Hello fellas i m 28y/o soon to be 29 on july; Becoming a pilot has been my everyday bread to this day.... so finally i have decided to jump into "the aviation family" finally .......always had buts and what-ifs??? or not the right time!!!!! you name it!!!! even though still isnt the right time nor a lot of other things happening for me but I m about to head down to florida (wife and I, jun 1st) and get a job preferably in what i know what to do (
"computers" I'm IT geek that its been fixing your computers all this time LOL) or whatever(waiting tables) it takes to get me behind that yoke of a 172,152, pipers, or a metal-wood frame with wings...... as long as it gets off the ground in a controlled manner Im in LOL
So with that in mind I heard great things about flight safety academy located at vero beach and since I have no clue of any other flight training facilities i kind of focus on that one but after reading a few posts here I have notice a lot of the pilots that have graduated or finish their ratings with these ER UND ATP and "other schools"(i haven't read anything good or bad about flightsafety so far , more reading of these post its on the way maybe I'll find my answer ) most of them seem to recommend to "better spend the money at the local FBO" as long as the instruction its good(by that I guess they mean that your instructor its really interested in helping you learn and understand the subjects studied) soooooo :
Are there any FlightSafety students or grads that could show me the way as to what their experiences have been like??? I would be very thankful if you could post your comments here for me.
Dave

 

Hello,
I just finished my CFI-A at Flight Safety two weeks ago, it was the only rating I did there. I really liked it, the instruction and facilities are first rate but I should mention that its really, really expensive. Still, I'm glad I did the rating there and I learned alot, I guess you get what you pay for. I'd highly recommend calling and setting up a tour, the best way to know if its for you is to check it out personally.

Hope that helps a bit.

 

The issues most people have with ATP go for every pilot mill including FlightSafety. Its not that their facilities are bad, or that their instructors are bad, its just that they "steal" your money. Lets say in FlightSafety you would be paying $50,000 where in any other FBO all of your ratings would not go past $30,000 for example. You receive the same ratings and same education everywhere you go because otherwise, you would not pass check rides or tests. Trust me, the Designated Pilot Examiner will not pass you if he does not think you are a good pilot, they are also not impressed with any sort of "airline" style procedures, that stuff is all in the exterior. What really matters is your decision making skills and your overall flight experience. Experience you would not get if you go through all of your ratings in a few months as you would in a pilot mill like FlightSafety. I also suggest you get a degree in anything before starting out in aviation if you haven't already. You will always be put at the bottom of the list without a degree. It does not matter where you get it. Hell, getting your degree and getting your ratings on the side might even be cheaper than going to a pilot mill. Be smart, don't get "seduced" by the fancy website or shiny brochures.

 

My sister went to FlightSafety back in 2006 and loved it. I, on the other hand, did my ratings at an FBO. I have never actually run any numbers, but I am positive that I spent a bunch more money since she was able to get each rating in the minimum amount of time, and I did not. She got her private in around 40 hours and it probably took me about twice that long since I was working full-time and not flying consistently. So I wouldn't necessarily listen to everything that everyone says about all of those schools just stealing your money. Sure, some of them do (DCA), but I don't think they all do. In any event, the training is outstanding. I was lucky that my sister's instructor from FlightSafety ended up moving to the city where I live after he left FlightSafety and did my instrument rating. I bet I learned more in that 40 hours with him (yep, even I was able to do a rating in the minimum amount of time) than I learned in all of the hours before that. I know that some people that my sister was at school with had some complaints (like having to wait way too long for their checkrides), but that was not her experience at all.

 

interesting bit of information.
I guess it is really up to the person whether or not time is more important than money. Taking longer to get your licenses will cost you more money of course, but as long as the FBO is a part 141 school and you fly the minimum hours to get the licenses then it should definitely be cheaper than going to FlightSafety. Now whether or not the quality of training is the same is up to debate but like I said, you learn the same stuff everywhere you go. The way you learn it however might be a bit different and it might determine how long it takes you pass the tests. I am not saying people that train at FlightSafety are bad because that is certainly not the case, but they are not better than anyone else neither.

just my .02

 

thank you all for your comments Im reading your answers everyday to get a better idea i am also going to do their tour (FSA)
thank you

 

Good advice from all. The only thing I suggest is to not skimp on training though. I started 141 with my private and then the school closed down right in the middle of my instrument so I was forced to switch to part 61. Kinda sucked because that meant I had to build almoast 50 hours of cross country time. I used to think (at the begining of my training) that it would be great to get my private done in 35 hours.....Reality Check.... I logged 5 hours sitting on the ramp at a busy class B airspace airport waiting for takeoff. Scheduling, Maintenence, 1 instructor switch, Jacked up flight controls on my stage 3 private check led to another flight, Oh yeah....My first solo day I got stuck flying circles over downtown Salt Lake City because the President of Mexico was flying into town so ATC did'nt want me near his Shiny 757......rant...rant....you get the picture....these are all things you will become familiar with once you start flying. My original point Though is Do Not Skimp on training....Your initial training is your foundation of skills and abilities as a pilot. Would you rather be the guy or gal who got a ticket that says you are a private pilot, Or be the guy or gal who did a couple extra flights and walk with your head high and confident because you KNOW you are a well trained competent pilot. Checkride time.... are you ready. Do not go on a checkride unless you know you are ready. It is a waste of time and money if you fail, also it will follow you down the line when you apply for a job.

