Westwind now Pan Am???

TexasFlyer

TexasFlyer

Living the Dream (well at least trying to)
Is this statement true? It was on Air Safety Academy's webiste history.

"Having successfully co-founded Westwind Aviation Academy (now Pan Am Flight Academy), Westwind School of Aeronautics and AirSafety Flight Academy, Dee Pinkston has now pioneered a new generation of flight training - merging state-of-the-art aircraft technology with professional flight training."

The only part I care about is, is Westwind now out of business effectively since Pan Am now owns them?
 
heres the deal on that... i go to air saftey and know the onwer very well... (i aslo attended westwind for 6 months).... dee pinkston was a founding member of westwind aviation academy which was bought by pan am years ago..... dee and other investors decided to start and run a new flight school and opened westwind school of aeronautics across the parking lot from their original flight school (now pan am)....
dee left westwind and started air safety..... air safety just got another new cirrus on 6/14/05... i havent had the chace to fly it yet but will soon
 
Thank you. That now all makes sense. I just heard of Air Saftey the other day and since I am considering FSA and Pan Am, I felt I should give Air Safety a chance at getting my business once I get in position to make the proper committment to such a program.

From a student perspective, can you make a comment on Air Safety and your experience there? What are your thoughts on the program in comparison to your other experiences? What have you seen to be the success rate of your CFI's getting hired by regionals at the 1000 to 1100 hour mark?

PS - No academy bashing here please. The academy is the way I personally need to go since a structured ground school is important to me since I learn better in a lecture and interactive program than I do in self study program. So to me that's worth an extra $20k if it means a much better chance of success (if the day comes and I change my mind Aviator will be the more self-study oriented program I chose, so I did at least do the research). My short list is as listed above from the research I done over the last year if anyone with direct experience with those specific schools can give me a run down on what they feel the good is on each and bad is on each since I am sure each program has it's own advantages and disadvantages, especially since it appears the cost is very similar for each of these programs.
 
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PS - No academy bashing here please. The academy is the way I personally need to go since a structured ground school is important to me since I learn better in a lecture and interactive program than I do in self study program. So to me that's worth an extra $20k if it means a much better chance of success

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How about the MikeD military undergraduate pilot training program? Hard work, applied knowlege, flight discipline, flexibility, decision making, and always challenging, is the way the program runs.
bandit.gif


I'd do it if I weren't deployed overseas right now..........
 
I would absolutely reccommend air saftey.... they are a new school.... and have not yet sent anyone to the regionals... there are only about a dozen professional students but tha number is growing every month.... ground school classes are small.. often just you and the instructor.. airplane availability has never really been a problem..... they have a 172N, 172SP, 2 Cirrus SR-20, and a beech duchess..... the 172 SP and both cirrus are new... one cirrus has about 500 hours... and the other was just delivered on 6/14 the 172 sp has about 400 hours... all the aircraft are well maintained. The people in charge are good people and very friendly... they rember that the student is the customer!.... the best part is the price... the cirrus are the cheapest in the country at $130/hr block rate.... not bad for a full glass cockpit, comfortable interior and whole airplane recovery parachute!... thats about the same price westwind charges for a beat up 172sp with 2500 hours on it. The 172n goes for about $80, and the sp for $99... the duchess is the cheapest twin in the valley ( i dont remember how much... havent flown it for 4 months).....

I had a great time at westwind... made alot of friends... and i had a great instructor... but i would not reccommend it to anyone... as much as i dont want to s say it i think the stories of check airmen failing people on progress checks might be true... i went on my final instrument progress check 3 times.... thats when i left to go to airsaftey..... i went on 2 flight with an instructor there... then went on my checkride... the examiner said it was the best ir checkride he had been on in over a year.... it cost me over 20k and 6 months (full time)for my instrument rating. one of the friends i made at westwind had it a little harder then me... he spent 50k on private and instrument, before leaving westwind and going to airsafety with me..... There are alot of people that actually do complete their right seat direct program... but not nearly as many as they advertise...



Well thats my 2 cents

If you have any more questions please feel free to ask
 
Some of Westwind's 172s had seen better days from what I remember, but I wouldn't really call your dutchess a well maintained airplane.
 
Thank you PhoenixFlyer. I will certainly be checking out AirSaftey as an option when the time comes. Since my time is still a good 24 or so months out, there should be a track record in place by then so I can do a good cost-benefit-success comparison to Pan-Am and Flight Safety along with my site visit.
 
the duchess is well maintained... when its flying... its an old airplane. its been down for a while.... one of the students did a nose wheel landing..... and the nose gear collapsed... did quite a bit of damage... it now has rebuilt engines... new props.. reconditioned instruments... (the blue line is actually blue now) and they put in a new garmin 430..... it should be pretty sweet when its done
 
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How about the MikeD military undergraduate pilot training program? Hard work, applied knowlege, flight discipline, flexibility, decision making, and always challenging, is the way the program runs.
bandit.gif


I'd do it if I weren't deployed overseas right now..........

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Are you taking resumes for instructor staff, MikeD? I've a proven record of taking no BS from anyone, and kicking some pretty good a$$ if I have to!

Oh, and I can fly pretty good too!
grin.gif
 
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[ QUOTE ]

How about the MikeD military undergraduate pilot training program? Hard work, applied knowlege, flight discipline, flexibility, decision making, and always challenging, is the way the program runs.
bandit.gif


I'd do it if I weren't deployed overseas right now..........

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you taking resumes for instructor staff, MikeD? I've a proven record of taking no BS from anyone, and kicking some pretty good a$$ if I have to!

Oh, and I can fly pretty good too!
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Hell yes. And I forgot to add to the above program qualities:

PT!

We're about much more than sitting in a chair and pushing buttons......
 
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