These meetings are invaluable as they give us exclusive insight into the job and help to keep us motivated.

Having had only 3 hours of flight experience prior to joining, I very much was starting from the bottom. AFTA’s training however, is designed to bring you through the very basics all the way through to an airline standard. It is structured in a logical and progressive order and nothing is left out.

In January 2020 I began my ATPL theory. This was the hardest stage of my training, however AFTA’s instructors are extremely helpful and comprehensive. Once COVID hit in March 2020 there was a lot of uncertainty, however AFTA worked tirelessly to allow us to continue our theory via remote learning and in total I only lost about a month which I consider incredible. After 7 months of study, I completed my ATPL exams with all first time passes.

One thing that particularly stands out to me about AFTA is the friendly atmosphere around the academy. Both instructors and students are always there to help and support one another if ever you are uncertain about anything.
AFTA really go above and beyond to make your training as thorough and as enjoyable as possible and I cannot recommend them enough. Although many might consider this a difficult time to be joining the industry, the recovery can already be seen and I can’t wait to make myself part of it.

Harry Pinder

My name is Harry Pinder. I am 24 years old and from the UK. I recently completed the Ryanair Mentored Gateway 1 modular course with AFTA in November 2020.

Prior to joining the AFTA team I did my research and saw they had a terrific modern fleet of aircraft, experienced instructors and a very high graduate success rate with airlines, in particular Ryanair. I was truly excited at the prospect of joining AFTA and I was not disappointed. I commenced my training with AFTA in July 2020 and, during my time at AFTA, I had frequent lesson bookings and was able to complete the CPL, MEIR and MCC in less than 5 months. The instructors were very professional and they put lots of time aside to put you in to the best shape possible for the flight tests. They gave informative briefings, a good input to what could be improved on the lessons and taught us Ryanair briefings. My final part of training was the APS MCC. AFTA’s Ryanair mentored APS MCC uses a high quality B737 simulator and teaches many Ryanair SOPs and ultimately gives you the best possible preparation to be ready for the airlines.

Shortly after I had finished training, I was called for an assessment at the Ryanair HQ in Dublin.To prepare me for the assessment, I made sure that I availed on AFTAs Graduate Development Program. This program provides simulator and interview preparation conducted by experienced instructors at AFTA, who know the ins and outs of how to prepare students best for this assessment. AFTA worked with me to make sure I was 100% ready before going to the assessment.

The Ryanair mentored APS MCC, along with AFTAs Graduate Development Program allowed me to be full of confidence when I attended my type rating assessment. I was able to display many of the skills and SOPs I developed through training with AFTA during the interview and simulator assessment, and subsequently, I was accepted on to the Ryanair type rating program. I am due to start my type rating with Ryanair in April 2021 and I am very thankful to AFTA for their dedication and hard work which has helped immensely in me being able to achieve this. I would highly recommend AFTA to anyone serious about becoming a commercial pilot

Cathal Smullen

My name is Cathal Smullen. I am 21 years of age and I completed my flight training in Atlantic Flight Training Academy as a Ryanair Mentored student in November 2019.

Becoming a pilot has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. When I was researching flight schools, the personal approach to flight training from AFTA really stood out from the others. After arranging a visit to AFTA to see the facilities, I knew enrolling at AFTA would be the right choice for me. This decision was reinforced by qualified pilots and airline recruiters who I got to know while I was working on the ramp in Dublin Airport. Now graduated, I would have no hesitation in recommending AFTA to anybody considering flight training.

Flight training is both exciting and daunting, as there are frequent exams and checks which must be passed to progress. This is where the team at AFTA come into it. The standard of training that AFTA offers is second to none. From the outset AFTA maintain airline standards. AFTA’s skilled and experienced flying and ground instructors truly enabled me to reach my full potential. Training on AFTA’s modern fleet of aircraft, amongst airline traffic out of a live international airport in challenging weather conditions is exposure that cannot be rivalled and I strongly feel this will greatly benefit me throughout my career.

I was thrilled to be accepted onto the Ryanair Mentored Programme as it gives an incredible insight and preparation for a career at Ryanair. The APS/MCC course was one of the most enjoyable parts of flight training for me. Like everything else, there is a lot of information and new skills to learn which although challenging, it is also extremely rewarding. Using Ryanair procedures and actual flight plans definitely gives an edge and provides a true level of reality.

I graduated from AFTA in November of 2019, they had been in frequent contact since graduating organising interview preparation sessions thereby proving their commitment to help place students, Q&A group calls with Mark and team and a couple of months later I was successful at my assessment at Ryanair and was due to start my type rating on the Boeing 737. Unfortunately this occurred simultaneously with the COVID-19 pandemic but I hope to get flying as soon as some level of normality returns.

 AFTA’s commitment to their students is evident, organising complimentary recurrency simulator sessions to graduates ensuring that our skills are continuously kept up to standard and in times of such uncertainty, it is comforting to know that I am best prepared for when we can all get flying again.

Cathal Byrne

My Name is Cathal Byrne. I am 31 years of age and I completed the integrated flight training course in Atlantic Flight Training Academy in October 2019.

Having spent quite a lot of time researching and visiting flight training schools worldwide, my initial impression of AFTA really stood out. I had been given many recommendations from students past and present, so I was eager to visit the school and see it for myself. AFTA were extremely welcoming and took their time to show me around all their facilities on that day and answered any questions I had for them.

Their very modern fleet of aircraft including Cessna 172, Piper Seneca PA-34 and Diamond DA42, are all maintained to the highest of standards, with their onsite maintenance department being a huge and important factor for the smooth running of the school as a whole.

Throughout training I believe AFTA have given me a strong insight into what life will be like in an airline. The excellent standard of training from extremely experienced instructors throughout the academy set them apart from any other. The location at Cork Airport was another huge factor, flying amongst major
airlines in challenging weather conditions enhanced my skills rapidly and I believe this will stand to me for the rest of my career.

I completed my APS MCC course in October 2019 in the B737-800 simulator, 6 weeks later I secured a position as First Officer with Stobart Air and started my Type Rating in February 2020. Due to Covid-19 I was made redundant within just a few months. Despite this setback, I have bounced back and with the guidance of AFTA and their excellent Interview preparation program I am pleased to say I have now received a position with Lauda, commencing my Type Rating in November 2022.

I would highly recommend AFTA to any aspiring pilot. With the correct attitude, work ethic and commitment Mark and his team will assure to provide you with the very best training from day one right up to interview preparation for your very first job.