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Old 17th Nov 2009, 22:19
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destinationsky
 
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PPL Training in Florida - an honest View

Here is an honest view of a 3 week PPL course in America.
There are a lot of opinionated people in these forums. The people who say that if you are learning to fly, do it in the country you are going to fly in. The people who say you dont get any "weather" in Florida. The people who say the standard of training in Florida is not as good.
Well, having come back recently from the States after completing my PPL, i would like to share my experiences with those of you who plan to go to America to train. I am not affiliated with any training school. My views expressed in this post are unbiased.
I got my inheritance early as my Dad has Alzheimers and he always wanted me to go off and achieve my dreams. I have always wanted to fly so what better way to spend some of the inheritance than by doing my PPL.
I decided to go to the States for an adventure. 5000 miles from home on my own, meeting a new bunch of people doing something i love. Perfect! As mentioned previously, alot of people expressed their negative opinions.
However, one good piece of advice was to visit the schools first. Not so easy when you are across the Atlantic. Luckily i went to Florida for a holiday prior to training so i managed to look at a few schools. OBA (now EASA) and EFT. Its all well and good looking at the pretty pictures on flashy websites but you cant get a good "feel" for the place untill you visit in person. I appreciate this is not always possible, but i was lucky to be able to. I chose EFT. The deciding factor was the reviews as found in these forums. (do a search!) and also google the schools to see what reviews appear.
So, upon my return to the UK, i started my application. After going through the rigmarole of the visa application etc, i got accepted by EFT and by the U.S government.
The day of departure arrived and i boarded the 777 at Heathrow. I had a nice shower from the air-con duct courtesy of BA (but thats another story!)
After 9 hours of rubbish food, i landed at MCO. i was met by the deputy CFI and taken to Fort Pierce to begin training.
The accommodation was average but comfortable and is shared between 4 other students. you get your own room with bathroom. Now, enough of the sales pitch - the houses are as i said "average." if you want 5 star, dont live in the shared houses. Having said that, they are very cheap in comparison to a hotel and only 2 minutes from the school. Its also nice sharing with other students as they can help you with any training questions you have and you make friends quicker.
The aircraft fleet were good. Saying that, i only flew the PA28'S. They were in good condition and i had no problems with availability or maintenance.
The standard of training was excellent. I went to EFT with less than an hour logged and within 6 days i went solo and passed the skills test in a further 14 days. I think aslong as you put the work in and are seen to be doing so, EFT will bend over backwards to help you. If you need any help there is always somebody about to help. If you want to moan, there's always somebody to listen.
The weather was good most of the time. Now, for those of you who say there is no weather in Florida - how about the thunderstorms and fast moving rain showers?! On my skills test, the METAR said cloud at 3000. By the time i got airborne 10 mins later - heavy showers with cloud at 1300feet. Time for an early nav diversion!
On my 4th day of training we were on the tail end of a thunderstorm. Cut throttle with full forward pressure and still climbing in the up draughts. Thats weather! Flying in Florida gives you a feeling of how quickly weather can change and how important proper precise planning will prevent poor performance (see what i did there!)
Now the downsides. No busy airspace! I am spending time with an instructor to get used to the different classes of airspace. The only other downside is the relaxed RT. great when you are learning as its less pressure but not so good when you come back to the UK! again, spending time with an instructor here will bring me up to speed.
Cost was always a factor. including flights and visa costs, i saved £2000. i will say no more!
3 weeks was a hard slog and it is in no way easy. There is a lot of studying to pass the 7 exams and it is very tiring. Dont go out to Florida with the illusion that it is a holiday. If you go with that attitude, you will not get anything from the experience.
I met some great people during my time at EFT so if any of you are reading this, thanks for making it a great experience.
I would recommend going to the States to learn. Go and meet loads of new friends and go for the experience (theres that word again!).
Happy flying!
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