Best flight school Los Angeles area
07-10-2018, 10:55 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Dec 2017
Posts: 40
Best flight school Los Angeles area
Hello All,
Going to finally start training once I find the right school.
Whats the best flight school Part 61 and 141 in the greater Los Angeles region including Orange County and Inland Empire?
Criteria:
1. Good ground school
2. Good CFI's
3. adequate fleet of planes
4. not trying to cheap out but no ''arm and leg'' (unless its the best)
5. school oriented in training career pilots
After all the research I have done for quite some time I have narrowed the schools down to AFI in fullerton and Dubois in Chino. But Im sure there are more and better schools out there.
My goal is to go from basically zero hours to flight instructor to regional.
I have saved up enough money for it and would be dedicating 5-7 days a week to training.
Going to finally start training once I find the right school.
Whats the best flight school Part 61 and 141 in the greater Los Angeles region including Orange County and Inland Empire?
Criteria:
1. Good ground school
2. Good CFI's
3. adequate fleet of planes
4. not trying to cheap out but no ''arm and leg'' (unless its the best)
5. school oriented in training career pilots
After all the research I have done for quite some time I have narrowed the schools down to AFI in fullerton and Dubois in Chino. But Im sure there are more and better schools out there.
My goal is to go from basically zero hours to flight instructor to regional.
I have saved up enough money for it and would be dedicating 5-7 days a week to training.
07-17-2018, 09:28 AM
#2
New Hire
Joined APC: Jul 2018
Posts: 2
Hi there,
I'm currently a student at Glendale Community College, located in Glendale off the 5/2 Freeways. I can say that out of all the flight schools I've looked into (Flying Club's Long Beach, ATP and a few in the San Fernando Valley), GCC is the best one.
Their PPL flight training program is divided into three stages:
1) Ground school for 16 weeks (a semester at their campus)
2) Flying - Semester 1 (where your goal is to solo) for 16 weeks (once per week, or twice if you're taking it in the summer)
3) Flying - Semester 2 (goal is to cross country and your work up to the check-ride phase) for 16 weeks (flying twice a week during the semester)
Their overall cost is $8800 (not including your check ride, medical certificate etc.). The $8800 includes a total of 59 hours of flight time (21 hours first semester for $3200 and 39 hours for $5600). The cost is significantly cheaper than those at other schools. If you're a veteran, even better because your Post 9/11 will pay for your license (they're paying for mine and other veterans too).
The college owns 3 Cessna Skyhawks 172s with Garmin 500s. The chief flight instructor, Curtis Potter, is a retired Police Helicopter Pilot and chair for the Department. He prides himself with taking care of the aircraft. With that said, Potter teaches ground school and comes from over 30+ years of flying experience. While 3 aircrafts doesn't seem a lot, nearly all of the students I've met get placed into a flight schedule.
In regards to ground school, the unfortunate thing is that you must complete ground school first in order to start your flight training. But I found it extremely enlightening (Potter has an awesome sense of humor and just knows pretty much everything about general aviation) but helps with the overall background knowledge so you're not focused on it in your flying stage.
The college employs about 8-10 CFI and they're all experienced. None of them from my knowledge are working towards their ATP requirements (and are going to bounce after). One is a retired FBI Aviation Program Director, another owns his own Aircraft Sales business, is a comedian... and so on). They're all very patient and let you make mistakes so you can learn and are easy to get along with.
The college also affords you the opportunity to learn your instrument rating and a commercial license as well. Not many people follow through with the commercial license (a lot of students just want to earn their PPL as a hobby) but the college does have a program for it. The only unfortunate thing (for instrument and college) is that after you used up your paid hours, you must rent an aircraft somewhere else to build the difference until your check ride hour requirements.
I finished ground school this past semester (Spring) and in a current flight lab (solo stage) -- I've been flying once a day (0800-1700) and after 12 hours, I've been cleared to solo tomorrow! Overall, I can't speak for other programs and how their curriculum is but this program is great! If you're worried that you can't come up with the total cost of tuition, fear not because at GCC you can do a payment plan that's spread out over 4 months and payable to the college (0% interest). I hope this information helps you and you can find more information here:
https://www.glendale.edu/academics/a...pilot-training
I highly recommend you contact Curtis Potter (PM me for e-mail for privacy) and get more information through there (I wouldn't call, he's not in his office most of the time).
Best of luck!
