Originally Posted by
tsimmns927
So I’ve gone back and forth over this, but I’m looking for a little bit more input. I had a discovery flight last week with an independent CFI who will charge me 120 hr/wet for training in a cesna 150 along with 40 bucks an hour for her instructing. I’ve figured to get a ppl with her would be around 9k if I knock it out in around 60 hrs. I’d also be paying for an online ground school, and all exam fees, plus or minus a little more. And while I’ve read mom and pop training is better than places like ATP, I have concerns about there being little structure from the training. However, I feel somewhat obligated to give her my business since she did that discovery flight for free.
My other option is to go to a local 141 school in my area for my PPL, pay their package rate of 12k which includes 44hrs of flight time, 130 or so hrs of instruction, ground school, exam books, etc. I’d still also be out exam fees. However, this school is owned and operated by former AF pilots who also train NATO pilots. I’d be training here out of a Grumman AA5, and possibly receive better instruction, but I don’t know that for sure.
After the PPL I will be using my GI bill for all other ratings, so this will mainly be my biggest cost for training. What are your opinions and thoughts?
It's the quality of instruction that is the issue. There are puppy-mill "do it as fast as you possibly can" 141 schools out there and there are good 141 schools with structure that hold you to the standards. Same goes for Part 61, there are old timers or those that don't care enough to be current on the standards, skills and knowledge, and those that keep themselves sharp and up on everything. Unfortunately, as a new student pilot, you are basically in the worst position possible to evaluate these things. The more life experience you have, the better you can sniff out the shady stuff.
The problem if you do it at a place that doesn't hold you to the standards is that if you manage to pass, you'll be in for the shock of your life when you go to work any commercial job that actually does hold you to those standards. Those pilots typically do not last long or have to go back to the basics and re-learn everything somehow.