CYBW Flight Training Suggestions

[BTyyj]

Hello,

Right now I'm in the process of selecting a flight school for my PPL training, and possibly further training in the future. I've narrowed my list down to the Calgary Flying Club, Fly Right, and Spring Bank Air Training College. I have visited all of them and have done intro flights with all except Fly Right. I have also talked to numerous pilots training at these flight schools about their experiences, but what I found is that most of them simply plugged their own school which wasn't too constructive in helping me make my decision.

If anybody has any relevant information regarding any of these clubs or has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. I realize there have been some safety issues at SATC in the past (number of crashes in '07 I believe), and I'd like to know if those issues have been resolved (they made it seem that way when I was there).

Thanks in advance!

[shamrock104]

Frosty, you can PM me.

[peakbagger]

SATC was awesome. I highly recommend it. Good crew when I was there, solid owner and as far as safety goes, they were the safest planes around. Good prices too, definitely worth checking out at least.

[Go Juice]

I flew once in a SATC airplane.... Not twice!

[LousyFisherman]

Don't do your PPL at any of the schools at Springbank.
I did mine there, my story can be found if you search the site.

I would recommend Okotoks and I have never given Clark a penny

YMMV
LF

[tester]

Which of the Springbank flight schools you choose probably doesn't matter from the point of view of getting your PPL - they are all good and it's really a matter of opinion which is the best. I have no experience of the school at Okotoks, but from what I've heard that is also a good place to go for a PPL.

I suggest that before making your decision you should think about what else you would like to gain from your PPL. If your intention is that for a while at least you will stop at PPL and just enjoy the pleasure aspect of flying after that, maybe you should look again at the social/club aspects the flight schools you are considering. I believe you will find that the Calgary Flying Club has much more to offer in that area than the other possibilities.

If, however, you plan to go on to complete CPL and Multi IFR, look at each of your options to identify which fits your needs best. You may then find that a couple of your possibilities drop out.

Of course you don't have to complete the CPL and IFR stuff at the same place as for your PPL, but you might find that you prefer to get to know one operator and one bunch of instructors, rather than switch after PPL.

Hope that helps,

[Beefitarian]

Um, if you are worried about paying for 0.1 on the Hobbs extra why would you go to YBW at all? I have sat in the run up bay for 0.3 waiting for traffic so I could take off, total of 0.5 ground time. It was dual so that's like $80.

[niwre]

My advice on schools is pick the place that you have the best connection with, what ever place gave you the best first impression should be just fine. Too much emphasis is put on the school and not enough on the individual instructor. If the school has a LONG history chances are they have their ducks in a row and then it goes down to the instructor. We all have to teach to the same FIG/Syllabus.

[BTyyj]

Thanks for all the help. I've narrowed it down to the Calgary Flying Club and SATC. I'm going to head down to CYBW again and check out the flight schools one more time before deciding.

I would like to do my training at Springbank simply because it is extremely close to my house, whereas Okotoks is quite a ways. I hope to go into CPL and related training immediately after my PPL.

[Geo]

I did my PPL at Calgary Flying Club and I am happy. That's not to say you might not do well somewhere else. Your mileage may vary.

But (and at the risk of inciting the Gods of Aviation who post here ) The most important factor in your flight training will be... you!

Your preparation. Your ability. Your willingness to decide that a particular instructor (at any school) is or is not someone you can learn from. Your decisions.

All instructors are different people, and you will communicate (and learn from) some better than others. If you feel you aren't learning from one, then talk to them. Or find another. You're spending a lot of money to learn a difficult (and if you don't learn it right, dangerous) skill set. So be demanding. I believe that with a few exceptions, you're better off searching for a good (for you) instructor than a good school. Of course one does not guarantee the other.

Be demanding of yourself. Don't waste your time (or your instructor's) by coming to a lesson unprepared.

Don't be afraid to say you don't understand when you don't (and some days you won't). Ask.

Learn from your mistakes. They're expensive, so don't waste them.

When you drive all the way to the airport and get scrubbed for weather, don't go home right away. Go sit in the cockpit and practice initial actions for emergencies for an hour (CFC never charged me for that. I hope no school would!). It's cheap. It's muscle memory. And your muscles don't care that the engine isn't on and you're sitting still in the hangar. And if you close the canopy no one can hear you making "zoom!" or "vrrrrmmm!" noises.

LOOK OUTSIDE. It's pretty out there, and sometimes there are other planes. Which is the point I think.

Good luck. Blue skies!
g

[edit to correct a couple of typos]

[YYZSaabGuy]

But (and at the risk of inviting the Gods of Aviation who post here The most important factor in your flight training will be... you!

Your preparation. Your ability. Your willingness to decide that a particular instructor (at any school) is or is not someone you can learn from. Your decisions.

All instructors are different people, and you will communicate (and learn from) some better than others. If you feel you aren't learning from one, then talk to them. Or find another. You're spending a lot of money to learn a difficult (and if you don't learn it right, dangerous) skill set. So be demanding. I believe that with a few exceptions, you're better off searching for a good (for you) instructor than a good school. Of course one does not guarantee the other.

Be demanding of yourself. Don't waste your time (or your instructor's) by coming to a lesson unprepared.

Don't be afraid to say you don't understand when you don't (and some days you won't). Ask.

Learn from your mistakes. They're expensive, so don't waste them.

Great post, Geo, and 100% on the money.

Too often on this site, instructors as a group are slagged for training outcomes that are as much attributable to unprepared students who have money but lack the required maturity and/or work ethic. And I'm not sure that any of the "Gods of Aviation" who post here would be inclined to disagree with that assessment.

[Rowdy Burns]

Your preparation. Your ability. [...] Your decisions.
[edit to correct a couple of typos]

Nicely said Mr. Ganderson

[BTyyj]

Thanks for the great advise Geo and YYZSaabGuy. Certainly appreciate all the help from everyone who posted.