XPost: rec.aviation.student 
 From: northernsurferboy@gmail.com 
  
 "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. 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)