A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Piloting
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Picking a flight school



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old September 6th 05, 05:25 PM
Rob Montgomery
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I'll throw in a dissenting opintion. :-)

While I agree that it is alarming how many pilots are reluctant to fly
into the local Class B, C or D airport, I don't think that is the place
to start your learning.

Flying is a bit like juggling, with about a dozen things going on all
at once. While, given enough time, it's possible to learn them all
simultaneously, I believe that a progressive approach is a better
method of instruction. It's much easier to give progressive instruction
when you fly out of a quiet, non-towered field.

Is it possible to give/get good instruction at a towered field? Sure,
but it's harder to find instructors who are capable of giving it.

Whatever happens, make sure you spend plenty of quality time at both
towered and non-towered airports. It will be worth your while. :-)

-Rob

---
Rob Montgomery
www.ScaryLittleAirplanes.org

  #12  
Old September 6th 05, 05:27 PM
George Patterson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Dallas wrote:

They do? Where do they go?....


Oh, they're still there. Under the parking lots at, for example, Hadley Center
in South Plainfield and Airport Mall in Hazlet.

George Patterson
Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a person to
use the Internet and he won't bother you for weeks.
  #13  
Old September 6th 05, 08:43 PM
xxx
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Dallas wrote:


Well, it seems unanimous. I am a little surprised, I expected to hear that
a little country airport was the way to go.


It is not unanimous.

I made a lot of flights in and out of Addison during the years that I
was in Dallas. I don't recommend it, not any school there, for flight
training, though there are reasonable places to rent airplanes there
once you have a ticket.

There are two big negatives that I see. Number one is time: it just
takes too long to get to and from the practice areas. The Hobbs
ticks just as fast when you're getting out from under the class B
shelf as it does when you're really making progress. It's already
expensive enough, why add to it?

The really big one, though, is the quality of instructors. The big
majority there are arrogant know-nothing time-building (on your dimes)
airline-pilot wannabes. They can't teach you how to fly because they
don't know anything about aviation. They have barely an hour in the
air that was not spent either doing exactly what it takes and nothing
more to get their own ratings or teaching folks like you exactly what
it takes and nothing more to get ratings. They're hopeless as teachers
because they have no experience and don't particularly want to be
teachers in the first place.

Takeoff and landing delays tend not to be bad during weekdays but can
be pretty depressing on sunny weekends--being 12th in line for takeoff
with 13 in the pattern while the Hobbs spins isn't a great way to start
a lesson.

The advantage of learning in a busy environment is over-rated. Learn
to fly the airplane first, then take an hour or so, not much more,
to get comfortable dealing with Dallas approach control and ADS tower.

So sez me, who did do primary training at a rural strip not far from
Dallas and then rented from several FBO's at ADS.

  #14  
Old September 6th 05, 08:59 PM
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

xxx wrote:
There are two big negatives that I see. Number one is time: it just
takes too long to get to and from the practice areas. The Hobbs
ticks just as fast when you're getting out from under the class B
shelf as it does when you're really making progress. It's already
expensive enough, why add to it?



An excellent point. I learned at a suburban airport only about 15 miles from
what is now a class B airport. I learned to fly first, then I learned to talk.
Then I learned to talk at the big airport. We went in and out of there
periodically and so it had no particular horror for me. Later, I had a flying
job where I flew out of that same Class B airport twice a day five days a week.
It was just another airport to me by that time... but I wouldn't have wanted to
start learning how to fly there.


The really big one, though, is the quality of instructors. The big
majority there are arrogant know-nothing time-building (on your dimes)
airline-pilot wannabes. They can't teach you how to fly because they
don't know anything about aviation. They have barely an hour in the
air that was not spent either doing exactly what it takes and nothing
more to get their own ratings or teaching folks like you exactly what
it takes and nothing more to get ratings. They're hopeless as teachers
because they have no experience and don't particularly want to be
teachers in the first place.



