America’s most expensive flight school?
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America’s most expensive flight school?
It’s been 35 years since I was last at Atlanta’s Peachtree Airport.
Yesterday I stopped by to take a look.
One establishment caught my attention, not because it was out of the ordinary.
But the price list was so far removed from anything I’d seen before.
It makes me ask the question.
‘Is this America’s most expensive flight school?’
American Air Flight Training, inc.
In association with Lanier Flight Center.
They share the same aircraft and rates.
Prepay, club and walk-in rates.
1997 Cessna 172 $170, $185, $220.
2005 Cessna 172. $190, $205, $230.
2012 Cessna 172 G1000. $210, $225, $250.
Prepay rates are non refundable.
Club rates require $250 membership, and $49 a month dues.
But here is what most shocked me.
The instructor rates.
I was aghast.
$180 an hour for both ground and flight instruction.
$210 an hour in your aircraft.
$430 an hour dual in a Cessna 172 !!!
Has anyone seen similar rates elsewhere?
Or, ‘is this America’s most expensive flight school?’
Yesterday I stopped by to take a look.
One establishment caught my attention, not because it was out of the ordinary.
But the price list was so far removed from anything I’d seen before.
It makes me ask the question.
‘Is this America’s most expensive flight school?’
American Air Flight Training, inc.
In association with Lanier Flight Center.
They share the same aircraft and rates.
Prepay, club and walk-in rates.
1997 Cessna 172 $170, $185, $220.
2005 Cessna 172. $190, $205, $230.
2012 Cessna 172 G1000. $210, $225, $250.
Prepay rates are non refundable.
Club rates require $250 membership, and $49 a month dues.
But here is what most shocked me.
The instructor rates.
I was aghast.
$180 an hour for both ground and flight instruction.
$210 an hour in your aircraft.
$430 an hour dual in a Cessna 172 !!!
Has anyone seen similar rates elsewhere?
Or, ‘is this America’s most expensive flight school?’
Last edited by button push ignored; 21st April 2018 at 00:58.
Joined: Feb 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 118
From: USA
bpi,
Does either of the companies you mention train foreign students ? I can't think of a reason to charge high rental rates unless you aren't really interested in having locals as customers.
Is this the outfit near Peachtree City that trains lots of foreign students ? Any connection to the two companies you mentioned ?
https://www.flyfalcon.com/
Does either of the companies you mention train foreign students ? I can't think of a reason to charge high rental rates unless you aren't really interested in having locals as customers.
Is this the outfit near Peachtree City that trains lots of foreign students ? Any connection to the two companies you mentioned ?
https://www.flyfalcon.com/
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
From: N/A
bpi,
Does either of the companies you mention train foreign students ? I can't think of a reason to charge high rental rates unless you aren't really interested in having locals as customers.
Is this the outfit near Peachtree City that trains lots of foreign students ? Any connection to the two companies you mentioned ?
https://www.flyfalcon.com/
Does either of the companies you mention train foreign students ? I can't think of a reason to charge high rental rates unless you aren't really interested in having locals as customers.
Is this the outfit near Peachtree City that trains lots of foreign students ? Any connection to the two companies you mentioned ?
https://www.flyfalcon.com/
No it’s not Peachtree City, where Aircraft Spruce is based.
Maybe, you know it better as Peachtree Dekalb in North East Atlanta KPDK.
There were about six flight schools on the field, including ATP. Now I expect schools near a major city to be more expensive. Especially on the East or West coast, but not so much in Georgia. I thought that school’s prices were ridiculous. I did not see any students. I just picked up a brochure and left. But he was a former DPE and does have a ATP and a Citation type rating with over 17,000 hours to justify his $180/210 an hour rate. Using that logic, I guess I should charge what my employer pays, instead of the ‘free’ that I do, to anyone who shows an interest in aviation.
I did my flight engineer turbojet license there in the early 1980s, and had my first turboprop job. Which is why I went to take a look at the place.
Last edited by button push ignored; 22nd April 2018 at 03:01.
Joined: Feb 2004
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,689
Likes: 118
From: USA
I'm familiar with PDK but not what goes on there, I guess. IIRC, a friend of my son instructed Chinese students at a school in PTC.
Was the F/E program you attended run by a Delta Pilot ? I have a recollection of such a school.
Thread Starter
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From: N/A
[QUOTE Was the F/E program you attended run by a Delta Pilot ? I have a recollection of such a school.[/QUOTE]
Flight International was owned by a Delta pilot, and did Boeing 727 flight engineer licenses for $3750.
It’s funny how you can remember what something cost when it was hard earned money.
Like the $3450 Citation type rating, and the $4050 CFI/II/ME.
They then went on to do missile towing out of Norfolk with Lear Jets.
He also owned Aerostar Airlines who operated Boeing 727s out of Hartsfield. Their head office was in the same building as Flight International at PDK.
As I understand it, he was told by Delta that he had to chose between working for Aerostar or Delta, as they were competing in the same market.
Other than Aerostar went out of business I do not know what happened, as I left the area.
Having heard some freight dogs howling in the night, as Willow Run and Corrosion Corner we’re calling me.
I now had a flight engineer ticket, and I was going to use it.
Flight International was owned by a Delta pilot, and did Boeing 727 flight engineer licenses for $3750.
It’s funny how you can remember what something cost when it was hard earned money.
Like the $3450 Citation type rating, and the $4050 CFI/II/ME.
They then went on to do missile towing out of Norfolk with Lear Jets.
He also owned Aerostar Airlines who operated Boeing 727s out of Hartsfield. Their head office was in the same building as Flight International at PDK.
As I understand it, he was told by Delta that he had to chose between working for Aerostar or Delta, as they were competing in the same market.
Other than Aerostar went out of business I do not know what happened, as I left the area.
Having heard some freight dogs howling in the night, as Willow Run and Corrosion Corner we’re calling me.
I now had a flight engineer ticket, and I was going to use it.
Last edited by button push ignored; 23rd April 2018 at 01:56.
