I find it very interesting to see someone from AOA replying to this thread almost a year after I first posted. So I think it's a great idea that I post an update for JC to see!
I decided to go with the flying club, Positive Rate Gear Up, for my flight training and I honestly think it was one of the best decisions of my life. Right now I'm working on my PPL (had a few setbacks with college and working two jobs over the summer) and I'm a couple of flights away from solo (15.5 t.t.). I ending up choosing PRGU after meeting my instructor Duvern, a charter pilot with a few thousand hours of flight time, years of experience instructing, and also sits left-seat for a charter company at FRG. Yeah the aircraft are old, but they are at an unbelievably low price, especially for a place in the NYC area (around $150/hr for plane, fuel, and instructor fee combined). The planes are used every single day, all together flying hundreds of hours each month. I have never felt unsafe in them and have witness mechanics working on each plane several times. Even though it is a part 61 school, I've followed a part 141 syllabus for all my ground training and now for my in-flight training. And as far as being able to bypassing the regionals (what does that have to do with what school you attend?), just last week, as I wrapped up my post-flight briefing, I sat down in the lounge and had a nice long conversation with two Gulfstream pilots on there way to LAX. So as far as "connections" goes, I think I have a far greater chance making guys like that laugh with my student pilot blunders than buying my way in.
Now, let us discuss AOA. I took about 3 flights during my time at AOA; One discovery flight and two flights practicing straight-and-level flight and various turns. Each flight cost me about $170 for a C172 with G1000, another $70 in instructor fee (oh the instructors were actually only paid a starting salary of $14/hr), plus landing fee, plus a fuel surcharge. For every hour of flight, I'd budget at least $300 (don't forget about gas to the airport).
My very first day at AOA I sat down with an instructor for ground training. We had planned for about 2.0 hrs of ground to teach me some of the basics and get me set up in their system. We spent about 0.8 hrs together. Of that 0.8, my instructor spent about 0.6 hours chatting it up with other instructors and I later found out that he attempted to charge me for the whole 2.0 hrs I was supposed to be scheduled for. Unfortunately, I continued taking lessons in AOA and after two flights, I made my second post to this thread.
So yeah, I guess it's kinda disappointing that I won't be getting that CFI job at AOA. I wish I could afford to spend the $60,000 to earn that commercial license at your school. I really wanted to work 12 hours a day at your flight school, six days a week so I could rush off to work at a regional airline. But I kinda like the other side of the airport. Maybe they'll give me a fancy uniform once I earn that CFI