Student
Experiences
Discover firsthand feedback from our students about their journey to becoming skilled pilots. Read their stories and see how our training academy has helped them soar to new heights.
Evagoras Stylianou
I did the ATPL Integrated course, finished in July 2020. I managed to get into the WizzAir Cadet Programme provided by BAA Training, and the school seemed professional and with good facilities, aircraft. Overall, I had quite a good experience with BAA Training, and was quite happy with quality of the training and the instructors. Met some very experienced pilots during the flight training, and also during ground school that used to or were still flying for some of the legacy airlines. Flying in Lleida was nice overall; a lot of airports available to fly to and, therefore, quite good experience gained. Beautiful views around Catalonia as well but experienced delays in the IFR phase. Overall, I was quite happy with the quality of the training and the instructors. Met some very experienced pilots during the flight training, and also during ground school that used to or were still flying for some of the legacy airlines.
Dan Casey
I completed the Wizz Air Cadet Program with the ATPL Integrated training program. I started in October 2018 and got my CPL in July 2021, COVID delayed a bit! I've been with WizzAir since. BAA Training was a cheaper alternative compared to most, so it was good for me and my family. Also, offered a job at an airline at the end, which was vital for us. High-quality classrooms and facilities, Vilnius is absolutely fantastic as well, one of my favourite cities in the world now.
Mindaugas Migauskas
I started my ATPL Integrated program as a cadet immediately after the summer when I had finished high school (2017), then I finished the ATPL Integrated program in just under 2 years (2019) and was accepted immediately into the airline company. At the exact same time that I became fully qualified, COVID-19 brought the airline industry to a halt, and my contract was immediately terminated. I then spent about 1 year mostly working a different job, and I was also happy to have had the opportunity to be acting as an Assisting Pilot in various A320 full flight simulator trainings at BAA Training, where I eventually gathered about 400 simulator hours by the end of the pandemic and was feeling in the best possible shape for when a job opportunity will open. I would like to personally thank my VFR flight instructor, Egor Gorshkov, for his high standards, deep level of knowledge and skill, and, most importantly, patience and 100% trust from Day 1. I would also like to thank my IFR fight instructor, Darius Tuzikas, for the high requirements down to the smallest details that he was pushing us to achieve and for being fair and honest with us at times when we were falling back. Eventually, I was invited to join an airline and have enjoyed the journey with my current airline company ever since. As of the end of 2023, I have over 1600 flight hours, I am working additionally as an Airbus A320 Theoretical Knowledge Instructor at BAA Training. After a full circle, I now perform interviews for cadets who want to join our airline company just like I once was and could not be happier with my career than I now am.
Tagir Niftaliyev
I did ATPL Integrated course from 2018 to 2021. I currently fly for business aviation on Embraer Legacy 650. BAA Training, at the time I joined, was a good combination of quality for the money, new facilities, etc. Quality of training was good, management was approachable, instructors were supportive and with good personalities overall. Lleida experience was crumpled due to COVID, 4 months I was stuck home in Spain as everything was shut down. Otherwise, it was pretty quick, and I got lucky with multi-engine Tecnam P2006T.
Nazar Dmytrovskiy
I finished ATPL Integrated in 2020, right at the cusp of COVID. Now I’m flying in the EU in corporate, flying citations from CJ to CJ3+. BAA Training had a clear presence online, was a big school with its own fleet of more than a few aircraft and looked like you have a rolling pattern that works. In general, BAA Training is very good, despite having some planning flaws when transitioning to ME, which delayed the plan by 5 months—that was also the time to enjoy, study your problematic areas, get along with Lithuanians, and have a “labai gerai” (Eng. “very good”) time. It was above standard as most instructors were knowledgeable and skillful in explaining, not only reading the presentation. They were professional in terms of flying and explaining, and they did share a passion of young wannabes, so it made the emotional atmosphere in the cockpit very pleasant and warm. Looking back, the ones I had were very well-trained. Experience in Lleida was really nice. Transportation, comfort and cafeteria made it work. As well as a big runway which is perfect for training purposes. Still remember Lleida as warm as it could possibly be and every time flying over Catalonia—it feels a bit more home than any other country. In general, I never regretted BAA Training as a school, and enjoyed the location and support. Lithuania was a discovery for me and the place I call a second home. It was hard sometimes, it was expensive to a certain degree, but it all paid off.
Christopher Nagel
Overall, my experience at BAA Training was positive and successful. Ground school in Lithuania was a great experience, with knowledgeable instructors and a diverse group of students. I look back on it fondly to this day. Though we occasionally faced operational challenges, flight training in Lleida was equally rewarding. The camaraderie within our group, coupled with the beauty of destinations like La Seu and San Sebastián, as well as the meteorological challenges, made the experience both enjoyable and diverse. In the end, I was able to complete my training in under 2 years and hold the CPL in my hand shortly after.
Florian Devauchelle
In December, Avion Express contacted me to have an assessment with them, and I successfully completed it in March. I chose BAA Training as my training provider because the Avion Express Cadet Program is in collaboration with the academy for the Type Rating (Airbus A320). There is a very high quality of training. All the instructors have important experience with thousands of flight hours on Airbus. They really push us to give the best, and they explain every exercise in a positive way. The full flight simulators are impressive by how realistic they are, so that we can be really immersed inside the A320 cockpit. I would like to highlight the professionalism of the BAA Training team, which is always mindful of our well-being. Also, Vilnius’ environment is really nice because of this city's and country's atmosphere, where we can feel that we are welcome here. This Type Rating program meets my expectations because we are going through everything, and everybody is involved in the students' success.
