Hey Gonzo,
I'll save you some time. I did all the research when I lived there. I checked out the schools at the Clearwater SCAREPARK... and yes I mean scarepark. That place is dangerous. Not a good place to train due to the short and narrow runway and obstacles on both ends. Furthermore, the scarepark is uncontrolled (which is not a bad deal), but there can be way too much traffic there for somebody that's trying to learn. Needless to say, I didnt go to the scarepark. I have flown in there several times though.
The search brought me to PIE (St. pete int'l). I checked out CAMS, Clearwater Aviation Academy, and American Flying Adventures. After talking to CFI's that I knew from the area they pointed me to American Flying Adventures. And told me to stay far far away from Clearwater Aviation Academy due to the fact that the owner likes "unethical" business practices (something to do with missalocation of student money). I have visited CAMS on several occasions for charts and whatnot and they seem pretty solid in their day to day ops. All in all, I ended up at American Flying Adventures where I got my PPL and Inst. ratings. Hans is the guy that owns the place and is very nice. The instructors are top notch and the price is fair.
I was only there until i finished college. Now I'm over on the east coast of FL training with ATP.
If you have any more questions just drop me a PM and i can elaborate more. Good luck!
