Riverside Flight Centre

[Hysteresis]

Hi Guys

I'm heading out to start my FAA PPL with Riverside Flight Centre in Tulsa and was hoping to hear from any past/present students that trained with them.I would be very interested to hear any feedback albeit good or bad about the place.Especially regards quality of training, instructors, aircraft etc.
If the PPL goes well, I would like to continue onto commercial but will have to wait and see what happens! :hmm:

Thanks in advance guys!

[acuba 290]

as much i know and information i have, they are very very good! Nice reputation! I was also thinking to go there for my PPL+IFR/ME, but later changed to Spain, just to stay in Europe (because i hate to make visas to another countries,go to the embassy etc.). As FAA PPL student need visa and there is no US consulate in Munich i just left that idea...:bored:

But as for USA, RFC was first choice for me;)

[Hysteresis]

Thanks for the prompt reply! :ok:

[acuba 290]

i think that also offer for JAA/FAA ATPL is not bad there;)

[Hysteresis]

If the PPL goes well, thats my plan.Will do FAA licences and then convert to JAA in the UK.The conversion is done at Airways in Exeter.They use the duchess for twin training also.

[acuba 290]

If the PPL goes well, thats my plan.Will do FAA licences and then convert to JAA in the UK.The conversion is done at Airways in Exeter.They use the duchess for twin training also.

on your place i would make hour building (you'll need some practice in Europe) conversion in british school in Spain (sure it much cheaper than in UK)

try this one if you want (i've done my JAA-PPL there)

http://www.fly-in-spain.com/en/ausbildung/umwandlung_faa.php?navid=54

[Hysteresis]

Cheers, I will check them out alright.There are just so many ways of getting your licence that it's sometimes difficult to know which option to choose.Obviously money comes into the equation, but more importantly training as this will form the foundation on which a career can be built.Where are you now with your training or do you have a job already?

[acuba 290]

Why go through the hassles of getting a FAA cert here in the US if you are then going to convert to a JAA? What am I missing? If you specifically want to train here, why not simply train directly for the JAR and save conversion costs?

actually 100% agree. there is a lot schools in USA to get JAA-PPL

[Oxeagle]

I have heard very good things about Riverside as well. It is one of my two choices for my professional flight training, and i'm going to visit in a few months time. My instructor offered nothing but praise for Airways (who he trained with).

SoCal App: As for doing JAR training in the states, you can do a JAR-PPL with CAA licenced FTOs and JAR ATPL Theoretical Knowledge, but as far as I know (correct me if i'm wrong!) you cannot do pure JAR commercial flight training above PPL level. So, us Brits come to you in the states to do our FAA licences first and then convert to JAR as it is much cheaper than doing it pure JAR in the UK

Ox

[Hysteresis]

The reason I have chosen this route, after many hours of research and number crunching, is because Riverside offer a very competitive professional package, and it works out cheaper for me to do it this way even when you take flights, visa, etc into account.I could do the whole course at home but it would cost me somewhere in the region of 80K-90K euro.
Secondly, Riverside do have a very good reputation for training and customer service.I have spoken to several students in the past and all were very happy with their experience.My wife (yes I know...old man!!) did her training here in Ireland and actually regrets it as she felt the instrument training was not up to scratch.As a result she struggled in her type rating.
Riverside train you to JAA standards while in the States and even use the same aircraft as in the UK so conversion should not be too daunting!

[Tucker737800]

hope this is not too late. rfc tulsa is an excellent school with first class instructors. i spent 3 months out there, mar - jun 2004, met some great people enjoying a great social life as well as top flying. i initially went out just to complete hour building, however was so impressed i decided to stay and complete the faa me/ir. this was on a duchess using the same sop's for the school in exeter (airways flight training). i returned to exeter had no problems completing the jaa ir conversion course approx 15hrs, followed by jaa cpl course (15hrs if you have ir first). now flying b737's for a well known irish airline based in stn! say hi to yuri, helen & mowgli. they'll figure out who i am. used to be a copper!! :ok:

[sunnySXM]

please guys be aware , riverside has a lot of hidden costs which they dont say at time of admissio , they charge 5000 - 6000 extra on somethings that they dont mention, the ad they post is not true that just pay airfare and food , call me and i will explain what they did with my friends , find a next school where they stick to thioer commitment ,

[nick_yichih]

May I know the details, please send me the mail for it.

[email protected]

Nick

[alexanderbax]

Hi,

Im really considering using Riverside for training, mainly for cheaper costs. However, could you send me information on the hidden costs you mention? The email is [email protected].

Cheers

Alex

[Maron_Glasay]

yes please i would like to know the hidden costs that you mention. this is my mail

[email protected]

[Barnesy2006]

Better send them to me also as i'm considering them [email protected] Thanks

[rfc 2008]

i am a little concerned bout this hidden costs tht ur talkin bout... i hav almost finalised my admission at RFC.. i would really appreciate a quick response with more details on this extra hidden costs
thnx

u can email it to [email protected]

[fb481777]

Good evening,

I am getting ready to enrol into Riverside Flight Center, and I saw you're post about the hidden cost. I asked MATT over @ RFC and he said that the hidden cost were about the following:

* If the fuel @ the other Airport is more than what they pay, then I pay the difference.