Julien
I'm currently a student at Glendale Community College, located in Glendale off the 5/2 Freeways. I can say that out of all the flight schools I've looked into (Flying Club's Long Beach, ATP and a few in the San Fernando Valley), GCC is the best one.
Their PPL flight training program is divided into three stages:
1) Ground school for 16 weeks (a semester at their campus)
2) Flying - Semester 1 (where your goal is to solo) for 16 weeks (once per week, or twice if you're taking it in the summer)
3) Flying - Semester 2 (goal is to cross country and your work up to the check-ride phase) for 16 weeks (flying twice a week during the semester)
Their overall cost is $8800 (not including your check ride, medical certificate etc.). The $8800 includes a total of 59 hours of flight time (21 hours first semester for $3200 and 39 hours for $5600). The cost is significantly cheaper than those at other schools. If you're a veteran, even better because your Post 9/11 will pay for your license (they're paying for mine and other veterans too).
The college owns 3 Cessna Skyhawks 172s with Garmin 500s. The chief flight instructor, Curtis Potter, is a retired Police Helicopter Pilot and chair for the Department. He prides himself with taking care of the aircraft. With that said, Potter teaches ground school and comes from over 30+ years of flying experience. While 3 aircrafts doesn't seem a lot, nearly all of the students I've met get placed into a flight schedule.
In regards to ground school, the unfortunate thing is that you must complete ground school first in order to start your flight training. But I found it extremely enlightening (Potter has an awesome sense of humor and just knows pretty much everything about general aviation) but helps with the overall background knowledge so you're not focused on it in your flying stage.
The college employs about 8-10 CFI and they're all experienced. None of them from my knowledge are working towards their ATP requirements (and are going to bounce after). One is a retired FBI Aviation Program Director, another owns his own Aircraft Sales business, is a comedian... and so on). They're all very patient and let you make mistakes so you can learn and are easy to get along with.
The college also affords you the opportunity to learn your instrument rating and a commercial license as well. Not many people follow through with the commercial license (a lot of students just want to earn their PPL as a hobby) but the college does have a program for it. The only unfortunate thing (for instrument and college) is that after you used up your paid hours, you must rent an aircraft somewhere else to build the difference until your check ride hour requirements.
I finished ground school this past semester (Spring) and in a current flight lab (solo stage) -- I've been flying once a day (0800-1700) and after 12 hours, I've been cleared to solo tomorrow! Overall, I can't speak for other programs and how their curriculum is but this program is great! If you're worried that you can't come up with the total cost of tuition, fear not because at GCC you can do a payment plan that's spread out over 4 months and payable to the college (0% interest). I hope this information helps you and you can find more information here:
https://www.glendale.edu/academics/a...pilot-training
I highly recommend you contact Curtis Potter (PM me for e-mail for privacy) and get more information through there (I wouldn't call, he's not in his office most of the time).
Best of luck!
Julien
07-17-2018, 05:51 PM
#3
Line Holder
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Dec 2017
Posts: 40
Originally Posted by jpham989
Hi there,
I'm currently a student at Glendale Community College, located in Glendale off the 5/2 Freeways. I can say that out of all the flight schools I've looked into (Flying Club's Long Beach, ATP and a few in the San Fernando Valley), GCC is the best one.
Their PPL flight training program is divided into three stages:
1) Ground school for 16 weeks (a semester at their campus)
2) Flying - Semester 1 (where your goal is to solo) for 16 weeks (once per week, or twice if you're taking it in the summer)
3) Flying - Semester 2 (goal is to cross country and your work up to the check-ride phase) for 16 weeks (flying twice a week during the semester)
Their overall cost is $8800 (not including your check ride, medical certificate etc.). The $8800 includes a total of 59 hours of flight time (21 hours first semester for $3200 and 39 hours for $5600). The cost is significantly cheaper than those at other schools. If you're a veteran, even better because your Post 9/11 will pay for your license (they're paying for mine and other veterans too).
The college owns 3 Cessna Skyhawks 172s with Garmin 500s. The chief flight instructor, Curtis Potter, is a retired Police Helicopter Pilot and chair for the Department. He prides himself with taking care of the aircraft. With that said, Potter teaches ground school and comes from over 30+ years of flying experience. While 3 aircrafts doesn't seem a lot, nearly all of the students I've met get placed into a flight schedule.
In regards to ground school, the unfortunate thing is that you must complete ground school first in order to start your flight training. But I found it extremely enlightening (Potter has an awesome sense of humor and just knows pretty much everything about general aviation) but helps with the overall background knowledge so you're not focused on it in your flying stage.
