Aviator_Instructor
New Member
I have sat here and read threads within this forum for a while and it is only now that I have decided to post. I am an instructor at the school and have been here long enough to know how things work and how they could probably work a little better. I am not here to start a verbal war with anyone, only to give a different view as to some of the posters that have written before me. In no way shape or form am I associated with management. This is my view, and that alone.
If you are prepared to work, and I mean really prepared to come here and dedicate yourself for 6 months, the pro-course can be accomplished on time, AND on budget. Some students, not all, come here and think that they can breeze through all of the ratings and certificates with little to no effort. You can not get by doing that, not in aviation, not in any career. It just does not happen. You have to work, and work hard.
Other posters on here have written about people taking along time to do the initial instructor rating. The reason, in my opinion, is because certain students do not continue to study through-out course. Sure, we had hurricanes down here and the planes/airport was out of commission for 3 days, big deal. Yes, for a month or so we did not have another 2 year CFI. If you were ready for your MEI, Pierre (our Chief Pilot) would have flown with you. He is busy, and you would have to get up and be there for 6 in the morning, but he would put you on the schedule and fly with you. People who take 5 and 6 months from the time they get the single commercial and to the time they take the MEI, have not been studying for the entire time. Did I do the entire course in 6 months, NO. Was this due to the school? No. I know that I did not apply myself for the entire 6 months. It is a hard course and requires intense study and dedication for the entire time. In my opinion it is the hardest rating you will aquire. The ATP certificate is hard, but it is an instrument rating with tighter tollerances.
Some posters have mentioned that people should attend schools that get the MEI, CFI and CFII done in 10 to 14 days. To those who wrote that, remember back to when you were a student and ask yourselves ' Would you prefer to have an instructor who did all of there instructor ratings in 2 weeks and then passed these checkrides with in-house examiners, or, with an instructor who worked on these ratings for 2 months and then took a checkride with the Orlando FSDO'. I am not saying that one place is better than another, only that getting the ratings done in minimal time may not be for the best.
Maintainance seems to be an issue for some posters as well. These planes are safe. They are not 2004, glass cockpit Seminoles. If you want that, you can pay the outrageous prices that are found in Vero Beach. Mike will tell you that from the start. The planes are definitely safe though. If they are not, the instructor or student should write it up and it will get fixed, either at that time, if the plane is not airworthy, or at the 100 hourly. The reason that all but one plane was 'down' a month or so ago was because no-one was writing it up. Finally, maintanance could could not do all the work at once and the fleet was grounded. Mike and Ed encourages us all, students and instructors alike, to write the problems up. All 'write ups' must be looked at, by law, and the 'write up' kept for a period of time. They are actioned upon ASAP most of the time. If an ADF is broken, for obvious reasons, Mike is not going to 'down' that plane until it is fixed. He and Ed will wait for the 100 hourly, when it must, by law, be serviced and then have it fixed. Remember that this is a flight school and that planes will go down from time to time. It is not very often that I can not find another airplane to fly in if mine goes down for maintainance.
Finally, stop this personal bashing of the management. If you are so unhappy with the school, it's planes, management, the instructors, please leave. Why would you continue to put money into a place that you do not like. You have multi time from the money you have spent, so it is not like you have nothing to show for it. Move on people.Mike is running a business. So is T.J. Mike tells EVERYONE who does this program, that they need to study, that the planes do not have all the bells and whistles and we do not have the huge buildings that are found to the north of us. But, the planes are safe and if you are prepared to work, you will walk away with you MEI, CFI and CFII with alot of multi-time. Mike is quirky, I will say that, but a liar, a greedy Texan, and any of the other personal attacks is just plain incorrect and very unfair.
I think that I have expressed my views here enough. I hope that this has been somewhat informative to those that are interested in coming here or even to those that are here. It is a hard road to walk this one and blaming others for ALL of someones shortcomings is just not right.
A_I
If you are prepared to work, and I mean really prepared to come here and dedicate yourself for 6 months, the pro-course can be accomplished on time, AND on budget. Some students, not all, come here and think that they can breeze through all of the ratings and certificates with little to no effort. You can not get by doing that, not in aviation, not in any career. It just does not happen. You have to work, and work hard.
Other posters on here have written about people taking along time to do the initial instructor rating. The reason, in my opinion, is because certain students do not continue to study through-out course. Sure, we had hurricanes down here and the planes/airport was out of commission for 3 days, big deal. Yes, for a month or so we did not have another 2 year CFI. If you were ready for your MEI, Pierre (our Chief Pilot) would have flown with you. He is busy, and you would have to get up and be there for 6 in the morning, but he would put you on the schedule and fly with you. People who take 5 and 6 months from the time they get the single commercial and to the time they take the MEI, have not been studying for the entire time. Did I do the entire course in 6 months, NO. Was this due to the school? No. I know that I did not apply myself for the entire 6 months. It is a hard course and requires intense study and dedication for the entire time. In my opinion it is the hardest rating you will aquire. The ATP certificate is hard, but it is an instrument rating with tighter tollerances.
Some posters have mentioned that people should attend schools that get the MEI, CFI and CFII done in 10 to 14 days. To those who wrote that, remember back to when you were a student and ask yourselves ' Would you prefer to have an instructor who did all of there instructor ratings in 2 weeks and then passed these checkrides with in-house examiners, or, with an instructor who worked on these ratings for 2 months and then took a checkride with the Orlando FSDO'. I am not saying that one place is better than another, only that getting the ratings done in minimal time may not be for the best.
Maintainance seems to be an issue for some posters as well. These planes are safe. They are not 2004, glass cockpit Seminoles. If you want that, you can pay the outrageous prices that are found in Vero Beach. Mike will tell you that from the start. The planes are definitely safe though. If they are not, the instructor or student should write it up and it will get fixed, either at that time, if the plane is not airworthy, or at the 100 hourly. The reason that all but one plane was 'down' a month or so ago was because no-one was writing it up. Finally, maintanance could could not do all the work at once and the fleet was grounded. Mike and Ed encourages us all, students and instructors alike, to write the problems up. All 'write ups' must be looked at, by law, and the 'write up' kept for a period of time. They are actioned upon ASAP most of the time. If an ADF is broken, for obvious reasons, Mike is not going to 'down' that plane until it is fixed. He and Ed will wait for the 100 hourly, when it must, by law, be serviced and then have it fixed. Remember that this is a flight school and that planes will go down from time to time. It is not very often that I can not find another airplane to fly in if mine goes down for maintainance.
Finally, stop this personal bashing of the management. If you are so unhappy with the school, it's planes, management, the instructors, please leave. Why would you continue to put money into a place that you do not like. You have multi time from the money you have spent, so it is not like you have nothing to show for it. Move on people.Mike is running a business. So is T.J. Mike tells EVERYONE who does this program, that they need to study, that the planes do not have all the bells and whistles and we do not have the huge buildings that are found to the north of us. But, the planes are safe and if you are prepared to work, you will walk away with you MEI, CFI and CFII with alot of multi-time. Mike is quirky, I will say that, but a liar, a greedy Texan, and any of the other personal attacks is just plain incorrect and very unfair.
I think that I have expressed my views here enough. I hope that this has been somewhat informative to those that are interested in coming here or even to those that are here. It is a hard road to walk this one and blaming others for ALL of someones shortcomings is just not right.
A_I
It sure sounds as though you
I personally think that choosing the Aviator for my flight training is one of the best moves I have made in my life.
