Latest news

ASG launches groundbreaking virtual ATPL classroom facility

20/3/2020

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 virus and the sensible public health restrictions associated with this, ASG has fully embraced the concept of delivering our residential ATPL classroom training in our new "virtual" classroom.

Together with the co-operation of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), we have launched a completely online course without any "in-class" contact element required. This is truly a first for the aviation industry and a sign that through adversity we can overcome the challenges posed by this crisis. Students may now progress with their entire ATPL theoretical training though our online learning portal led by the same fantastic instructors who have delivered our industry-leading in-class lectures for years.

We have been conducting intensive training and trials and can now provide a truly fantastic, interactive, and immersive virtual ATPL classroom learning experience.

ASG trains personnel from the Irish Police Air Support Unit, the Irish Air Corps, and the Irish Coastguard

12/3/2020

ASG is proud to have been chosen to deliver a two-week course to personnel from the Irish Coastguard, the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU), and the Irish Air Corps.

What really differentiates us from most other training organisations is our instructional team - each one is chosen for their subject matter expertise and practical industry experience which adds real value to the student experience by bringing the subject to life - meet our team and see for yourself!

The importance of the ATPL exams

18/2/2020

Recently, our founder, Diarmuid O'Riordan talked to Simtech Aviation about the importance of the ATPL examinations. The original article was published here.

- COMMENCEMENT OF ARTICLE -

In this months blog, we are looking at the importance of the ATPL exams and how to get the best possible results. We partnered with ASG Founder, Diarmuid O’Riordan. ASG is an Approved Training Organisation (ATO), that specialises in the delivery of Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theoretical training. The classroom based training takes place at Simtech Aviation’s facility near Dublin Airport.

Diarmuid is an Airbus A330 pilot, having previously operated as an Airbus A320/321neo pilot and Type Rating Instructor (TRI) with an Irish airline. He retired from the military as Officer Commanding of the Irish Air Corps’ Air Traffic Control (ATC) Unit. He continues to exercise the privileges of a Swiss Civil Air Traffic Controller Licence with instructor and examiner endorsements in all ATC disciplines.

For airline hiring purposes, how significant are the ATPL exams?

The ATPL theoretical course and examinations are a crucial step for any aspiring airline pilot. Unfortunately, they are sometimes viewed as a “box” to tick before completing the practical elements of commercial pilot training. Many students feel tempted to focus exclusively on question banks to “get through” the exams. While future pilots are required to pass all 14 exams to progress, many elements of the syllabus does need to be retained for future practical application. Indeed, the next time students will encounter much of this theory is on their first week in the front seat of a jet!
Of course, every student wants “first time” passes and the highest possible average score, but this is not the key determining factor in airline cadet selection: if a student has achieved a “98%” average by memorising question banks but is unable to demonstrate an understanding of ATPL theory in an interview, they are unlikely to land their all-important first job. It is critical, therefore, that experienced instructors put ATPL theory into “context” to ensure that students meaningfully understand and can apply it in practise.

Can part-time modular students “structure” their ATPL theory course?

Absolutely. In, fact it’s even more essential to provide modular students a structured approach to their ATPL training. Part-time ATPL students embarking on what can be a lonely journey will benefit from a formalised course structure, support, and reinforcement from classmates. Schools have a responsibility in this regard too: part-time students should not be left out on their own and merely provided with the school “sign-off” required to sit the ATPL exams without receiving the learning support they need.
Aside from a distance learning element, ATPL part-time courses should have a 10% residential training portion of in-class learning and refresher training. At ASG, we structure this learning across three modules totalling ten days — four days after module 1, three days after module 2, and three days after module 3, respectively. We schedule our sessions to coincide with the IAA’s ATPL exam sittings, which take place every two months.

What happens during a typical revision day with ASG?

Our revision days take place between 12 – 8pm in order to facilitate students travelling to/from sessions and to avoid rush hour traffic. The specific dates for the classes are published on our website so that students can plan when they hope to attend each of the three modules across their entire ATPL course; this is particularly important for those who work on a full-time basis and have to balance course dates with their work and personal schedule.

Two weeks before the sessions, we ask students for feedback as to areas they would like to focus on in each subject, and our instructors tailor the day to the student’s needs. Additionally, the instructor conducts an overview of the subject’s key theories, answers students’ questions, and finishes with ATPL assessments practice as final preparation for the exams.
On the first day, we usually meet at the facility, and quite often, students will get an opportunity to fly one of Simtech Aviation’s state-of-the-art simulators. It’s a tough act to follow for the day one instructor!

