Naples Air Center & Ormond Beach Aviation
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Naples Air Center & Ormond Beach Aviation
Hi all,
I think I've pretty much decided on completing my PPL and CPL in Florida. South Africa would be lovely but it's probably more practical to do it in the States and I find it very difficult to get any straight answers from any flight schools in SA. I've pretty much narrowed down my options to two flight schools - The Naples Air Center and Ormond Beach Aviation. I've met a pilot who flew at Ormond Beach and he said they were very good and professional. I haven't heard too much about the Naples Air Center. Does anyone have any suggestions with regards to these schools or any other schools that might be suitable? Would very much appreciate some good guidance on this issue.
Cheers.
I think I've pretty much decided on completing my PPL and CPL in Florida. South Africa would be lovely but it's probably more practical to do it in the States and I find it very difficult to get any straight answers from any flight schools in SA. I've pretty much narrowed down my options to two flight schools - The Naples Air Center and Ormond Beach Aviation. I've met a pilot who flew at Ormond Beach and he said they were very good and professional. I haven't heard too much about the Naples Air Center. Does anyone have any suggestions with regards to these schools or any other schools that might be suitable? Would very much appreciate some good guidance on this issue.
Cheers.
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PTC Florida based in Melbourne JAA Flight Training - Pilot Training College - professional pilot courses
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I haven't heard too much about the Naples Air Center
But if you are unable to use search function, here is my advice - don't go to NAC. I won't go into reasons, as it is in lots of previous posts on this forum, all available to you through the search function!
Don't forget if its ATPL you want to eventually acquire, to start groundschool the requirement is ICAO PPL. So if you are intent on going to US, you can even get FAA PPL at non JAA school for far cheaper cost and begin ground school in UK or US at your preference. Don't get sold the JAA PPL at these schools in the US if you don't necessarily need it.
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Thanks people, I was more interested in completing the FAA qualification rather than the JAA one. As I have lived in Asia in the past the idea is to eventually go back there to fly. There are just so many schools to choose from.
I had considered South Africa but as I mentioned I have not really received any decent info from any of the schools I enquired with.
I had considered South Africa but as I mentioned I have not really received any decent info from any of the schools I enquired with.
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As mentioned earlier, the search function can be your best friend.
If it's just the FAA license you're after, then the likes of NAC and Ormond Beach are the last places you should be looking at.
If it's just the FAA license you're after, then the likes of NAC and Ormond Beach are the last places you should be looking at.
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Thanks I'll try and use the search function. I did find one school called Air America Flight Center in Daytona Beach Air America Flight Center, LLC - The Leading Flight School and Aircraft Rental Center in Daytona Beach, Florida
They were also recomended to me by a pilot. They seem to only specialise in the FAA course and are a lot cheaper than other flight schools.
Has anyone heard of them before?
Cheers.
They were also recomended to me by a pilot. They seem to only specialise in the FAA course and are a lot cheaper than other flight schools.
Has anyone heard of them before?
Cheers.
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I would thoroughly recommend going to the States for a PPL. On top of that, don't just look at the East Coast, the West is brilliant!
I completed mine with an FTO based at Long Beach, California in '05. It was amazing flying around the LA basin, learning how to fly in and around Class B airspace (you simply don't get to fly in and around major airports in the UK with puddle jumpers/sky chickens like a Cessna 152/172). I also got my night time qualification as part of the PPL - it was the cherry on the top in many ways. Night time flying is a while different set of challenges... and incredibly rewarding.
The contributors to this post are correct in many ways - the weather is far more predictable, the FX rate is favourable again (well, it's getting there at least!), you can treat it all as a "working holiday" and during time off from flying... it's a case of sitting by a pool in sunny conditions. Who can complain about that?
I enjoyed it so much I returned to California for my hour-building before undertaking the CPL/ME/IR in the UK. Best of both worlds I would say.
I completed mine with an FTO based at Long Beach, California in '05. It was amazing flying around the LA basin, learning how to fly in and around Class B airspace (you simply don't get to fly in and around major airports in the UK with puddle jumpers/sky chickens like a Cessna 152/172). I also got my night time qualification as part of the PPL - it was the cherry on the top in many ways. Night time flying is a while different set of challenges... and incredibly rewarding.
The contributors to this post are correct in many ways - the weather is far more predictable, the FX rate is favourable again (well, it's getting there at least!), you can treat it all as a "working holiday" and during time off from flying... it's a case of sitting by a pool in sunny conditions. Who can complain about that?
I enjoyed it so much I returned to California for my hour-building before undertaking the CPL/ME/IR in the UK. Best of both worlds I would say.
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Ok, been using the search function above as recomended. Most schools I can find in Florida seem to offer the JAA for European pilots. They do also offer the FAA course but I can see that it might be better if I found a school that specialised in the FAA course only.
I have a list of schools that provide just the FAA but stuck with which one to choose. Any suggestions please?
Much appreciated.
I have a list of schools that provide just the FAA but stuck with which one to choose. Any suggestions please?
Much appreciated.
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I would recommend AM Flight School AM Flight School. The flight school is relatively new and owned by a Czech pilot. He has several C150, PA28 and a brand new PA44 about to arrive. All in excellent conditions.
He has the only flight school based in Spruce Creek! Spruce Creek is an aviation community next to Daytona Beach, Florida. When you are there, you are provided a car (all you need to do is pay for fuel) and you live at the community in a very nice and elegant house (it is his but doesn't live there and converted for his student). You can pretty much walk 2 minutes to the aircraft and go on your flight. Everyone in the community is a pilot who owns an aircraft. You will meet tons of people and depending on your social skills you might get to fly with some interesting people.
