PPL training in Ottawa

[Four-Six North]

Hi,

I'm looking to start some flight training in Ottawa (from scratch - PPL ground school and in the air maybe 2x a week, evenings and weekends).

Any recommendations/cautions in terms of past experiences, quality of instruction, flexibility with bookings, service, etc.?

Cursory glance says the three most prominent schools appear to be (with my initial pros and cons):

Ottawa Flying Club
- best known / biggest?
- gain experience at a busy airport

Ottawa Aviation Services
- gain experience at a busy airport

Rockcliffe Flying Club
- prices appears to be lower

Any other ones?

Travel time is also a factor as I need to bus/bike back from work in Gatineau to Centretown to get my car and boot it out to the airport (traffic down Airport Road, or 417/Vanier Pkwy at rush-hour?)

Any and all feedback is appreciated!

[sweet home alabama]

I know this is a few years later but I would NOT recommend training at the Rockcliffe Flying Club, because it is exactly that.... a club where old guys hang out and schooling is secondary. Groundschool is tedious there in comparison to other schools, the 'instructors' of the ground school just show one power point after the other and you basically end up teaching yourself the theory.

Instructors schedules are so full that after the flight, students get in their car without any post flight analysis and the instructor rushes to the next student. You then have to wait until your next flight before asking any questions you may have, by which time you will likely have forgotten.

Explanations are poor and egos enormous. I'd like to say something positive about this club but it's pretty difficult. After a short time in Rockcliffe, I left for the States and the training was incomparable. In the States you could stop your instructor in the hallway and ask him to briefly clear up a question you have without him sitting you down for 15 minutes and then going to the schedule writing in 15 minutes of groundschool - meaning you had to pay I think it was $50 per hour / 4 = $12.50. I experienced this on more than one occasion. Questioning this or indeed any other areas of their operation would send staff into serious defensive mode -mind boggling at times. I trained summer and must say it was a waste of my uni vacation along with instilling a negative view of the country in me, which I find hard to rid myself of.
So if you're an open-minded person, interested in professional training and not up for dealing with small (minded)people with unjustified ubergigantic egos, the Rockcliffe Flying Club is NOT, I repeat NOT, the place for you. Seriously guys, I don't mean just a few of the staff - I mean ALL (ok maybe apart from a guy called Steven who seemed humble and helpful).Try the States or indeed the school at Ottawa Airport, I heard from a few buddies that it's streets ahead of RFC.
I hope this helps someone. And if you do go there....don't say I didn't warn you.....:)
AL abama

[fernytickles]

Seriously guys, I don't mean just a few of the staff - I mean ALL

Sorry your experience was so negative. In defence of the staff at Rockcliffe, we were there last year for the Battle of Britain ceremony ( Vintage Wings Canada (http://www.vintagewingsmembers.ca/eventsDetail/eventDetails.cfm?eventIdEnc=26E5CC) ) and the staff could not have been nicer.

We were not there for flight training tho'...

If you work in Gatineau, have you tried that airport for flight training options?

[bzh]

If it's for a private I'd recommand YRO, a real club where you can meet aviation fan and share your passion, if your intention are to become pro I'd go to the other schools, more professional and more factory like....bu t you'll get the licence you need faster and operate in a more commercial environement with ATC....