Phoenix East Aviation
Phoenix East Aviation?
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GR340,
Bring plenty of cash, and be prepared for a long, long, stay!
I signed up there for a 4 week PPL course.
6 weeks later I gave up and went somewhere else to finish.
While I was there, 1 English, 2 Irish, 1 Austrian, 1 Spanish, and 1 Italian also gave up in disgust, as well as quite a few Americans. The only one to actually get a licence was the Spanish guy, and that in itself is a really funny story! He threw a tantrum in the Chief Pilots office, and went back to the hotel in tears and called his Mother. She called the school, and he got his licence the next day in a 152. That evening, he was also checked out in a Warrior, Archer, Arrow, and 172.
The Italian is sueing. I WAS going to sue to get back an extra $1500 I was conned out of, but decided not to. There were 48 other suits already filed in the local court, as well as numerous others in different courts.
Personally, I would never go near them again.
Send me an e.mail and I'll give you all the gory details, if you want.
Bring plenty of cash, and be prepared for a long, long, stay!
I signed up there for a 4 week PPL course.
6 weeks later I gave up and went somewhere else to finish.
While I was there, 1 English, 2 Irish, 1 Austrian, 1 Spanish, and 1 Italian also gave up in disgust, as well as quite a few Americans. The only one to actually get a licence was the Spanish guy, and that in itself is a really funny story! He threw a tantrum in the Chief Pilots office, and went back to the hotel in tears and called his Mother. She called the school, and he got his licence the next day in a 152. That evening, he was also checked out in a Warrior, Archer, Arrow, and 172.
The Italian is sueing. I WAS going to sue to get back an extra $1500 I was conned out of, but decided not to. There were 48 other suits already filed in the local court, as well as numerous others in different courts.
Personally, I would never go near them again.
Send me an e.mail and I'll give you all the gory details, if you want.
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Guys,
if you want to get specific about any reservations you have about ANY flight school, stick to personal e-mails. Don't post them here unless you also want to post your real name, the dates you attended the school, and the details of the incidents concerned. As this is an anonymous forum, the operators of Pprune are responsible for any libellous statements made here. Please respect our position and keep your public comments under control!
if you want to get specific about any reservations you have about ANY flight school, stick to personal e-mails. Don't post them here unless you also want to post your real name, the dates you attended the school, and the details of the incidents concerned. As this is an anonymous forum, the operators of Pprune are responsible for any libellous statements made here. Please respect our position and keep your public comments under control!
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Phoenix East Aviation??
Could any kindly soul out there tell me if Phoenix East Aviation (PEA) is still operating as a flight training establishment. I sent two e-mails in the past week and although their web site declares enquiries will be answered within 24 hours, I have yet to receive a reply to either.
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated
Or does anyone know of a flight school/ acadamy in the States that is reputable and value for money.
Fly safely
BOTR
Any assistance will be greatly appreciated
Or does anyone know of a flight school/ acadamy in the States that is reputable and value for money.
Fly safely
BOTR
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Anybody heard of Phoenix East Aviation in Daytona
I am looking at courses in Florida to ATP and was wondering if anyone has any information on Phoenix East Aviation? Professional training etc?
PPRuNe Secret Agent!
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Done alot of flying in the DAB area and have never heard anything bad from anyone about Phoenix East...
You'll have fun...
Check out 'Lollipops' if you get chance!!!!
You'll have fun...
Check out 'Lollipops' if you get chance!!!!
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I did my PPL with PEA about 7 years ago now. It was a good school if you got a good instructor, like many. However, since then I've heard some bad stuff about it, all rumours though. I'd suggest shopping around a bit as there are a lot of schools on offer in Florida.
Personally I'd recommend the school I taught at but it was in California and more expensive than East coast establishments.
Hope this helps.
Personally I'd recommend the school I taught at but it was in California and more expensive than East coast establishments.
Hope this helps.
