Professional Flight Instruction (School in Utah)????

[josegu2]

I'm thinking about starting flight school and I have been considering "Professional Flight Instruction" they are out of Cedar City, UT. I would appreciate any unbiased input about this school. I have been unable to find any info here and the net about it's reputation and weight, If any, in the Industry. Also, a pilot friend of mine recommended ATP....??...

Thanks in advance

Joe - Las Vegas

 

[Goose Egg]

Used to fly in and out of KCDC all the time, but I don't know anything about these guys. Cedar is nice, but why would you come all the way from Vegas?

...and weight, If any, in the Industry.

I'm not sure if that even exists. Part 61 guys from FBOs make it "all the way," and Riddle/ATP/Academy du Jour guys lose out. It's not about where you go.

-Goose

 

[Lead Sled]

I'm thinking about starting flight school and I have been considering "Professional Flight Instruction" they are out of Cedar City, UT. I would appreciate any unbiased input about this school. I have been unable to find any info here and the net about it's reputation and weight, If any, in the Industry. Also, a pilot friend of mine recommended ATP....??...

Thanks in advance

Joe - Las Vegas

Joe...
There's a real easy way to find out if they're any good - find out who the designated pilot examiners are in the Cedar City / St. George areas and call them up and ask them what they think. They'll probably have 1st hand experience with their graduates and know how well they've been taught. Here's an even better idea - do the same thing locally and find out who the good CFIs are in your area. You don't have to go to a school to find good instructors, in fact, you'll often find excellent highly experienced instructors that are free lancing. You can save yourself some money as well.

'Sled

 

[josegu2]

Thanks for the info.......This school is based out of Cedar City and is expanding its facilities into Las Vegas. I understand ATPS has a school here as well. I am going back and forth with who I should go with.....both promise job placement. Which I find hard to believe given the way the industry has been lately. If you have a chance check out www.utahflightschool.com Let me know what you would do??

Thanks Again

 

[Lead Sled]

Every PFI Graduate has been accepted and placed with regional airlines and corporate flight departments.

One of the first rules of life is not to believe everything that you hear or read. I find it awfully hard to believe that they are able to place 1,100 hour commercial pilots in legitimate, viable Part 91 corporate flight departments. Sorry, I know it's possible, but it's just not likely. As far as going to work for a regional - that's believable. Rather or not it's going to be something that you want to do, that's a question that only you can answer.

When it comes to the hiring requirements of major corporations, it's as much who you know as what you know. That being said, in order to be competitive in the real world, you've got to have your ATP and some college under your belt and that's in addition to having 3,000 to 4,000 hours including at least 1,000 multi and at least 500 hours of turbine time. There are guys that will tell you that I'm wrong, but if I were to put the word out that we were getting ready to hire another pilot for our operation I'm here to tell you that I would receive several hundred resumes including dozens with 5-figure total times, 5-figure jet times, with about any type-rating imaginable and an MBA from Embry-Riddle. That's not to say that I would hire any of those guys, but they're out there. This is what you're going to be up against. There are few, if any, shortcuts in this business. One way or another, you're going to end up paying your dues.

I've already told you what I would do. I'd ask around and find the best flight instructor that I could find and start the process. Remember, it's not the school, it's the instructor. The best, most modern flight school facilities using the newest training aircraft can't compensate for a medocre instructor. Good instructors are where you find them - the flight schools don't have a monopoly on them. Do your homework and good luck.

'Sled

 

[avbug]

By coincidence I was there recently. Expanding? Interesting concept...they didn't own what they had, didn't know the status, and couldn't answer a single question. I was there on unrelated business connected with something else on the field, but took an opportunity over the afternoon to talk to most of the people on the field (which isn't hard, there aren't very many).

I believe they had a rented arrow and a rented 172...leased intermittantly from someone else on the field. I needed to borrow an airplane and approached the owner, who told me he'd need to check with the flight school. We went to the flight school, and one of the instructors said he didn't know, but asked if they owned it. The owner said no, he owned it. The instructor, and his associates there, seemed clueless.

I believe they had one aircraft of their own. The one on their web site is registered to "Skyhawk Leasing" from California.

For a school that claims to gaurantee to train you and then place you in a job in what--sixteen months?--their testimonials on their own website don't include a single statement from someone who trained there and then got a job. What does that tell you?

I spoke to a student there who told me he was "building time." We spoke briefly about him splitting a little time doing some instrument training with a friend. He said that was illegal. We talked about the legalities, and I showed him the regulation. He said his instructor had told him otherwise, and noted that this would be a good thing as he was running low on money.

Bad place? Good place? Just a little flight school in CDC. Nothing wrong with that of it's own accord, but not a place turning out hundreds or dozens of pilots to the job market, either.

 

[josegu2]

Wow, very informative!! Looks like ATP is sounding better already.
Thanks again guys.