U.s Flight Schools In Canada

[autorevs]

Find a school with the oldest grumpiest instructor around and then expect to pay the same as it would cost for a new Cadillac or Lincoln.

Transport Inspector told me this over 25 years ago and I think this advice would still hold true today.

[guycanfly]

All of the Red eagle instructors are well expereinced. Not just Dave Hoerner. The Kalsipell area is in the middle of the mountains. My point was that mountain flying was a daily occurance. As for building time, I cannot find another way do do it unless I take a course. I need to be able to fly to say current. High alt. airport? I'm not having any trouble. Noone else is either. I am just very happy to have had excellent training. I have had training in both Canada and the USA. I chose the USA because the training included: night flying, instrument, night x-country, confines, remote landings Wilderness) mountain, pinnicle, autos, pedals, slopes, VRS, Quickstops, sand, dirt, rock, rain, snow, navigation, control zones (international airport) high, hot, heavy and make your spot autos, just to name a few. Does this sound like I am missing some key component? I think that there are a few things that I listed that aren't on a canadian syllabus. Experience - yes, time -yes, Easier -heck no! Cheaper- Heck yea!!!! Fun to do and fullfilling of my dreams. I am not inferring that I am some super pilot. I am saying that my experience was super, the school is super, the instructors are super, the machines are super. My experience is my experience. I have never seen this kind of verbal swill with regards to an aviation community. It is distastful. I never once heard stuff like this in the Kalispell flying community. Everyone has the right to an opinion and an experience. This was mine. It is my hope that my zeal is additive to the forum. Stomp out my only 85 hr enthusiasm if you will-but shouldn't we be building on the positive? We can be better role models for furthering aviation than this. Thats my goal !

[Full On]

All of the Red eagle instructors are well expereinced. Not just Dave Hoerner. The Kalsipell area is in the middle of the mountains. My point was that mountain flying was a daily occurance. As for building time, I cannot find another way do do it unless I take a course. I need to be able to fly to say current. High alt. airport? I'm not having any trouble. Noone else is either. I am just very happy to have had excellent training. I have had training in both Canada and the USA. I chose the USA because the training included: night flying, instrument, night x-country, confines, remote landings Wilderness) mountain, pinnicle, autos, pedals, slopes, VRS, Quickstops, sand, dirt, rock, rain, snow, navigation, control zones (international airport) high, hot,

 

heavy and make your spot autos, just to name a few. Does this sound like I am missing some key component? I think that there are a few things that I listed that aren't on a canadian syllabus. Experience - yes, time -yes, Easier -heck no! Cheaper- Heck yea!!!! Fun to do and fullfilling of my dreams. I am not inferring that I am some super pilot. I am saying that my experience was super, the school is super, the instructors are super, the machines are super. My experience is my experience. I have never seen this kind of verbal swill with regards to an aviation community. It is distastful. I never once heard stuff like this in the Kalispell flying community. Everyone has the right to an opinion and an experience. This was mine. It is my hope that my zeal is additive to the forum. Stomp out my only 85 hr enthusiasm if you will-but shouldn't we be building on the positive? We can be better role models for furthering aviation than this. Thats my goal !

 

Since when has the forum become a facility for cheap advertising. There's some class for ya. About as classy as bringing in an American flight school to Canada at the cost of Canadian flight instructors jobs. That to me is distasteful. Hey guycanfly why don't you tell us your position at this American flight school operating in Canada? Isn't it some kind of ops. position? Your managerial opinion sounds a lot like advertising to me.

 

Maybe all the flight schools in Canada should get testimonials from their management too. I'm sure that they would all say how great there facility is and how super their instructors are as well.

 

Cheers

 

PRJB

 

[R22Captain]

So....................what the heck exactly is red eagle selling Canadian students. A FAA license? What for? Girls at the bar? Since you are apparently in managment maybe you can explain this.

This whole NAFTA 2 way street thing isn't happening, albeit there are a select few operators who work back and forth. But that covers a very small number of pilots, and zero low-time pilots.

