On the other hand, there have been people who have gone to these
commercial operators, stayed for a week, gotten soloed, and perhaps
their license who are a danger to themselves and to others due to this
"show up, pay your money, get your ticket" opportunity. Now I'll say
that this is NOT the case for Knauff. Ridge Soaring is a high quality
operation. I, and others, have seen the lack of proficiency of some
rated pilots who decided to get their ticket in a week for one lump sum
via a commercial operator. It's also an arguable benefit to dealing
with a few different instructors in your training. You're guaranteed to
see a broader range of instruction as a result, "pro" or not.

My recommendation is to learn at a commercial operation if it's in
your budget. While we have many fine instructors among our 160
members, none (or very few) are pros. And there's something to be said
for someone who does this work day in and out. After soloing, join the
club and take advantage of its many, many benefits: location,
equipment, cheap tows, concentrated experience, enthusiasm,
commeraderie, x-county flying, racing, etc...

OC