Langley Flying School

[Bobby868]

Anyone familiar with Langley Flying School?

I've searched the forums for info on these guys but nothing. They claim to have been around a number of years but they never seem to pop up in any of the flight school posts for the Vancouver Area.

Bob

[Rowdy]

LFS has been around since before I was born.. they've operated out of a number of diff. buildings at YNJ.. Looks to be a decent place, have a fleet of cherokees and a seneca II for MIFR training. Pop on out and have a chat and see if you like any of the instructors. I've only heard positive things

[laticsdave]

LFS has been around for 11 years. Excellent school - best by far of the three I trained at. Laid back atmosphere. Excellent CFI & instructors.

http://www.langleyflyingschool.com

[mavtar]

LFS has been around for 11 years. Excellent school - best by far of the three I trained at. Laid back atmosphere. Excellent CFI & instructors.

http://www.langleyflyingschool.com

If its alright to ask, where else have you trained?
Also, could you give more info on the school? Your experiences?
Langley Flying School is one of the schools I'm considering and I'd also like more info on them.

[checkremarks]

Langley flying schools fleet looks like a Caribbean parade. Yellow, red, white, blue and green. Their logo is based from a Mini Cooper and their sim is a wooden box with 1 screen.

I went to SkyQuest. Amazing building (there's a runway on the floor!!!) very professional staff and unified 1 colour fleet.

[Shiny Side Up]

Its always very important to learn in an airplane that is in fleet colors and preferably colors that you find pleasing. Absolute first consideration when choosing a flying school.

Second is a snazzy hangar building.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Skyquest's web site makes interesting reading.

According to the info there the charge for an instructor on the C152 and the C172 is $50.00 per hour.

However on their twins the charge for an instructor is $38.00 per hour.

Weird.

[Colonel Sanders]

I'm kind of surprised the multi instructors don't pay
the student $50/hr.

Not kidding. Pilots are that horny for MPIC. You
should sell them some of yours

[Chuck Ellsworth]

In any other industry teaching more advanced skills would pay more....not less.

What a sad industry aviation has become.

[ragequit]

.

[kevinsky18]

I was the first flight instructor to work for Dave P. It was him, me and NIC. The total office space was the square area where the main desk is and that's was it. We worked long hard days keeping things going and customers happy. It was genuinely a great relaxed atmosphere and my fondest memories of aviation revolve LFS and the Langley Airport. Dave gave me some teaching and business tips that I still follow today. That was close to 20 years ago, can't say how things are these days but Dave P is still around.

[shivam93garg]

It is one of the best school . I did my training as well from here.. Experienced and high quality instructors and students are coming form this school..
CFI is the best and all other instructors tooo .. Aircrafts are very well mantained..
The reason behind not posting is they are busy with their students all the time.. Providing them with quality stuff...

[TPAL]

