Ari Ben

kaiyo4u

New Member
I’ve read quite a few of the posts for Ari Ben, some good, some not so good.
I recently passed my commercial multi check ride at AB on the first attempt. The DPE who graded me was the tough but fair one. This was the first time I had passed a check ride the first time.

I came to this school after attending another north of Orlando. One I railed on while I attended.
It took me awhile to get used to the differences in the school and the procedures involved.

One thing I do like about this school is I can talk directly with the owner should I have questions about anything, not an agent for the owner.
It has been my experience that by dealing directly with the owners of businesses that there is a mutual understanding after such discussions.
I am a little older than most of the folks piloting there and have a little more experience in business.

Once I earned my multi-private it took two weeks to get my multi-commercial. I give my instructor kudos for his instruction and busting my b*lls when I needed it and giving me praise when I needed to keep my confidence up. I was told by the DPE that I have come a long way since he first flew with me. My knowledge and confidence were there. I knew what I needed to do in an emergency if need be.

That check ride I was sweating bullets (literally), but it turned out to be a good one.

The only thing I don’t agree with this school is: the reimbursement for fuel.
Yes, we can fly anywhere in the Continental US for time building, but the reimbursement for fuel is about a quarter to a third of the going rate.
Other than that, my experience here has been good. I have enjoyed the students and the staff. It is true, there are more foreigners than Americans there, but I have always been curious about things outside this country. I always enjoy hearing the thoughts of the younger ones now just to see if things have changed since my college days.
Realistically, they haven’t, the idealism and wanting to change the world is still prevalent, keep it going!


 
I’ve read quite a few of the posts for Ari Ben, some good, some not so good.
I recently passed my commercial multi check ride at AB on the first attempt. The DPE who graded me was the tough but fair one. This was the first time I had passed a check ride the first time.

I came to this school after attending another north of Orlando. One I railed on while I attended.
It took me awhile to get used to the differences in the school and the procedures involved.

One thing I do like about this school is I can talk directly with the owner should I have questions about anything, not an agent for the owner.
It has been my experience that by dealing directly with the owners of businesses that there is a mutual understanding after such discussions.
I am a little older than most of the folks piloting there and have a little more experience in business.

Once I earned my multi-private it took two weeks to get my multi-commercial. I give my instructor kudos for his instruction and busting my b*lls when I needed it and giving me praise when I needed to keep my confidence up. I was told by the DPE that I have come a long way since he first flew with me. My knowledge and confidence were there. I knew what I needed to do in an emergency if need be.

That check ride I was sweating bullets (literally), but it turned out to be a good one.

The only thing I don’t agree with this school is: the reimbursement for fuel.
Yes, we can fly anywhere in the Continental US for time building, but the reimbursement for fuel is about a quarter to a third of the going rate.
Other than that, my experience here has been good. I have enjoyed the students and the staff. It is true, there are more foreigners than Americans there, but I have always been curious about things outside this country. I always enjoy hearing the thoughts of the younger ones now just to see if things have changed since my college days.
Realistically, they haven’t, the idealism and wanting to change the world is still prevalent, keep it going!

Good post. What are your plans? Getting your instructor ratings?
 
Good post. What are your plans? Getting your instructor ratings?

Thanks! My plans after I finish my commercial ratings are to get as much of this school loan paid down. If I have to go back overseas to get it done, I will. If I have to work in my old trade I will.
I've been perusing the internet for flying jobs and it seems I just don't have the hours. Though I'm doing my training part 61.

It's doubtful that I will teach, though I like teaching. Time is speeding up for me and I need to accomplish as much as I can before I have to retire.
Though I'll keep flying until I can't keep my medical. I definitely don't want to fly the buses. Maybe the small business jets when I get the hours. The supersonic business jets on the drawing boards look really appealing, but the FAA has to approve them first. They've gotten the sonic boom down to 0.02 and they're hoping for approval. At level, that's not much louder than a semi rig using his jake brakes.
 
