Debenair Aviation Florida
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Florida, USA
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No - DeBenair - is an FAA flying school in Titusville, Florida.
Max - you'll be OK.
Nice school - nice airfield.
Suggest you apply to US Embassy for a B2 visa before you go.
Max - you'll be OK.
Nice school - nice airfield.
Suggest you apply to US Embassy for a B2 visa before you go.
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: the wild west
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Very clean aircrafts run by a nice couple who will look after you if needed and have accommodation available at a good rate. I spent 2 weeks hour building back in 2000. the c150 was nice and cheap.
Many of my friends have used Debonair and all have been pleased with both aircrafts and availability
Dont go anywhere else
Many of my friends have used Debonair and all have been pleased with both aircrafts and availability
Dont go anywhere else
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK
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Any info about Debenair please
Hi to all
Has anybody flown at Debenair in Titusville recently ?
Are they any good ?
What are the aircraft like ?
Are the to be trusted with their block rates ?
What is the accomodation like ?
Any info is much appreciated.
Thanks
Has anybody flown at Debenair in Titusville recently ?
Are they any good ?
What are the aircraft like ?
Are the to be trusted with their block rates ?
What is the accomodation like ?
Any info is much appreciated.
Thanks
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: floating around
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Debonair,
Good school, good prices, good maintenence, good friendly instruction. But Titusville, now thats a different story all together.
If you plan on going there start growing a Mullet now and learn all the words to Achey Breaky heart!
Good school, good prices, good maintenence, good friendly instruction. But Titusville, now thats a different story all together.
If you plan on going there start growing a Mullet now and learn all the words to Achey Breaky heart!
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: All over the shop and sometimes BEHIND YOU !
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W O B
You couldnt be more right about both the school and the location !
We got on well with some of the lasses in the local bar and ended up going out with them in search of a 'night club'.
When we arrived there was the normal big guys on the door ( smaller than me !!!!) and the sound of 1000w or so of music in the back ground......all was looking good.....
Inside we found that we were the only ones sporting a crew cut and trousers. Most were as already described making do with a mullett , shorts and t-shirts........oh and then there was the line dancing ! ! ! ......no no.....I ready do mean it ! ! !
But what can I say.....there was no trouble....the people were extra friendly...the beer was extra cold and we had a great time !
You couldnt be more right about both the school and the location !
We got on well with some of the lasses in the local bar and ended up going out with them in search of a 'night club'.
When we arrived there was the normal big guys on the door ( smaller than me !!!!) and the sound of 1000w or so of music in the back ground......all was looking good.....
Inside we found that we were the only ones sporting a crew cut and trousers. Most were as already described making do with a mullett , shorts and t-shirts........oh and then there was the line dancing ! ! ! ......no no.....I ready do mean it ! ! !
But what can I say.....there was no trouble....the people were extra friendly...the beer was extra cold and we had a great time !
Join Date: Feb 2003
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I just posted you a LONG reply, telling you how good Debenair is, giving you tips on the best places to eat, and details on car hire etc. Unfortunately PPrune logged me out and lost the thread after I posted it - and its now disappeared.
I'll reply again, more fully later - but suffice to Say Debenair is EXCELLENT. Just spent 7 weeks out there and had a great time, and came away a lot better for it!
Regards,
LD Max
I'll reply again, more fully later - but suffice to Say Debenair is EXCELLENT. Just spent 7 weeks out there and had a great time, and came away a lot better for it!
Regards,
LD Max
Join Date: Jul 2002
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I work next door to Debenair, and I have done some flying there. My impression is that it is a good place to train, with some good and motivated instructors. It does, however, fly a fleet of rather old and some might say beat-up planes. They do their best to keep 'em flying, but the planes are not exactly the best looking bunch around. The airport itself is VERY good for training. It is towered, has instrument approaches, is fairly busy (makes for good training) and it is under constant improvement. They just finished repaving some of the taxiways, and the main runway was repaved a few years ago. A new terminal building is also planned.
