Skymates good or bad?

[gringotuanis]

Starting a thread to generate info for myself. I'm looking at various flight schools and would like to hear from former/current students and instructors regarding the program at Skymates. I'm looking at doing my intrument, commercial, and all the CFI's. I'm a private pilot with about 90hrs. TT.

What can anyone tell me about their experience at Skymates? (PS I did see the reference to a blog of a student that had gone there) And I've read the forums - but I'd like more up-to-date info for myself!

Good training?

Experience of instructors?

Is the pricing fairly accurate on their website? (I'm estimating about 37-40k for myself to get through all the ratings above- does that seem accurate? I don't have much x-country time yet...)

Good environment?

Good work environment afterward?

Thank you for any input provided. I wanted to stir the pot a little with the title Thanks!
-gringotuanis

 

[Captain_Bob]

Re: Skymates good or bad?

good...

I know... it's short... but sweet. Others with more up to date information that I... will chime in soon.

Happy New Year!

Bob

 

[deltzulu]

waiting and see.

 

[kellwolf]

Good training?

I think it's on par or better than a lot of the other schools out there. You get a bit more control over your scheduling at Skymates. All of the instructors I flew and isntructed with were top notch professionals, too.

Experience of instructors?

Most of the guys there now trained at Skymates, so they know the planes and the airspace very well. There's a pretty good mix of new instructors and veteran instructors as well.

Is the pricing fairly accurate on their website? (I'm estimating about 37-40k for myself to get through all the ratings above- does that seem accurate? I don't have much x-country time yet...)

Honestly, I couldn't tell ya. The price tends to fluctuate with the cost of fuel. Since there's only one fuel provider at the airport that runs it pretty much like a monopoly, it can get kind of out of whack. I do know that in the past, Luca (the owner) has fought off raising prices as long as he can despite rising fuel costs.

Good environment?

Depends. The environment is what you make it. If you want a rigourously scheduled environment where someone stands over you telling you when to fly and when to take the writtens....not so much. If you're looking for a place that's laid back but still very professional with instructors and an owner that you'd like to hang out with outside the school, then yeah. Skymates is it. The instructors and students used to get together all the time outside of the school when I was there. If you wind up staying in one of the crashpads, you're more or less surrounded by people like yourself wanting to learn quickly. I can't tell you how many late night FAR arguements I've gotten in to. As an instructor, I used to trade ground school at the crash pad for food and beer, too.

Good work environment afterward?

I count myself VERY fortunate that I got to instruct there. After only 7 months of instructing, I found myself with a regional job because of a) all the flying I was doing and b) all the ME instruction I was doing. Luca doesn't treat the CFIs there like slave labor, either. Sometimes I would have to fix computers or tweak the sim a bit, and I was always rewarded either financially or with free meals. Never had to do that for free. That being said, instructors do sometimes have to work the counter for free, but I netted a decent chunk of students that way.

 

[frog_flyer]

and I was always rewarded either financially or with free meals. Never had to do that for free. That being said, instructors do sometimes have to work the counter for free, but I netted a decent chunk of students that way.

That pizza was flippin' amazing.

Thanks Luca!

 

[WAFlyBoy]

I will echo Kelwolf's response and add a little.

A little about my experience at Skymates: I started training with 100 hrs and a private, finished 5 months later with all CFI ratings and 130 hours of ME time, about $3K under budget. I was a student from June 05-Nov 05 and an instructor from Dec 05 - Feb 06, when I decided to take another CFI job closer to home in CA.

The environment is certainly what you make of it. I was fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded folks (both students and instructors) with a common goal - to become an airline pilot. I know that a good number of my Skymates peers have achieved that goal.

It was a good place to train and work. Luca was always a fair boss. It's a good location. And the pizza was, indeed, outstanding. On the other hand, because me and Kelwolf aren't there anymore, I suspect Caves has gone out of business

 

[kellwolf]

On the other hand, because me and Kelwolf aren't there anymore, I suspect Caves has gone out of business

Ya know. I was at a gate at DFW a couple of weeks ago thinking about our favorite hole in the wall bar. Then again, I still don't know how they can stay in business with drinks that cheap....

 

[SLC-CRQ]

Are skymates prices wet? can you take xc for time building anywhere or is it like ariben where you pay for anything over 1.50- like anyone could get avgas for 1.50... thats just a leash.

 

[JJS]

You can pretty much go anywhere you want to during your time building phase. We went to Vegas twice, Baton Rouge, Minnesota, Arkansas just to name a few. Right now we are reimbursing $2.90 for fuel which isn't too bad. You kinda have to search and plan your route around fuel stops but you're time building so the extra time probably doesn't really matter. And yes all prices are wet.

 

[gringotuanis]

Thanks for the replies and the info -i've been somewhat off the site for a bit...if anyone has anythign else to chime in - I'm all ears - i'm still looking at the school options.