Orlando Flight Training
I see many threads on this forum asking about flight training in Florida. As a flight instructor that used to be employed by them I think I could share a fair evalutaion.
All the school cares about is your money. That is the bottom line and from that stems a majority of other problems. There are some things that they advertise to you which you have to look at carefully. If you look at the breakdown of required times for a certificate or rating (specifically FAA), they advertise 10 hours of solo time in a simulator for the instrument training and 20 hours of solo time in a FRASCA 142 simulator. YOU CANNOT LOG SOLO TIME IN A SIMULATOR. You cannot log any time in a flight training device unless an instructor is there. A flight training device does not even count toward TOTAL time. It only counts towards a certificate or rating.
There have been many instances of an airplanes airworthiness being questionable. When an airplane has a discrepancy, you write it down on a discrepancy logbook. The airplane cannot be flown until the discrepancy has been resolved. The school, in an effort to keep the airplane flying throughout the day, would allow the mechanics to make an entry on the discrepancy log that "No Defects" were noted. This would place the aircraft back in service "ON PAPER". The problem hadn't been fixed though. The next student to fly the airplane would see the same problem. This is highly unlawful and more importantly, NOT SAFE!!
One other thing to beware of is the cost for certain items. If you look on the webpage for the cost of the medical exam they have it listed as $100.00 dollars. In on instance it is listed as costing $400.00 dollars. The cost of the higest Class of a US medical (First Class) only costs about $70.00 at the most. The school pockets the rest of the money without justification. Call some FAA examiners to get some prices and you'll see what I mean. There was a time when a group of university students came for their PPL's. The owner of the flight school picked them up from the airport and brought them to the school. It would have been nice of him to do so if he hadn't charged each of the 5 students almost $80.00 for the ride. It would have cost less to take a cab. He pocketed almost $400.00 dollars!
I've said all that to say this....if you choose to go to OFT to do your flight training, KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR FINANCIAL ACCOUNT AND JUSTIFY EVERY DOLLAR SPENT!! If it seems unreasonable then remember, there is always a cheaper alternative. ALSO KEEP AN EYE ON THE AIRWORTHINESS OF YOUR AIRPLANE. Unfortunately for most of you, you have no idea what is required by law to be airworthy. If you are unsure, ask a flight instructor, or better yet call the Flight Standards District Office (FAA). Make sure all the required inspections and maintenance items have been taken care of before you go flying and put a chain on your wallet. Most of all, enjoy yourself while you are learning to fly.