Titusville itself is nothing to long for. It is a smallish place with almost no social life apart from a couple of bars. It is pretty close to Orlando, Cocoa and Daytona, so the possibilities are many.
Hope this helps. Fly safe
Titusville itself is nothing to long for. It is a smallish place with almost no social life apart from a couple of bars. It is pretty close to Orlando, Cocoa and Daytona, so the possibilities are many.
Hope this helps. Fly safe
Join Date: Feb 2003
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I was at Debenair for 7 weeks. Just returned to the UK LAST Friday (22nd August).
I'm assuming you're UK based yourself, but if not - forgive any redundant information whcih follows. Based at Titusville, Florida, the field, (KTIX), is called "Space Coast Regional", also known locally by the affectionate name of "TICO Field" (pronounced TYCO), from it's original military days.
Data on KTIX is available at:
Titusville / Coca Airport Authority and
KTIX
I couldn't recommend Debenair highly enough. It is a small FAA approved school, just recently achieved M1 visa status from the America INS, so they can now sponsor M1 training visas. Their website is: Debenair
Debenair is suitable for any pilots wishing to "hourbuild" or train for their FAA PPL / CPL / ATP licences, or go for an FAA Complex, Twin or Instrument rating. Note that Debenair are NOT JAA approved, although JAA pilots wanting to hourbuild or attain FAA ratings and qualifications are not hampered by this. It just means that you cannot train for a JAA licence or rating at this school, although there are JAA approved schools nearby where you could combine some FAA training at Debenair, with JAA training elsewhere.
This is, in fact, what I did, by doing my FAA CPL at Debenair, and then doing a conversion course for the JAA CPL at Delta Academy at Sanford (which is about an hour's drive from Titusville).
To fly in the USA, (anywhere for any purpose), all foreign licence holders MUST now apply in advance to the FAA at Oklahoma to convert their licence. You will be asked to nominate an FAA FSDO (Flight Standards District Office), local to you, which you may attend (by appointment) to convert your foreign license, or have them send an FAA inspector out to the School.
The nearest one for Debenair is Orlando FSDO
After going through the processing (which takes about 3 weeks) you will get a letter from the FAA in Oklahoma confirming the details on your JAA licence and your medical (as supplied by the CAA). You must take this letter with you to your nominated FSDO, (or show it to their FAA inspector if you chose for him to visit you at the school). The letter is valid for, (I think), about 3 months from the date of issue.
The FAA Application Form is here:
Verify
You will also need to authorise the CAA to release your licence details to the FAA: (and pay them a fee of £15.00!)
FORM SRG1160
For further information see:
http://registry.faa.gov/airmen.asp
...and click on the corresponding link (or scroll down) to "Verification of Authenticity of Foreign License, Rating, and Medical Certification"
Also the CAA Website:
http://www.caa.co.uk/srg/licensing/whatsnew.asp
... and scroll down to the last paragraph, "Intending to Fly in the USA".
------------------------------------------
Anyway, back to Debenair....
It has a good fleet of well maintained planes. Several C-152s, (including at least 1 with an airways fit, and 1 with LR tanks), a C-172, 2 x Warrior PA28-161s, a Cherokee PA28-140, an Arrow PA28R-200 and a Geronimo Twin PA23-180. Most of them are getting on a bit, but far from "worn out", and all are very much flyable if you don't mind slightly tired seats. I have seen a LOT worse than these, and although you can find newer, tidier aircraft around - I guarantee you won't find anything as good value for money!
The avionics are similarly a bit old, but apart from most of the 152s, which just have 1 RT box, the rest of the fleet is airways capable - many, (to my surprise), with a modern version of Loran C which works just like an RNAV. I think there is at least 1 plane with GPS also, but never flew it myself.
Debenair have their own maintenance facility on site. There's a British, "Essex", chap called Ian, who conducts most of the maintenance and being a pilot himself, he can respond quickly, (in many cases instantly), to most of the common types of "squawks", like an oleo needs a bit of gas or something rattles. Unlike some other schools who fob you off if you're not happy with anything, Debenair will quite happily go out of their way to make things to your liking.