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Phoenix East Aviation
Evening all,
Just wondering if anybody has had an experiences of Phoenix east aviation in daytona beach , Florida??? Im thinking of going to do the Full 2 year course there. Get your PPL,CPL, CFI,ME and teach for a year, come out with 1000hours for $26,000. Looks quite good from the paperwork sent through.
www.pea.com....check it out , c what u think!!!!
Just wondering if anybody has had an experiences of Phoenix east aviation in daytona beach , Florida??? Im thinking of going to do the Full 2 year course there. Get your PPL,CPL, CFI,ME and teach for a year, come out with 1000hours for $26,000. Looks quite good from the paperwork sent through.
www.pea.com....check it out , c what u think!!!!
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To be perfectly honnest, I didn't even take a look at the website you mentioned. From what you say, they're trying to sell you exactly the same package as if 9/11 had not occured. But, as you may know, aviation in the USA is not the same: foreigners are not welcome anymore. Well, at least not like it used to be.
So if I were you, I wouldn't count too much on the CFI-part and the 700-800 hrs of instruction. Actually, in your position, I wouldn't even bother to get the licence. It's expensive and now more than ever you don't have ANY garantee that you'll be able to use it. There are lots of CFI-CFII out there, not enough students, and those who have the best chance to get a job are Americans. The European CFI-CFIIs I know came back on this side of the Atlantic many many months ago.
Sorry if I rain on your party, but be careful and NEVER EVER believe what flying schools are saying. They may tell you the truth 99% of the time, but when it comes to your future and your money, they tell you exactly what you want to hear, and they lead you exactly where they want you to be.
So if I were you, I wouldn't count too much on the CFI-part and the 700-800 hrs of instruction. Actually, in your position, I wouldn't even bother to get the licence. It's expensive and now more than ever you don't have ANY garantee that you'll be able to use it. There are lots of CFI-CFII out there, not enough students, and those who have the best chance to get a job are Americans. The European CFI-CFIIs I know came back on this side of the Atlantic many many months ago.
Sorry if I rain on your party, but be careful and NEVER EVER believe what flying schools are saying. They may tell you the truth 99% of the time, but when it comes to your future and your money, they tell you exactly what you want to hear, and they lead you exactly where they want you to be.
The Oracle
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Stratocaster,
Not sure what experience you have had, but if you do everything by the rules, you can come over and do exactly what Lewy Boy wants to do.
When you come to the U.S.A. on one of these courses you need to be on a J-1 Visa. You will be able to complete all your F.A.A. Ratings and either instruct at Phoenix East or at any other Flight School in the U.S.A. until your J-1 Visa runs out. If you take a job at a flight school other than Phoenix East, you will need to keep in touch with Phoenix East at all times, since they are the ones sponsoring you while you are in the U.S.A., and give then monthly progress reports on your training (in this case amount and type of instruction given).
I currently have 7 instructors working for me who have J-1 Visas from other schools. They all trained for their F.A.A. Ratings after September 11th.
Happy Flying,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
Not sure what experience you have had, but if you do everything by the rules, you can come over and do exactly what Lewy Boy wants to do.
When you come to the U.S.A. on one of these courses you need to be on a J-1 Visa. You will be able to complete all your F.A.A. Ratings and either instruct at Phoenix East or at any other Flight School in the U.S.A. until your J-1 Visa runs out. If you take a job at a flight school other than Phoenix East, you will need to keep in touch with Phoenix East at all times, since they are the ones sponsoring you while you are in the U.S.A., and give then monthly progress reports on your training (in this case amount and type of instruction given).
I currently have 7 instructors working for me who have J-1 Visas from other schools. They all trained for their F.A.A. Ratings after September 11th.
Happy Flying,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
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I think thats a bit harsh strato....im currently dispatching at LGW and have been asking the flight deck themselves and they now say the FAA is the way to go becuase you without any doubt need hours under your belt before employers will even look at you. A JAR CPL/IR with 200 hours isnt what it used to be!!!!
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I don't have any problem with the FAA, the regs, the tougher immigration laws, the new security screenings, the hour building as CFI, etc.
