Hi Guys
Hopefully I can help shed some light on ACFT. I am a currently an ECU student, ECU has many ties with ACFT so we are often presented with the various sales spiels from ACFT at start of semesters etc.
ACFT are a very new school compared to the rest on the "strip". ACFT started out in 2008 as a branch of their parent company Fighter Combat International (the guys that "attempt" to do mock dog fights in their Nanchangs and charge $535 for the one hour privilege).
I had a look around ACFT at the start of this year. From what I gathered they were not a bad school, the staff were friendly. However they are a very small (new) company with only a small fleet of aircraft. ACFT only have 6 aircraft. ACFT’s PPL syllabus includes 35 hours of briefings, charged at $70 per hour, which would equate to $2450 required in briefing charges alone. A little pricey in my opinion.
ACFT's aircraft look well maintained however I can't see why so many people like the Super Decathlon. There are a lot of complex features that I would imagine would slow down your training, Tail Wheel, CSU, Stick, Insane performance etc. Personally I don't think the Super Decathlon is the best aircraft for Ab-Inito training. The Super Decathlons aren’t fitted with Attitude Indicators so I can't see how they can teach basic IF. The tail wheel will result in extra pre solo circuits to get the hang of the tail wheel landings.
I have done my PPL training with RACWA. There are far too many students at RACWA. However the fleet of 152s are geared up for Ab-Inito training and are simple to get the hang of.
There are 30+ instructors at RACWA so make sure you can be picky about who you want, however, must of the instructors are very young, I would have thought the average age would be about 25.
The administration is one sided, favoring the club. The non "flying" staff are often unhelpful.
RACWA have unfortunately recently implemented a charge for briefings however there are less briefing hours in their PPL syllabus. ACFT have 15 hours of briefings for the Navigation component of the PPL, RACWA have 3. A down side to RACWA is the constantly rising Instructor rates, now at $90 per hour, however the aircraft hire rates are a bit cheaper compared to ACFT. You also have the West Australian Aviation College (WAAC) “children” hanging around the place, go down and take a look around, you will see what I mean.
All training at RACWA is charged by VDO timer, so you start paying as soon as the engine starts. ACFT charge by TACHO on their aircraft, so you are not paying for the taxi time.
None of the flying schools treat you as if you are going to spend $16,000+ on your PPL. Think of the service you would get in other places if you were willing to spend $16,000, unfortunately, in my opinion on Jandakot strip, this not the case. All the flying schools act as if they are doing you a favor by "letting" you go flying.
I would definitely recommend having a trial flight with ACFT, RACWA etc. I had a trial flight with The Aeroplane Company prior to starting my PPL training and decided to stay well clear, it was $170 well spent.
Good luck with all your training, it is great fun. I hope you find the school that is best for you.