Moncton FLight College

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waliduss
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Moncton FLight College

Post by waliduss »

hey , i am considering enrolling with Moncton flight college for the aviation technology diploma so i contacted them and they seemed professional
( they answered all my e-mails in almost no time with all the details ) , so i started looking for some reviews about the MFC on the web , didn't find much thing , nothing but some old posts back from 2004/2005 ( saying it is one of the best flying institution in Canada ) , i also heard they went broke because they didn't pay their debts or stuff like this ...
so , any one can help me ? do you think i made the right choice to both consider them and choosing this program ?
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BTyyj
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by BTyyj »

I might be wrong, but I am pretty sure they went broke for a few reasons beyond their control, but they should be fine now.

From what I heard, the Chinese government had a big contract with them to send tons of students over for flight training there. As a result, MFC needed to expand quickly to accomodate this new demand for their program. The Chinese government didn't pay up when they were suppose to though, so MFC had to go into bankruptcy protection until things could become a little more stable and the Chinese contract could be paid off. They should be fine now I think.

I heard that's what happened, but I am not absolutely sure. Hopefully someone else can help you a bit further, or validate what I said.

MFC is a good flight college, one of the best out East, and one of the only ones I have considered for my post-secondary. It's a member of the CAAC as well, which has some benefits and you know their training is up to par with other well known flight schools in Canada. That being said, don't look for only CAAC schools, as not all well known schools are members and CAAC isn't the only provider of good flight training.

I am not sure if you have know about this, but MFC has an agreement with Mount Allison for a BSc (Aviation); something to consider.

Good luck!
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Last edited by BTyyj on Wed Nov 30, 2011 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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waliduss
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by waliduss »

thank you jackg737 for you orientation and waiting for others help ... really grateful ! :)
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gnieto
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by gnieto »

Why dont you consider PRO IFR at British Clumbia, Canada.? It has is PROS and CONS,as every school, but is a very good school proifr.com
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down north
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by down north »

Whatever you do make sure you pay as you go/pay by the hour.

I have to disagree regarding the Chinese no paying - the fact is the school was badly mismanaged.

If you can go elsewhere. They are fresh out of financial restructuring. Flight training is a huge investment and really when it comes down to it a 703/704 chief pilot does not give a rats ass weather you graduated from a fancy flight college or a smaller operation.
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Gravy
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by Gravy »

Good school good programs but suffered from poor management as others were syaing.

They have good sims and the option to write your A's at 2hundo which is nice if your planning on flying 704 quickly out of school (covers you for IATRA)
Maintenance is on the ball and you'll never be grounded due to lack of aircraft.

They usually do an open house in march, which i would suggest you check out if you are concidering going there.


good luck
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waliduss
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by waliduss »

thank you all for your helpful answers !

to gnieto : thank you for your suggestion but some friends of mine who went there said there was too crowded , they spend more then 4 months to passe their ppl !

to down north : totally agree about the pay as you go , it's the safest way to save your money in world like aviation . for why i've chosen the school it was based on search on forums and talking to some students , never heard one single complain against them unlike other schools ...!

to Gravy : thank you for taking the time to read and answer me , i hope this poor management won't affect my formation !
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waliduss
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by waliduss »

is there any current student of MFC in this forum ?
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Living 5500ASL
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by Living 5500ASL »

I've been at two school's, one being MFC, and I wouldn't have any reason not to recommend them. There is pro's and con's to every school in Canada, the main thing is getting a school will more pro than con and that none of the con's compromise safety. MFC lives up to these expectations. As far as people posting about it being poorly managed I think this was a little more on the financial side and not the educational side. For example I'm sure they were the only school in Canada to allow some students to owe thousands of dollars for training, plus they seemed to have a manager or officer for every possible thing you could imagine which added to financial waste. MFC was a not for profit business and this fact may have lead to their financial woes. Now under the new management they are actually trying to turn a profit. A lot of people in senior positions did get laid off at the time but it's been stable since.