It is owned by a British lady called "Annette Benson", who continues to run the school since her late husband passed away last year. She is an absolute "sweetheart" and is like a 2nd "mum" to all her residential guests. She is supported by a dedicated team including "LouElla" who works the mornings on Reception - and who is equally keen to make you feel at home. The instructors are ALL very experienced, and I would like to pass my personal thanks to good ol' George Ellis and Mike Terwilliger, who got me through the FAA CPL - despite my erstwhile attempts to do exactly the opposite of what they were trying to teach me!
Debenair shares many facilities with Gateway Aviation, (which is a JAA approved Helicopter School next door). They share the maintenance hangar, Vending machines and toilets, and the Gateway Reception is where you can find the Weather Terminals and even Hire a Car.
On the subject of Car Hire - I would definately recommend you get one, because Titusville itself is a bit devoid of nightlife. After the first week, you will definately be up for something to do, and if you are there for 8 weeks, you might also want to do some sight-seeing. Also, KTIX is three miles or so from the apartment, so unless you want to rely on lifts from other people, it's a bit too much to walk / cycle every day, (unless you're really fit and don't mind the heat!)
You MIGHT get better value if you hire a car over here before you go. Costs for a Compact Car (with Gateway discounts) are $30 per day or $150 per week or $600 per month. But the real killer is the insurance which you really SHOULDN'T (but legally could) do without.
$11.99 per day (reduced to $8.00 per day for a monthly rental) for Collision Damage Waiver (insurance for damage to the rental car), PLUS $12.37 per day for Supplemental Liability Protection (What you and I call 3rd party - including 3rd party injury / medical). Then there's the Florida Surcharge (call it a rental tax) at $2.02 per day and a Licence Fee of 31c per day. This adds up to $22.70 per day, all subject to 6% sales tax.
I had the thing for 1 month, 2 weeks and 4 days (49 days worth of insurances), and clocked up over 2,000 miles - although there was no Mileage Charge. However, the total cost was $2,187.37.
So be warned, car hire is not cheap - and it's worth checking out what deals your UK travel agent might be able to get you.
Without suggesting anything in particular, I would recommend you speak to Annette about it also and see if she can suggest anything. She may know of a spare car or two.....
The accommodation is BRILLIANT value at $175 per week for a room in a comfortable apartment. The apartments are owned by Annette and are located in a small complex within walking distance of a supermarket and a few restaurants and bars. There is also a communal swimming pool for which you will have a key. It is fully furnished with lots of spare towels, and sheets, washing machine, tumble-drier, Gas Cooker and a telephone to which you can hook up your own laptop for internet access. There is a PC in the apartment for running FAA training software, but it is not internet capable. There is also cable TV in every room (but frankly there's very little worth watching). Most, (but not all), the apartments have a VCR so you can watch porn
.....I mean Flight training Videos!
Within 1/2 hour drive from Titusville are the extremely pleasant
areas of Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island, where all the nightlife is, along with the Pier, which has a Bar and good views of any Rocket Launches from the Kennedy Space Center. There are a lot of smaller airfields within easy reach for touch & gos and Merrit Island has one too! The Space Coast is a fantastic view form the air, but watch for the restricted areas.
The weather was a bit hairy for me, since I went over in July / August and it was the hottest time of year. Thunderstorms every afternoon from about 1pm, meaning any worthwhile flying had to be in the mornings, or evening / night. Things will be cooling down a bit in September, but they say the best time for good all-day weather starts in late Autumn thru Winter to early Spring.
Anyway, I hope you have a great time. I promise you, Annette will look after you well and you have made a good choice.
I'm assuming you're UK based yourself, but if not - forgive any redundant information whcih follows. Based at Titusville, Florida, the field, (KTIX), is called "Space Coast Regional", also known locally by the affectionate name of "TICO Field" (pronounced TYCO), from it's original military days.
