Shane Keeley
1 Google Rating
I had a flying lesson booked for 10.00. I had taken the day off as annual leave for this event on my
I had a flying lesson booked for 10.00. I had taken the day off as annual leave for this event on my birthday and got up at 05.00 to ensure I arrived on time. I also looked into hiring a car as my own needed attention and I wasn't comfortable taking it on a 5 hour round trip. I was also a bit uncomfortable with the whole idea of flying so had endured several apprehensive days in the build up to going. The literature instructed me to phone the flying school at Glasgow Airport before setting off from home - on the opposite coast. I collected all the requisite paperwork and everything I would need then phoned, as instructed, at 06.49 as I was setting off. Their phone message told me that I was first in the queue and I should stay on the line to keep my place. My call was eventually picked up 101 minutes later at 08.30 and I was told to phone back at 09.00 when the pilot would be making a decision. When I advised her that during the hour and a half that I had just spent being told to stay on the line I had already made my way across the country and was sitting in the Glasgow traffic, she said she would speak to the pilot and phone me back. With it being a gloriously sunny day it was uncomfortably warm in the car as I was dressed for altitude. However, I took comfort from the logic that with no wind, no fog and not a cloud in the sky, then, despite their highly unprofessional start, nothing could prevent the plane from taking off. I did not get the call back and shortly before 09.00 I presented at reception with at least 15 minutes to spare ahead of the stipulated arrival time. At this point, the receptionist informed me that she was just back from holiday and there was an administrative problem so the the plane would not be taking off. Given all the trouble I had gone to in order to get there, I offered to wait but was told they wouldn't be flying today. No further explanation was offered despite my expressed desire for one. I was left to speculate whether they had not paid their fuel bill, not renewed their pilot's licence or perhaps the pilot was still drunk from the previous night. It also seemed to call out the lie that the pilot was to have been making a decision at 09.00. I was told I would be able to rebook so "no worries". Basically, having paid them, met all their conditions, wasted a day's leave and fuel driving twice across the country to then be given no specific reason why it wasn't taking place and no reason why they couldn't have told me sooner, I was sent away without being offered so much as a cup of coffee by way of compensation for my considerable effort and expense that was completely wasted as a result of their incompetence. What was meant to be a birthday treat after a difficult couple of years resulted in the worst of birthdays. I have no desire to risk a repeat of this experience. Moreover, having experienced their total incompetence I certainly would not want to put my life in their hands by getting in their aircraft. I did get an email asking me to provide feedback to their agent Adventure001 but evidently reviews of genuine experiences such as mine are not the sort of thing they like to reveal on their website. They have also not felt it necessary to respond. 30/9 update. Following their pitifully desperate and disgusting attempt to deflect blame and refute my honest review rather than apologise for their behaviour I now add a screenshot of the telephone record as Heather (if she gave her real name) seemingly forgot the both the phone conversation and our discussion in their premises. I also note they still haven't specified their 'administrative problem'.
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