American Flyers

[Canman]

Anybody have any info on this school? Any accidents, mx issues, equipment good or bad?

Thanks

 

[Catnhat]

Compare aircraft hourly rates. I found them to be MUCH more expensive than the FLA. schools.

 

[xshuttlefa]

I just got through with their CFI Academy at the MMU location ( Morristown, NJ). To me, it it was worth the money and the 30 days away from home. Not for everyone, true, but if you can afford the time away, it was worth it.

Every AF location is different, if you search the board, you'll find varying experiences and opinions.

 

[Catnhat]

Can you provide a little detail on other places you considered and what it was about AF that made you choose them?

 

[xshuttlefa]

1) ATP: With the course only being two weeks long, ATP looked like a good idea, even if the price was about $2000 more then American Flyers, plus you get an MEI with ATP. But after hearing some bad things about ATP here, I decided not to go there. Someone in my American Flyers CFI class started at ATP and said it was brutal. ATP teaches you just enough to pass the checkride, that's it. You don't learn how to teach material from what I've heard.

Only go to ATP IF you are ready to pass the checkride before enrolling. After covering the material I did at AF in a month just for CFI and CFII, I couldn't THINK about covering it in 2 weeks AND be ready for a checkride.

If you've got limited time, are really proficient in all your flying ( incl commerical maneuvers, instrument flight and you have a multi rating) ATP could be for you.

2: Local FBO/ Part 141 Community College Course: I have received all of my current flight training this way, I started the commercial Part 141 but finished it a couple years later Part 61. If you have a community college near you and near an airport, see if they have a program. The State of PA gives a discount to flight training done at the college or community college level to its residents, although they have changed the rules a little bit. And I enrolled for the summer session for CFI classes at the community college, but with two weeks until classes began, I was the only one enrolled, meaning the college would cancel the course.

But the reason I didn't go this way was it would be the same school I've been dealing with. And the problem is that they are phasing out their C-152 airplanes and haven't begun replacing them with anything else. So this leaves the 5 Skyhawks and a Diamond DA-20 (two-seat Diamond) for primary and advanced training, and a sole 182RG for complex/ high-perfomance training. In other words, not enough planes to go around.

With the 182RG at $145/hr. plus instructor, tax and fuel surcharge, it was going to cost me nearly the same to stay home and become just a CFI. Or I could go to American Flyers and get a CFI and CFII.

3: Other "academy" schools. Too expensive and too many mixed reviews.

I felt AF was worth the money and time, but not everyone can take a month off of work. They will work the program around your needs, but it will take longer and cost much more. Find an American Flyers with a CFI Academy, don't do "one on one" courses, they are rather expensive for Part 61 in my opinion.

 

[Catnhat]

It pretty much lines up with my preception. AF is very expensive on the flight side, but actually teaches. Probably a better place for Comm, CFI. ATP is a great place to go to polish up and take the flight test if you already have all the requirements, especially for the ATP!

Think that's where they got the name?.....

 

[Ralgha]

Only go to ATP IF you are ready to pass the checkride before enrolling. After covering the material I did at AF in a month just for CFI and CFII, I couldn't THINK about covering it in 2 weeks AND be ready for a checkride.

Why would you waste money on ATP if you were already able to pass the checkride?

 

[xshuttlefa]

Why would you waste money on ATP if you were already able to pass the checkride?

Let me re-phrase that slightly. Be sure you are fairly proficient in all of your flying and up on your knowledge. Maybe not checkride ready, but close. For example, my instrument skills were very rusty when I started at American Flyers. After a couple of flights and a few hours in the simulator, I was back up to speed on instrument flying. To me, the schedule at ATP doesn't afford you that luxury.

Now, I am going by what I've heard and other posts by those who went to ATP. But with only two weeks to cover material for the CFI, CFII and MEI, if any of your skills or knowledge is deficient, you will rough time getting acclimated to a new environment, new airplane and trying to learn how to be an instructor.

 

[Mazdarx7]

How many sims do they have at the mmu location, and also number of Aircraft....COuld ytou also tell what the process is if you need a few extra hours. And lastly, do they stick to the syllabus they send out to prospectives, and if so if you have the writtens done do you have to attend the written prep classes? Thanks, any info much appreciated!!

 

[master]

re

they have 2 sims and you dont have to attend written test prep if you have them done. If you need xtra hours you will get them at some discount rate ( not sure how much but can check out )

 

[xshuttlefa]

How many sims do they have at the mmu location, and also number of Aircraft....


2 sims as mentioned above ( Frasca 131 and Simpro). I think there were 3 R-model 172 , 3 P-model 172 and 1 172 RG.




COuld ytou also tell what the process is if you need a few extra hours.

Just like any other school, you pay as you need to. $3995 is just the base price for the course, which includes 19.6 hours of dual flight time ( 14 hours CFII and 5.5 hours CFI-A). All told, I wound up spending about $5000 in flying, books and written exams and $1700 in living expenses.

And lastly, do they stick to the syllabus they send out to prospectives, and if so if you have the writtens done do you have to attend the written prep classes? Thanks, any info much appreciated!!

In my opinion, no, they do not stick to the syllabus. They do cover all the material in the syllabus, but I didn't think it was in the order they provided me before attending. It worked fairly well though.

If you have your writtens done, you don't have to attend the ground school prep courses. They aren't bad, I learned quite a bit more then just needed to pass the writtens. The director of the MMU location, Lucas, really knows his stuff and passes it along quite well.

 

[dal757]

KDWH location also has a great CFI academy. I highley reccomend it. I definitely learned more than I expected.