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)