Learning is a very personal journey and in learning to fly you are going to be emerged in a particular environment for a considerable duration. Everyone has a particular preferred learning style whether it be Visual, Auditory, Reading or Kinetic. "VARK". If you want to know what yours is go to this site. http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=advice. Having attended Langley Flying School as a student from 1997-2002 (PPL, CPL, Multi-Engine & Instructor Rating) I can attest that it is the professional service, attention to safety and the school's atmosphere that is the drawing card for this learning center. I brought many of the lessons learned at this school to the flying school where I teach in central Canada now. One of the most fundamental lessons I took with me as an instructor at LFS is to never forget about how "you" felt the first time you walked into a flying school for information. It is such a foreign environment to the uninitiated! People are scurrying about and speaking a language you have absolutely no idea what they are talking about! Then out of no where there is a smiling face standing in front of you with a hand outstretch saying, "Welcome to Langley Flying School!" my name is. . . .and it is usually Dave, but it can also be on of the instructors or front desk office administrator. Dave instilled that in us and I hold this image dear to me and practice it at my new school! The CFI at my new school phone me at home one evening to say, he had received a phone call from a potential student 6 hours later expressing his appreciation for being met at the door by a smiling engaged instructor who was actively listen to his questions. To me, that is where flight training start, "At the front door" and "that" is what is practiced at Langley Flying School. The atmosphere is positively charged with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose. Staff and students alike are quick to answer other students questions as everyone is one the same mission, some just a little further along in their aviation journey. The fact that everyone is welcome to come and just sit back as long as they want in the school and soak up the atmosphere is really important as learning to fly is not too dissimilar to learning a second language. To expedite one's learning we need to emerge ourselves in the environment, after all, we do learn through osmosis. I read with interest some other comments about the myriad of colors of LFS' planes. It made me smile. I guess some people really do judge books and make others associations by its cover. One must never mistake uniformity with harmony. Uniform is simply that, "uniform" and I wore one for 32 years. It doesn't always mean, "professional". If you want to get caught up in the excitement of learning to flying and share that excitement with others then walk through the front doors of Langley Flying School. You will soon be swept away and find yourself look down at the ground with a smile on your face. No matter where you choose to learn to fly always remember, "Being a pilot is a journey and flying an airplane is an attitude. It is our attitude that determines the length of our journey." Dave, "Thank you for all the great lessons!"

[Nahanni 21]

I did all my training at Langley flying school and have nothing but good things to say about it. I got a job right out of school and have been working full time since. As for the color of the planes........who cares about that as long as the maintence is good. Its likely when you get your first job the planes will be all over the place, the company i work for has only two with the same paint job. I'm not much for trashing other schools but i wouldnt recommend going to sky quest, wont say anymore then that. All the best with your training.

[aV1aTOr]

As a former LFS graduate I would wholeheartedly recommend them to any new student. Very friendly and inviting environment. The Cherokee 140 is a wonderful training airplane. As for the comments about a multi-colored fleet, I'm not sure how this has any bearing on the quality of the training. In fact, I prefer the uniqueness of the school. And regarding the negative comments about the school's simulator, it may not be a multi-million dollar Cat D sim, but it serves the purpose it is meant for, which is to prepare you for real instrument flight. In fact, I used this sim to prep for my first job flying a B1900D and it helped me tremendously. Perhaps if the sim is not 'pretty' enough for someone, they should spend more time in the real airplane.
If you're looking for a warm and personable place to learn to fly, LFS is for you. If you're want to pursue a career as a pilot, they took me from 0 time to CPL multi-IFR and IATRA qualified. I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student there.

[Jrmartens]

I have been a student at Langley flying school for the past 18 months. Like you I had to pick a school based on Internet research, because I was out of province. I made phone calls to both schools and e-mail inquiries, but it was the prompt and professional responses from LFS that helped sway my decision. Upon meeting the chief instructor Dave Perry and having a tour of the school I was hooked. But it wasn't until I did my first flight that I knew LFS was for me. This school is ran by people who truly care about their students. The instructors don't just show up for a pay check or flight hours, they are there to guide you on your way and genuinely care about your training. All the instructors make a point of getting to know the students, which made it easy for me to ultimately pick the best instructor for my learning style. Not only that, but they continually come up with new ways to teach lessons that help the student grasp the concept. The "colourful" fleet of planes is exactly that, but shouldn't be looked down on. They are unique, powerful and amazing little machines to do your training on. Upon doing your first solo, or flight test, they won't just be a generic plane but a fond memory to look back on.

If you want a school that will not only get you your pilot's license but will also give you the best experience while you are in BC, Langley Flying School is the best choice. They are professional, extremely well educated in their field and welcoming. Best decision I ever made was attending this school.

