I went there in April 2001 and did “115” hours though under JAR I was only able to log half that many.
On arrival in Orlando I was collected by school and taken to FAA where FAA temporary airman certificate was issued granting me equivalent of FAA PPL with multi based on my UK CPL/IR.
Once at the school I had to do 5 hours check ride with instructor which cost additional $300 and had to pass FAA instrument rating written exam only ($80.00).
This involved learning 3-400 questions and answers from book then doing exam on line at the school. Once passed I went back to FAA in Orlando where I/R was attached to my Temporary airman permit.
Only then was I able to start hour building. The rate is $5495 for 100 hours but under JAR you can only log the 50 spent manipulating controls from the left seat. The other 50 is spent as safety pilot for the other guy while he flies. Under FAA the safety pilot can log P1 as well while the aircraft is in simulated IMC – once in real IMC the safety
Pilot cannot log time as he is redundant!!!.
When I was there they had 6 BE-76’s in not bad condition. In the day (0600-1800)
3 were used for training and other 3 for hour builders. At night (1800-0600) hour builders usually had use of them all. You pair up with another hour builder and book blocks of 6 hours. So you might fly a trip of 2.5 hours out and other guy flies the same back. Most routes on airways. You could only fuel at home base because they got the fuel so cheap that you had to pay the difference if you fuelled away. Furthest destinations were Savannah, Tallahassee and Key West. Bahamas was possible but there you had to pay landing fees and taxes and arrange with US immigration etc to be available etc for your return.
You phone through your flight plan to FAA 30 mins before take off. You fuel yourself from the old bowser on the apron (2nd gear only – no reverse!!) (no delays)
Total costs:
100 hours (50 logged JAR) $5495.00
check ride $300.00
Instrument rating exam $ 80.00
Insurance $1.00/hour $100.00
Sub total $5985.00
St.Lucie sales tax @6.5% $ 389.00
Total $ 6374.00 = $127.48 or £82.50 per hour all in.
You can do 100 hours in a month. Motels cost from $20.00 per night though the school does have some apartments it rents as well as some old Lincoln cars that are available for hire.
The temporary airman arrangements would be different now though.