San Diego Flight Training International

[suspense]

This is a smaller school, but I was wondering if anyone on this board has any information about it. Thanks in advance.

 

[qwerty]

Got friends that CFI there, started my private there, tried to get a job there.

You will end up spending more money than you can imagine there.

I would go across the street to Gibbs, get a freelance instructor and join a club. Do some research and find a good CFI. The good CFIs are usually the ones not hanging around like car sales people. There are some OUTSTANDING CFIs there and some sorry ones. You will save a TON of money.

Take charge of you training or someone else will and you'll pay.

 

[jredbird]

San Diego Flight Training International: STAY AWAY FROM THERE!!!!!!
I earned my private license there some years ago- at first, the instructors there cared about what they were doing, then more and more of them were replaced by people who were not very mature, let alone genuinely concerned about what was going on, at least with my experience. The previous poster is right about across the street at the Gibbs- I later found out about one of the flying clubs there and did some instrument work with them. Right now I have still other plans which I'm working on but I had to say something about what happened with me.

 

[sdpilot]

I agree with jredbird and qwerty....Your flight dollars will go farther at Gibbs. Just because you pay more money for your education doesn't mean you get more...The instructors are good guys, but they just slam you through the program.

I started my Instrument at SDFT and got fed up with the system and went over to Gibbs. Saved a ton of money and in MY opinion got a better education. Private email me and I can give you some names of good CFIs for you to check out.

Good Luck...

 

[MYFpilot]

I've got lot's of experience with SDFTI. I will say that the management/owners are evil. However, the instructors there are the finest around. Much more professional than the carnies over at Gibbs. The majority of the students that walk through the door at SDFTI put fourth very little effort. I will admit that the rates are expensive, but you would think that would motivate the students to be a little more diligent in their studies. They think a John & Martha CD ROM is going to teach them everything they need to know, and all they have to do is show up and fly. Then they get fed up because they take forever and spend a bunch more money, go over to Gibbs and fly a $50/hr Sorbi piece of junk with a $10/hr CFI (who probably gives multiengine instruction for free). You can slam the prices and management at SDFTI all you want, but leave the instructors out of it. They are doing a hell of a job, especially considering who and what they've got to work with.

 

[canosoup]

Ill take lift over drag any day

looks like the last poster erased any misconceptions about what you can expect at SDFTI.

1: Management and owners are evil

2: Instructors impression is that students don't put forth any effort

3: Students get fed up over exhorbitant prices and molassass shecdules

4: Students leave to go across the street anyways to fly cheaper planes

5: SDFTI CFI's learned in thier indoc class that anyone who doesnt spend as much time color coordinating thier tie to thier flight bag to their superfly Maverick style aviator glasses as they do is obvioulsy a carnie

Do you really want to be the student that comes up in a discussion of " look how good we are consdiering who and what we have to work with."
Some CFI's at GIBBS are from Flight Safety, some from Pan AM, some from part 61 schools where they learned the ropes from retired jet jockeys and crusty airline capts. We charge what we are worth, work harder since we know we wont be getting students from that contract with AfganAir. I flew 100 hours multi last month, charged for every lesson except when we went to Vegas and my student was happy enough to pay for the hotel room.
Don't be fooled.

 

[qwerty]

100 multi out of Gibbs last month with only 500TT? How did you do that?

 

[VFR on Top]

I had one of their guys try to kill me a couple months back--overtook me on the ILS after the tower had closed, passed over me by about 50 ft just outside PALOS, both student and instructor swear they never saw me, strobes and all. Their management was fairly responsive about it the next day.

Other than that, SDFTI has a lot of nice airplanes, all 172R/S/SPs and Duchesses. My instructor for my private got his CFI there, he was quite good, best I've flown with.

Even so, it's a buyer's market right now, no reason to pay that kind of dough, particularly when most of it goes straight to school overhead or the owners' pockets.

Plenty of good instructors, clubs and aircraft to be had at Gibbs.