 

In my eyes, many good flight schools arcoss this country turn out good students. Some of those schools are run my operators who hire there own students and bring them through the ranks. I think there is a well known one right at Springbank. Eventually some of those students get their night rating when they need it, and usually put it to use making money when they need it.

Others go on to do their IFR at, lets say, 500, 1000, 2000 hours, when they need it, so they can put those IFR skills to work, making money. Alot of operators fund these ratings as they need crew. They keep them current by doing recurrent training/ppc's.

 

Some other well known schools may not hire there own, but are reputable and have connections to get students pointed in the right direction.

 

see where I'm going here?

 

You know.....I think Canada has been known for developing some of the better pilots in the world. I would say that is a by-product of our training system. right from 0 hours, through 100, through cutting your teeth on a ground/hanger job, through your first 1000 hours and on-ward.

 

Our industry may have it's problems, but I don't see them in the quality/sylabus of our training.

 

Other then being "fun" (i think your first 100 hours no matter where you do it is fun for anyone I've talked to) why would I tell some dreamer to get his/her license at "red eagle"

 

Most of us on here were once "dreamers" and we made it doing it the Canadian way; one night rating at a time..one ifr at a time..one mountain course at a time...one type rating at a time.

 

 

 

and I turn the mic over........

[Skidbiter]

So after reading this thread over the last few days, I have finally got sick of shaking my head in awe at some of these posts and decided to chip in to the debate.

 

I haven't bothered to look at statistics or the back rounds of any instructors etc so these are just my observations.

 

So... it seems, going by the EXPERTS on here that "all" the "US of A" flight instructors & training schools aren't worth their weight in gold and that the ONLY country in the world that has quality instructors and training is Canada???

Well I am sure all the neighbours to the South would probably have other ideas on that!

But I guess there is nothing wrong with being full of your self......

 

Then there are the guys STILL flogging a dead horse, re - immigrants taking away Canadians jobs!

How many Canadians work out of country taking away "locals" jobs in those countries, or working for Canadian companies setting up in other countries???

How many companies in Canada are already owned by Americans - a whole bunch!!!

How many of your favourite Hockey teams have immigrants in them???

 

For good or bad, it is a global economy, so you can either sit at home and get bitter in your narrow minded little world or get out and embrace it! Travel, work in other countries, see for your self that there are other ways of doing things, you can work in the States, you just have to know how to go about it, and maybe have a little cash on hand.

 

 

To sum up, I think some of you should hop down off your "high horse", if this new training outfit (that you are all giving free advertising for) has shoddy training, I am sure it won't last long, as it IS a small industry after all, so what are you so worried about???

 

Also, whats the big deal with someone hiring a machine to go do a few hours solo once he has his private license?? Its done in plenty of places, I know there is a 'little' difference between 50 & 100 or 150 hours, but not much! at 100 or 150 you now have a license to LEARN, no more no less!

 

 

I, like quite a few of you, am at home waiting for the season to kick off so fire at will......

 

 

 

[guycanfly]

Why yes I am involved in the Red Eagle school. I helped with the regulations and general business model. I go and spend time there upon occaision and answer questions or help clean the carpets. I have no office, invested, or finacial stake. I am no owner, Paul. I take no dollars, nor have I. I have paid for my complete training in good old $$.

I am a volunteer. I know that is hard for you to believe but it is true. I have another career as you know.

In the School in Kalsipell students and patrons and lovers of aviaition come and volunteer to cut the grass or sweep the ramp or fly into a remote strip and work on it for the weekend so that others can use it. The school provides aircraft and food for the events. They are also an Angel flight centre. This is what I really enjoyed - the paradigm of " lets go and enjoy flying" There is no coersion nor expectation. People see a good thing and see good people giving back: the students, instructors and community. It is a rare thing. It is the accumen of the owner. Around this school, people who love aviation give of their time because it furthers the general aviation community. Just like I am.

[Full On]

Why yes I am involved in the Red Eagle school. I helped with the regulations and general business model. I go and spend time there upon occaision and answer questions or help clean the carpets. I have no office, invested, or finacial stake. I am no owner, Paul. I take no dollars, nor have I. I have paid for my complete training in good old $$.

