Finish up my Instrument, Sheble?

jskibo

Done
I started working on my Instrument a few years ago at Long Beach Flying Club when I was working on the C17 program out there. I got about 20 hours into it and along came child number six (don't know what causes those) so I took a break.... Then I left Boeing for GE and now I'm up in Michigan.

I started again last year at Allegan. Club prices for the Warrior / 172 were great, $70 an hour wet! After about 5.5 hours I discovered why they were great, they went Bankrupt.

LGB flying was great. Tried to schedule in the evening so I could get that inversion layer and some actual time. Heavy traffic with Jet Blue coming in behind me and a few trips up to John Wayne for the LDA. Much different than the "Find the airport in the cornfield" training when I went to SIU for college.

Now I would like to finish up this year. I have some extra vacation time left and was considering going to Sheble or??? to finish up in 9 or 10 days. Anyone have any suggestions or feedback on Sheble or another accelerated program?

FYI, goal would be to head back to Traverse and add the Multi later this year or early next, then finish building the commercial time reuired (about 55 to go once this is done). No current plans to fly commercially, career is fine and would like to pay off the house and get one or two more kids out of the house before I look to take a giant paycut. Looking to instruct part time in the future and for something to do when I retire, or semi - retire depending on where the wife's career goes next.

Along the same lines, I had given some thought to taking another week or so off and building some multi time. Anything like that time building Inc place worthwhile, or just find someone on here wanting to build 50 quick and look for cheap block time locally? I think there's one out her for $165 or so.
 
I'm really impressed that with 6 kids you can afford to buy new shoes much less fly.
 
I'm really impressed that with 6 kids you can afford to buy new shoes much less fly.
:) Well five at home, one is 24 and married. I better get this done before the rest decide to go to college!

Helps when the wife has a JD (5 degrees total) and is a level above me at GE as well :)
 
Do a search, there are many folks that have had a bad time at Sheble. Im one of them. Also, I just read a that anyone who has gotten a rating from Eddy Lane (Fast Eddy) at Sheble in the past 2 years will have to re-examine with the La Vegas FSDO because their ratings are not considered valid. I thought ATP in Las Vegas had a decent program. I have heard that American Flyers does a decent job too but dont know from experience.
 
Do a search, there are many folks that have had a bad time at Sheble. Im one of them. Also, I just read a that anyone who has gotten a rating from Eddy Lane (Fast Eddy) at Sheble in the past 2 years will have to re-examine with the La Vegas FSDO because their ratings are not considered valid. I thought ATP in Las Vegas had a decent program. I have heard that American Flyers does a decent job too but dont know from experience.

Got my Comm ASEL there a little over month ago. I came in basically ready to go, so it was an easy two day finish up. The planes are pretty old, but airworthy and adequate. Honestly though, for the instrument I would recommend a place where you could get some more actual IMC. In the summer, you wont get any down there.

Romulus, where did you read this? I had my ride with Sheble Sr, so this would not affect me. Regardless, it seems improbable that the FAA would require this.

Edit: Wow, that is crazy.
http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=F50406D22D1C2B6E86257A44004E86B2
 
American Flyers in Santa Monica. Perfect place for an IFR finish up, awesome staff, and IMC is a good posibility.

not to mention flying right next to the Hollywood sign on the VOR-A is pretty cool
 
I was trying to shoot for Late October. While ATP would be good, I can't take 14 days away from the office at ony one time.

One would gather by the FAA notice posted above, Eddie wouldn't be doing the check ride at this time? Or one would hope....

From the quick Google search I see a lot of accelerated programs, some interesting with mountain flying and X-Country, but in the $9k - $10K range. Wow, I can dump a whole lot of time locally at that price.

My desire to go away and get it done is I don't want another unforseen event to stop it yet again.

I could fly locally at $105 C-172 and $40 for my instructor however both the plane and instructor are very limited availability. That place is only a 40 min drive. Closest one, Blue Sun Aviation, had always adverstised one rate then threw out a big fuel service charge on top of that when you call them. Currently they are $115 for DA-40 or C712, but last I checked there was a $35 fuel surcharge on top of that. I'll try them again on Monday as its been a year since I called them.

Any CFII's with a plane want to make some cash and build some hours in the GRR area? :) :)
 
I was trying to shoot for Late October. While ATP would be good, I can't take 14 days away from the office at ony one time.

One would gather by the FAA notice posted above, Eddie wouldn't be doing the check ride at this time? Or one would hope....

From the quick Google search I see a lot of accelerated programs, some interesting with mountain flying and X-Country, but in the $9k - $10K range. Wow, I can dump a whole lot of time locally at that price.