[katie de Sousa]

I am a Commercial Pilot Student and a Private Pilot Graduate of Langley Flying school. The time and attention to detail of the Owner/Chief Flight Instructor and his hands on training of his instructors, is evident and outstanding. The school started 1996 and has an excellent reputation within the industry and among other pilots. Safety is paramount.
Lady Pilot Katie

[chinglish]

I’ll start off by saying I’m completely bias towards LFS. I did all of my training and worked as an instructor at the school. First lets address the different colours on the aircraft. I like shinny new aircraft just as much as the next guy but when you’re starting out it just doesn’t matter. The most important aspect of choosing a school is the relationship between you and your instructor. You need to be able to find someone that you can get along with and can communicate with. If that person is at LFS don’t let the colour of aircraft or the simplicity of the certified flight sim scare you away. Langley is a great place to fly out of! The runway presents a nice challenge at only 2100 feet long, the practice area is just outside of the control zone and it’s the right amount of busy. At some of the other airports in the lower mainland you spend a lot of your hard earned money just waiting to take off.

Dave runs a great school and was an amazing boss. The relaxed atmosphere was exactly what I needed to get the most out of my flight training. He doesn’t see a bunch of dollar signs walking around. He talks with so much passion and takes an invested interest in how you are doing. I’ve always felt welcomed at the school.

Personally I wouldn’t touch Sky Quest because I have issues with their CFI and the money that “flows” through that school but they also have great bunch of instructors. Check out both schools and make the right decision for yourself. Just don’t let some paint make your decision. Don’t put too much faith in a bunch of avcanada posts say. Go to the schools ask a bunch of questions and make your own decision. Good luck and enjoy the ride!

P.S. you can practice in the flight sim by yourself for free. Not too many places offer that deal.

[AirFrame]

Troll much?

Skyquest's web site makes interesting reading.
According to the info there the charge for an instructor on the C152 and the C172 is $50.00 per hour.

Okay, I see here that you're getting the instructor rate from $184 (dual) -$134 (solo) = $50/hr for the instructor.

However on their twins the charge for an instructor is $38.00 per hour. Weird.

What's weird is that the Multi page only lists hourly dual rate ($353), not solo. Where do you find the instructor rate for Multi?

[Cat Driver]

Troll much?

Are you in the habit of insulting people without cause?

From their web page.

Piper Seneca.....$337.00 Solo.....$375.00 dual = $38.00

Beech Dutchess...$315.00 Solo.....$353.00 Dual = $38.00

My question remains why do they charge less for an instructor on the twins than they charge on the singles?

[checkremarks]

I think they need to remain competitive with other flying schools in the lower mainland. If they charged more, no one would go there, so they have to charge less for the instructor to match other flying schools price.

[Cat Driver]

So in the flying training business you are worth less the more experience you have?

A class 4 teaching on a C152 gets more than a twin engine instructor?

Weird.

[checkremarks]

So in the flying training business you are worth less the more experience you have?

A class 4 teaching on a C152 gets more than a twin engine instructor?

Weird.

Cat Driver, Just because they charge less for the dual instruction rate doesn't mean that the instructor makes less. The school makes less on the profit from the instruction. If a school charges $40.00 an hour for instruction the instructor usually only makes 20-25 bucks an hour depending on the class of instructor you are. So even though the multi engine instruction they charge is less, the instructor still makes the same wage.

[Cat Driver]

checkremarks I understand how flying schools work having owned several.

What I am trying to point out is the optics of advertising your services to the public.

The optics are they are offering training on a more complex aircraft cheaper than the basic aircraft.

The truth is a school could get instructors on their twins even if the instructors had to pay to teach on the twins.

In other words some pilots want to be pilots so bad they will pay to work.

[AirFrame]

Are you in the habit of insulting people without cause?

Not at all... I usually like to be very sure of cause before I insult someone. In this case, no insult was intended... It honestly looked like a troll.

From their web page.

I stand corrected, and apologize if anyone was offended by earlier comments. I hunted all over their page trying to find a solo rate for the multi A/C, but didn't find it. I only now saw the tiny "rates" link at the bottom of the page.

What I find more interesting is that there's a solo rate at all. It's unlikely that the school would let you solo the twin.

My question remains why do they charge less for an instructor on the twins than they charge on the singles?

That question has already been answered: economics. They charge what the market will bear, and wouldn't be in business long if they didn't.