American Flyers

[aa30]

I want to know if anyone is/has attended American Flyers and their opinion(s). Particularly, the CFI program and the Dallas location (ADS). Thanks for your input.

 

[uscpilot]

Its been a long time. I attended in Feb 2000. My overall opinion of Flyers at ADS is not very good. Its been several years but I cannot remember gaining anything from the class that I couldnt have obtained from reading the FARAIM and the various texts available for flight training. The implication that they are superior to other flight schools is bogus.
If you have attended any of their ground schools its very similar. Only it lasts several weeks unstead of a weekend and involves an instructor reading verbatum out of one of their manuals which is not much different then a Gleim (sp).
I blew my first check ride (with a DE of all people, how embarrasing). I was signed off after a night of prep. I knew i wasnt ready. My stage check had been moved to an earlier time. While i was away on a short vacation. I left for ADS short notice only to realize that i had forgotton everyting but my logbook. I pulled everyting out my a$$ for that prep, and was told that i would be fine. I didnt make it past the oral. Now i am not putting the blame for my bust on Flyers. I blew it. However they signed me off knowing that i wasnt ready. Two weeks later i passed no problem. But it was due only to my studying and had nothing to do with the previous month and several thousand dollars that i pissed away.
My advice is find some old crusty instructor who has been flying longer than you have been alive and have him teach from his head unstead of read from a book. Also set aside a couple of weeks to study your a$$ off.
Good Luck
PS PM me if you have any other questions. If i keep going I might getting sued.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Thier instructors have something called an efficiency rating too. If you work for them as an instructor and you have less than a 95% rating you get talked to. The rating is based on hours scheduled vs. hours billed. So if your scheduled four hours you better be billing your student for at least 95% of that time or you'll be talking to the boss man.
They are a rip off....stay away from them. I've never been to another flight school that has one guy that stands behind a desk that his only job is to sell sell sell.....they want you to put all of this money down too...any school that operates like that isn't worth attending. Its like dealing with a car salesman...go check out other schools and compare. They will tell you there prices are higher...and they will make up something like the training is so much better....its not better...it is quicker in some instances but not better in most cases.

 

[uscpilot]

Hey Peter its funny you made the car salesmen analogy. I was told by several instructors when i went there that the head guy at ADS (i wont mention names) was a former car salesmen, and not even a PVT pilot.
Scam

 

[na265]

I went to AF back in the early 90's. At the time I borrowed 15k to go through my Inst-Comm-CFI. That seemed like a big sum of cash back then. What are they charging these days? Just wondering if the "car salesman" is the big guy who was there when I was. Don't remember his name. Anyone else out there attend AF around Apr '92-May '92?

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Yeah...I made the mistake of getting my private there...I had no Idea about anything in aviation...ended up spending over 6000 dollars for it. I learned real quick it was a mistake after doing other ratings other places for much less. And the quality of instruction was the same or better at other places in my opinion.

 

[T/SF34/A]

Flyers

I did the 30 day CFI/II program at flyers down in Pompano Florida.
I paid about 4 grand which paid for the CFI-A and II preps and the writtens plus the -A and II ground schools. Also included was 10 hours of flight time and the cost of the check rides. I took my II ride on my 31st day of the program. This is because on the 28th day I busted my -A oral with one of their grumpy examiners. The 29th day I reviewed what I had busted, 30th day I retook the oral and took the ride, passed, then went up and did the II stuff with my instructor and 31st day took the II ride.
In all, it was a good experience...I believe my prior flight school had educated me to the level where all of the flyers ground school was just a review. The instructor I was assigned was excellent. Not saying all their instructors are at the level he is at though...
I did fly with one other guy there that would not shut up...I could not wait for that flight to be over with.
The equipment was not in the best of shape, but obviously airworthy. I hear that they rotate the aircraft around the different schools. PMP had a newer 172S, but I never flew it.

When I think about it, the overall experience was good, minus the blown check ride and then the director coming up and saying "Consider yourself humbled." That was real nice!
I earned the CFI and CFII quick, which was my goal.

On a side note, I was offered a job at Flyers about two months after I finished the program. After working there for two weeks and seeing a 50 dollar paycheck I applied my services somewhere else. Had to survive. Bill collectors dont accept excuses.

Hope this helps some.