Do you recommend any particular order to complete the ATPL exams?

It’s tempting for students to get the so-called “easy” subjects out of the way quickly. However, it helps to employ some strategy when choosing the order of the ATPL subjects due to the time and sitting constraints — for example, students must complete all 14 examinations over a maximum of six sittings and within 18 months of attempting the first exam.
In designing our course, we put a great deal of thought into module and subject order. For instance, we pair Principles of Flight (POF) with Aircraft Performance and Instrumentation with Radio Navigation due to the significant theoretical overlaps between these subjects; this allows students to reduce redundancy within the programme.

What qualifications should my ATPL instructors have, and what should I be looking for in the school I complete them?

That’s a good question! EASA is not very prescriptive when it comes to laying down the requirements to teach subjects at ATPL level — in fact, we regularly hear of schools using just one or two Flight Instructors to teach the entire ATPL course. Realistically, it’s not possible to be an expert in all 14 subjects!
Simply passing an ATPL exam as a student does not qualify someone to teach that subject. For example, I specialise in the “Air Law & ATC procedures” component but I’m not an expert in “Navigation (General)” and would not have the depth of knowledge required to teach that specific subject at ATPL level.
Therefore, I recommend that students research the background of each school’s instructors. It’s so important, particularly at ATPL level, for instructors with industry experience to bring the subjects to life with real-world context. Too often, schools assign this vital task to newly qualified flight instructors with limited operational experience who may not fully appreciate a subject’s relevance to an airline environment. At ASG, we publish full details of our own ATPL instructional team on our website. Our personnel consists of operational industry experts, including airline pilots, Type Rating Instructors, engineers, former military pilots, and air traffic controllers.

There is a new ATPL syllabus being released in 2020. What are the main differences?

Yes, EASA is making significant changes to the ATPL syllabus this year. The last major technical update was conducted in 2006. Given the emergence of new technologies and the advancement of pilot training philosophies, there was a need to update learning outcomes to prepare pilots to perform in the modern-day flight deck operation. We recently published details of all of the key syllabus changes on our website.

When should students start to consider where they will complete the next phases of their commercial pilot training?

When students sign up for their ATPL theory course, they have effectively “crossed the Rubicon” and taken their first steps towards flying commercially. It’s an exciting time, but also somewhat daunting given the many training options and choices students will have to make from this point onwards.
Before qualifying as a Commercial Pilot, students will need to decide where to complete their Commercial Pilot Licence together with Multi-Engine and Instrument ratings. We encourage our students to make these training choices early — within a few months of commencing their theoretical training with us. I recommend determining a conservative date of completion for their final ATPL exam and working forward from there. If they leave it too late, they may find themselves waiting for a vacancy to arise at their chosen training school or having to choose an alternative.

The final step (and one of the most important, in my opinion) is selecting where to complete their MCC/JOC or APS MCC course. This course is required to operate in a multi-crew environment, such as an airline flight deck. Finally, after all the classroom training and many hundreds of hours flying lighter aircraft in a single pilot environment, students find themselves operating as part of a crew in a jet airliner!
Future pilots should not take the venue of this training lightly: if they elect to save a few hundred euro by preparing in a low-grade generic simulator, or with instructors lacking airline experience, his or her hard-earned money could go to waste at a crucial final step. I am biased (having completed my own MCC/JOC course there!), but Simtech Aviation sets the industry standard in terms of equipping students for multi-crew operations — not to mention preparing students for success in their airline simulator assessment.

For additional information on ATPLs, find the links below.

ASG website: https://www.asg.ie/
ASG facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/asgato
ASG Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asg_ato/
Simtech Aviation Courses: https://simtech.ie/pilot-training/
Simtech Aviation Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SimtechAviation/

ASG welcomes 6 new Pilots for ATPL Theory training!

1/2/2020

Today we welcomed six new Pilots for the first module of their ATPL theory course. Thanks for putting your faith in our team - it’s a privilege to be able to help bring these complex subjects to life for the industry’s future Airline Pilots.