* Food

* Maps

* Aviation Headset....

Is that about right? Or what are the other things you are referring to... Because I was looking into "FLIGHT SAFETY INTERNATIONAL" in Vero Beach FL, but unforuntanetly it was just way too Expensive, I mean like 80-100K and that's starting from scratch... But please fill me in...
[email protected].

[caliph]

Well.....guys try to avoid this school at the best cost possible

1) For stating it as a Guaranteed course then making you to exceed your hours what has been prescribed in the name of their so called stage checks whose standards changes with individual even though candidate doesn't hold any capability (Due to their parents being on good position in aviation e.g Captains, GM etc.) to get the publicity and eventually business; but the guys who doesn't have any of this gets ended in wasting the time for getting just a PPL in 120 to 130 hours on average and at least 6-7 months ? :rolleyes:.....(They provide 70 hours in guaranteed program for private and their counselor promise your Commercial license can be obtained in 6-7 months well ........ ??)

2)Myself and like so many guys like me gone through the same trauma and torture and considered the opinion of guys on this forum as a part of decision for selection of school which we understood wasn't good idea. Now this school ended up in such a bad reputation that I heard from some of my guys who are still there in end of their training that; for January 2009 batch they don't have more than 3 students (Well earlier the number was 15; and they realized the fact and changed the mind.....lucky guys and good decision !!!)

3) The toll of school's pressure was such that 8 guys left the school at one go in month of September 2008, cursing for wasting the time and money....these all were international students; as of these students always gets trapped once they arrive in foreign country if they don't take timely decision to change the school might be due to considering the cost of relocation and time but still these guys understood the fact, as of there were few amongst them who were not been even given a solo after 5 months of training.

4) Instrument program is run by Carl who is the best guy as concern to Instrument training ; but whenever Chief pilot Wayne interferes into the matters it gets worst and well.....its not going to happen that Wayne cant interfere in any matter :ugh: even though its going good, hence this program is as well under the shadow of this mismanagement at the cost of students life.

5) Yuri the owner was good until the school picked the the reputation in asian continent due above mentioned favors done to special guys.....which ended now once the reality came into light. He is facing bitter results of his own management relying overly on his employees or top management which made him to take wrong decisions on many occasions and neglecting students opinion considering it a false statement whenever they tried to bring in light any mismanagement

6)Multi program which used to be 2-3 weeks program now gets stretched to 2 1/2 to 3 months and facts can not be denied.....As of we finished our multi training in that duration which wasn't expected and this practice is still going on once that program changed the hands from Earlier guy Warn to Mike (this school runs on Indian guys on average 98 %....and everybody have same opinion about it)

7) Over crowded school.....well its not going to be anymore, In multi each and every student has seen the colors of favoritism at its pick.....Mike who runs the program is undeclared King of that program does whatever comes comes in his mind.....and he does know that Yuri is helpless due to unavailability of any replacement for him.
Guys who really liked to work hard get neglected at the cost of Mikes personal likes and dislikes and of course politics, lefts students watching somebody else getting ahead of them even though they deserve it.

There so many issues and experiences to share but its unending story; There might be somebody would like to comment in favor of Riverside flight center after reading this; but All this efforts of writing doesn't came in one day.....but a multiple thoughts which made me or us to spread the word in this community, no personal rivalry and no interest for going into argument but its painful from what we has gone through, and if anybody can get benefit from it will make this cause worthful.

[GBB]

so caliph,
u must be one of these indians students that left around nov-dec last year coz it took u like 70 hours just to get that plane safe on the runway!
I was at RFC at the same time doing my ppl and yes, stage checks might not be easy but they r there for a reason. So the owner can make sure that everybody can land their plane safely when they get to solo.
My self and many others did make it easily within 70h, but dont forget one thing... Only coz ur dad might be even a trainning cpt with air india, it doesnt mean that u gonna make a good pilot!
2nd... so many of u so called "pilots wanna be" sleep around the schools, whenever, whereever u can or dont even bother coming in.. coz ur parents r paying for ur tranning so u couldnt be bother even to study 2-3h a day. U were prolly too busy illegaly downloading porn and other stupid stuff of the net (banning ur flat mates from using net later on), drinking beer and going to strip clubs.
Easy come, easy go... doesnt it!?!
Students like u make me sick. And yes i had the same weather, same planes, same instructors, same check airman! How come me and many other could make it, but u poor thing on the other side...
Coz some ppl came there for a reason, others.. i really dont know my self!
I could go 4ever abt things that u so called "pilots" did while being at RFC.
85% of you couldnt even make it for a bus on time on daily basis to take u to school! and u want to work for an airline?!? Grow up kiddie and stop telling rubbish!
GL to everybody else that might be going to RFC,
I my self will be going back there to do my IR/ME after i pass my ATPLs.
Its a great school if u know what u want and what u going there for!

[S-Works]

Never used them, I tried to sort an ATP check ride out and they kept promising to come back to me with costs etc. and never did. I think when they realised they were not going to get any training from me they lost interest.

My friend is out there doing an IR at the moment and is about to knock it on the head and go to Florida. He feels like he has hit a wall and the weather has been shocking making it even worse.