My real concern isn't that you want to go to MFC but rather that you wish to take the diploma program. The reason I say this is because you do not need an aviation diploma or degree to get hired as a pilot nor will it help you become one at all and I think you would be hard pressed to find someone in the industry that would disagree with me. IMO the aviation degree's and diplomas are a waste of time and money. Furthermore the degree or diploma does nothing to help you outside of the aviation industry, so if you turn 45 and loose you medical for whatever reason you got no education to really fall back on. If you are dead set on a diploma I recommend something like Business Administration because at least then it will carry some weight if you loose a medical some day. Not to mention I could see it being an asset if you wanted to get into some type of pilot management career down the road but I'm really not the best person to comment on that aspect. The course I would recommend at MFC is the Integrated Commercial Pilot Course (ICPC) You will finish much sooner, save money, and be at the exact same level as anybody taking either the diploma or degree program when it comes to getting hired as a pilot. In fact you may be a step ahead of the game since ICPC gets you a frozen Airline Transport Pilot Licence and I'm not 100% sure the diploma program does the same, it's something to ask about for sure.

Hope that helps a little.
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Living 5500ASL
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by Living 5500ASL »

Sorry I realized after I posted that perhaps a post secondary education may help some at an airline like Air Canada. Although let me assure you that will be many years and many flight hours before you will be able to think of that stage. Perhaps a major airline pilot can shed some more light on that. Also keep in mind there is a whole lot more companies than Westjet and Air Canada in this country.
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waliduss
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by waliduss »

to living 5500 asl , thank you for taking time to both read and post some really useful information , i do know that in the aviation industry what matters the most is the license and flying hours , but i was thinking like in case i had some health problem witch won't let me be in command of an airplane any more , what would i do ? what job can i take( like a plan B ) ? so i said to myself this diploma should get me a job other than flying airplanes , what do you think ? can i have a job with the diploma in some airport or company ( other than being a pilot i mean ) ?

for your second post i do realize that i won't be hired soon in such companies especially that i am a foreign student but seeking to settle up in Canada,after what i have read in some topics saying it's hard for foreign people getting a job in Canada ( by job i mean pilot )
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KAG
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by KAG »

Living 5500ASL wrote:Sorry I realized after I posted that perhaps a post secondary education may help some at an airline like Air Canada. Although let me assure you that will be many years and many flight hours before you will be able to think of that stage. Perhaps a major airline pilot can shed some more light on that. Also keep in mind there is a whole lot more companies than Westjet and Air Canada in this country.
Yes there are, but why not open as many doors as possible?
There is also the argument for attending a school with a rich history. I have a Diploma from a school no longer around and few would recognize anyway. It still helped, but I rather would have attended MFC from the start.
MFCis a really good school, there are also other quality choices out there. You won't go wrong either way.
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PieInTheSky
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by PieInTheSky »

I just finished the ICPC program at MFC last week, so I can offer some insight as a student who was there before and after they went into receivership. I went there after having done my PPL in Ontario at a small flying club, and it came highly recommended to me by a few people. As far as flight training goes, I thought the program was great. I had good instructors and found that everything was laid out and organized well. They are phasing out the Cessna's with only 3 remaining, but the Diamonds are plentiful. They have done a few rounds of lay offs since the receivership, but there remains an appropriate number of instructors for the student count. Some of them are fresh out of the instructor course, some of them have been there for years. They need to update their ground school a bit, and I highly recommend they put more emphasis and effort into their Human Factors classes instead of it being treated as the bird course. I think it's inevitable that things become a little repetitive in ground school, but their exams and material etc. do need a bit more attention.

The receivership went as smoothly as I think it could have gone given the circumstances. Flight ops ceased for a week, a good number of the planes are gone, and for a long time everything was a little haphazard. I think they still need to work on organization, as near the end of my training I almost lost my mind regarding when classes would be scheduled, but the people who have been there for a while made sure that I completed, my last phase as quickly as possible. There is a fair bit of bias towards the campus in Fredericton though; they have the newer and nicer planes, and regardless of business strategy, it very much irritates me that the Moncton campus has the older Seminoles that could more than do with an upgrade. On another note, they did just get a new contract with the Chinese government, and Canlink seems like a legitimate company trying to restructure the flight college so that it may flourish.