My desire to go away and get it done is I don't want another unforseen event to stop it yet again.

I could fly locally at $105 C-172 and $40 for my instructor however both the plane and instructor are very limited availability. That place is only a 40 min drive. Closest one, Blue Sun Aviation, had always adverstised one rate then threw out a big fuel service charge on top of that when you call them. Currently they are $115 for DA-40 or C712, but last I checked there was a $35 fuel surcharge on top of that. I'll try them again on Monday as its been a year since I called them.

Any CFII's with a plane want to make some cash and build some hours in the GRR area? :) :)

While I think that Sheble is a good place to finish up a rating and knowing that they have cleaned up their issues I would go somewhere else for the Instrument this time of year. Just look at the weather in Fort Mohave this time of year!! 115+ in the day and about 95 for an overnight low!! Not for ME!!

I know of some places on the east coast that can get you finished up quick:

Crystal River Aerogroup, FL

First Landings, FL

MN Aviation, MN
 
While I think that Sheble is a good place to finish up a rating and knowing that they have cleaned up their issues I would go somewhere else for the Instrument this time of year. Just look at the weather in Fort Mohave this time of year!! 115+ in the day and about 95 for an overnight low!! Not for ME!!

I know of some places on the east coast that can get you finished up quick:

Crystal River Aerogroup, FL

First Landings, FL

MN Aviation, MN


Thanks, will check them out. Anyone have first hand experience with the above?

Yeah I lived in AZ decades ago. I was planning more like the end of October for any of this Too many parts issues with my programs at work now. My customer would kill me if something happened that downed their production line Also have to plan around the wife's drill schedule since she's a new JAG officer in the guard here.
 
Thanks, will check them out. Anyone have first hand experience with the above?

Yeah I lived in AZ decades ago. I was planning more like the end of October for any of this Too many parts issues with my programs at work now. My customer would kill me if something happened that downed their production line Also have to plan around the wife's drill schedule since she's a new JAG officer in the guard here.

Several here have done training at Crystal River. They are a family owned business with located in a nice spot in FL. Tom will go out of his way to help you out. The only thing negative I have to say is the only complex single they have is a Bonanza at $270/hr. That makes commercial training expensive. But that wouldn't matter for the Instrument. They have 172s with Garmin 430s for that.

As for the others its all 2nd hand info about them.
 
I see Tom was a Naval Aviator. That's a bonus right there. He can talk about flying them, I can talk about fixing them :)

Let the sea stories begin :)
 
Tom responded back this morning that while doable, he's concerned about the timeline and doesn't want to disappoint. I could possibly grab another 7 - 10 hours locally between now and October though so he still might work out. We also have a plant down in Clearwater, so a potential to tie the front or back end of the trip into a business trip.
 
I have seen people going away to school for a week with $X,000 in there hand and expect to have a rating in 5 days, come home disappointed. I have done it twice with success but it was not easy. I would figure extra days and a few extra thousand into the equation to make it easier.

One of the common factors I have found at the schools I could afford is the planes are tired and the staff is overworked. That's how they can afford to get you your CFI for $1600.

Find out as much as you can about the aircraft, procedures, and syllabus of whoever you go with and study and train ahead of time, so you show up ready to get it done. But give yourself a time and money cushion, cramming a rating into a weeks time is hard enough without any extra pressures.

Good Luck with this
 
Good point. Going down to Crystal River may actually be a good option. On days I can't fly for whatever reason, I can go in the office and not burn vacation. Should I run long down there and require a few more days, I can always work remotely from the hotel, or go fly after a day in the office.
 
I just read a that anyone who has gotten a rating from Eddy Lane (Fast Eddy) at Sheble in the past 2 years will have to re-examine with the La Vegas FSDO because their ratings are not considered valid.

Do you have any official link on this?
 
Blue Sun doesn't look too bad, $115 for a decent 172 out of Ottawa Exec? I could handle that...might have to take advantage of that next time I'm up and can take my sisters flying.
 
Blue Sun doesn't look too bad, $115 for a decent 172 out of Ottawa Exec? I could handle that...might have to take advantage of that next time I'm up and can take my sisters flying.

They don't seem to return phone calls or emails....Odd

WMFA out of Jenison is $105 wet for C172 or Cherokee (PA28-140). 172 is IFR panel, 140 is upgrading.

Allegan used to be $70, with $900 buy in before they went BK.

Hastings has a Warrior around $115 as well
 
Spoke to them a year ago and there was a $35 fuel surcharge they don't advertise. Don't know if its still there as I can't talk with them
 
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