Where is the best flight school for the $$?
Hello ladies and gents,
I'm new to this forum but not to flying. My question is where should I go to school? Well that's a really tough question to answer. So here is my deal and what I'm looking for and hopefully some really smart pilots on here can shed some light on this question.
About me and my back ground:
22 years Active duty Air Force. 13 years in Combat Search and Rescue as flight engineer/aerial gunner instructor with 2,700+ flight hours (yes I know it won't convert to pilot stick time).
Got my PPL ticket in 1996 but took a 10 year break from flying GA due to military duties, stupid useless ex-wife and being stationed over seas (was great fun!).
I have just under 300 PIC time in Cessna's. Almost done with my IFR ticket and already have a useless B.S. degree from ERAU I earned all these years. (useless unless I'm going to stay in aviation<?> or work as many of my counter parts for some GOV job).
School funding: I got pretty much a free ride with the Post 9/11 VA so not to concerned with crushing school loans. Thanks Uncle Sam!
Now all I want to do is go to a professional flight school and the only way to do that and use the VA to pay for all the flight training is at a University program such as UND, UVU, Upper Limit Aviation, Dade County, Palm Beach, and other university professional flight programs that are VA approved for Post 9/11. So that means I will have to take a bunch of the same collage classes or close to same as I did at ERAU. But that's ok, don't care, just want the flight training to get me to MEII and possibly a Jet CRJ rating or King Air endorsement.
So where do I want to go and do? Well, I'm 44, will be about 46 by the time I have earned all the flight certifications. Looking at boarder patrol, OGA (Other Government Agencies) or ISR or UAV's or Corporate, charter, etc. Regionals to airlines? If I'm not 60 by the time I get any hours accomplished. I know I'll be instructing for a while to get the Multi engine hours but that's just how its going to happen.
Because of my particular position in life now and retiring from the USAF in a year and just want to fly for a living. Where should I apply too?
So far on my scope is UND, UVU, Dade County Uni, Palm Beach and not sure about VA funding at Aerosim or ASU.
What do you all suggest? I'd like to hear the good, the bad and the ugly of each and also personal experiences if you have them first hand.
Thanks and fly safe!!
RB