exp. @ Pilots' Choice, Georgetown, TX?

[Catbert]

Hi all,

Fairly typical question for the board:

Looks like I've decided to go to Pilot's Choice in Georgetown TX to finish up my Comm SE and ME.

Anyone have experience/recommendations/comments/rumours about the group there?

Thanks in advance,
JM

 

[Rumrunner]

Yeah they would probably be a good school to attend if you had a lick of sense. Look man I've flown with you, there is absolutley no school out there can help you out. Three words for you, Austin at night.

Anyway when you get to Georgetown, come on down to SA and we'll drink a cold beer or three.

 

[AHPilot]

Rumrunner,
Do you live in San Antonio?
Thats where i am....if so where do you do your flying?

 

[enigma]

I used Beth Ann for my double I about 14 years ago. At that time she wasn't the greatest, (went sleep a couple of times) but I was happy with the operation. I really haven't kept up with her operation, but her reputation is that the airplanes are well kept and it's a friendly operation.

Also, BethAnn is in the business because she loves flying. I suspect that she could be a United Captain had she wanted to, but she wanted to have just what she's got. I think that speaks well for her.

good luck
8N

 

[Catbert]

Rumrunner:
You so funny. Get back to work and let these nice people reply to my post. You could use some more bling bling anyway.

JM

 

[bigD]

Woohoo - finally a question I'm somewhat qualified to answer!

I did my multi-comm there - and it's currently where I'm renting Duchesses. I think it's really the only shop anywhere near Austin that rents trainer class twins. My instructor isn't there anymore, but I've flown with a couple other instructors for currency purposes and they've all been cool. I like the place a lot. Good selection of planes (if you like Piper and Beech), and squawks are fixed pretty quickly.

Beth isn't very outgoing, so if she doesn't know you, she comes off as not being very friendly. But once she sees you around and gets used to you being there - she's very cool. She's also the DE you'll go to when you're ready for your checkrides. My multi add on checkride was very fair, although she doesn't really say anything while you're up there beyond telling you what she wants. She's all business, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The insurance company they're under has come down on them pretty hard lately (they lost an Archer last year when a pilot lost control on a night X-country), and there are a couple of unusual restrictions regarding renting of planes. VFR cross countries require a flight plan. Night cross countries require an instrument rating AND an IFR flight plan. You now need a day AND night checkout. You can't just get checked out in the daytime and be allowed to fly at night as well. Finally, you need to fill out a flight manifest before ANY flight without an instructor. The manifest requires flight planning information such as weight and balance, performance figures, and a listing of the V-speeds for the plane. They won't give you the books unless you give them the completed manifest first. You've got to fill one out even if taking a plane by yourself around the patch. There's no getting around it.

It's the biggest school in Central Texas, and I've had no complaints. You might also want to check out Wright Aviation on the other side of GTU if you're into Cessna's products.

 

[sydeseet]

Ahhhhh the mighty Beth Jenkins. Unique?? Tempermental??? Motivated???? She's all that and then some - both good and bad.

I instructed in Austin for two years for a competitor and did my MEI with her, as it's true that they have the only ME trainers in town. The training was brief, the checkride basically a glorified lesson, and the airplanes were airworthy (not really actually, but she said to pretend that the CHT guage worked for the purpose of getting the checkride done......) and all in all it was a slightly satisfactory experience. It was a rating, that's about it. It's true, she did actually fall completely asleep during my oral. I stopped talking and went to fetch a drink, she didn't mention anything when I returned.

It won't be the best training you've ever had but her instructors are usually good people that she works too hard, stresses out, burns out, under-pays, and runs off eventually. She was a regional airline pilot mill there during the glory days. Again, it's a rating - that's about it. You won't be the most confident ME pilot in the world but you'll get by. Have fun and make her earn her money...............

 

[Catbert]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm off to fly a duchess.

JM