Angel City Flyers - Long Beach

[On the Spot]

Has anyone any recent experience of this organisation please ?
They seem to have a modern fleet and a structured approach at reasonable rates and so I am considering adding my FAA IR there.
(I know there won't be much real IFR around)
Thanks
Ian

[Chilli Monster]

Bespoke teaching, run by one of the best instructors there is - you will leave qualified and well prepared for real world IFR. I enjoyed doing my Commercial and Instrument there.

Oh, and if you get marine layer conditions you'll get real IMC too!

[Julian]

Echo Chillis comments - great outfit, I did my CPL/IR with them as well a couple of years ago. Was back in LGB last year and popped in to see them and it looks as if they are expanding as they had taken over the office next door.

They dont have their own fleet of aircraft but use other schools, the advantage of this is that is an aircraft goes tech they just get one from somewhere else so never had a holdup due to dodgy aircraft.

If you speak to Seosamh just tell him ... "Be the donut...." :)

J.

[Crepello]

Thumbs up from me too - impressive operation, great guys, excellent instruction, and a good nightly rate at the hotel nearby.

At the risk of stating the obvious, SoCal airspace is busy so it's a good place to cut your teeth. But if you need a break from hood work, there's a good variety of VFR sightseeing.

I've visited LGB a number of times in recent years - happy to answer questions here or by PM.

[OVC002]

My experience supports the previous posts.

In particular the training programme was personalised to take into account my experience and proficiency(or otherwise) and made maximum use of the limited time available. They work very hard and expect the students to show the same commitment. Started Saturday at 06.00 finished Friday at 19.05. 18h flying and 13h sim.

I'm sure that there are many other schools providing great training for the IR, but I can't imagine that any are doing a better job.

[CX152]

I too am looking to apply to Angel City Flyers, I was looking at UKFT/Rainbow Air but heard nothing but bad opinions. However Angel City seems to have nothing but great reviews...is it really as good as everyone says?

[On the Spot]

They have now moved into a larger premises and have a DA42 sim online - replacing the DA40 one and at a slightly increased cost.

They have three DA40's usually online and one or two DA42's. I went there last year to do my IR and again later for some refresher and was very happy with the instruction and attitude.

[Julian]

Hi Spot,

Are they their own DAs or borrowed? Last time I went they preferred the advantages of calling on whoever had aircraft free rather than having their own and risk a u/s aircraft.

I know ACF are an authourised trainer for DA which is why the heavy investment in the kit.

J.

[On the Spot]

The DA40's at least are all lease back. The DA42 not sure but I guess same. The diamond dealer is in the next hangar and so I guess that they have a ready supply of aircraft.
They were in reasonable order - two with +800 hrs I believe and a newer one (nice) with less than 100 while I was there.

One was U/S while I was there last time which coupled with a busy period was giving them some problems.

[Explore]

Im thinking about going to Angel for my FAA PPL, then convert to JAA PPL when i get back to Norway?

Is this school still recommended? And how is weather there in Oktober/November?

[On the Spot]

I second SoCal in that they do not have the means to send you away with a JAA PPL.

But a question for you - do you need to convert to a JAA PPL ?
Due to the cost of UK medicals I flew only my FAA PPL (daytime VFR and including going into Europe). I only revlaidated my UK PPL in order to use the newly obtained IMC.
Medical might be less expensive in Norway I guess. Here they can be extortionate at up £250.

[Explore]

Well, im just checking my options. Here in Norway I havent found any flightschool around Oslo that have instructor for fulltime, and then you got the weather. Norway dont seem like a option, because it will takes at least 5-6 months and the cost is about 110£(220$) per hour. Maybe not very expensive

I would prefer to take PPL here in Europe, so I dont have to convert, but thats seems expensive if you compare it to OFT, OBA and so on.

Im looking for the "flightschool experience", so that I could focus on the flying.

[On the Spot]

I ask about the conversion because you can do most things in EU land on your FAA PPL anyway and at the same time enjoy cheap medicals. I let my CAA ppl lapse and used the FAA one for that reason, for a while.

I don't know for sure about weather in Nov./Dec but I was there last Jan and the weather was better than the previous June and even more comfirtable with temperatures at short sleeve level rather than sandals and shorts. In June VFR conditions often arrived later in the day once the marine layer had burnt off.

Good luck and say hi to Seosamh

[BHenderson]

I've just come back from ACF if anybody wants some up to date information. Send me a pm.

On the charge of misrepresenting whether or not they conduct JAR training, the conversion is completed in the UK and this information is readily available if you ring. The clue is that the prices for the conversion are in pounds.

[englishal]

I echo all the good comments about ACF. I have flown with them numerous times, did my FAA ME / CPL / IR with them and also flew with Seosamh in the UK as well as some of their other instrutors. I still fly with one of them in the UK. I am off back over there next month.

Regarding misleading, they never claim to be JAA approved. But if you do one of their professional courses you will end up with FAA CPL/IR as well as JAA ATPL(f) as the course structure includes the conversions in the UK.

Seosamh, their Chief Pilot is Irish and has thousands of hours experience in all manner of aeroplanes from C150's to Citations and has FAA ATP / JAA ATPL with FI ratings and knows the european system inside and out.

personally I'd trust them with any sort of training, the quality will be excellent, and the aeroplanes modern and safe.

Good luck.....