Data on KTIX is available at:
Titusville / Coca Airport Authority and
KTIX
I couldn't recommend Debenair highly enough. It is a small FAA approved school, just recently achieved M1 visa status from the America INS, so they can now sponsor M1 training visas. Their website is: Debenair
Debenair is suitable for any pilots wishing to "hourbuild" or train for their FAA PPL / CPL / ATP licences, or go for an FAA Complex, Twin or Instrument rating. Note that Debenair are NOT JAA approved, although JAA pilots wanting to hourbuild or attain FAA ratings and qualifications are not hampered by this. It just means that you cannot train for a JAA licence or rating at this school, although there are JAA approved schools nearby where you could combine some FAA training at Debenair, with JAA training elsewhere.
This is, in fact, what I did, by doing my FAA CPL at Debenair, and then doing a conversion course for the JAA CPL at Delta Academy at Sanford (which is about an hour's drive from Titusville).
To fly in the USA, (anywhere for any purpose), all foreign licence holders MUST now apply in advance to the FAA at Oklahoma to convert their licence. You will be asked to nominate an FAA FSDO (Flight Standards District Office), local to you, which you may attend (by appointment) to convert your foreign license, or have them send an FAA inspector out to the School.
The nearest one for Debenair is Orlando FSDO
After going through the processing (which takes about 3 weeks) you will get a letter from the FAA in Oklahoma confirming the details on your JAA licence and your medical (as supplied by the CAA). You must take this letter with you to your nominated FSDO, (or show it to their FAA inspector if you chose for him to visit you at the school). The letter is valid for, (I think), about 3 months from the date of issue.
The FAA Application Form is here:
Verify
You will also need to authorise the CAA to release your licence details to the FAA: (and pay them a fee of £15.00!)
FORM SRG1160
For further information see:
http://registry.faa.gov/airmen.asp
...and click on the corresponding link (or scroll down) to "Verification of Authenticity of Foreign License, Rating, and Medical Certification"
Also the CAA Website:
http://www.caa.co.uk/srg/licensing/whatsnew.asp
... and scroll down to the last paragraph, "Intending to Fly in the USA".
------------------------------------------
Anyway, back to Debenair....
It has a good fleet of well maintained planes. Several C-152s, (including at least 1 with an airways fit, and 1 with LR tanks), a C-172, 2 x Warrior PA28-161s, a Cherokee PA28-140, an Arrow PA28R-200 and a Geronimo Twin PA23-180. Most of them are getting on a bit, but far from "worn out", and all are very much flyable if you don't mind slightly tired seats. I have seen a LOT worse than these, and although you can find newer, tidier aircraft around - I guarantee you won't find anything as good value for money!
The avionics are similarly a bit old, but apart from most of the 152s, which just have 1 RT box, the rest of the fleet is airways capable - many, (to my surprise), with a modern version of Loran C which works just like an RNAV. I think there is at least 1 plane with GPS also, but never flew it myself.
Debenair have their own maintenance facility on site. There's a British, "Essex", chap called Ian, who conducts most of the maintenance and being a pilot himself, he can respond quickly, (in many cases instantly), to most of the common types of "squawks", like an oleo needs a bit of gas or something rattles. Unlike some other schools who fob you off if you're not happy with anything, Debenair will quite happily go out of their way to make things to your liking.
It is owned by a British lady called "Annette Benson", who continues to run the school since her late husband passed away last year. She is an absolute "sweetheart" and is like a 2nd "mum" to all her residential guests. She is supported by a dedicated team including "LouElla" who works the mornings on Reception - and who is equally keen to make you feel at home. The instructors are ALL very experienced, and I would like to pass my personal thanks to good ol' George Ellis and Mike Terwilliger, who got me through the FAA CPL - despite my erstwhile attempts to do exactly the opposite of what they were trying to teach me!
Debenair shares many facilities with Gateway Aviation, (which is a JAA approved Helicopter School next door). They share the maintenance hangar, Vending machines and toilets, and the Gateway Reception is where you can find the Weather Terminals and even Hire a Car.
