Multi/IFR training on the West Coast

coastdog · Post by **coastdog** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 5:42 pm

Anybody have any thoughts or experiences with Multi/IFR schools on the West Coast? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Pro IFR or a smaller school?
Thanks in advance.

shamrock104 · Post by **shamrock104** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 7:27 pm

After some research I have decided on Juan Air out of Victoria. I will be starting in January.

Kahlua · Post by **Kahlua** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:39 pm

I did my Multi-IFR at ProIFR this summer and thought the training was excellent. I went in and told them that i wanted to get it done in as short amount of time as possible and i was out 21 days later with my rating. If youre willing to study like crazy and know your crap before the lesson, youll be good to go. Id recommend getiing your written done beforehand though. I hadnt had it done and that just added to the workload - got it done tho! But not only are they fast and efficient, they are quality. And the owner is a hoot too - totally a high-energy guy who obviously loves his job. Id highly recommend Pro.

mellow_pilot · Post by **mellow_pilot** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:07 am

There have been a few threads lately asking where to go for multi/ifr. I think the best thing to do is to decide exactly what you need, then visit FTUs and find out what they are like first hand. Even if you spend $100 in gas driving around, it's worth it to find a school that suits you.

If you are looking at a degree/diploma, try to find an institution that actually has a flight department. Institutions that farm the flight training out to private firms wouldn't be my first choice. Private schools tend to have a high turn over rate for instructors. Most of the instructors are there to build time and not for a career. Remember that the flight time is only half the rating, the ground school counts for alot. If the institution has Proffessors on tenure, they probably have more experience and knowledge than a newly minted class 4 or 3. This will become very evident when you are in class.

I'm not saying that private schools and low time instructors can't train you. Simply that if you are looking for University/College level instruction, private schools tend not to have the capability.

The thing I would look for if I were to do it all again at a private school, is a crusty old bastard of a pilot who has lots of real experience and now teaches for kicks and not the money. The biggest problem I found in my training was that my instructor had little more experience than I did. We ended up with the exact same amount of real cloud time (if you get my drift). Learn from someone high-time. They may not be up on the latest regs (though they probably should be, and the good ones will be as a matter of pride), but the tricks and experience they have will make your life easier.

Good Luck

Airtids · Post by **Airtids** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:31 am

Recommend Juan Air. Good choice shamrock. Best machine, most experienced instructors, and can be done as fast as you can learn. This option brings with it the possibility of employment. Have fun.

coastdog · Post by **coastdog** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 7:57 pm

Thanks for the thoughts. I had not thought about Jaun Air, the info about pro-ifr is also helpful.

Rowdy · Post by **Rowdy** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:56 pm

I'm currently finishing my MIFR with Pro. The owner is GREAT! His whole family will go way out of their way to help you out in any regard and all the instructors I've dealt with have been fantastic! The system works well. It gets my full approval

I'd also recomend going over to montair, check them out and if you like em, doing the whole gambit on their Seneca II, it's a great platform for anyone not familiar with GPS or autopilot in an a/c a bit more complicated. They also run a tight ship and have a couple fantastic instructors. Sure the CFI can be a bit of a hard ass. But he still runs a good show and has my respect.

CHEERS!

altiplano · Post by **altiplano** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:13 am

shimmydampner · Post by **shimmydampner** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:29 am

Just out of curiosity, where is Pro located? Are there any good schools in Kelowna to do a MIFR?

Mornazinomoretuzzi · Post by **Mornazinomoretuzzi** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 3:15 pm

Finished the Multi/IFR at ProIFR not long ago. Superb!!!! Great school with excellent insruction. I did a lot of research before going, looked all over Canada. I can honestly say I was extremely happy with my choice.

V1 Rotate · Post by **V1 Rotate** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:46 pm

Pro is at Boundary Bay Airport, about 20 minutes south of Vancouver.

http://www.proifr.com
http://www.czbb.com

2low · Post by **2low** » Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:58 pm

Al a good guy. Now that's got to be a fu*kin joke. Can't believe you openly praise that scumbag. He really does have some real world IFR skills, although, I don't know anybody that landed their Navajo with the gear up. He's a great pilot for sure. He also always pays his employees on time too eh? Get a clue. I also wonder what airline thoes poor suckers that signed up for that "Airline Transition Program" work for. My guess is Regency.

Pro IFR is where it's at. No doubt.

altiplano · Post by **altiplano** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 12:28 pm

Airtids · Post by **Airtids** » Sun Nov 13, 2005 1:06 pm

Juan also uses a Seneca II, known ice, yadda yadda. Must admit, I don't know what the rate is these days, but I'll bet it's competitive.

Multi/IFR training on the West Coast

Multi/IFR training on the West Coast

Multi IFR