Orlando Flight Training

[TraineePilot01]

If any of you have very recently been to Orlando Flight Training in Florida, please contact me on this forum.

Thank you.

[ 28 November 2001: Message edited by: PrivatePilot01 ]

[spitfire747]

I have been to OFT but...

[rg_vr6]

Im Interested in going to OFT this year. Ive heard good reports about them!!

[Crosswind Limits]

Well I am going to OFT in either January or early February for hourbuilding after I finish ground school.

[spitfire747]

don't go

[marklith]

I have just posted this to the Flyer List:

Well – you all warned me; but the lure of a Warrior III was just too much to resist and I had my run-in with Orlando Flight Training. Here’s how the story went:

Tuesday 6th November I decided that it would be a nice idea to take Siubhan’s parents for a flight and as we were staying near Kissimmee I decided to have a chat with OFT and see what they had available. (The saga begins here)

I turned up just before noon and asked if they had a PA-28 available that I could rent for the afternoon for a short trip to the coast. Their answer was a perfectly reasonable “No; but we do have one at our other FBA at Orlando Exec, which is sitting on the ground doing nothing and it’s only 40 mins away”.

40 mins wasn’t a problem and it only took me 50 mins to get there (not bad considering I didn’t really know the area). So now it’s circa 12.45 when I walk through the doors into the reception area – I should have been warned and turned away then when I was told that the aircraft was in the air doing a skills test. However, I filled out the necessary paperwork and met the instructor who would do my 40 minute checkride.

As I was planning to take an aircraft the following week for some extended touring I agreed to join the OFT Gold Membership Program (sic) . This meant that I was required to put down $100 and leave $100 on the account until I wanted to terminate my membership and the $100 would be refunded. This entitled me to reduced hourly rates and my first hour with an instructor free – it was a good deal as I was about to have a checkride with an instructor.

However, when the aircraft still hadn’t landed an hour later I was starting to get a little pee-d off. 14.15 I was doing my mag checks and airborne a few minutes later. The first part of the checkride was pretty much as you would expect with basic handling, stalls, a most beautifully executed PFL (thanks all for the help with side-slipping, a most useful skill to have), however, it started to go wrong when we went to Orlando County for some T&G’s.

On finals the instructor saw another OFT aircraft, with which they had recently lost radio contact, sitting parked on the apron, the instructor asked me to make it a full-stop landing so that he could check and see that everything was OK. A perfectly reasonable request. This I did. It took 20 mins to ascertain that all was OK and that it was a radio failure. So back to my kite and a quick (but unhurried) start-up and guess what – transponder failure in Class B airspace. Another 20 mins, with the engine on, of tapping and resetting; but no joy. Finally we go clearance to return direct to Orlando Exec under Class B; but within the 30nm Mode C veil without a transponder.

OK now it’s well after 4pm – too late to go flying anywhere and the aircraft was U/S. OK, sh*t happens; reasonable that we should have come to a full stop to check another pilot is OK, not a tragedy that the transponder failed; but completely unreasonable that they didn’t want to discuss the difference between the, now substantial, Hobbs time and what I thought was a reasonable cost in these circumstances. The comment from the chap on the desk was that it was all time PIC and I could log it, therefore I should pay it. Balls! was my succinct response.

The bill, after discount came to $106 and I stated that I wasn’t prepared to hand over any more money until I had reached some sort of agreement either on the cost of the checkride or on the daily minimum flying hours for some touring the following week. The manager introduced himself to me and said that he was sorry that he couldn’t talk right now; but could I phone him tomorrow. Therefore, I left.

The following day he was unavailable and I got to speak to him again on Thursday at 8am.

I went incandescent when his opening salvo was that I had left the premises without paying my bill and on that basis he would neither be flexible on the minimum hours or the charges incurred. Additionally, he pointed out that I had violated that OFT Gold Member Program by not leaving $100 on account and my bill was therefore $150. The conversation became somewhat animated ending with him threatening to get the police involved and have me arrested for non-payment and me responding with 2 words that contained 3 F’s.

So the outcome was that I got a checkride that I couldn’t use and $100 down. Won’t be going back there.




Mark
PS However, I will admit that I got some useful practice.

[bow5]

I put a thread on here about FTO's in Florida and didn't get much response other than a negative one about OFT.

Like I said on the post, I did my PPL there in April this year but was considering other places next time, mainly for pricing reasons. What did suprise me was the strength of anti-OFT feeling that surfaced.

All I can say is that when I went there in April this year I had a great time. My instructor was very good (Angelo, don't know if he's still there, I hope he's got his airline job by now!) and I found both the management and ground staff reasonable and helpful. Granted, the warriors I flew did have slightly dodgy oleo's but compared with what i've been offered PA28-wise and faceility-wise since I got back to the UK then i'd take OFT anyday.

If you are thinking about going to OFT make sure you do your research about the place so when you get there there will be no suprise costs. Badger Cabair if needs be but find out what you will have to pay and do not deviate unless in reasonable circumstances.

Finanlly, if thgings have changed since I was there then fair enough but like I said earlier, I had a great time, got my PPL in 3 weeks with 45.4 hours and have not looked back since. :D

[UpThere+2]

None of the above has been made up or exaggerated – it is all fact, and if anyone wishes to challenge what I have said here than I will be pleased to show you.