We limit class sizes to ensure the optimum learning environment, support students throughout their ATPL training journey, and deliver the highest standard of theoretical knowledge instruction. Through our high quality instruction, aside from being more likely to excel at your exams, you are likely to retain this important information, be more prepared to land your first airline job, and operate more effectively throughout your career as an Airline Pilot. Don't just "tick the box". The choice as to where you complete your theoretical knowledge training is an important one, and the determining factor should be quality.

Each one of our ATPL instructors are selected for their practical industry experience and expertise in their theoretical domains. While many ATO's use their day-to-day flight instructors for ATPL instruction, by using subject matter experts (directly from industry) we can focus on providing the highest quality of training. We hire directly from the aviation industry and our instructors include: current airline pilots, type rating instructors, aircraft and avionics technicians, human factors specialists, military pilot instructors, aeronautical engineers, and air traffic controllers. Meet our team and decide for yourself!

ASG provides Search & Rescue co-ordination training

31/1/2020

Watch Officers of the Irish Coastguard (IRCG) were presented with Search & Rescue tasking and co-ordination (SATaC) training course completion certificates by ASG's Managing Director, Diarmuid O’Riordan together with the Director of the Irish Coastguard, Eugene Clonan.

The Irish Coastguard co-ordinates all Search and Rescue (SAR) services for Ireland 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Aer Lingus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines complete Flight Operations training

17/1/2020

We had a great two weeks with Flight Operations personnel from Aer Lingus and SAS Scandinavian Airlines. Our comprehensive training programme consists of 90 hours of classroom learning and is designed to meet the requirements prescribed by ICAO DOC 7192 and IATA Standards Manual relevant to the training of flight operations personnel.

Find out more about our Flight Operations training here.

New ASG ATPL students are lined up and ready for take-off!

26/11/2019

We were delighted to welcome eight new students to the industry's best Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theory course this week!

All of our refresher classes are conducted in Dublin and are scheduled 2-3 weeks in advance of the published IAA exam sittings every two months. Learn more about our ATPL course here.

What really differentiates us from most other ATO’s is our instructional team - each one is chosen for their subject matter expertise and practical industry experience which adds real value to the student experience by bringing the subject to life - meet our team and see for yourself!

ASG successfully delivers training for the Irish Coast Guard

22/11/2019

We finished another fantastic two weeks working with the Irish Coast Guard. Our instructor, Alan, is pictured alongside the outstanding course participants and the current Director of the Coast Guard.

ASG is proud to provide intensive Search & Rescue (SAR) tasking and co-ordination training to Watch Officers of the Irish Coastguard (IRCG). We worked with the IRCG over a number of months to design, develop, and deliver a world-class bespoke training product which meets the demands of the IRCG's unique operational environment.

The Irish Coastguard chooses ASG to design and deliver training for its unique operational environment

2/11/2019

ASG is proud to have been selected to provide intensive Search & Rescue (SAR) tasking and co-ordination training to Watch Officers of the Irish Coastguard (IRCG).

Our team worked with the IRCG over a number of months to design, develop, and deliver a world-class bespoke training product which meets the demands of the IRCG's unique operational environment.

Four new students join our ATPL theory programme

9/10/2019

We were delighted to welcome four more students to the industry's best Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) theory course this week!

All of our refresher classes are conducted in Dublin and are scheduled 2-3 weeks in advance of the published IAA exam sittings every two months. In the picture above, our instructor Paul Fahy is delivering Mass & Balance training. Our ATPL instructors are truly passionate about what they do - each one is chosen for their subject matter expertise and practical industry experience which adds real value to the student experience by bringing the subject to life - meet our team and see for yourself!

OUR LOCATIONS

DUBLIN, IRELAND

SAN DIEGO, USA

OUR STUDENTS

"From my initial inquiry, to receiving my final exam results 8 months later with first time passes, the ASG team have been a huge support. I've recently been offered my first flying job and I owe a lot of this to the ASG team for the unrivalled instruction and support along the way"

Robert Dunne, ATPL student

"The instructors are highly approachable, enthusiastic and interested in their respective subjects - I believe the knowledge and insights obtained while studying with ASG has not only allowed me to pass the ATPL exams but also equipped me with a depth and breadth of knowledge that I will take with me in my future aviation career.

John Murtagh, ATPL student

"I found the professionalism and also the friendliness of the instructors second to none. I completed the course while maintaining full time employment and this was only possible because of the flexibility offered by ASG"

Eoin Dowling, ATPL student

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