Air Desert Pacific - California

[willbav8r]

Looking to my Instrument / Multi rating and hour building I have come across this outfit.

I am impressed by the prices, flexibility and what appears to be a good place. Also unlimited use of a simulator (Frasca which I believe is loggable?)

Can anyone out there give me some first hand experiences; aircraft, instructors etc.

Obviously I would like to hear the bad along with the good, my E-Mail address is in my profile should this not be the place to disclose.

If anyone has any other suggestions for the California area I would very much appreciate any feedback.

Many thanks in advance.


A will be wannabee.

[eject]

I heard excellent reports from a friend who visited ADP on a flight from another flight school. He ended up staying with them.

[no sponsor]

I started another post some weeks ago regarding ADP.

Mostly, I heard positive things. Their aircraft are well-used. The feedback was that they fixed stuff if you were not happy.

I actually decided to pay a little extra and went to Rainbow Air at long beach. Good outfit, and have three brand new Cessna 182s with all the equipment you need. Run mostly by Brits.

If you want training try UK Flight training at long Beach. They do CAA/JAA ratings. i met students from there and all were happy.

Check www.flyer.co.uk (http://www.flyer.co.uk) for details and URLs.

I would recommend California to hour build - lots to see.

[anawanahuanana]

I work with a guy who goes out to ADP a couple of times each year. He always comes back with some horror stories, but im not sure if they are down to him or the aircraft. He does always wonder if the u/c will come down when he pulls the handle. And honest to God, he rented a twin and they told him he could have it cheap if he didnt put the wheels up after take off, cos they werent sure if they would come back down! Like i say, it worries me, but he keeps going back for more, so it cant be that bad. Can it?

[willbav8r]

Thanks folks - all very useful.

Awaiting the info pack before deciding.

Wil

[Sensible]

Air Desert Pacific web site is www.adp-flight.com (http://www.adp-flight.com)

[AMS]

Hi there,

Well I am in CA doing my PPL. I was speaking to a couple of guys who went to see this school..they were not really impressed by their planes.

Hope this helps.

AMS

[SkippyX]

No sponsor, do you have a web site address for Rainbow Air I would like to get some more info on them. I am booked flights to LA for April and was planning to hire an Arrow from ADP, but I might go back to Long beach where I learnt at UK FT three years ago. When it comes to moving under-cariages I don;t want any horror storys to be circulating.

ta

[Irish Steve]

ADP.

Been there, albeit 12 months ago, but I did what I wanted, with some pressure applied to the management to make it all happen.

Yes, the planes are old, scruffy, and sometimes not quite as good as you might like, but the bottom line for me was that I did a SE ( Arrow) & ME (Seneca) CPL, IR and the related exams in a month, and 4 day "side trip" up to Denver in a Seneca, even allowing for several days out of action due WX (It was November time).

There's plenty of other places that are dearer, and no certainties that they're any better. There were problems at the time with instructor availability, but what's new?

Hope that helps

[PanicButton]

Me and a friend of mine went to ADP for some timebuilding 5 months ago and I must say I was not impressed. We were and still are both flight instructors and were looking to build 100 hrs each on a ME and 100 in a SE. Knowing that the school still did a poor job in servicing us. Their planes were constantly breaking down. One day my friend took three Senecas to the run-up area and the third plane was fit to fly. The other two had to grounded. Another day I took a Seneca to the run-up area and had to return it and squak after a feather check. the prop wouldnt feather much. A week later I had the same plane to go for a week cross country flying. During feather check the propcable broke on the very same prop. The plane was of course grounded and I couldnt go anywere because all the other planes were tied up or broken. Those are just two of our many problems with the school. During our visit one of the Senecas flew into a mountain during IMC killing both an instructer and student and also 2 SE Pipers had to make an emergency landing twice each in 3 weeks Whats up with maintainance. On their homepage they state that all their planes are IFR but most of the instruments are crap I know because all I flew was IFR. Their homepage pictures a brand new Seneca V when all they have is old beat up Seneca I's. They say the average cruise speed is 150 kts but it really is between 130-140 kts. Needless to say I didnt fly for long in their Senecas, got a refund and left for another school were I paid a little bit more for a better service and better planes. California and LA was great we actually flew all the way across to Key West and back making some stops on the way. It was an adventure I would not have missed out on but I could have done without ADP.

[no sponsor]

Skippy,

Rainbow's arrow is a bit of a cracker. ArrowII 3 bladed prop - goes like the clappers. Has GPS, 2VOR/DME and can be slaved to the GPS. Autopilot for headings. It is relatively old, but I loved it. It got me into complex singles.

I encountered a problem with front steering, but it was fixed straight away due to a bent rod.

Their websie is: www.rainbowair.com (http://www.rainbowair.com)

The Cessna's are really nice.