God Day,
I am writing this note of CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done to SKYMATES. This company prepped me for a successful checkride for my commercial multi- engine add on.
My name is Jasper Ferguson and I am a 48 year old small business owner/career changer. I flew into DFW on Friday, 5/21/04, to attend an accelerated multi-engine commercial add on course offered by SKYMATES. My check ride was scheduled for Monday, 5/24/04, and I was a bit apprehensive that I would be ready. My anxieties were wasted.
SKYMATE's flight instructor, Jim Hamilton, met me at the airport when I landed (complete with a sign with my name on it) and whisked me away to their FBO office where we completed the multi-engine ground course in one evening. Upon completion, I was confident that I could answer the "POST" and "SMACFUM/COMBATPOS" questions to the satisfaction of any examiner. More importantly, I UNDERSTOOD and could APPLY the lessons to flying the aircraft.
Saturday came and we completed two (2) flights totaling three hours flying time (one and one half hours each). We flew one flight in the morning and one in the early evening with questions (and food) in between. The preflights were thorough and Jim explained each flight step by step... I was always aware of what was expected of me in the aircraft. The postflights were just as informative. Jim found my weak points quickly, showed me how to correct them, then watched as I implemented the changes and my performance improved.
Sunday morning rolled around and we had a single flight planned for today just so I could run through an entire simulated checkride. I couldn't wait to get into that Seminole and 'xplain to the plane just WHO was in charge. We had a GREAT flight in spite of my cockiness. Afterwards, I asked to use the simulater for a while so that I could practice my ILS approach. My instructor, Jim was out flying, so I asked another instructor, Jeff, (who was between flights) to lend me a hand setting up the sim. Jeff not only helped me set up the sim, but he even gave me some flight instruction! When I offered to pay him for his time, he declined to accept the money saying, "...just do good on your checkride...".
Well, Monday rolled around and my checkride was scheduled for 8:30 am... bite the bullet time! Jim picked me up promptly from the hotel at 7:30 am and delivered me to my fate. Any final questions were answered and my paperwork was reviewed in anticipation of the examiner's arrival.
The examiner arrived promptly at 8:15 am and introduced himself simply as "KB" (Mr. KB would be more appropriate, I believe.) He was a flight instructor for many years and his demeanor is one of experience and knowledge. He is a pleasant gentleman and he showed a genuine interest in myself and my flying skills. I got the impression that the safe operation of the aircraft was more important to this gentleman than my simply passing a checkride. Despite his cool confidence and calming effect on me, I STILL found every other word out of my mouth to be "SIR".
The checkride was GREAT! Mr. KB and myself took off uneventfully after the oral was completed. We climbed out only to find that the clouds were too low for us to do our maneuvers. Mr. KB gave me the option to reschedule (heaven forbid!) or to return to the airport to retrieve an instructor who could file IFR to get us on top of the overcast... you KNOW which choice I took... Jim, here I come!
Jim was flying, but another instructor, Tom, volunteered for the duty. Tom's coolness and professionalism as he watched me fly the IFR flight plan that he had filed was an inspiration to me during my testing. We punched in and out of the clouds, all the time squawking with ATC and ducking traffic until we were VFR on top... THEN the test began!
Jim had prepared me well. Mr. KB asked for the expected manuvers... slow flight, stalls, etc., and I complied. One always wishes that one had done so and so manuver better, or that one could have done the manuver the same way as it had been done in practice, but hey, you do the best that you can. Jim's training left me with few regrets... I was well prepared! Yes, I passed!!!
I want to explain WHY I took the time to share my experiences at SKYMATES... most peolple will call and tell you if your performance or that of your company was bad... FEW will call simply to compliment you on a job well done.
I did not want this to be the case with SKYMATES... You folks do GREAT work and I thank you! I will return just as soon as I accumulate the FAA required 15 hours multi that I need to apply for my Multi-engine Instructor ticket.
I also saw some one here in this forum inquring about this school and I thought to share first hand information. It's nice to benefit from someone else's experiences (and someone else's money spent).
My email address is GoBoy@joimail.com. My Cell Phone number is (775) 843-6553. Please contact me personally if you have questions concerning my training or my recomendations.
I include this information, at the risk of spam, life and limb, to demonstrate my sincerity. I am NOT being compensated in ANY fashion, nor, am I, as I read earlier in this forum, an FBO owner posing as a student.
I am a real life multi-engine student (imagine that!) who wishes to honestly recommend and commend a company, SKYMATES, for doing OUTSTANDING work, in a most PROFESSIONAL manner, at a reasonable $ VALUE!
