Well, it has been some time since I posted my question above, and I have taken a different path than I had intended originally- I have been building time doing aerial survey, and have really grown exponentially since this time last year. I now really feel that moving on to flight instruction would make more sense now than before, having had this experience in the real world of flying every day. But Im back to the same question, where would be the best place to get my CFI ticket. And seeing as how I've been doing aerial survey, I'm about as poor as ever. I do have a reimbursable $5000 "retraining" allowance from my old job that expires in 2010 for this training or other vocational training, so I've even slightly pondered other options, such as paying for a type rating. However, I would like to be a CFI, even if it was part time, just because I love to teach, so I think this makes sense for me. I want the ratings but hesitate to overpay, I really want to get out of it under the 5K but dont know if thats realistic. Estimates put AF at near or over 6K with expenses and checkrides. Anyone have any recent experiences with Shebles?

 

Couple things. I believe that they do their CFI's at either PWK or DuPage.

1) American Fliers in the Chicagoland area is the reason why it was (i got my CFI a couple years ago) IMPOSSIBLE, not nearly impossible, but impossible to pass the CFI on the first try through the Dupage FSDO. Evidently they had examining authority and were giving out CFI tickets to anyone who paid...Dupage got PO'd and the first time pass rate up there went to 0%. Kicker is that then they kept training in Chicago and sending students to other locations to take the test. I did mine at PWK and came back town to the STL FSDO to take a legitamate test.

2) The AF at PWK has a bad rep for some pretty shoddy mx. ie, two ELT's and 4 planes...rotate them back and forth per the "60 day" rule or whatever the time is. That's shoddy.

I would HIGHLY recommend Windy City Fliers at PWK if you are interested in a Chicagoland program. They will get you through as fast as you want and on the budget you want...and you pay for what you do, no paying up front.

.....the next point is probably the most important so I'm going to put it in the next post.

 

GET YOUR CFI SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU WILL TEACH WHEN YOUR TRAINING IS DONE!!!!!!

not many places hiring CFI's that aren't their own right now

(also, there is absolutely no reason that a CFI should cost you $5000. Almost all the studying should be on your own. Teach your mom what an NDB is and your friend how to fill out a flight planning form. Less than 8 hr's in the plane and 10 or so hrs of ground time with an instructor. KISS!

 

Check PMs...

 

I went to Shebles in December. The previous comments are pretty much spot on. Shebles is a "get it done" operation.

It will probably take a few more extra days than you planned for so plan in advance for those extra days. You must plan on staying until you get done no matter what.

You should pretty much have your act together before you go to Shebles. If you already have 75% and just need that extra push to pass the checkrides then Shebles is for you.

I would go back to Shebles again. You get what you need there.

 

I went to Sheble. 4 days, got my ratings.

It says the same thing on your ticket regardless where you go.

My approach was that your primary training has already shaped your flying.

AF...Ive heard 50/50 on that. They can drag you along as long as you keep shelling out the money.