But I do have a problem with the marketing techniques used by some flight schools (could it be the majority indeed ?). By telling potential customers "Hey, come over here, you'll get all the licences you can dream of, and you'll also build hours as CFI" the flight school lies. Nobody can garantee you anything (usually nobody really does) and the word "garantee" is carefully withdrawn from the flight schools' vocabulary. No matter what they say and how, at the end of the day it's right there in your brain cells "I'm going to make hundreds of hours as an instructor, cooool !". Maybe you will, but probably you won't. Especially now with an industry still recovering from 9/11 and a few other things that were already there before the attacks.
My previous message was just a warning to you, Lewi, just in case you didn't realize where you're going. Being a dispatcher in contact with the "real" airline world, you should be okay and know what is right, what is not, and what to expect for your money. Go get a few licences and some hours in the States, you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did. But be careful. If something is too good to be true, it probably isn't.
And, for the records, I'm not a CFI, and never wanted to be one. I was offered a CFI job last autumn (provided I did the course with the flight school, of course) but was well inspired to turn down the offer. 90% of my friends who were CFI/CFII or on their way to become one at that time left the country months ago, some of them even changed their mind and never took the CFI course.
But I do have a problem with the marketing techniques used by some flight schools (could it be the majority indeed ?). By telling potential customers "Hey, come over here, you'll get all the licences you can dream of, and you'll also build hours as CFI" the flight school lies. Nobody can garantee you anything (usually nobody really does) and the word "garantee" is carefully withdrawn from the flight schools' vocabulary. No matter what they say and how, at the end of the day it's right there in your brain cells "I'm going to make hundreds of hours as an instructor, cooool !". Maybe you will, but probably you won't. Especially now with an industry still recovering from 9/11 and a few other things that were already there before the attacks.
My previous message was just a warning to you, Lewi, just in case you didn't realize where you're going. Being a dispatcher in contact with the "real" airline world, you should be okay and know what is right, what is not, and what to expect for your money. Go get a few licences and some hours in the States, you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did. But be careful. If something is too good to be true, it probably isn't.
And, for the records, I'm not a CFI, and never wanted to be one. I was offered a CFI job last autumn (provided I did the course with the flight school, of course) but was well inspired to turn down the offer. 90% of my friends who were CFI/CFII or on their way to become one at that time left the country months ago, some of them even changed their mind and never took the CFI course.
The Oracle
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Stratocaster,
You did bring up an excellent point. How can any school guarantee you a licence, rating or job without meeting you and doing a full assessment of your abilities.
I currently have a 17 year old, and a 60 year old training for a PPL. It is impossible to make guarantees to people that have such differences in abilities, range of knowledge and experience.
Everyone is different. There are areas which one person could pick up immediately while another would have difficulty and other areas where the first person has difficulties and the second picks it up immediately.
Look for the school that tells you the truth, not just what you want to hear.
Take Care,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
You did bring up an excellent point. How can any school guarantee you a licence, rating or job without meeting you and doing a full assessment of your abilities.
I currently have a 17 year old, and a 60 year old training for a PPL. It is impossible to make guarantees to people that have such differences in abilities, range of knowledge and experience.
Everyone is different. There are areas which one person could pick up immediately while another would have difficulty and other areas where the first person has difficulties and the second picks it up immediately.
Look for the school that tells you the truth, not just what you want to hear.
Take Care,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
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Sorry for busting the copyrights, but I thought the following piece of information really deserved to be here...
"Flight Schools Still Suffer
Flight school operators say tougher rules are sending foreign student pilots to other countries to get training. Rudi Dekkers, of Huffman Aviation in Venice, Fla., told the Associated Press his business hasn't recovered since 9/11 inspired a crush of regulations aimed at weeding out terrorists. Many of those involved in the 9/11 attacks took training at U.S. flight schools. Huffman Aviation trained two of them and Dekkers closed his Naples, Fla., flight school in December because he had no students. Where he normally had about 20 foreign students at any one time before 9/11, he now has just one. The stigma of that association is also hurting other companies that provided training. The terrorists also took lessons in Arizona and Minnesota. It's not just foreign business that was affected by the new rules. Pan Am International Flight Academy invested heavily in three commercial airliner simulators at its Minneapolis facility only to have a big chunk of its market stripped away by regulations banning inexperienced pilots from taking a whirl in one of those machines. Zacarious Moussaoui, the alleged "20th hijacker," was training at the school before an instructor got suspicious and tipped the FBI. AOPA spokesman Warren Morningstar said it's "unfortunate" that foreign students are being discouraged from training in the U.S. as "... the vast majority of people who come to the United States for flight training aren't terrorists." But it doesn't take much of a minority to cause some real problems, as we all now know."
