XPost: rec.aviation.student   
   From: 1@2.3   
      
   northern surferboy wrote:   
   > "Speed Demon" <1@2.3> wrote in message   
   > news:UfednUP-27Xd3V3fRVn-rA@rogers.com...   
   >   
   >>Well, the time has come to actually make it happen.   
   >>   
   >>I need to choose a flight school. I'm employed full-time right now, since   
   >>I have some disposable income my idea is to go through the motions   
   >>starting with PPL and see where it takes me... either to the point where I   
   >>just want to focus on my current career and fly recreationally, or keep   
   >>going further and make a career out of flying.   
   >>   
   >   
   >   
   > I am trying to do the same thing. I here so much conflicting opinions about   
   > the future of avaition my goals are to obtain the various certifications as   
   > I can afford and a pay as you go basis and see where I end up at the end of   
   > 2 years.  I might even buy a plane or a share of one and fly it around on   
   > the weekend to obtain extra hours and then sell it after 2 years. If I had   
   > done that 10 years ago instead of thinking I needed $35,000 in the bank and   
   > do it in a year I would of had more then the 1000 hours by now.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >>If anyone can provide advice on the following, it would be appreciated:   
   >>   
   >>1) Recommendations for flight schools in the Toronto and Montreal areas.   
   >>   
   >   
   >   
   > I started at Buttonville but they constantly book appointments and then   
   > cancel at the last minute claiming it is too windy (when it isn't and other   
   > planes are going up) or some other excuss. I really don't know why they pull   
   > that as their instructors are going to benefit of getting hours and there   
   > are other flight schools that are more then willing to take you on. I now go   
   > to Candian Flyers that operate on a air field along hwy 48 (Markham road)   
   > and Elgin Mills. They are a bunch of 20 something dudes with really old   
   > planes but they is no air traffic in their area (northern Markham and   
   > Pickering).   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >>2) Most things being more expensive in Toronto, is there any significant   
   >>cost difference in doing flight training in Toronto as opposed to (a)   
   >>outskirts of Toronto, say Oshawa, or (b) another Canadian city? Compared   
   >>with say, Montreal or Calgary?   
   >>   
   >   
   >   
   > I know Oshawa is cheaper then Buttonville or the Island Airport cause they   
   > don't charge landing fees. Oshawa has a good school there too but it is too   
   > far for me to go to.   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   >>3) What informational resources for people in my position would you   
   >>recommend? (Web or otherwise) ... i.e. choosing a flight school, what to   
   >>look out for, etc. There's a lot on the web but a lot is also fluff and   
   >>thinly-veiled advertising.   
   >>   
   >   
   >   
   > Well like I said I am in the same position as you. I have done a few hours   
   > already so I would say maybe go check out a few schools first and see if   
   > your confortable with the people there. I know I didn't want to deal with   
   > the Buttonville (Toronto Avaition the school is called) people after they   
   > cancelled on me 4 times in a row. Next I would get the text book and go   
   > through it while your deciding. I have a old copy of From The Ground Up and   
   > it sucks. I got pdf files of the FAA ground manual and I am going over it   
   > right now.   
   >   
   >   
   >>I know I can find some of the above answers by doing some legwork on   
   >>google, but I'm more interested in personal opinions rather than relying   
   >>on my gut to decide what's quality info and what's not. I also know to   
   >>visit the flight school and ask lots of questions before I plonk down the   
   >>cheque, but I figure here is a good place to start.   
   >>   
   >>Thanks!   
   >>   
   >>S.   
   >   
   >   
   > I would do the pay as you go plan forthe private license first. Pay per each   
   > hour instead of dropping down the whole thing cause you really need a good   
   > instructor and someone you are comfortable with. If the instructor is bad or   
   > a jerk to deal with learning to fly will be much harder and you will lose   
   > interest. Your the one calling the shots so shop around. If you go to   
   > Oshkosh Air Show next month there will be tonnes of people you can talk to   
   > about what to do next.   
   >   
   >   
      
   Thanks for the advice. I definitely intend on doing pay as I go for the   
   PPL first, as well as thoroughly shopping around. I checked out Canadian   
   Flyers and asked them to email me some pricing information for various   
   courses as well as for an integrated CPL/IR course if they offer it, but   
   I haven't heard back yet.   
      
   S.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)