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Sheble CFI,CFII,MEI

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acabello

Member
Joined
Dec 27, 2002
Posts
17
Can anyone tell me from experience what they thought of Shebles instructor programs. I am considering going there but it would be nice to know how it is from someone who went there.
 
Sheble's

I didn't go there for my CFI but I went there for my ATP, so maybe this will give you an idea. Sheble's is fast. I arrived at mid-afternoon Sunday for my ATP and was gone by noon on Monday. I know the place operates similarly for its CFI ratings. The quality of training for CFI at Sheble's might be questionable, but you finish quickly.

You have to go to Sheble's prepared. He was in Blythe, California, in those days, so I practiced all Blythe approaches for hours in the Riddle sims. I had a friend who went there for his multi (all 3.0 - 5.0 worth of it). He gave me his notes on the Duchess they were using, so I was prepared for it as well. In your case you should go there as proficient as possible on the commercial maneuvers, and maybe get in some right seat practice beforehand as well.

Hope that helps a little. Good luck with your training.
 
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I did the CFI/CFII/MEI program at Sheble's about three years ago and all I can say is you need to know your stuff before you get there. They aren't going to teach you anything but you will leave with all three ratings. I thought it was a good deal for the money and the short amount of time required. I think the price has gone up a little but still a good deal. Just be well prepared ahead of time. Sheble's isn't for everyone. If you are the type of person that needs to be taught in a structured environment I would recomend you look somewhere else.
 
Look some where else! I read a lot of good things on this board about them so I was thinking about going there and I suggested it to a friend for the CFI program He went and had a terrible experience there. I went back and checked the post here and most talk about the ATP program My friend who recently went said they cater to the ATP guys. He said the classes are a joke and for what you pay for he could have done at the local FBO cheaper and been treated better
 
i went to sheble's and had a great time. it has almost been a year now....CFI,II,MEI....plus it's in vegas baby, vegas
 
i went there. it is fast and you need to know your stuff before you show up there. if you want to be a good instructor you will have a ton of work to do after you finish. you'll be filling in the gaps on your own. plus some employers might frown upon you getting your training there. they don't ask you don't tell. i'll go back for my atp if my company won't do it for me.
 
personal experience from cfi job hunts. it is an 8 day program ...most people take months
 
thanks for starting this thread, it's been helpful for me as well...

I started looking into the All ATP school for the cfi,ii,mei ratings, but 14 days to do all that seemed a bit quick. --i don't know how big i am on shooting a partial panel NDB from the right seat in a multi!--Also the cfi is an add on because you do your cfi in the me. They don't offer just the asel cfi.

Sheble's does, and 8 days for the cfi seems more doable. From what I'm reading, it sounds like this is what I'll do.

Oh, and Sheble's prices reflect the examiner's fees, ATP's don't.
 
Why don't you people saying the program is crap explain why you feel this way? Sheble's isn't for everyone but that doesn't mean the program is crap. I think people on this board would benefit more if you could explain from your experience at Sheble's why it's so bad. I went there and I turned out fine. Good luck wherever you decide to go.
 
Why Sheble is not good...

Sorry for the cut/paste from another board, but this says it all and is representative of my experience as well. (in response to socalpilot's request)

Success to you in all your efforts...

RE: Sheble Aviation Training
Author : avbug ...
Posted : 5/13/2002 4:53:54 PM

They're a certificate mill, and the aircraft are cobbled together.

An individual whom I know very well did his ATP there. He was to do it over a weekend. He arrived on the Sunday at the appointed time for instruction, and was given a packet to study. He was told no instruction was needed; the packet contained all the answers. Read it a couple of times, come back tomorrow.

He arrived to preflight the airplane before dawn, as instructed. The airplane was locked up, nobody about. Nobody showed up for an hour. At that point, the owner showed up, asked if 'all the big pieces are still there,' and then said, 'let's go fly.'

The approaches were flown into McCarran in .3 on the tach. Three approaches, and each one was flown at something like 150-180 knots, no flaps no configuration, nothing. The owner indicated that it had to be done quickly. Once on the ground, the applicant was directed to give the owner a ride to his house so he could feed his cats. On the way, the oral portion of the exam consisted of small talk about the superbowl, cats, and a single question as to weather the study packet had been reviewed.