The college employs about 8-10 CFI and they're all experienced. None of them from my knowledge are working towards their ATP requirements (and are going to bounce after). One is a retired FBI Aviation Program Director, another owns his own Aircraft Sales business, is a comedian... and so on). They're all very patient and let you make mistakes so you can learn and are easy to get along with.
The college also affords you the opportunity to learn your instrument rating and a commercial license as well. Not many people follow through with the commercial license (a lot of students just want to earn their PPL as a hobby) but the college does have a program for it. The only unfortunate thing (for instrument and college) is that after you used up your paid hours, you must rent an aircraft somewhere else to build the difference until your check ride hour requirements.
I finished ground school this past semester (Spring) and in a current flight lab (solo stage) -- I've been flying once a day (0800-1700) and after 12 hours, I've been cleared to solo tomorrow! Overall, I can't speak for other programs and how their curriculum is but this program is great! If you're worried that you can't come up with the total cost of tuition, fear not because at GCC you can do a payment plan that's spread out over 4 months and payable to the college (0% interest). I hope this information helps you and you can find more information here:
https://www.glendale.edu/academics/a...pilot-training
I highly recommend you contact Curtis Potter (PM me for e-mail for privacy) and get more information through there (I wouldn't call, he's not in his office most of the time).
Best of luck!
Julien
I'm currently a student at Glendale Community College, located in Glendale off the 5/2 Freeways. I can say that out of all the flight schools I've looked into (Flying Club's Long Beach, ATP and a few in the San Fernando Valley), GCC is the best one.
Their PPL flight training program is divided into three stages:
1) Ground school for 16 weeks (a semester at their campus)
2) Flying - Semester 1 (where your goal is to solo) for 16 weeks (once per week, or twice if you're taking it in the summer)
3) Flying - Semester 2 (goal is to cross country and your work up to the check-ride phase) for 16 weeks (flying twice a week during the semester)
Their overall cost is $8800 (not including your check ride, medical certificate etc.). The $8800 includes a total of 59 hours of flight time (21 hours first semester for $3200 and 39 hours for $5600). The cost is significantly cheaper than those at other schools. If you're a veteran, even better because your Post 9/11 will pay for your license (they're paying for mine and other veterans too).
The college owns 3 Cessna Skyhawks 172s with Garmin 500s. The chief flight instructor, Curtis Potter, is a retired Police Helicopter Pilot and chair for the Department. He prides himself with taking care of the aircraft. With that said, Potter teaches ground school and comes from over 30+ years of flying experience. While 3 aircrafts doesn't seem a lot, nearly all of the students I've met get placed into a flight schedule.
In regards to ground school, the unfortunate thing is that you must complete ground school first in order to start your flight training. But I found it extremely enlightening (Potter has an awesome sense of humor and just knows pretty much everything about general aviation) but helps with the overall background knowledge so you're not focused on it in your flying stage.
The college employs about 8-10 CFI and they're all experienced. None of them from my knowledge are working towards their ATP requirements (and are going to bounce after). One is a retired FBI Aviation Program Director, another owns his own Aircraft Sales business, is a comedian... and so on). They're all very patient and let you make mistakes so you can learn and are easy to get along with.
The college also affords you the opportunity to learn your instrument rating and a commercial license as well. Not many people follow through with the commercial license (a lot of students just want to earn their PPL as a hobby) but the college does have a program for it. The only unfortunate thing (for instrument and college) is that after you used up your paid hours, you must rent an aircraft somewhere else to build the difference until your check ride hour requirements.
I finished ground school this past semester (Spring) and in a current flight lab (solo stage) -- I've been flying once a day (0800-1700) and after 12 hours, I've been cleared to solo tomorrow! Overall, I can't speak for other programs and how their curriculum is but this program is great! If you're worried that you can't come up with the total cost of tuition, fear not because at GCC you can do a payment plan that's spread out over 4 months and payable to the college (0% interest). I hope this information helps you and you can find more information here:
https://www.glendale.edu/academics/a...pilot-training
I highly recommend you contact Curtis Potter (PM me for e-mail for privacy) and get more information through there (I wouldn't call, he's not in his office most of the time).
Best of luck!
Julien
After reading, I think this program might be a little too slow for what im wanting. I also have my associates degree so it might be counter productive.
I was looking for a more accelerated career pilot program which I can be flying everyday.
Once again thank you for your response!
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