Just incase anyone is skeptical about my review, when MFC went into receivership, I had just put $10,000 onto my account. CanLink did honour my account, but did not give me my remaining $1200 on my account, as they would only cover the minimum I needed to complete my program. Needless to say I'm still a little irritated about this, and although it tempts me to be spiteful and give them a bad name, I can't in good conscience do so. I can't say anything for other flight schools as I haven't been there, but MFC is a good place. I know a few students come out of there with a cocky attitude and think they're your regular old Maverick, but that's just a few of the inevitable morons. I figure the rest of us are just happy to know we had some good training and are excited to go onto other places and continue our education for the next 30 years or so.
Best of luck wherever you choose to go!
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by Living 5500ASL »

KAG wrote:There is also the argument for attending a school with a rich history. I have a Diploma from a school no longer around and few would recognize anyway. It still helped, but I rather would have attended MFC from the start.
Half the problem with this is that the diploma does not come from MFC but rather the New Brunswick Community College, not that there is anything wrong with this but it's important to note you can't actually say you have an aviation diploma from MFC. Only your CPL and ratings will come from MFC. Although KAG is absolutely correct when he says MFC has a rich history. It's a great school with a lot of resources that you probably won't find elsewhere.
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by 5x5 »

PieInTheSky wrote:Just incase anyone is skeptical about my review, when MFC went into receivership, I had just put $10,000 onto my account. CanLink did honour my account, but did not give me my remaining $1200 on my account, as they would only cover the minimum I needed to complete my program.
Wow, they kept $1,200 of your money and gave you nothing in return? Where's their good conscience and just plain honesty?
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PieInTheSky
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by PieInTheSky »

From the business point of view, I understand that my $10,000 actually no longer existed and that they fronted me that money to keep me there. From the student point of view, I'm still extremely pissed. Regardless, I lost $1,200 and not $10,000. Actually after my ATPLs and sign off it's more like $900, but still :x. Ahhh well
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waliduss
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by waliduss »

thank you all , based on what you said i think i am going to enroll with them for the diploma program for the next September , i hope i will be having a great experience out there !
yet any one can explain me the use of the diploma ? :p can i get a job with it other than being a pilot ?
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BTyyj
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by BTyyj »

It's a technical diploma in Aviation Technology, so I don't know how much it will do for you, especially nowadays where Bachelors degrees don't even mean as much as they use to.

If you are looking for a good post-secondary education in something that will give you a decent backup plan, you should go to University and get a degree in Engineering, Business, or Science. These programs all have very high 6 month hiring rates. Depending on what you do, you could fly during University or after you finish.

Something else to consider is looking through the articulation agreements with colleges. I know Selkirk has a 2+2 year program with Embry-Riddle for a BSc (Aviation), with the latter two years through distance learning. Although the degree is pretty useless, many graduate programs, such as Medicine, Law, Architecture, etc. only require a degree in any field.

I guess my advise to you is that you should sit down and think about what you would want to do in the event of you losing your medical. Depending on what you want to do, I would suggest you go to the post-secondary program accordingly, if required. If not, go to MFC and get the diploma. Just remember, it won't help you outside the industry.

Also, if you are not sure what you want to do as a backup plan yet, I would suggest you go to MFC as well. Many people get college diplomas in aviation, then leave the industry after losing their medical or their job, to go to University and get educated in another area. One example of this is the author ofSo, You Want To Be a Pilot, Eh?, who after getting a diploma from Seneca and flying up north for a few years, went back to University to become a Lawyer. So you can definitely still be successful in other areas, even if you waited to get the education in them for later in your life.
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Gravy
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by Gravy »

You do get the ATPL written with the diploma program. If you are comming out of high school the diploma program is a nice transition and keeps your basics sharp as well as being a good time with your classmates. If you've been out for a while like the others said, get your s**t done and do ICPC. Training is fast there expect solo in a month with either program (from experience in our classes)

I should have specified, yes, the management was not in the training side, but the fiscal. From my understanding they just allowed multitudes of students to fly and train without collecting any money. They also have (had?) a moneypit of a king air that was leased for a rediculous cost + maintenance. The new edition of the school should be great.


have fun in training, the few months/years after will not be so fun ;)


cheers
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SuperchargedRS
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Re: Moncton FLight College

Post by SuperchargedRS »

Gravy wrote:Training is fast there expect solo in a month with either program (from experience in our classes)
Last few guys over here have got their PPL in a month, solo in a week :smt040
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