(Outrageously stolen from AvWeb.com's newletter)
"Flight Schools Still Suffer
Flight school operators say tougher rules are sending foreign student pilots to other countries to get training. Rudi Dekkers, of Huffman Aviation in Venice, Fla., told the Associated Press his business hasn't recovered since 9/11 inspired a crush of regulations aimed at weeding out terrorists. Many of those involved in the 9/11 attacks took training at U.S. flight schools. Huffman Aviation trained two of them and Dekkers closed his Naples, Fla., flight school in December because he had no students. Where he normally had about 20 foreign students at any one time before 9/11, he now has just one. The stigma of that association is also hurting other companies that provided training. The terrorists also took lessons in Arizona and Minnesota. It's not just foreign business that was affected by the new rules. Pan Am International Flight Academy invested heavily in three commercial airliner simulators at its Minneapolis facility only to have a big chunk of its market stripped away by regulations banning inexperienced pilots from taking a whirl in one of those machines. Zacarious Moussaoui, the alleged "20th hijacker," was training at the school before an instructor got suspicious and tipped the FBI. AOPA spokesman Warren Morningstar said it's "unfortunate" that foreign students are being discouraged from training in the U.S. as "... the vast majority of people who come to the United States for flight training aren't terrorists." But it doesn't take much of a minority to cause some real problems, as we all now know."
(Outrageously stolen from AvWeb.com's newletter)
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Don't always believe what you read!
Hmmmmm...... did anyone ever tell you the press does not always report the real events as their source can obscure things!
I get really frustrated when schools blame the hideous act of 11th September for their business failure. I know one school that closed down one week prior to this fateful day and was then on the news stating that they had closed down due to the disaster.
Dekkers other flight school, Ambassador, had a deal with SFT. Now although SFT say they closed due to the disaster many would question this as it happened so quickly after 11/9. Whatever the reason, they went under, they did not pay Ambassador and therefore hurt them. However, a school that is prospering does not close for the sort of money we are talking about. There has to be other ingredients.
What 11/9 did was weed out the schools that were living a little close to the wire. I have spoken to a number of schools that have never had it so good than at the moment. There are those that are struggling and will put some of the blame on 11/9, however, the majority blame it on a number of things as well.
Mr. Dekkers could not have known that the students at his school were the individuals plannning the heinous acts and therefore no one would blame him. However, how many times did he go on the news to talk about it? Surely this was not the advertising that would help his schools!
Especially when he publicly ridiculed the INS system. I think perhaps this did not help his cause!
I get really frustrated when schools blame the hideous act of 11th September for their business failure. I know one school that closed down one week prior to this fateful day and was then on the news stating that they had closed down due to the disaster.
Dekkers other flight school, Ambassador, had a deal with SFT. Now although SFT say they closed due to the disaster many would question this as it happened so quickly after 11/9. Whatever the reason, they went under, they did not pay Ambassador and therefore hurt them. However, a school that is prospering does not close for the sort of money we are talking about. There has to be other ingredients.
What 11/9 did was weed out the schools that were living a little close to the wire. I have spoken to a number of schools that have never had it so good than at the moment. There are those that are struggling and will put some of the blame on 11/9, however, the majority blame it on a number of things as well.
Mr. Dekkers could not have known that the students at his school were the individuals plannning the heinous acts and therefore no one would blame him. However, how many times did he go on the news to talk about it? Surely this was not the advertising that would help his schools!
