Joe,
I agree with you about their billing policy and I even suggested to Pan Am that if they're going to charge 20% extra they should just increase their instructor rates and eliminate the brief charge. As you pointed out, it would eliminate a lot of student animosity. Why they refuse to do this is anybody's guess.
Three points, though:
1. I instructed at Pan Am for 11 months and I absolutely guarantee you that my students got their brief time. If the schedule allowed we would do a pre-flight brief for 30 or 45 minutes. In addition to this, before checkrides and stage checks we briefed for hours at no charge. On my days off they came to my apartment and we briefed for hours at no charge. Bottom line is that, depending on the instructor, some students actually do get their brief time (I personally know several instructors at Pan Am's Ft. Pierce campus who are very generous with their time - can't speak for Deer Valley, though).
2. I agree with you that the numbers quoted by flight schools to complete their various programs are based on FAA minimums and are, therefore, pretty much worthless. It's going to take you roughly the same amount of flight time to get your ratings no matter which school you go to so what
does matter is the
hourly cost for aircraft and instructors. (Of course you have to also factor in the quality of the aircraft. If you can't fly because the planes are broke it's not such a great deal).
3. What you call "sugar coating" I just call practicality. I care about the bottom line - how many dollars are leaving my account for each hour of instruction received. If Pan Am's hourly rate for instruction is less EVEN after they add the 20% brief charge (and that's a big IF - I'm still in the process of doing an actual comparison) than, like it or not, you're getting the best deal by staying at Pan Am. I understand your frustration because you feel like you're getting ripped off, but if you go to another flight school that has a higher hourly rate than Pan Am the bottom line is that you're going to be spending more money for your training. The choice is yours but I'd stay at the place with the lowest comparable rates - regardless of how the bill is calculated.
By the time I left Pan Am I had pretty much had it with the whole organization. I was tired of being ripped off, treated like dirt and having their, "if you don't like it you can leave" philosophy crammed down my throat (sound familiar?
). Now that I'm at another flight school, believe it or not, Pan Am doesn't look so bad. Before you leave Pan Am do some serious checking to make sure that you're going to like your new school (i.e. ignore their marketing people - talk to the students).