Mark L - Bucks. :mad:

Let me make one thing abundantly clear to you, and everyone who talks so disparagingly about this school or that school. YOU, whoever you are, must give your names and contact details to PPRuNe HQ before you venture into the battlefield of slagging off individuals and schools. This is because we get the flak and the threats that you create for us. We reckon that since you want to have a go at bad practices you must be prepared to BACK-UP what you say by being able face up to a possible legal battle. That's it. PPRuNe will back you if you back yourself. If you don't want to do that then remove your post. I have severely edited this one because I couldn't find a level in your vitriol in which I could edit here and there! I may edit another one or two. We always support wannabes but we do not support those who bring PPRuNe into disrepute and possible legal action. Now make up your mind.

PPRuNe Pop
Administrator
[email protected]

[ 29 November 2001: Message edited by: PPRuNe Pop ]

[bow5]

Fair enough upthere+2. Sounds like things have indeed gone down hill since I was there. Sorry you appear to have got screwed over.

To be honest I didn't have much contact with Giles but what I did see of him he seemed alright, although a bit distant. He made wisecracks about everything being about money and overworking the instructors but I presumed they were just that, wisecracks. I think that to describe the CAA examiner as 'lame' is harsh. I found him to be a bloody thorough as regards the skills test. Didn't miss a trick.

What you said about the ground school is fair comment but then most of the people there when I was didn't want it or use it. Let's be fair, the PPL groundschool isn't exaclty brain science or the exams particularly hard.

I also think the gripe about the hotel charge is ridiculous. $35 a night for a 4 star Sheraton hotel is not exactly bad. If you book straight into that hotel it is way in excess of $35. They are a business, if they pay $25 for it they are bound to charge a bit more.

It's a shame if all this is true because the potential is there for a very good and profitable school. What the people who run these places must realise is that the customers come first. P*ss them off once and they won't come back so in the long run you will lose money and customers. Again, not exactly brain science!

Shame. Glad I went when I did because my memory of it is very different to what I read on here.

[ 29 November 2001: Message edited by: bow5 ]

[ 29 November 2001: Message edited by: bow5 ]

[Harvey SM]

Mark, excellent post!
You wrote a pretty much exact mirror image of my experience at about 18months ago! Good luck with the CAA, hope it achieves something. Giles is without a doubt a complete a**hole, when I was there, they had an really old apache that they used for the multi..... I was sitting out on the patio, when i noticed faint smoke rising out from the nose of the aircraft.... Went inside and told them, to which they just said that it was probably my imagination (I didn't give a monkeys personally!), a couple of minutes later the smoke intesified, so I ran inside an told them it was on fire! (this changed their reaction a tad) - was bl**dy funny seeing Giles scamper out with a piddly fire extinguisher to put it out!
They sold the aircraft shortly after that incident! (How???)
Excellent building and facilities - just never used - massive waste - will be their loss in the long run. My advice is stay well clear of OFT. People tag on to the idea that it will be a good place to go 'cos of the link with scabair.... Personally I would only recommend one school in Florida worthy of a look - I won't advertise the school, feel free to mail me for further info
:D :D :D :D

[PPRuNe Pop]

Please read what I have said in a post above.

We will not tolerate attacks on schools and individuals unless you are fully prepared to backup what you say by giving us your identity and contact details in full. Together with the text you wish to post. PPRuNe is extremely sympathetic towards it's wannabes but no-one should take that to mean we will allow you place it in a position where YOUR actions bring a legal action from a school or individuals. I hope that is crystal clear.

The tread about OFT is a fair one, and people have views about them one way or another. But do not let your opinions get the better of your common sense.

[clear prop!!!]

What a shame

Went there a couple of years ago and found them to be some of the friendliest, fair people in the business…if not a tad laid back! Then, their main problem was the worn out pile of crap they called aircraft. The are now supposed to have sorted that out and moved to better premises that no longer resemble a boy scout shed!

I have fond memories of some great flying and some scary ‘character building’ experiences!…after all you learn from problems don’t you?

Really good bunch of guys IMO who have no doubt suffered as a result of their tie up with Scabair!

[TraineePilot01]

Well from this I will definitely not be going to OFT to do my hour building- they sound like quite a poor school.

Anyone got any other ideas for me on where to go?

[UpThere+2]

What happens PPRune if I give you my name, what exactly do you do with it?

If I can't post it here, I'll send it to a few publications then. One way or another, you'll still find out about it.

[PPRuNe Pop]

What we do with it, depends on if there is threatened legal action. We then have the option to make your name known as an individual who has what he considers to be a genuine complaint. PPRuNe will stand behind you if you can backup all you say.

As for giving it to publications to print, or to whoever, feel free. So long as it doesn't appear on PPRuNe without the above conditions being met.


PPRuNe Pop
Administrator
[email protected]

[big.al]

Firstly I do not advocate advertising, or slagging off, flying schools on an internet forum.

Secondly, no matter what company you care to mention, whether aviation related or otherwise, you will find someone with an axe to grind. And you will probably find lots of other satisfied customers.

Despite all the comments on here I still intend to do my PPL at OFT in April. I originally selected this organisation as I'd heard of ten satisfied customers to every one who was unhappy. And no, I'm not on their payroll, trying to drum up business!

So any constructive comments (i.e. what is good, what I should watch out for, what to be wary of) will be much appreciated, but please e-mail these to my private e-mail address rather than using PPrune as the place to air grievances.

Big.Al