Well, while we are on the subject of Sheble confessions, I guess I'll take a turn. Some of you know I am a Sierra graduate. Last summer I got my AGI and IGI and in the fall I was hired by Sierra to teach ground school at the new campus in Atwater, CA to teach international students of airline contracts. This was a lot more work than I had anticipated and I was left with little time to train for my CFI. On top of that, becasue the international students only go through Pvt. Inst. Comm Multi (no need for Comm ASEL) the only complex airplane we had was the Duchess so I'd have to do my MEI as my initial CFI. Well, the only 2-year MEI who was available to train me was the assistant chief who was the bussiest person on campus. After 5 months I had about 3 flights with him and realized it would take me a reaaaaly long time before I'd be ready for the checkride. I couldn't take enough time off work to go back to the main Sierra campus to get it done (and a co-worker of mine had a nightmare of a time trying to do just that) so I decided to take a week off and get it done at Sheble. Here's my experience:
First 2 days were just ground school, and we covered just about everything in the PTS. This supposed CFI-level groundschool was a small fraction of the material that I learned my first week in Private ground school at Sierra, but I knew I wouldn't learn much at Sheble. I was there to get my certificate, my training was already done. I knew they only needed to cover the minimum they needed to sign me off, and I was fine with that. By the end of day 2 they had me on the schedule to take the checkride 2 days early. I guess I had impressed them enough with my knowlede that they could commit me to that schedule without even seeing me fly. As it turned out however the DPE was booked solid except for this day, and if I'd have take the full 7 days like I had expected (and paid for) I'd have to wait almost a week extra for a date. I'm not really sure why they could not have scheduled my checkride in advance seeing as I'd scheduled my training almost a month prior. This kind of put the pressure on me seeing as I had logged about 6 hours in the previous 6 months, and none of it in a single engine airplane, let alone a C-172 RG which I had about 2 hours in. But they promissed me they would get me ready to go. By day 3 (2 days before checkride) I could not excecute a power off 180 anywhere close to PTS, which happens to be the one maneuver that this examiner would not let slide. But they tell me again that we'd hit it hard the following day and I'd be fine. Well, on my way out that evening I notice a huge puddle of oil under the cowling. By the way, did I mention this is the only complex airplane they have? Anyway, I ask the mechanic to take a look. He was too busy to look at it and mentioned it was due for a 100 hour soon anyway so they'd just fix it then. I explained to him that I had a checkride in two days and he said he'd look at it before then. I had to get my instructor involved, but he finally reluctantly looked at it. He opened up the cowling and with lighted cigarette in mouth, he stuck his head deep in the cowling to get a close look at the oil covered engine to see where it was leaking. After a total of 5 seconds of looking he said "its the magneto gasket, nothing to worry about". There was about a quart of oil on the ground now and I said there was no way I was flying this plane, especially for a checkride. So they decided to do the 100 hour on it, and promised me it would be ready to go the next day so I could get one more flight in before the checkride. The next day came and low and behold they found quite a few serious problems with the engine during the 100 hour. I knew I would't get to fly that day, but at this point I'm lucky to be alive considering the condition of the aiplane I'd been flying around in. No flight that day, and I'm shceduled the next moring for the checkride. Next morning comes and still no plane. They decide to send me out in a straight leg 172, hoping the DPE will agree to a 2 plane ride and sqeeze me in for a couple touch & goes in the RG the following day. What they told the DPE, was the the RG had a problem but it would be fixed and on its way about an hour behind me (a lie). They were hoping that we'd start the oral, then they would call him and tell him the RG was down and hopefully he'd start the ride in the straight leg and get most of it done. Unfortunately he would not bend on doing the whole flight portion in the RG. We finnished the oral and he sent me on my way. We couldn't get me re-shcedule until 2 days later (the day my checkride should have been to begin with but hte DPE was supposedly booked solid that day) but it didn't matter because the plane was still not ready. Checkride day came again and still the plane was not ready. Was lucky enought this time however to get re-scheduled the following day (day 8). Checkride day comes again and WTF? There's a snowsorm in the middle of the AZ Desert. I know I cannot blame Sheble for the weather, but I can blame them for the fact that the weather didn't matter, cause the plane wasn't ready anyway. Got re-sheduled for day 10. Day 9, the plane's finally fixed and I ask if I can go up with an instructor to practice pwr off 180s. No instructor is available and they don't allow solo students in the RG. But they assured me that we can leave early for the checkride the next day and get me warmed up. Checkride day once again comes and I get there at the butt-crack of dawn to find the airplane (and the instructor I was scheduled to fly with) are in Hendersen for a checkride with another student. So much for warming up before the checkride. It comes time I have to get to HII for he checkride but the Airplane and instructor are running late. They decide to send me to HII solo in a straight leg and will send the RG ASAP. I pre-flighted 3 planes before I finally found one that was half-way airworthy. So I get to HII, and wait with the DPE for about an hour and a half before the RG finally arrives. I haven't flown it in a week and the last time I did I was flying like crap, but I didn't really care. At this point, I just wanted to get done. I should have been home 3 days ago. Fortunately the avation gods were with me that day, as I passed the ride. By the time I got back to IGM it was late, and everybody with authority to offer me a discount was gone for the day. I was hoping they'd be able to cut me a deal on the housing cost, seeing as how if their plane would have been available on day 5, I'd have only had to pay for 5 nights, but instead I was there for 10. I explained this to the guy that rang me up and he charged me for only 7 nights, which is what I was expecting when I got there anyway. I should have only been charged for 5 nights, but I was in a very good mood having just passed my CFI ride, and I was extreemely anxious to get on the road back home, so I took the deal and left.
Sorry for the looong story, but that's how it went down. Now having said all of that, I don't think Sheble should be avoided completely. It is a good place to go for a quick sign-off and checkride. It is a horrible place to go for flight training however. If you are already competent and just need a piece of paper that says you are qualified, than by all means go there. But make sure you allow for flexibility in your travel plans, an please, do a very good pre-flight, and fly safe.
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