Would someone give me some input on Ari Ben Aviator? I am considering ATP or Ari Ben, but I am undecided. I am going to travel to both places before considering. I just need some advice. I greatly appreciate it.

 

Before you choose, look into Prairie Air Service.

Google it, you'll be glad you did. I don't work there or have any affiliation whatsoever, but all that I have heard has been stellar. The price is right also.

 

I trained there IFR thru MEI, then later ATP, and recommend it.

 

I went to ATP and had a great experience - I've heard that Ari Ben has major maintenance problems. I ended up getting a job before I even finished the program at ATP, so I quit early and started getting paid to fly!

If you do choose ATP, there are some locations that are better than others. Which location were you looking at?

 

I was going to look at the Richmond, VA, Atlanta, and Jacksonville. What would you recommend?

 

Ari-ben only has a total of 15 airlplanes, of which, due to the maintence on those a/c usually only about 2-5 are working at one time. The FAA made several visits while I was there, towards the end, causing the school to be closed, till maintence work was completed "correctly". My roommate started their pro-program around Sept 1 (he already had his pvt), and well he's still not at the hours required (ttl of 190, since it's a 141 program) to go for a comm me check ride....then he still has all 3-CFI/II/MEI's to do........so if that helps you any.

I personally would NOT recommend Ari-Ben, they also advertise their airplanes are GPS and Weather Radar equppied......, only one has a "Lightening Strke Finder", and I think the total was (5) had a GPS of which they let the databases expire several days prior to "updating" them....

I luckily had many hours prior to starting there (around 175), and it took me from the end of Sept 2007 - Dec 2007, just to get my 250. They fired my instructor because he couldn't get an airplane that worked, so he flew one that was so close to it's 100 hours inspection, so he trained the students and kept the gear "down" all day to prevent the 100 hour meter from "clicking away"..........Was this right, no, was this the only way he was going to get his students trained because their airplanes are always broken.....yes...

I will admit due to they crappy maintence I got to make my 1st declared emergency, get met by the entire fire department, file an FAA report, and watch them get fined for not getting a special "airworthy" maintence certificate to fly the airplane back to base, since I and the other student refused to fly it and they flew another instructor up to get the airplane.....This plane had just come online from being serviced......Then just 2-days later, a student and instructor, took another plane that just had it's 100-hour inspection, and they got to make a "nose gear up" landing.....(they too got to declare and emergency, get met by the fire department, and the FAA).

Get a hint at the type of operation we are dealing with.........Also I left there Dec 15, and still no word from the school when they are going to send my 13K account balance back to the bank, I took a loan out, that I am paying intrest on!.........

Also if you want to take an airplane cross county, they give you back 1.50 (usually about 2-4 weeks, after continously nagging them)for gas, you eat the rest of gas bill.

Stay Away.......go to ATP or another school, and get your training done...Ari-Ben training is NOT recognized by "any airline" for "reduced mins", like many other schools are, if you get the drift!!!!!

 

He's talking about Prairie Air Svc, not Ari Ben

 

Lbell what location of ATP would you recommend?

 

I never attended ATP so I couldn't advise you..............however, I recommend going to a location that is going to have pretty good weather, so you don't have many "weather" related cancelled training flights!

 

just a heads up on Prairie Air Service... i was planning on going there for my multi, but they are backed up until May. So if you're looking to start training now, don't get your hopes up. But if you can wait a couple months, I'd suggest going there and getting a schedule on the books right away.