stay away from FFTC
I went to FFTC to do my training and I would advise everyone to stay away.
The owner Arne Kruithoff is a Dutch guy who runs the company terribly. He claims to be a Captain in an airline, but he has no medical as he is bipolar and a manic depressant. This on top of all the medication he is on, the FAA dont allow him a medical (obviously). This does not stop him from flying with you, which he insists on.
I want this to be informative piece and not a slagging down on them and for you to make your mind up on your own. But here are a few things that I can tell you truthfully about the company.
The planes are in a bad state of repair.
Be prepared for Arne to raise the prices of the hiring of the planes as your training progresses, starting from the day after you arrive. The C152 started at $58 per hour and ended with $112, plus he puts the price up for instructors.
He makes you pay in advance ie if you still have say $1000 of dredit left for flying, the day before your checkride he'll insist on another $5000 (honestly) and will ground you until he gets it.
He sends non-qualified pilots (students that are on their CPL part of the course) up with PPL students and gets these guys to fly ith them. And when you land, he signs your log book. I didn't let him do that to me but some people he had over a barrel and they were at this mercy.
The company is constantly being investigated for breaking the law. I honestly don't know how long the company will last as I know they survive by the skin of their teeth.
The accomodation is disgusting. Im ex military and i have lives in some holes, literally!!, but this accomodation is sub standard, cockroatch ridden, with furniture he gets from dump sites. On many occasions guys wold be in an apartment with 2 beds and 4 or 5 people would be living there. Exactly, they would have to sleep on the floor or the broken couch.
FFTC has a couple f packages you can do. One of them being a continuance training in Las Vegas with Vision Air. This is a 500hr mulit-engine hour building course. Arne claims it is part of FFTC, but this is not true. People have been stung for 10s of thousands of dollars having opted for this course and they have never got it. STAY AWAY!!!!
I would like to end on a positive note, but to be honest, that would be that I got my licences and left. I would go elsewhere personally.