Worst flight school in Chicago?

[siucavflight]

I have been instructing in central Iowa and I have been looking at trying to move back home to the Chicago area. I had a job interview with JIM from THE FLIGHT CENTER at Palwaukee airport near Chicago.
Jim told me that he would be interested in hiring me if i worked for him for six months for free. I thought that he was joking but i guess that he wasnt, it is considered an internship. I explained to him that I already had 350 Hours of dual given. It did not matter. On my way out I was followed down the steps that i thought were about to fall apart by one of the other instructors who told me that I did not want to work there. Things like being discouraged by the owner to ever sign anyone off for a checkride because he would loose business. He also told me that all of the maintence logbooks on the aircraft were forged.
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this school. I told Jim that i would consider the job (which I am not going to unless he changes his offer). Any help would be appricated.

 

[LAXSaabdude]

I have been instructing in central Iowa and I have been looking at trying to move back home to the Chicago area. I had a job interview with JIM from THE FLIGHT CENTER at Palwaukee airport near Chicago.
Jim told me that he would be interested in hiring me if i worked for him for six months for free. I thought that he was joking but i guess that he wasnt, it is considered an internship. I explained to him that I already had 350 Hours of dual given. It did not matter.

Maintenance or other business practices aside, this is enough reason not to work for this a$$hole. Don't even give him a second thought.

By the way, did you ask him if he would be charging your students an instructor's rate while you were fulfilling your "internship"?

LAXSaabdude

 

[siucavflight]

The internship was not even for flying, it was for washing his aircraft, and answering the phones. Stuff like that, sorry if i did not clarify it the firs time.

 

[banned username 2]

That place has been a REAL bad operation since it opened... On foggy days they would make their students go out and do "Taxi Practice" just to run up the Hobbs meter!

Run from this place!

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Hey be sure to post your experience on any CFi/flight school boards you visit. Maybe it will helpothers as well as kill this idiots business..


taxi practise, now thats pretty resourceful!!

 

[LAXSaabdude]

The internship was not even for flying, it was for washing his aircraft, and answering the phones. Stuff like that, sorry if i did not clarify it the firs time.

Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me! Even if he changes his mind and offers you some pay, I wouldn't work for this jerk under any circumstances! People like this are long on promises and short on delivery.

LAXSaabdude.

 

[KnowledgeSeeker]

I did my first five hours of flight with jim at Flight Center many years ago. My instructor from there basically said he was one of the worst bosses to have. He didn't say anything negative about how he was treated (it did get him the hours to move on to a regional) but couldn't stand how he pinched every bit of cash out of every student. I would think twice about working for him, but if you were to take a job do it only if you get paid from the get go. We all deserve at least that.

 

[FL000]

All of this might be true, might not be. I don't have a clue. However, I'd rethink some of the posts that are here. There are legal precedents which resulted in successful lawsuits against posters and board owners because of statements like these. Sorry to sound like a dad. I know that's annoying.

 

[siucavflight]

I believe that the only way that this could result in a lawsuit would be if what i was saying was not true, i.e....defemation, lible, slander. However if what i am saying were truthful then none of these things would apply.

 

[FL000]

I agree with that, but a lot of what is posted here is second-hand. Do you know that hearsay to be true? Again, just trying to help, and not trying to be a stick in the mud.

 

[hypoxic1]

"I agree with that, but a lot of what is posted here is second-hand. Do you know that hearsay to be true? Again, just trying to help, and not trying to be a stick in the mud."

First hand info: It's all true. Do Not Work There! Spare yourself and find a descent flight school. Trust me.

 

[siucavflight]

Yes i know it is true, i am the one that had the interview. Hypoxic do you know of the flight school?

 

[banned username 2]

Hypoxic1

Hey Golden Boy, is that you?

 

[hypoxic1]

Golden Boy?

“Hey Golden Boy, is that you?”

Hey MM! How are you? I just spoke with BurningKerosene. Seems like he’s a new daddy. I told him when he gets some time away from the baby, which might be in a couple of years, to give me a call and go out for a cold one. It would be nice to see you guys again.

Anyway, siucavflight, there are some really good flight schools at PWK. Drop off a bunch of resumes at the 1098 building, someone is always hiring.

 

[banned username 2]

Re: Golden Boy?

“Hey Golden Boy, is that you?”

Hey MM! How are you? I just spoke with BurningKerosene. Seems like he’s a new daddy. I told him when he gets some time away from the baby, which might be in a couple of years, to give me a call and go out for a cold one. It would be nice to see you guys again.

Anyway, siucavflight, there are some really good flight schools at PWK. Drop off a bunch of resumes at the 1098 building, someone is always hiring.

Yeah, he's doing well... He is on here also (JetPilot500)...

We'll have to get together for a beer or two one day soon... JetPilot500 and I are heading to Asia on a trip here real soon, maybe after that.

Hope things are going good for you!

 

[KnowledgeSeeker]

FL000,

You have obviously been on this board long enough to realize that most of the statements posted on this site are second hand and a lot of it slanderous. Why choose this particular thread to state your worries?? Did you have a good experience with flight center? I am curious about those lawsuites you spoke of. Did the companies bringing the lawsuites actually win cases that you know of?

In general...

Word of mouth is how I would like to be known whether it's good or bad. The flight school I attended in SoCal would likely have good and bad things said about it, but that would give a prospective intructor or student a little info to work with about the place and whether they might fit in. I think it's obvious how most people feel about their experience with Jim. For myself the knowledge was firsthand.

 

[FL000]

FL000,

You have obviously been on this board long enough to realize that most of the statements posted on this site are second hand and a lot of it slanderous. Why choose this particular thread to state your worries?? Did you have a good experience with flight center? I am curious about those lawsuites you spoke of. Did the companies bringing the lawsuites actually win cases that you know of?

1. good point. I don't know.

2. no. I know nothing about them. never heard of 'em.

3. can't cite examples. just a vague memory in my head of one or two cases of cease and desist or monetary damages.

I'm no lawyer, so I'll quit trying to help. that's all it was.

 

[Iceman21]

Re: Golden Boy?

Anyway, siucavflight, there are some really good flight schools at PWK. Drop off a bunch of resumes at the 1098 building, someone is always hiring.

That is right in my neck of the woods. I will have to wander on over there.

BTW, I did all of my flight training next door at American Flyers. We always had people from that school coming over and complaining about that school. Horribly maintained airplanes, and I have seen the "taxi practice" first hand on a nice very low IFR day.