Here is a perfect example of a pilot versus a competent pilot.

While working at an FBO I notice a group of young men. 18-21 ish. One of them approach our after hour lock-box and grabs the keys to our oldest, least powerful (140hp) cessna 172. I think nothing of it and go about my aircraft fueling and towing. To my amazement all 4 of these guys climb into this 172 and soon after the engine is running. A warm day, But a dry stable air mass. I am fully aware of whats going to happen next, a takeoff roll. The runway at this airport is only 4900 ft long. No problem for a 172. So sure enough about 100 feet away from me they go rolling down the runway and I can't help but notice that his takeoff roll has taken him more than 3000 feet and this cessna is BARELY climbing. I watch in amazement and also dismay. WHY? I know what is wrong. After watching the terrifying departure I shake my head and go back to work. Upon their arrival I marshall them to the hangar so I can put the aircraft away in the hangar. I keep my mouth shut and strike up a friendly conversation with the pilot and to keep it short his comments were. "Yeah man I could barely climb at 150 feet per minute". I keep my mouth shut and say in my head. " Do ya think it's because you were 250 or 300 pounds overweight"!
The next day I speak with a friend at work and tell him about it. He said he was not surprised because that kid failed his Private Pilot checkride 3 times! It was lucky four for him to get his ticket. Not to mention the fact that those 3 guys he took with him were probably clueless of the absolute danger they were in flying and overloaded aircraft with a pilot who was obviously (for lack of better words ) not a very good one. This kid put all of those guys in danger and for what, to prove he could take them for a ride, to prove he is a pilot, Being a pilot means IMO responsible. So do not skimp on your training. Your training will shape you into what you want out of it. Why this kid failed 3 times I do not know but I first hand witnessed his poor judgement and safety skills. Be the competent pilot not the skimper. Sorry for the rant.....Good luck and fly safe.

 

I did my flight training at Flight Safety back in 1995 and was the same age as you are. I personally know what a tough decision this is.

A little background. I was working full time, bachelor degree in hand and wanting to fly. Got my Private at the local airport. Took me longer than 40 hours due to work, weather and other commitments. After completing my private, I started building hours, after 2 instructor changes and FBO going out of business, I switched to Flight Safety.

I can tell you it was some of the best training I have had. This school has a standard for instruction and their instructor are expected to perform to that level. Sometimes the instructor at the local FBO is not that interested in instructing you as much as he is in building time till he finds his next job. I can tell you I had a student come to me after 40 hours of instruction from another instructor. The student could do flight planning and navigate cross country. He had no idea how to do any of the manuevers, let alone, believe or not, he could not even land an aircraft. (This is an extreme case.) I can definitely say you will not encounter this at FlightSafety.

You will have to weight the pros and cons of getting your ratings at FSI. I can list a few pros for you.
1. good training
2. a good chance to network for future jobs, this really helps when you are trying to get that first regional job.
3. Build time in multiengine airplanes.
4. Great Instructors, overall, both in classroom and aircraft.
5. Clean, reliable, aircraft. Maintenance is not compromised.
6. Will not be going out of business anytime soon (owned by Warren Buffet)

Here are some cons:
1. Expensive, no doubt
2. Darn Uniform is hot in the summer
3. If they are training foreign pilots, they get preferential treatment, drives you crazy.
4. They expect you to go to training full time with no breaks. Thus is you have vacation you have to notify them so they break you schedule at a logical point, like stage check or check ride.
5. If you want to instruct for them, you usually have to do desk work first.

Another note: I still keep in touch with a few class mate from FSI. It is a great place. I have trainied not only at the Academy, but also did 3 type ratings with them and turbo commander training with them.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Hey there..I graduated from FlightSafety just over a year ago. In my opinion, it's on a short list of the best flight schools in the country. The training you receive there is very good quality. A lot of flight schools (ATP is the biggest one that comes to mind) just train you to pass checkrides. At FSA, they train you to be a great pilot, and passing a checkride is just a sort of by-product.
However, not everything is perfect. Like the post before, it IS expensive, but quality isn't free..They do have a lot of international students, but right now there's only about 120 students to close to 80 instructors...so you do the math..You will most likely be one of two, if not THE only student your IP has..
The facilities the school uses are spectacular..as well as the ground school instructors who are all mostly highly experienced retired airline captains.
I would definately recommend FSA to an aspiring professional pilot. You will be more than adequately prepared for the next step in your career. I hope this helps you in your decisions.

Also, about the post before me..it is possible to be a "Student Marketing Asst."..I did it for about 8 months during my training there. It is true that a few of the instructors did desk work, but that was when they were still students. Once they finished CFI, it was all flying from there on.

 

Well alwaysflying hit the nail on the head. A little background on me, I went to school at Ohio University to learn to fly, got all of my ratings including CFII there. I taught at 5 different schools, including FSI. From my experience FSI has hands down the best training compared to other 141 operations I worked for. They cover details, frankly most 121operators would be impressed with. I was a good pilot before, but I feel they made me a better pilot. You will pay more, but you will appreciate it later down the line. Also the networking possibilities there walked my resume into the current 121 gig I am with now. Best of luck!