Jasper Ferguson
Reno, Nevada
I am writing this note of CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done to SKYMATES. This company prepped me for a successful checkride for my commercial multi- engine add on.
My name is Jasper Ferguson and I am a 48 year old small business owner/career changer. I flew into DFW on Friday, 5/21/04, to attend an accelerated multi-engine commercial add on course offered by SKYMATES. My check ride was scheduled for Monday, 5/24/04, and I was a bit apprehensive that I would be ready. My anxieties were wasted.
SKYMATE's flight instructor, Jim Hamilton, met me at the airport when I landed (complete with a sign with my name on it) and whisked me away to their FBO office where we completed the multi-engine ground course in one evening. Upon completion, I was confident that I could answer the "POST" and "SMACFUM/COMBATPOS" questions to the satisfaction of any examiner. More importantly, I UNDERSTOOD and could APPLY the lessons to flying the aircraft.
Saturday came and we completed two (2) flights totaling three hours flying time (one and one half hours each). We flew one flight in the morning and one in the early evening with questions (and food) in between. The preflights were thorough and Jim explained each flight step by step... I was always aware of what was expected of me in the aircraft. The postflights were just as informative. Jim found my weak points quickly, showed me how to correct them, then watched as I implemented the changes and my performance improved.
Sunday morning rolled around and we had a single flight planned for today just so I could run through an entire simulated checkride. I couldn't wait to get into that Seminole and 'xplain to the plane just WHO was in charge. We had a GREAT flight in spite of my cockiness. Afterwards, I asked to use the simulater for a while so that I could practice my ILS approach. My instructor, Jim was out flying, so I asked another instructor, Jeff, (who was between flights) to lend me a hand setting up the sim. Jeff not only helped me set up the sim, but he even gave me some flight instruction! When I offered to pay him for his time, he declined to accept the money saying, "...just do good on your checkride...".
Well, Monday rolled around and my checkride was scheduled for 8:30 am... bite the bullet time! Jim picked me up promptly from the hotel at 7:30 am and delivered me to my fate. Any final questions were answered and my paperwork was reviewed in anticipation of the examiner's arrival.
The examiner arrived promptly at 8:15 am and introduced himself simply as "KB" (Mr. KB would be more appropriate, I believe.) He was a flight instructor for many years and his demeanor is one of experience and knowledge. He is a pleasant gentleman and he showed a genuine interest in myself and my flying skills. I got the impression that the safe operation of the aircraft was more important to this gentleman than my simply passing a checkride. Despite his cool confidence and calming effect on me, I STILL found every other word out of my mouth to be "SIR".
The checkride was GREAT! Mr. KB and myself took off uneventfully after the oral was completed. We climbed out only to find that the clouds were too low for us to do our maneuvers. Mr. KB gave me the option to reschedule (heaven forbid!) or to return to the airport to retrieve an instructor who could file IFR to get us on top of the overcast... you KNOW which choice I took... Jim, here I come!
Jim was flying, but another instructor, Tom, volunteered for the duty. Tom's coolness and professionalism as he watched me fly the IFR flight plan that he had filed was an inspiration to me during my testing. We punched in and out of the clouds, all the time squawking with ATC and ducking traffic until we were VFR on top... THEN the test began!
Jim had prepared me well. Mr. KB asked for the expected manuvers... slow flight, stalls, etc., and I complied. One always wishes that one had done so and so manuver better, or that one could have done the manuver the same way as it had been done in practice, but hey, you do the best that you can. Jim's training left me with few regrets... I was well prepared! Yes, I passed!!!
I want to explain WHY I took the time to share my experiences at SKYMATES... most peolple will call and tell you if your performance or that of your company was bad... FEW will call simply to compliment you on a job well done.
I did not want this to be the case with SKYMATES... You folks do GREAT work and I thank you! I will return just as soon as I accumulate the FAA required 15 hours multi that I need to apply for my Multi-engine Instructor ticket.
I also saw some one here in this forum inquring about this school and I thought to share first hand information. It's nice to benefit from someone else's experiences (and someone else's money spent).
My email address is GoBoy@joimail.com. My Cell Phone number is (775) 843-6553. Please contact me personally if you have questions concerning my training or my recomendations.
I include this information, at the risk of spam, life and limb, to demonstrate my sincerity. I am NOT being compensated in ANY fashion, nor, am I, as I read earlier in this forum, an FBO owner posing as a student.
I am a real life multi-engine student (imagine that!) who wishes to honestly recommend and commend a company, SKYMATES, for doing OUTSTANDING work, in a most PROFESSIONAL manner, at a reasonable $ VALUE!
Jasper Ferguson
Reno, Nevada