Martin (that's the owner's name) is genuinely always concern about you (financial, your progress,...). He knows word of mouth is the best advertising.
In terms of flight instructors, you cannot have better. There are two flight instructors (may have changed) who have in excess of 5000 hours of flight time. They are career flight instructors with extensive experience in various aircraft and type of operations. He has also a part time mechanic on staff that comes in every day so aircrafts are rarely down.
He has the only flight school based in Spruce Creek! Spruce Creek is an aviation community next to Daytona Beach, Florida. When you are there, you are provided a car (all you need to do is pay for fuel) and you live at the community in a very nice and elegant house (it is his but doesn't live there and converted for his student). You can pretty much walk 2 minutes to the aircraft and go on your flight. Everyone in the community is a pilot who owns an aircraft. You will meet tons of people and depending on your social skills you might get to fly with some interesting people.
Martin (that's the owner's name) is genuinely always concern about you (financial, your progress,...). He knows word of mouth is the best advertising.
In terms of flight instructors, you cannot have better. There are two flight instructors (may have changed) who have in excess of 5000 hours of flight time. They are career flight instructors with extensive experience in various aircraft and type of operations. He has also a part time mechanic on staff that comes in every day so aircrafts are rarely down.
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JAA Flight Training - Pilot Training College - professional pilot courses in melbourne Florida. If it just FAA then Florida Institute of Technology Aviation FIT also Melbourne. Both use brand new Glass cockpit warriors and Seminoles. 40+ aircraft on fleet FIT Aviation, Flight School in Florida, learn to fly here. FAA, Part 141, Part 61, College of Aeronautics, Florida Tech (FIT)
FIT Aviation, Flight School in Florida, learn to fly here. FAA, Part 141, Part 61, College of Aeronautics, Florida Tech (FIT)
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I went to OBA to do my PPL in 08. I thought it was fantastic - I had a great JAA instructor and clear weather for 3 weeks.
It did exactly what it said on the tin. I'd recommend it thoroughly!
It did exactly what it said on the tin. I'd recommend it thoroughly!
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Noting your location, I must say that from my experience its a false economy to do your PPL abroad. I did my PPL in SA originally about 10 years ago, and while I had a great time, the short comings in my training where not fully ironed out until I did a UK CPL, and that was after quite a bit of UK GA flying.
Why are you doing an FAA CPL when you live in the UK? You will not get any work in the US unless you have a US passport and when you come back to the UK to 'convert your licence' you will need significantly more training than you think.
The weather, rules and training standards are different, and while it doesn't matter so much for experienced people, it is significant and noticable for those with 2-300hrs. I have seen many follow this route, and most end up doing at best 3/4 of the full CPL & IR course in the UK when they come back brandishing FAA licences. And if you go to the JAA schools in Florida, you will simply be bottom of the job list in Europe for a very long time.
Angry posts will follow from the Florida training providers who make a lot of money from international students, and the odd person who says they converted easily, I would take it all with caution and train in the UK if thats where you live.
Why are you doing an FAA CPL when you live in the UK? You will not get any work in the US unless you have a US passport and when you come back to the UK to 'convert your licence' you will need significantly more training than you think.
The weather, rules and training standards are different, and while it doesn't matter so much for experienced people, it is significant and noticable for those with 2-300hrs. I have seen many follow this route, and most end up doing at best 3/4 of the full CPL & IR course in the UK when they come back brandishing FAA licences. And if you go to the JAA schools in Florida, you will simply be bottom of the job list in Europe for a very long time.
Angry posts will follow from the Florida training providers who make a lot of money from international students, and the odd person who says they converted easily, I would take it all with caution and train in the UK if thats where you live.
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TropicalFridge is right in what he's saying re: training beyond PPL level in the US vs. UK... which is precisely why I did all my subsequent training here in the UK.
I landed up doing an extra 10 hours on my CPL (granted, some bad weather adversley affected continuity but still...) which equated to at least a couple more thousand pounds in the end. On top of that, flying regs are different here to the US (Flight Following, wow, that would be nice, Mr. ATC?!) and Comms procedures certainly differ, he's right on that. These are hard cold facts that one has to take onboard before committing.
Also, don't just assume your US training will go according to schedule and minimum amounts!
Simply put - can you afford to take the chance of having to carry out potentially large amounts of re-training and handle pre-conceived notions of inferior training/qualifications, not to mention fight your way to be on an even keel in the end?
Maybe I'm being unduly harsh too... but those were my personal motivations, considerations and experiences.
I landed up doing an extra 10 hours on my CPL (granted, some bad weather adversley affected continuity but still...) which equated to at least a couple more thousand pounds in the end. On top of that, flying regs are different here to the US (Flight Following, wow, that would be nice, Mr. ATC?!) and Comms procedures certainly differ, he's right on that. These are hard cold facts that one has to take onboard before committing.
Also, don't just assume your US training will go according to schedule and minimum amounts!
Simply put - can you afford to take the chance of having to carry out potentially large amounts of re-training and handle pre-conceived notions of inferior training/qualifications, not to mention fight your way to be on an even keel in the end?
Maybe I'm being unduly harsh too... but those were my personal motivations, considerations and experiences.
Last edited by FlyBoyFryer; 28th Aug 2009 at 11:03.