Congrats on the Comm Checkout Man, I retired early back in April and still plan on going down to AB the first of next year. The fuel reimbursement was one of the things I wasn't thrilled with when I checked them out. There are several places on the web to check fuel prices and plan accordingly, you may be able to get close, especially now that fuel prices are coming down
 
Congrats on the Comm Checkout Man, I retired early back in April and still plan on going down to AB the first of next year. The fuel reimbursement was one of the things I wasn't thrilled with when I checked them out. There are several places on the web to check fuel prices and plan accordingly, you may be able to get close, especially now that fuel prices are coming down

Hey Bill, thanks for the congrats! I was reading some of your posts and am wondering who I can get into contact with about flying in the sandbox. I was over there as an electrician and that didn't pay well enough for the hours worked. Now I'd like to try the flying gig w/o crop dusting opium fields. When you're messing with someone's income, they tend to get really p*ssed...

My first flight into the sandbox, we got to experience spiraling descents into Baghdad and other locales. I really enjoyed it! But how steep a spiral can you do in a 37 or the Russian bird they were flying us into our FOB's with.
 
Glad the ole' Aviator worked out for you kaiyo4u. Sounded like you got a raw deal at DCA. Not much you can do with a raw commercial though. The market is flooded with high time guys with no job! Sure, they'd fly rich, obnoxious A-rabs around the sand pit too. Back in the (good?) old days when I was at the Aviator, the commercial was no big deal. The CFI was the one that sorted the men from the boys. Get that and then you could started building the time needed to get a shot at the biz jets or cattle wagons....and not everyone was capable of going CFI!

Best suggestion would be too get the CFI, build some hours and then go back to your old job while hunting for a better flying job. The market will recover in the end; it always has and when it does you need to be there with a bag full of hours to hurry along that upgrade.
 
Not concerned with teaching as I said in an earlier post. I've done enough of that making apprentices into electricians. I've found there's not a lot of common sense out there and it's a lot easier dealing with some fubar on the ground than in the air.

As far as sorting men from the boys, been there done that.
Ever looked a griz in the eyes and not ##### your pants?
How 'bout shooting a mountain lion in mid leap because you heard something snap behind you? Or falling off the side of a mountain after dark and making your way back to the trail and to your car parked a mile away with a busted knee?
Or owning and running our own business and being profitable?
I'll make a way to get my own hours, even if it means doing a start up in aviation and not working for someone else...

Besides, I'm not talking about "safe" flying in the sand box. I've been there where it's not pretty and there's something about it that draws me.

Your looking at a person who eschews the "normal" societal constrictions.
 
My plans are to attend Ari-Ben as well. Should know about my 1st Class Medical by next Thursday, 9/18/08. I have been in the process of trying to aquire my 1st class med cert for 13 months. It's been a long ride.

Btw, I plan on doing PPL to CFII/MEII at Ari-Ben. Hope to see some of you soon.


atp
 
Just visited The Aviator this weekend. I was skeptical after reading some of the posts on these forums, but was pleasantly surprised. I'm not going to write an entire review of my visit, but they took good care of me while I was down there. I toured the housing, multiple aircraft, backseated on one of the training flights and talked to many of the students and instructors. The conversation I had with their staff was honest and informative. The things the Director Of Ops told me when driving to the hotel is the largest reason I will probably be attending The Aviator later this year.

Any questions about my visit, feel free to PM me.
 
Just visited The Aviator this weekend. I was skeptical after reading some of the posts on these forums, but was pleasantly surprised. I'm not going to write an entire review of my visit, but they took good care of me while I was down there. I toured the housing, multiple aircraft, backseated on one of the training flights and talked to many of the students and instructors. The conversation I had with their staff was honest and informative. The things the Director Of Ops told me when driving to the hotel is the largest reason I will probably be attending The Aviator later this year.

Any questions about my visit, feel free to PM me.

What did you think about the equipment? I've heard their planes aren't very pretty but they are mechanically sound.. ie safe. You feel safe when you went on your flight?
 
What did you think about the equipment? I've heard their planes aren't very pretty but they are mechanically sound.. ie safe. You feel safe when you went on your flight?

The aircraft from what I saw were well maintained. I felt completely safe when I backseated. A few people there told me that things go wrong with the aircraft fairly often just as in any busy flight school, but if you squawk it, the maintenance team gets right on it.
 
So the maintinence seemed to be top notch there? Did the school seem to be overloaded with students, and what's the general attitude of the students around there? Thanks for the info sir!
 