On the subject of Car Hire - I would definately recommend you get one, because Titusville itself is a bit devoid of nightlife. After the first week, you will definately be up for something to do, and if you are there for 8 weeks, you might also want to do some sight-seeing. Also, KTIX is three miles or so from the apartment, so unless you want to rely on lifts from other people, it's a bit too much to walk / cycle every day, (unless you're really fit and don't mind the heat!)
You MIGHT get better value if you hire a car over here before you go. Costs for a Compact Car (with Gateway discounts) are $30 per day or $150 per week or $600 per month. But the real killer is the insurance which you really SHOULDN'T (but legally could) do without.
$11.99 per day (reduced to $8.00 per day for a monthly rental) for Collision Damage Waiver (insurance for damage to the rental car), PLUS $12.37 per day for Supplemental Liability Protection (What you and I call 3rd party - including 3rd party injury / medical). Then there's the Florida Surcharge (call it a rental tax) at $2.02 per day and a Licence Fee of 31c per day. This adds up to $22.70 per day, all subject to 6% sales tax.
I had the thing for 1 month, 2 weeks and 4 days (49 days worth of insurances), and clocked up over 2,000 miles - although there was no Mileage Charge. However, the total cost was $2,187.37.
So be warned, car hire is not cheap - and it's worth checking out what deals your UK travel agent might be able to get you.
Without suggesting anything in particular, I would recommend you speak to Annette about it also and see if she can suggest anything. She may know of a spare car or two.....
The accommodation is BRILLIANT value at $175 per week for a room in a comfortable apartment. The apartments are owned by Annette and are located in a small complex within walking distance of a supermarket and a few restaurants and bars. There is also a communal swimming pool for which you will have a key. It is fully furnished with lots of spare towels, and sheets, washing machine, tumble-drier, Gas Cooker and a telephone to which you can hook up your own laptop for internet access. There is a PC in the apartment for running FAA training software, but it is not internet capable. There is also cable TV in every room (but frankly there's very little worth watching). Most, (but not all), the apartments have a VCR so you can watch porn
.....I mean Flight training Videos! Within 1/2 hour drive from Titusville are the extremely pleasant
areas of Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island, where all the nightlife is, along with the Pier, which has a Bar and good views of any Rocket Launches from the Kennedy Space Center. There are a lot of smaller airfields within easy reach for touch & gos and Merrit Island has one too! The Space Coast is a fantastic view form the air, but watch for the restricted areas.
The weather was a bit hairy for me, since I went over in July / August and it was the hottest time of year. Thunderstorms every afternoon from about 1pm, meaning any worthwhile flying had to be in the mornings, or evening / night. Things will be cooling down a bit in September, but they say the best time for good all-day weather starts in late Autumn thru Winter to early Spring.
Anyway, I hope you have a great time. I promise you, Annette will look after you well and you have made a good choice.
Join Date: Apr 2002
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Great post !!!
WOW WHAT A GREAT POST !!!
Im scheduled to fly out to do some hourbuilding with Debenair tomorroew for 4 weeks. LD MAX you are an absolute gem for those tips on the car and surrounding area etc. I feel a little bit more comfortable knowing that they really do take care of you and im praying that i can find some cheap transport from somewhere.
Well its going to be the first time flying in the USA too. If i can find the thread or if anyone PMs me then i'll be happy to give them a summary of my opinions about the school and everything.
Again great post LD MAX
Im scheduled to fly out to do some hourbuilding with Debenair tomorroew for 4 weeks. LD MAX you are an absolute gem for those tips on the car and surrounding area etc. I feel a little bit more comfortable knowing that they really do take care of you and im praying that i can find some cheap transport from somewhere.
Well its going to be the first time flying in the USA too. If i can find the thread or if anyone PMs me then i'll be happy to give them a summary of my opinions about the school and everything.
Again great post LD MAX
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Enjoy your trip. As a USA "virgin" I'm sure you will find the whole experience fantastic. The USA is a much "easier" place to fly than Europe - oh the joys of 1-800 WXBRIEF(ers), VFR-on-top and Flight Following!
