Flight training in USA.

[thomas crown]

Can anyone please assist with information good or bad concerning US Flight schools esp. Air Desert Pacific, Rainbow, Britannia Flight Centre or Comair, Many thanks in advance.

[bizjet pilot]

Get a copy of Private Pilot and of Flying magazines. Look at the adverts. If at all possible, visit the campus on a weekday before you commit yourself.



I've been working as a pilot since '88 and there have been a few changes. Flight Safety, though expensive and no better than any other good school, is a world wide brand name. It is also now owned by Mr. Warren Buffet, one of the most canny investors in the world. You'll pay at least 30% more for the name. It may be worth it. They have a nice little network of job placements, and you stay in their files for years after you graduate.



My only advice is to favor a school that gets 4 seasons worth of weather. Some Florida schools, though fun to attend, have a high fraction of idiots teaching there, and when you've got your licences you have seen almost no IMC and no ice or snow at all. You're lucky to have seen much wind either.



You have only one chance to develop your first flying habits. A well trained private/instrument pilot will never have trouble with the more advanced ratings. It is worth going someplace where the instructors run the range of age and experience, and where the weather and winds will show you the full range of conditions obtaining in North America.



If you are British and think of yourself as reasonably cultured, stay away from the South. They are charming, at first, but it wears off in days and you are left with their fundamental ignorance and inefficiency.



Names I have come to associate with well trained and well socialized pilots.



Flight Safety, Vero Beach, Florida

(Losts of Chinese student pilots etc. Drawback: weather too good.)



Parks College, St. Louis, Missouri

(All I know is I have never met a bad pilot from there. And they're all pleasant, too.)



Air Safety Int'l, Vero Beach, Florida

Seem as good as Flt Safety but I think you can get a UK PPL and Instrument right there.

Fax 561 567 3390



Comair Aviation Academy. I don't have a good feeling about them. It's the South, again. Maybe I'm wrong.



Presuming you intend to make a career outside the US, I might slightly favor Flt Safety because of the name brand. Perhaps you could look into the Lufthansa school in Goodyear, Arizona, too. I think they take their students on an aerial tour of North America, including Canada and Alaska. If they do that, then you'll have everything: the Lufthansa reputaiton, and the exposure to absolutely every bit of geography and weather that we've got: high elevations, mountains like the alps, multiple pilot crews etc.



Good Luck

[Launch Pad]

BP

Yeah I definitely agree that the instructors in the South are fruit cakes.

Also beware, flt training in the US is big business, watch that you are not ripped off.

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[Charlie Foxtrot India]

There are also good places to train and build hours in other parts of the world. Speaking from experience, you get what you pay for and when I built hours in the USA some of the aircraft available were absolutely shocking as were the stories of people getting horribly ripped off.
Here in Aus we have the best weather in the world for flying, and much higher standards of maintenance! It's still very inexpensive compared with Europe, and you can catch up with your long-lost rellies as well...email me for details.

[citabria]

just finished a multi add-on at air desert pacific. was not impressed.

[pkrispin]

Some things to think about when looking for a flight school:

-Ask for the average number of hours it takes for the school your talking to to complete a private pilot's license. If they won't give you concrete numbers beware.

-Find out if the flight instructors receive a salary or if they are paid only on the basis of how many hours they fly. If the later is the case beware.

-Check out Canadian flight schools. Licenses are fairly easily transferable and the difference in the value of the dollar makes the pricing very attractive for U.S. students. I may get a little flak for the next comment but.. for the private license you may find that you get a little more for your money in Canada.

-there are a couple of really good University Programs in the states and if you intend to make aviation your living having a University Degree will help you with employment later on.

-Flight schools rarely tell you everything when they talk about what it will cost. Ask about the cost of medicals, text books, head sets, briefing fees, flight test fees, license application fees, paperwork processing fees etc. etc. etc.

-Look at the equipment the school flies. If the aircraft look poorly taken care of they probably are.

-Ask about the level of experience that the instructors have. Try to avoid young men and women who are in the business just to build time. They will not have a serious interest in your learning or progress.

-Find other customers who have taken lessons from the outfit in question and find out what they think.

-Pay as you go. Do not get sucked into making large deposits into a flight training account. It's often quite difficult to get the money back should you decide to withdraw.

Hope this helps

Phil R.

[Cpt_MEA]

US is the easiest and fastest of all choices.

Best advise as mentioned above: pay as you go!

A fancy school name won't get you any job.

A good instructor is not allways the most experienced one, motivation is what counts.

Good luck

[dreamer99]

I agree with all above and have more info. I was chief CFI for AIRGO, INC. in Centralia, ILL. in 1994. They have been in business over 40 years, run by the same man, Les Erb. They specialize in foreign students, are honest, have so-so student housing, and competitive rates. US phone: 1-618-533-1643. Tell them Cathy from St. Louis sent you. They have many alumni who will gladly speak with you and offer through CFI,MEL,ATP. They have all the weather and have the advantage of being in a small american town. St. Louis is 60 miles away. This encourages you to spend time studying instead of partying. They also have many people who come for a 30-40 day PPL, go home and get some hours and come back later for commercial/instrument/cfi or whatever. I would recommend my own family or friends to fly there.

[aviator]

You may want to consider North American Insitute of Aviation - www.naiasc.com (http://www.naiasc.com) .
They have their own airport, affiliated maintenance school and dormitory. The same management have operated the school for over 20 years and they have a large network of previous students as well as a placement office. SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) used them for their ab initio program for several years.
I graduated from NAIA in 1978 and found it to be a great spring board for my career.
They also have admission tests in many capitals in Europe a couple times a year.
Most importantly, find a school that you feel comfortable with and have confidence in. Starting a flying career is a huge investment in time and money and you want to start out on solid footing.

[Teroc]

I know 2 people who have just returned from "South Skies" in Florida where they completed their PPL's.
They had nothing but praise regarding this school..have heard lots of good things about North American as well... Aer lingus used to use Flight safety for a while as far as i can remember...
Agree with all the above...do lots of research and remember glossy brochures dont refuse ink and fancy web pages with todays software only take a minute to create...theres nothing like personal experiences, recommendations , warnings, so ask as many local instructors, members of flying clubs, pilots etc etc as you can. Also number one rule !!! Dont pay out large deposits...pay as you go.