I would say the maintenance is good. The maintenance staff works 6 days a week w/ Sunday off. Since I'm training part 61, I'm not around the school a lot and don't get to talk with a lot of the students anymore.
Your location shows you're from Portland, is that Oregon or Maine? Oregon is my ol' stomping grounds...
 
Just remember, if you are at or are going to Ari Ben, you only have one choice for an instructor.

BRIAN BELL !!!!!!

:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat:
:nana2::rawk::yup::laff::panic::hiya::D:p:crazy::):yup::bandit:
 
I would say the maintenance is good. The maintenance staff works 6 days a week w/ Sunday off. Since I'm training part 61, I'm not around the school a lot and don't get to talk with a lot of the students anymore.
Your location shows you're from Portland, is that Oregon or Maine? Oregon is my ol' stomping grounds...

Beaverton...;)
 
Beaverton...;)

Awesome! Another Oregonian! I'm from the Gresham area, worked all over the Portland area, but liked the east county area for fishing, hunting, and camping.
Got a record elk in Multnomah County back in 2000. I need to get back up there, this flat land is driving me nuts!!!
I hear you guys have been having a heat wave off and on this summer?
When are you due to start at Aviator?
 
Awesome! Another Oregonian! I'm from the Gresham area, worked all over the Portland area, but liked the east county area for fishing, hunting, and camping.
Got a record elk in Multnomah County back in 2000. I need to get back up there, this flat land is driving me nuts!!!
I hear you guys have been having a heat wave off and on this summer?
When are you due to start at Aviator?

Yeah this has been a pretty strange summer... I think it's around 80 degrees at the coast so I'm about to head out there this afternoon...

I haven't decided whether or not I want to go to ariben.. I'm thinking about doing time building there, but I've heard so much negative I'm not sure it's what I want to do... We'll have to see...:D
 
What's up guys?

Well, I toured Ari-Ben today; met Mike Cohen and the infamous receptionist. I forgot her name. At any rate, to me...Mike's cool. He's a no nonsense guy; speaks his mind and really couldn't give damn who likes it or not. IMHO he shoots straight from the hip. I'm ok with that.

He could tell that I had done the research on schools by the way I answered his questions and how the conversation flowed. We talked about schools from Ari-Ben to RAA. The reason I settled on Ari-Ben was because of the cost, services provided for that cost and location. I'm happy with my choice.

I plan to live in "The Pines"....upstairs. Whoever is my roomate, know this, I get the Master Bedroom...period.:D

I have my own car...an '05 Altima 2.5S. I figure I'll be on the 6-8 month plan. Start date: 11/10/08. I'm doing the PPL & Pro Pilot Program. After that, I'll instruct from 4-6 months. At least that's the plan. The entire cost is very reasonable compared to other schools in Florida.

Looking forward to start. Good luck to Emmanuel, whose from the Azores and Nick from India. They just finished the CPL under FAA & JAA.

Btw, FAA informed me that I will be receiving my medical certificate next week.




atp
 
What's up guys?

Well, I toured Ari-Ben today; met Mike Cohen and the infamous receptionist. I forgot her name. At any rate, to me...Mike's cool. He's a no nonsense guy; speaks his mind and really couldn't give damn who likes it or not. IMHO he shoots straight from the hip. I'm ok with that.

He could tell that I had done the research on schools by the way I answered his questions and how the conversation flowed. We talked about schools from Ari-Ben to RAA. The reason I settled on Ari-Ben was because of the cost, services provided for that cost and location. I'm happy with my choice.

I plan to live in "The Pines"....upstairs. Whoever is my roomate, know this, I get the Master Bedroom...period.:D

I have my own car...an '05 Altima 2.5S. I figure I'll be on the 6-8 month plan. Start date: 11/10/08. I'm doing the PPL & Pro Pilot Program. After that, I'll instruct from 4-6 months. At least that's the plan. The entire cost is very reasonable compared to other schools in Florida.

Looking forward to start. Good luck to Emmanuel, whose from the Azores and Nick from India. They just finished the CPL under FAA & JAA.

Btw, FAA informed me that I will be receiving my medical certificate next week.


atp

Congrats ATP! Make the best of your time at AriBen. It looks like a fine flight school. Have fun and fly safe!
 
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