After being out of flying for 15 years because of medical problems, I'm back.
And when I look for an instructor these days for recurrency work, I look for
CFIs who are already ATPs as well. They're not building time; they've got it.
I assume they teach because they enjoy it. And I know they've flown enough to
have practical experience about which they speak.

I had to snicker when getting an aircraft checkout from a young instructor one
day when he went into great detail about what to do if the engine quits.
Between the two of us, there were two airplane crashes related to engines
quiting to draw experience from. Unfortunately, he hadn't made either of them.
G

So, when I was looking for instrument recurrency training, I found an ATP to get
it with. It tends to be a much more refined lesson than I get from someone
who's never actually done it but has only read about it. Many of the CFIIs I
run into actually have very little real IFR experience, which surprised me quite
a bit. But the ATPs....



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE


  #15  
Old September 6th 05, 09:11 PM
Allen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I used to freelance out of a place called Centerline at Addison. On
weekends it was not unusual to be number twelve or fifteen in line for
take-off. Three or four "tenths" would tick off the Hobbs before it was our
turn to go. I would try to keep my student as busy as possible but how much
can you do in line? I'm afraid you will be spending about $50 in these
modern aircraft just to get to the runway. I suggest you get away from
there and check out McKinney or Dallas Executive before you sign up.

Just my $.02

Allen

"Dallas" wrote in message
.net...
I'm finding myself motivated to take a few lessons and I'm getting
conflicting opinions as to how to pick a flight school. As you can see
from
my moniker, I'm from Dallas and Addison Airport has quite a few schools.

One opinion was that Addison was a good choice because they'll have more
modern aircraft and more proficient schools.

The other opinion that seems to make sense is to pick a flight school
outside of the city in a rural area to get away from the traffic and the
Class B airspace. I could see how you could burn up a lot of your time on
the taxiways at Addison and once in the air, use up more time getting to a
practice area. I'm afraid that I'd only get 30 minutes for my hour.

Opinions?

Dallas




  #16  
Old September 6th 05, 09:32 PM
Stefan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Best would be to try and find a school on a grass strip not longer than
2000 ft, then you get used to precicion right from day one. Perfect
yould be if they offer ab initio training in a taildragger, so you
actually learn stick and rudder skill and how to navigate by looking out
of the window. Once you know how to handle a plane, you can still go and
learn how to use all those gadgets.

I've seen pilots who couldn't hold an attitude using the natural horizon
instead of the artificial one and who refused to go cross country
without a GPS. Not my idea of a pilot.

Stefan
  #17  
Old September 8th 05, 06:40 AM
Dallas
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Jay Beckman"
Is Addison considered a "reliever airport" for DFW? What
types of planes use Addison and how frequently? Are there scheduled air
carrier flights? Is it where lots of bizjets come home to roost?


Hey Jay,

It's the 3rd busiest GA airport in the nation and it's bizjet city. It's a
bit like a free Air Show...

Dallas


  #18  
Old September 8th 05, 06:52 AM
Dallas
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Allen"
I used to freelance out of a place called Centerline at Addison.
I suggest you get away from there and check out McKinney or
Dallas Executive before you sign up.


Great advice from this group! I like the idea of McKinney... nice new
airport. I'll see if I can network around and find a flight school that
"cares" up there.

Dallas


  #19  
Old September 8th 05, 06:54 AM
Dallas
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"George Patterson"
Oh, they're still there. Under the parking lots at, for example, Hadley

Center
in South Plainfield and Airport Mall in Hazlet.


....and putting greens?
http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsite...03-1-157x.html

:-(

Dallas


 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
AOPA Stall/Spin Study -- Stowell's Review (8,000 words) Rich Stowell Aerobatics 28 January 2nd 09 03:26 PM
Nearly had my life terminated today Michelle P Piloting 11 September 3rd 05 02:37 AM
Washington DC airspace closing for good? tony roberts Piloting 153 August 11th 05 12:56 AM
Looking for Cessna Caravan pilots [email protected] Owning 9 April 1st 04 02:54 AM
FAA Investigates American Flyers SFM Piloting 64 November 7th 03 10:33 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:01 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.