Asolat Sandybayeva
I’ve been studying at the Civil Aviation Academy in Kazakhstan for 2 years for the ATPL program and studying the ATPL Integrated at BAA Training. Our academy made a partnership with BAA Training, which gave us a chance to study abroad and explore European culture. Each part of the training was an amazing experience. Doing theory in Vilnius and flying in Spain was absolutely incredible for me – the people working in BAA Training were good both in Vilnius and in Lleida. Our instructors, as they were working as pilots in airlines, gave invaluable advice and information, which later helped us during exams or flight practice. 10 out of 10! I enjoyed every day being in Lleida – except for moody days with a lot of fog!
Marija : Becoming First Officer at Wizz Air
Marija shares what it takes to become a pilot and how she has fulfilled her dream.
Alexandra Moraru
I started with BAA Training in 2018, after I just finished high school. I chose ATPL Integrated and got my license in 2021 due to COVID. Currently, I’m a First Officer on Airbus A320 at FlyOne Airlines, previously flew for AirMoldova. BAA Training really became my second home for the 3 years, and apart from many ups and downs, with all the help and support, and quality provided by the academy, I could accomplish my dream in a relatively short time! I LOVED my flight training in Lleida-Alguaire, it’s a small and cozy place, you can walk around in 20 mins, but with a special vibe that you will never forget. And, of course, the airport—almost just for you. All instructors are highly qualified, skilled, and professional as pilots, they teach you with all passion and put a lot of effort to make you a great pilot. I am so grateful to instructors who always believed in me, especially I would like to mention Omar El Sawi, as he not only did everything a Flight Instructor should, but he also had the greatest CRM a pilot can have. A good pilot is a good person in the first place, and he’s 100%. I will never stop being grateful to BAA Training for the possibility to get to know so many good and nice people, and friends.
Tarvydas Čepkauskas
I was a student at BAA Training ATPL Integrated program 2017-2019, and at the moment I work at WizzAir. The training program itself was good, quick, stressful (as for everybody everywhere, I guess), but in the end, all of that was worth it. I made some awesome friends during that period, I had the most awesome memories. The environment was good, all the classmates were great, and the instructors maintained a very good synergy in the classroom. My VFR instructor was (and still is) one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met. All of the instructors showed high level of professionalism, dedication to teach. The environment was good, and the instructors maintained a very good synergy in the classrooms. All in all, I would highly recommend choosing BAA Training as your pilot school because I know you won’t regret it in the end.
Max
I joined as a Wizz Air cadet on the ATPL Integrated programme. My experience of the ground school was exceptional, the instructors were all very good, and the office staff were brilliant! In fact, I requested Vilnius as my WizzAir base because of how welcome I felt thanks to the amazing people at BAA in Lithuania.
Algirdas Arlauskas
I studied PPL program and then continued ATPL Theory. My childhood dream was to study at BAA Training. I remember looking, scrolling through BAA Training's website, saw all of the students, happy faces… Always wanted to be one of them. I’m still working to become an airline pilot. I’m very happy that I was/I’m a part of BAA Training. I’m very happy with the theoretical and practical training that I had professional instructors.
Pluchon Guillaume
I did my A320 Type Rating with SmartLynx at the BAA Training center in Barcelona. I signed my contract with the airline to be a First Officer, only a few weeks after the end of the training. Before entering BAA Training, I asked for information, ‘cause for me, BAA Training was the best A320 Type Rating provider for cadet pilots with many opportunities at the end of the training. All the people from BAA Training I met in Barcelona were kind and always here to help. For me, the Type Rating was awesome. Of course, that meant a lot of personal work, but in matters of subjects, time of learning, and behavior, it was just perfect for me!
Roberto Gallorini
I have been a student in BAA Training in the ATPL Integrated course from November 2021 until September 2023. Back then, I chose BAA Training after attending a webinar at my high school and after asking a couple of friends who were studying there, who gave me good feedback. In BAA Training, I found an overall high level of training in both ground school and flight school, you can see how much BAA Training cares about standards by providing great and highly professional instructors. Flight school had highs and lows, but I have seen that the school operates as much as possible to make everything go smoothly and regularly in order to provide one of the best training services in all of Europe!
Marco Luci
I studied at BAA Training for CPL Modular from November 2020 to September 2022. I did my ground training in Vilnius (P.S. it is an amazing city) and flight training in Lleida. Overall, I found the course quite challenging, especially the theoretical part and exams. However, thanks to the very high level of BAA Training facilities and the support of highly trained instructors, the training was fantastic. In the end, I dedicated two years to studying across Europe to qualify for and attain my dream job. Doing so in a multicultural environment like BAA Training was amazing. Although throughout my ground and flight training, I encountered difficult moments at various stages, I always remember what a former airline pilot once told me, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it!
Javier Gayoso Jiménez
For my Type Rating, I chose BAA Training because of their reputation for quality training and their partnership with Avion Express, where I’m currently completing the selection process. The training quality was exceptional – instructors demonstrated a high level of professionalism, providing thorough and engaging instructions throughout the program. The training environment was conducive to learning, with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, including full flight simulators, which greatly enhanced my overall learning experience. The Type Rating program exceeded my expectations in terms of depth and comprehensiveness. The curriculum covered all necessary aspects, ensuring I was well-prepared for my role as First Officer. Overall, my experience with BAA Training was excellent, and I highly recommend them to aspiring pilots.
Mowafi: First Officer at SmartLynx and lecturer at BAA Training
Abdelrahman Mowafi is a First Officer at SmartLynx Airlines, a leading EU-based ACMI, charter and cargo operator. Mowafi is also an instructor at BAA Training.
Dovydas: How to become a pilot in less than two years?
Dovydas is yet another successful alumnus who currently works as a First Officer on Airbus A320.