Regards,
LD Max
Regards,
LD Max
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Hi all; I have flown with Debenair and can confirm that Annette is a nice 'mumsy' type who will look after you. The accomodation was excellent, and of the planes I flew, the one I enjoyed the most was the Piper Warrior N9145P. We had some great times together flying down the keys and really all over Florida.. Naples worth a visit, btu you simply must fly into Cedar Creek.
enjoy!
enjoy!
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im back !!!
Well im back safe and sound...i managed a whole month in Titusville and if you have ever been there you will know thats its an achievement and a half !!!
Well what did i think about Debenair..... Annette (the owner of the school) has customer service skills to a tee. I had a house to myself for the whole time i was there and i only paid for a single room! They were so nice that they put other couples in another house so we each had a little bit of privacy.
LD Max mentioned something about car hire. What he didnt mention is if you are over 25 you can rent a car from Annette too.
The school. Well this is mainly just a porta cabin so dont be suprised. But they do share a hangar (pretty big one too) where the debenair mechanics get to work. Ian, who is from down south somewhere, is a top bloke to get to know. On 3 or 4 occasions when the weather was bad he explained the ins and outs of aircraft with the cowling etc removed. He knows his stuff and explained everything in detail. He tried to keep the aircraft flyable while i was there and was successful apart from 1 or 2 minor hitches. But still make sure you check them before you fly, especially the C152s and N757EA with ER tanks which did me no favours. By the way the Arrow is wicked to fly and well maintained.
The school is well run. I flew with both the CFI, Elsworth, and an instructor Mike. Both were brilliant but have there own ways of doing things which is not necessarily the JAA way. But it worked. I got my complex rating and they both prepared me well for my CPL skill test. However they do seem to have a massive complex about leaning that mixture ! (by the way which we all did).
Titusville... imagine an old peoples home and multiply it by 1000. Its crap. Theres absolutely nothing to do. Make sure you take somebody along with you if you do decide to go because its boring as hell. Even worse if you dont hire a car. I used the bike to get there and back for a few days. My a*se was in tatters and it knackers you out. A handy tip. DONT STAY NEAR ORLANDO. ITS A 1 HOUR DRIVE AT LEAST TO THE SCHOOL so add your go go juice to your accomodation and it works out well cheaper and less tiring to stay in one of Annettes houses. If you do go to Orlando for a night out dont bother asking where to go either because they aint got a clue ! Check out Pleasure Island at Disney or Church Street in Downtown Orlando. You re bound to get lucky in one of them. If not trry the expensive gentlemans clubs in Cocoa if you are into that kinda thing. Ask Ian the mechanic for more info on this he he he.
The bottom line is that Debenair really do have things sussed. If you are thinking about hour building then this is THE place to do it. Just give yourself ample time (there was about 7 days bad weather while i was there) and you should be fine. Oh and you have to visit River Ranch, an activity park and rodeo just for pilots.Great.
P.S i think there rates have gone up by 2 dollars just after i arrived so i think its 43 dollars / hour for a C152 and not 41 which may still be advertised.
Happy flying and hello to all at Debenair. Thanks again for your help. If i know how to post pics here i would because ive got 2. reply and i will try.
Well what did i think about Debenair..... Annette (the owner of the school) has customer service skills to a tee. I had a house to myself for the whole time i was there and i only paid for a single room! They were so nice that they put other couples in another house so we each had a little bit of privacy.
LD Max mentioned something about car hire. What he didnt mention is if you are over 25 you can rent a car from Annette too.
The school. Well this is mainly just a porta cabin so dont be suprised. But they do share a hangar (pretty big one too) where the debenair mechanics get to work. Ian, who is from down south somewhere, is a top bloke to get to know. On 3 or 4 occasions when the weather was bad he explained the ins and outs of aircraft with the cowling etc removed. He knows his stuff and explained everything in detail. He tried to keep the aircraft flyable while i was there and was successful apart from 1 or 2 minor hitches. But still make sure you check them before you fly, especially the C152s and N757EA with ER tanks which did me no favours. By the way the Arrow is wicked to fly and well maintained.