Especially when he publicly ridiculed the INS system. I think perhaps this did not help his cause!
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Lewy Boy
In trying to answer your original question, I can say that Phoenix East is your standard FBO. They work together with the PanAm Flight Academy and Sunrise Aviation of Daytona Beach if memory serves me right. I personally trained next door at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
As for experiences I’ve had with them I can say that, as the DAB airspace is rather crowded, some difficulties were had with poor English language from some of their students, resulting in some confusion at times. Other then that, as a flight school, I’d say go for it.
In so much as the post 9/11 foreign flight student’s legal matters are concerned I have following advise; Look into flight schools in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and as far as I know even the UAE for that matter. They’re just about as expansive and offer a similar well balanced training as the US of A. The reason for that advise, is not that I have any doubts to the comments made by "Naples Air Center, Inc.", but rather because of the news that have made the rounds lately about the paranoid actions and reactions by the authorities. Further, should Bush indeed lunch an attack on the Iraq soon, the situation may turn to the worse for foreign students.
As a foreign student, I have felt the US (at least in Florida) to be a police state, no offences intended, but never leave your flat without a picture ID. I can’t imagine how much daily hassles foreigners receive nowadays.
Anyway, be sure that you know all the facts, training, legal and otherwise, such as what to do and how to do upon your return to Europe before you pack you suitcase.
Al the best to you and happy flying.
As for experiences I’ve had with them I can say that, as the DAB airspace is rather crowded, some difficulties were had with poor English language from some of their students, resulting in some confusion at times. Other then that, as a flight school, I’d say go for it.
In so much as the post 9/11 foreign flight student’s legal matters are concerned I have following advise; Look into flight schools in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and as far as I know even the UAE for that matter. They’re just about as expansive and offer a similar well balanced training as the US of A. The reason for that advise, is not that I have any doubts to the comments made by "Naples Air Center, Inc.", but rather because of the news that have made the rounds lately about the paranoid actions and reactions by the authorities. Further, should Bush indeed lunch an attack on the Iraq soon, the situation may turn to the worse for foreign students.
As a foreign student, I have felt the US (at least in Florida) to be a police state, no offences intended, but never leave your flat without a picture ID. I can’t imagine how much daily hassles foreigners receive nowadays.
Anyway, be sure that you know all the facts, training, legal and otherwise, such as what to do and how to do upon your return to Europe before you pack you suitcase.
Al the best to you and happy flying.
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Would you recommend Phoenix East Aviation, Inc.?
Hey guys & ladies
I currently got my Private Pilot Licence in Trinidad and I will like to head out to the US to get my Commercial License with IR andMulti-Engine. I heard about Phoenix East Avaition Inc. and I would to know how many of you all out there know this school?
I would like to get a review on the school from anyone who knows or who have attended there?
I heard that there are a very good school and I see that there are offering some pretty reasonable Specials.
Is it as really good as they claim?
Let me know. I would really like to know before I spend my money.
Thanks alot for your co-operation guys (& Ladies)
Trini_Pilot
I currently got my Private Pilot Licence in Trinidad and I will like to head out to the US to get my Commercial License with IR andMulti-Engine. I heard about Phoenix East Avaition Inc. and I would to know how many of you all out there know this school?
I would like to get a review on the school from anyone who knows or who have attended there?
I heard that there are a very good school and I see that there are offering some pretty reasonable Specials.
Is it as really good as they claim?
Let me know. I would really like to know before I spend my money.Thanks alot for your co-operation guys (& Ladies)
Trini_Pilot
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Do you mean the one who is located at Dear Valley Airport in
Phoenix AZ?. I hope not. If they are somehow connected with
WestWind AV then you better follow somebody`s recommedation
to somewhere else. I had a Dutch guy who was there for a while
and he told me scary stories of the kind of customer care they do.
NG
Phoenix AZ?. I hope not. If they are somehow connected with
WestWind AV then you better follow somebody`s recommedation
to somewhere else. I had a Dutch guy who was there for a while
and he told me scary stories of the kind of customer care they do.
NG