I am a volunteer. I know that is hard for you to believe but it is true. I have another career as you know.

In the School in Kalsipell students and patrons and lovers of aviaition come and volunteer to cut the grass or sweep the ramp or fly into a remote strip and work on it for the weekend so that others can use it. The school provides aircraft and food for the events. They are also an Angel flight centre. This is what I really enjoyed - the paradigm of " lets go and enjoy flying" There is no coersion nor expectation. People see a good thing and see good people giving back: the students, instructors and community. It is a rare thing. It is the accumen of the owner. Around this school, people who love aviation give of their time because it furthers the general aviation community. Just like I am.

 

Then why leave good ol' Kalispell.

 

[Auto Relight]

This has to be one of the most misinformed, inaccurate, and stupid threads seen on here in, well, weeks.

 

Check your emotions at the door and look at the facts, shall we? As Skidbiter and R22Capt have said above, grow up SVP, this is embarrassing.

 

AR

[R22Captain]

Well I think Skidbiter's post was much more mature then mine; he has some valuable points.

 

I've fallen off my "high horse" since then

 

My question is still what is of value of an FAA license to a new 100 hour...well 150 hour....canadian student? Obviously Ottawa had to of approve of this.

 

We had a big rant over rates not too long ago on here over alberta forestry.

So now we have a school who rate is coming 30% less then average.

 

I'm really not looking for a pee pee match. I'd like some facts/opinions.

 

 

 

 

[guycanfly]

Great question!

1. 150hrs vs the regular 100.

All hrs anywhere are valid hrs in either the USA or Canada. More is better to get that 1st job.

2. night flying in part of any FAA license

3. night x-country is also a part of any FAA license

4. manuevers such as quick stops are part of private training.

5 private license must be completed before commercial

This gives several advantages:

a) progressive testing. ie experience an oral exam, written and flight test at a basic level and know what to expect on the next level is less stressful. Also much what is covered on the commercial has already been covered on private. It is reinforcing of the material and gives repetitive learning (strongest retention method)

while flying off hrs, one can take passengers because a private rating is already obtained. people are more apt to finish because they can take take a buddy, go fishing, weekend trips, fly to different sites for your work. good sales pitch for more students- peer to peer!

4. students have the option to fly in more than 1 community. geography changes, maps are different, airspace is slightly different - broader experience during training.

6. all solo time with or without and instructor is logged as PIC!

7. students do not have to pay for instructors when solo - greatly reducing cost of training

8. A Canadian license can be obtained with USA hrs if desired at the 100hr mark or there after as the 150 hr syllabus inlcudes and exceeds the 100 hr requirments.

9 Instrument rating is included in the 150 hr course.

10. Type endorsments are not required to fly anything 12,500lbs or less with an FAA license.

11. Canadian license conversion based on a FAA is already inplace. The 150 hr min requirments of FAA

commercial cover the requirments for the 100 hr Canadian license but not vise versa. Getting the FAA training first covers boths requirments. The Canadain commercial ilicense s directly tranferable to a FAA private certificate now due to the hr difference. it is just a matter of showing the medical and your log book and paying $20 and you get it then and there. no flight test needed.

12. holders of an FAA license can obtain a 9 month Nafta B1B work visa to work in the USA. That market is huge and now available. That visa is renewable.

13. holders of and FAA license can rent aircraft in the USA and , now, in Canada to stay current. no type endorsment neccessary. Huge cost savings.

14. 150hr FAA pilot (commercial) are eligable to become junior flight insructors. Requires a study course and flight test. This bridges the gap from the 100hr to the first 250hr job where most people get lost. Also just opens up pilots to a greater market potential.

All of this has been available for years through the NAFTA ICAO agreements for contracting states.

Also, FAA student pilot permits are complety valid for solo flight in Canada as are flight tests. Students take a pre- solo exam. The FAA student pilot permit is your medical certificate!

 

Oh, and a note on medicals. you can obtain both the Canadian and FAA medicals at the same time with the same appointment for 45 extra dollars at Dr. Helleur in Calgary. Probably others as well. I just get mine done there.