The school is well run. I flew with both the CFI, Elsworth, and an instructor Mike. Both were brilliant but have there own ways of doing things which is not necessarily the JAA way. But it worked. I got my complex rating and they both prepared me well for my CPL skill test. However they do seem to have a massive complex about leaning that mixture ! (by the way which we all did).
Titusville... imagine an old peoples home and multiply it by 1000. Its crap. Theres absolutely nothing to do. Make sure you take somebody along with you if you do decide to go because its boring as hell. Even worse if you dont hire a car. I used the bike to get there and back for a few days. My a*se was in tatters and it knackers you out. A handy tip. DONT STAY NEAR ORLANDO. ITS A 1 HOUR DRIVE AT LEAST TO THE SCHOOL so add your go go juice to your accomodation and it works out well cheaper and less tiring to stay in one of Annettes houses. If you do go to Orlando for a night out dont bother asking where to go either because they aint got a clue ! Check out Pleasure Island at Disney or Church Street in Downtown Orlando. You re bound to get lucky in one of them. If not trry the expensive gentlemans clubs in Cocoa if you are into that kinda thing. Ask Ian the mechanic for more info on this he he he.
The bottom line is that Debenair really do have things sussed. If you are thinking about hour building then this is THE place to do it. Just give yourself ample time (there was about 7 days bad weather while i was there) and you should be fine. Oh and you have to visit River Ranch, an activity park and rodeo just for pilots.Great.
P.S i think there rates have gone up by 2 dollars just after i arrived so i think its 43 dollars / hour for a C152 and not 41 which may still be advertised.
Happy flying and hello to all at Debenair. Thanks again for your help. If i know how to post pics here i would because ive got 2. reply and i will try.
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Training at Debenair
Even though Debenair states on their website they are immigration approved this is no longer the case. It seems the feds have finally caught up with them and recently pulled their authorization after a visit from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agents. Remember, if you want to train in the US you need to go to a school that is first FAA Part 141 approved and second, immigration approved under the SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System) program for either M1, F-1 or J-1 visas. SEVIS authorization stems from FAA approval, if a school loses the latter, the former is automatically voided.
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In reply to Captmav - I couldn't tell you the exact date but my source was XXXXXXXX (removed for privacy concerns), an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent. Mr. XXXXX (removed for privacy concerns) told me that he had visited Debenair and asked to see their FAA 141 certificate which they could not provide. You can also check with Mr. Bill Edwards from Orlando's FAA office to confirm Debenair no longer has their 141 approval, hence no immigration approval. In reply to Keygrip - how can you be so sure Debenair can still issue visa's? What are your sources? Government or hearsay?
Last edited by cfimei; 28th Jul 2004 at 15:58.
aka Capt PPRuNe
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Based on information received, the following may be of interest:
US flight schools have been and continue to be closely monitored by federal agencies, for obvious reasons. US Immigration approval stems from the FAA Part 141 certification but, as usual, the two government agencies involved don't actually speak to each other very much. So, when the FAA pulls a school's certificate, US immigration are not automatically notified, and so it is possible to continue to offer student visas.
Apparently, Debenair's visa approval has been recently revoked and further investigations are underway. They don't appear in the current list of approved schools on this FAA website: http://www.faa.gov/fsdo/orl/141schl.cfm
US flight schools have been and continue to be closely monitored by federal agencies, for obvious reasons. US Immigration approval stems from the FAA Part 141 certification but, as usual, the two government agencies involved don't actually speak to each other very much. So, when the FAA pulls a school's certificate, US immigration are not automatically notified, and so it is possible to continue to offer student visas.
Apparently, Debenair's visa approval has been recently revoked and further investigations are underway. They don't appear in the current list of approved schools on this FAA website: http://www.faa.gov/fsdo/orl/141schl.cfm