Opinions on changing FBO

LoadMasterC141

LoadMasterC141

Well-Known Member
Well, I posted a bit of this under another thread, but I really am having trouble deciding whether to jump FBO’s already. Here are the Pro’s and Con’s of going to another school.

Pros’
1) Aircraft better maintained. Currently, the guy who owns this FBO was a computer repair tech, bought this club 5 years ago, got a fast A&P license, and maintains the planes himself.
2) Newer and more aircraft. The other FBO has about 10 planes, including one Seneca. This includes a few Glass cockpit 172’s. The current FBO has 2 172’s, both 70’s models. One of them has been down for about 40 days. The other has been down for a popped nose gear strut, leaking brake line, and a broken hinge.
3) Probably more structure at the other school. Currently, the instructor kinda bounces around with the training, then I just read the Jepp Manual on my own. I do not feel 100% confident that we are covering everything. After two flights, they have lost my training folder once already and I had to fill out all the paperwork again.
4) More instructors at the other school, and can fly more. At the current school, there is ONE instructor. We have flown twice in 17 days. Now he is out for surgery for another 2-3 weeks. Though he is a good instructor, it seems to be generally accepted that you should try to fly AT LEAST once a week to retain everything and avoid spending money on review time. Twice a week seems to be the best number.

Con’s
1) I like my instructor. I have had a bad experience before. This guy is pretty good. He is a full time Blackhawk pilot with 15 years of teaching on the side as a hobby…so he isn’t just a time-builder. I don’t know enough about the other school to assume that they have instructors that are just as good.
2) The drive to the current FBO is about 25 minutes. The drive to the other is about 45-50. Probably would not be that bad if I did all my time once a week.
3) The aircraft cost more (Surprise surprise..they ARE newer). A standard equipped 172 is $92/hr. I pay $84 for the clunker I fly, so t is not a lot more. However, “For just a few more dollars(Cliché)”, it is hard to not be tempted into a DA20 or glass 172.

I think what I should do is call the school and see if they are open to me visiting this weekend. Maybe even going for an hour lesson to see how I feel about it. It will probably answer my questions best.
 
Your in a tough spot!

What I would personally do is, fly a few times with an instrutor from the "new" FBO. If you dont like him fly with another. Ask them why they are instructors. If you dont like their style or the chemistry isnt right, youll probably just be better off to stay at your current FBO. At my FBO the airplanes are old "Tramua"hawks and one is looking at its second overhaul:eek:. No biggy, but if they get a new shiney 172 I wouldnt complain. Im confused about the structur part. Are you in a ground school at your FBO? Once or twice a week seems good, I havnt been up in about 3 weeks!!!:(

But good luck with your decision, tell us how it works out.
 
There is no ground school. The ground part is ALL self motivated, self-guided, and self-taught. I am not an unmotivated individual in terms of studying, so it is not a HUGE deal, but I would like to know I am on the right path from time to time I guess.
 
My instructor works for a corporate company, and is all over the country all the time. I have gone up to three or four weekswithout a flight, and done up to 4 or 5 lessons in one week sometimes. I started 8 months ago, and it is part 61, so I did all the studying on the side, as well as work two jobs to be able to fly when my instructor was available. Everything is just kind of crazy, and I was kicking myself for a while, these are what I see as the cons...

However, I did fine on my written, have a few more hours until my checkride and I'll still have gotten it done in about 50 hours plus or minus one or two. I can talk to my instructor while he's out and about for half an hour to an hour going over all sorts of stuff, and he doesn't charge me for it at all. I really feel like I got a good guy for an instructor, and I consider him to be a real friend, his advice really helps me out. Overall, this has been a great experience so far.

But am I going to do the rest of my ratings part 61? No way.

I learned alot about how I want and don't want to do things in the future, and I've decided I want to go another route. Mainly because of two HUGE factors:

1. Aircraft availability. There is one airplane available to me, and when it's down, I'm screwed. In fact, I was supposed to have my checkride yesterday, but the 100 hour was needed, and the small shop is booked, it's still not ready.

2. Instructor availability. I don't know if I'll ever get another instructor who is as helpful in and out of the plane as my instructor, but I feel like I have to be able to fly more often when I do my next ratings, so I don't pull this private in 8 months bull. He flies A LOT, and has other obligations and I understand that, so I want to go somewhere where the instructors are instructors and instructors ONLY.

What he would tell me is to go somewhere where they treat you like a valued customer. YOU are paying the dough for a service, and you should be treated like it, NOT like an employee. If this other FBO has all of those things like a/c and instructor availability, good prices ($92/hr wet for a newer 172 w/ G1000 is GOOD, I pay 90 for a 76' 172m with none of the bells and whistles), and also good instructors, then I would pick that over the po' boy route anyday.

