I am based in Montreal, and I intend within the next 6 months or so to start flying lessons (basically making sure the money is on hand before I start, so I can do the flying parts closer together to keep the hours reasonable).
There are a number of schools around here, at Dorval, Les Cedres, St Hubert, etc. My idea is to check a few of them out, and to ask a couple of the better ones for "test flights" to see how the instructors are and how generally their operations work.
First off, how many is too many? I am figuring probably testing out maybe 3 places. Is this an issue?
Also, I am open to suggestions for places to train. Suggestions anyone?
Checking out schools by taking a test flight
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Alex YCV
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Checking out schools by taking a test flight
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I think you'd be wasting your money. Go to the schools. Talk to some students. Have a coffee with the CFI's. You don't need to "test" fly them. You don't have the knowledge base to really know what to look for. Some points worth considering....busy airports=less real time in the sky for money spent. If you have a good "feeling" from the folks you talk to, you'll be alright. Have fun!
Doc is right.
Just go and talk to the students, instructors, and CFI. You'll know after 10 minutes whether its a good school.
A couple things to keep in mind:
1) Like Doc said, its best to learn to fly at a small airport, financially speaking.
2) When you get into your commercial training and time building, look ahaed to future licencing requirements (ie ATPL). Try and do your time building at night, as depending on the route you go after school, it could really help you.
3) Go to your lessons PREPARED! Review what you did the last flight before you go to the airport, and most importantly, study the FTM before you go for your flight. You'll save a lot of money, and your instructor will like you a heck of a lot more.
Good luck with your training, and have fun!
Just go and talk to the students, instructors, and CFI. You'll know after 10 minutes whether its a good school.
A couple things to keep in mind:
1) Like Doc said, its best to learn to fly at a small airport, financially speaking.
2) When you get into your commercial training and time building, look ahaed to future licencing requirements (ie ATPL). Try and do your time building at night, as depending on the route you go after school, it could really help you.
3) Go to your lessons PREPARED! Review what you did the last flight before you go to the airport, and most importantly, study the FTM before you go for your flight. You'll save a lot of money, and your instructor will like you a heck of a lot more.
Good luck with your training, and have fun!
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Alex YCV
- Rank 4
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:41 pm
- Location: The old Cartierville Airport
- Contact:
Doc, I live within about a 4 minute drive of dorval airport, right to the door of starlink (and dorval aviation as a result), but I doubt I would want to train at Dorval airport exactly for the reasons you state - more time spent waiting, flying to the practice area, etc... and as I have read on other posts here, circuit training isn't possible at Dorval.
Outside of St Hubert and Les Cedres, does anyone have suggestions within about an hour of the montreal area?
Outside of St Hubert and Les Cedres, does anyone have suggestions within about an hour of the montreal area?
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Night-Hawk
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You could try Cargair at Mascouche, or even KEJY Aviation at Lachute. I did my PPL in Lachute, it's a nice little airport with a 4000' paved runway and very very few traffic and the training area is about 4 minutes away. Great poeple operating the school. The only drawback is that they are kinda limited when it comes to CPL as they only have 2 aircrafts.Alex YCV wrote:Doc, I live within about a 4 minute drive of dorval airport, right to the door of starlink (and dorval aviation as a result), but I doubt I would want to train at Dorval airport exactly for the reasons you state - more time spent waiting, flying to the practice area, etc... and as I have read on other posts here, circuit training isn't possible at Dorval.
Outside of St Hubert and Les Cedres, does anyone have suggestions within about an hour of the montreal area?
but definately look for small airports.
If you do a discovery flight too many times is it really helping you out?
What I would suggest is to talk to some of the other students about the instructors and training program that is available. I have had a couple students recently that have come from a different school and it takes a couple of extra flights to figure out where they are at since you cannot talk to their previous instructor.
What kind of things are you looking for? If you are looking for a great instructor most schools have more than one. If you are looking for good rates, you can usually find them out by telephone or internet. If you are looking for training programs those aswell will be online.
good_idea
What I would suggest is to talk to some of the other students about the instructors and training program that is available. I have had a couple students recently that have come from a different school and it takes a couple of extra flights to figure out where they are at since you cannot talk to their previous instructor.
What kind of things are you looking for? If you are looking for a great instructor most schools have more than one. If you are looking for good rates, you can usually find them out by telephone or internet. If you are looking for training programs those aswell will be online.
good_idea