Next the applicant was directed to fly the owner (also instructor/examiner) to his Lake Havasu base. On the way a couple of steep turns and a stall were done, with only a few minutes under the hood, and then a routine landing at Havasu. The owner then spent a couple of hours conducting his business, and ignored the applicant. This is DURING the practical test.

Following this, the applicant was directed to fly the owner to Needles, where he shot one approach and a missed approach (the owner pulled an engine during the missed approach at 30', and ordered a circle back to land on one engine at 200', with a 270 degree turn at low altitude required to complete the turn.

The landing complete, the applicant sat for almost four hours while the owner gave practical tests (checkrides) to two other individuals. Again, this is all happening during the applicant's ATP practical test. Upon completion of his business, the owner directed the applicant to fly him back to las vegas, visually (no view limiting device). There they landed, payment was made, and the ATP temporary certificate issued.

The applicant commented that he had a brief discussion at Havasu with the owner/examiner about the applicant's low multi experience. The examiner advised the applicant to falsify his logbook for the first few hundred hours, in order to gain work.

The applicant had five hours of multi exerience when he began the day, and had nine when he left, only a few minutes of which were actually involved in the practical test. He wasn't instrument current, had received no preparation, and came prepared with the knowledge test passed.

He commented that while on the ground at Needles, he watched the Travelaire he had flown in on, perform several go-arounds. Each time he commented that the popping and banging made him question weather he wanted to fly that airplane back home again. He said it wasn't too noticable while on board, but from outside, the airplane sounded, and looked, terrible.

I knew some 30 individuals who went through the ATP program there during that time period, and all offered similiar accounts. All got their certificates, all stated that it would have been impossible to fail. For twelve or fifteen hundred bucks, they got their certificates, and that's about it. Competence and ability played no part of the equation.

Draw your own conclusions.
 
Re: Why Sheble is not good...

realisent said:
They're a certificate mill, and the aircraft are cobbled together.

I knew some 30 individuals who went through the ATP program there during that time period, and all offered similiar accounts. All got their certificates, all stated that it would have been impossible to fail. For twelve or fifteen hundred bucks, they got their certificates, and that's about it. Competence and ability played no part of the equation.

Draw your own conclusions.
Sounds like he is selling tickets...

This makes me wonder if anyone from the FAA ever checks examiners for this kind of thing, one would think that keeping such a pratice from going on would be in the interest of safety.

I'm working on my CFI right now, have been for about a month. Lots of work, but I'll be prepared when I'm done. I can buy a lot of my instructor's time for fifteen hundred bucks.

Fly Safe!
 
realisent,
Thanks for putting out some valid info. Now that's what I'm talking about. First hand experience that explains what happened to someone who has gone through the program. My experience was much different but that was about 4 years ago. I spent most of my time developing lesson plans and teaching them to the instructor followed by training flights where I would teach the lesson plans I had developed. Maybe I just lucked out and got the only good instructor they had.
 
Sheble's ATP

The owner? He gave you the packet, he trained you and gave you the checkride???????? The owners don't even live in Vegas.......makes me wonder about the credibility of your story.......go ahead and try me......been around awhile......what other stories did your friend tell you...........who was this instructor who said come back tomorrow....names........i know them all well..............oh yeah i'm one of them...............try me
 
Sheble ATP (thread creep - sorry)

He was in Blythe in 1989. I arrived on Sunday afternoon, met with my instructor, and "flew" the "sim." The "sim" was an ATC-610, and did not behave at all like an airplane. It seemed barely functional; perhaps I was too used to the better-functioning ERAU ground trainers. All we did was practice VOR holding and the NDB approach into Ontario. I did receive materials on the Duchess, but, as I wrote above, my friend who got his multi at Sheble a few months before passed his to me and I was prepared.

The next morning was a 1.2 hour flight in the Duchess, another .8 of sim, and the 1.2 hour checkride in the Duchess. The practical was the first time I met the examiner/owner. The only instruction I received was from my instructor. I was gone by noon on Monday.

The place was extremely informal. There were cats running around the hanger. Nothing at all like the formal Riddle environment I was used to. Even less formal than my Part 61, one-on-one initial training with my instructor-airplane owners.

Sheble's back then was definitely not your father's flight school and it sounds no different today. Perhaps my experience was different than others posted above because I did receive some prep for the ride.
 

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