Hope that made some sense.

p.s. watch out for the payup front places...there's been quite a few cases of them going under with students money.
 
"Hope that made some sense"

The only thing that doesn't make sense is dumping "Part 61" because of aircraft and instructor availablity. Part 61 is an FAR and has nothing to do with aircraft or instructor availability. Perhaps you will find another school with more CFI's and more airplanes. You could still train under 61.
 
I completely understand the difference between 61 and 141 too, but I think to me as well, a school that is 141 seems to carry the stigma of "professional" while 61 schools are "mom and pop". I know that it really doesnt make a ton fo difference as to which one you go with at this stage, and I have read you arguments toward 61 (Which seem very valid). Just thinking this guy thinks of them like I do, and less about the regs.
 
LoadMasterC141 said:
I completely understand the difference between 61 and 141 too, but I think to me as well, a school that is 141 seems to carry the stigma of "professional" while 61 schools are "mom and pop". I know that it really doesnt make a ton fo difference as to which one you go with at this stage, and I have read you arguments toward 61 (Which seem very valid). Just thinking this guy thinks of them like I do, and less about the regs.
Click to expand...

You're right de727UPS, I shouldn't have made them all seem like the situation here. In my area though, options are pretty limited, and the closest part 61 school that I know of is 50 miles away and involved in some kind of lawsuit(supposedly), for ripping off another one of my instructor's students.

I'm thinking pretty seriously about going to Skymates in Arlington now, which is 141. The 141 school here in town is run by Mesa airlines, and while it has more planes and instructors as well, it also carries alot bigger prricetag. Because of my limited experience I've also come to think of 61 schools as small unorganized programs and 141's as the "professionals".

My bad.
 
LoadMasterC141 said:
Well, I posted a bit of this under another thread, but I really am having trouble deciding whether to jump FBO’s already. Here are the Pro’s and Con’s of going to another school.

Pros’
1) Aircraft better maintained. Currently, the guy who owns this FBO was a computer repair tech, bought this club 5 years ago, got a fast A&P license, and maintains the planes himself.
2) Newer and more aircraft. The other FBO has about 10 planes, including one Seneca. This includes a few Glass cockpit 172’s. The current FBO has 2 172’s, both 70’s models. One of them has been down for about 40 days. The other has been down for a popped nose gear strut, leaking brake line, and a broken hinge.
3) Probably more structure at the other school. Currently, the instructor kinda bounces around with the training, then I just read the Jepp Manual on my own. I do not feel 100% confident that we are covering everything. After two flights, they have lost my training folder once already and I had to fill out all the paperwork again.
4) More instructors at the other school, and can fly more. At the current school, there is ONE instructor. We have flown twice in 17 days. Now he is out for surgery for another 2-3 weeks. Though he is a good instructor, it seems to be generally accepted that you should try to fly AT LEAST once a week to retain everything and avoid spending money on review time. Twice a week seems to be the best number.

Con’s
1) I like my instructor. I have had a bad experience before. This guy is pretty good. He is a full time Blackhawk pilot with 15 years of teaching on the side as a hobby…so he isn’t just a time-builder. I don’t know enough about the other school to assume that they have instructors that are just as good.
2) The drive to the current FBO is about 25 minutes. The drive to the other is about 45-50. Probably would not be that bad if I did all my time once a week.
3) The aircraft cost more (Surprise surprise..they ARE newer). A standard equipped 172 is $92/hr. I pay $84 for the clunker I fly, so t is not a lot more. However, “For just a few more dollars(Cliché)”, it is hard to not be tempted into a DA20 or glass 172.

I think what I should do is call the school and see if they are open to me visiting this weekend. Maybe even going for an hour lesson to see how I feel about it. It will probably answer my questions best.
Click to expand...


I would swtich, but you must eventually decide. I mean if you cannot fly often enough to even retain anything, it becomes very expensive--aviation is already expensive. I drive about 45 minutes for my current flight school and it is not that bad, but then again, I drive that far just to attend a Latin Mass and to do anything worth doing (ie the arts)--I may just be used to it. Of course, you will get used to it also. Yes, I say check them out breifly, flying with them and seeing how you like it.
 
I dunno, I am kind of a cheap ass. I prefer to pay much less and get the same instruction. I can't speak for other places, but I am very happy with my small school, Part 61 experience. I feel like it is more flexible and can be molded to work with my strengths and weaknesses. As for the newer aircraft, like I said, I am kind of cheap.

Now in your situation, with the CFI not being avaiable, and the aircraft being down all the time, I think its an easy choice given the circumstances. Unless you have the time to wait around for those other problems to resolve.
 
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