Durham Flight Center

[mikesxr]

Has anyone gone there did you like it or not any info about them.

I am having a hard time deciding between centennial / Durham and Conestoga / WWFC. Conestoga is a very nice school and the airport is nice to but they do want like 15 grand more plus i would have to rent a place there.

[mikesxr]

No one here has been to Durham Flight Center?

[Thair81]

I haven't heard much about Durham myself, but if I was you I would take a trip down there and speak to the Chief Flight Instructor and get a tour. Also, if you get an opportunity, speak to current and former students and get feedback from them to see how they enjoy it. I would also do the same thing at WWFC. Talk to as many people as you can at both places to see which one is a better fit for you.
Also, from past experience, especially with flight training, being able to keep your debt to a minimum is very important. When you start working in the industry you will not make a lot of money to begin with, so having little or no debt is a huge advantage. However, overall, you must decide which college and flight school suits your needs better. All the best.

[mikesxr]

Thats what i plan on doing i have already went down to WWFC/ Confederation and talked to some students and wow that place is nice. Was just trying to find out if there were any students on here from DFC that could share their experiences with them.

[Hedley]

Maybe they're not talking for a reason?

Following is a picture I personally took (no photoshop)

[Tango01]

Wow, look at that picture! Did they forget to flare?

[Hedley]

I have no idea how they managed to make a poor old 172 do that.

(Insert usual "kids today don't have any stick & rudder skill" rant here)

(Insert typical "that's what they get for not learning on a tailwheel" comment from grumpy old guys)

(Insert ensuing "it's not our fault we learn on nosewheel" defensive response from fuzzy-cheeked kids)

(Insert requisite "we have bred a generation of crappy nosewheel instructors" comment here)

[DaveC]

I used to work there at the dispatch desk (2 years) -

Staff: Great staff, had some very talented instructors with good hearts and didn't eve rip their students off. Sometimes you'll hear about the instructors that charge 2 hours dual for pre-flight.. Most of the time the instructors were quite generous, and patient with you.

Fleet: We had 3 172s, 3 150s, and a Piper Aztec. Not sure if that has changed since - but most of them were kept in good shape. There was issues with getting transponders in some of the A/C. We had a nice Piper (arrow?) but it was decommissioned.

Centennial: Good program from what I observed - lots of my friends that went through that course ended up getting good jobs flying all over the world (Antigua, Brazil, Antartica with Enterprise Air)

Go check them out, see what they are up to. Ask for Kevin Welsh, he will set it up for you (if he is still here, he was the main dispatcher).

Regarding the photo - one of the Centennial students flared (who ended up becoming an instructor) too soon and stalled the A/C. No injuries, it was on a night cross country. If I can recall there was an issue about the airport lights not being turned on? Not sure exactly what happened.

Hope this helps.

[Tango01]

Airport lights being off-Not illegal
Pilot landing at night without the minimum runway lighting required (unless saving human life/police work which I doubt Centennial College would do)-Illegal

Bottom line. Who is teaching these pilots to land at night with no lights?

[DaveC]

Airport lights being off-Not illegal
Pilot landing at night without the minimum runway lighting required (unless saving human life/police work which I doubt Centennial College would do)-Illegal

Bottom line. Who is teaching these pilots to land at night with no lights?

Like I said - I'm not a commercial pilot, and i'm not sure exactly what happened. I'm sure he had light - if he were here i'm sure he could explain his story.

Does Centennial have a bad rap here?

[mikesxr]

thanks DaveCachia thats what i was hoping to hear

[Hedley]

there was an issue about the airport lights not being turned on?

That sounds like a pretty feeble excuse. If the airport lights
weren't on, why did he try to land?!

My bullsh1t detector is ringing loud and clear on this one ....

The airport that it happened at has perfectly serviceable
ARCAL runway lights, which function precisely as described
in the CFS. There are functioning PAPI lights at both approach
ends of the (single) runway which function perfectly.

I just finished giving a night rating to a pilot based at that
airport, which incidentally I have been flying in and out of
for the last 38 years, so what would I know?

[iflyforpie]

Don't know whether it was legal or not, but doing my night rating we had FSS turn off the lights for one circuit.

[Hedley]

You can legally fly a circuit with the airport lights
off, but if you land with the airport lights off, that
is certainly a contravention.

I have often wished that I could teach this emergency
during the night rating, but clearly that is not a good
idea from a regulatory standpoint.

[DaveC]

Relax! I'm only forwarding what I heard. I don't work for them any more. If you want to know more look up the cadors(?) for it.

[767]

Relax!

I dont know if thats a good idea ....

[who me ?]

Just curious,.. what airport was that picture taken at ? ?>

[mikesxr]

not 100% sure but they do their flying out of oshawa airport so thats my guess

[DaveC]

Na, this accident was not in Oshawa. Don't remember where though.

[Pratt X 3]

Smith Falls.

[Ant118]

The only one thing that I can say is that the maintance is lacks. There is always something wrong with the A/C. I mean just look up the cador's for DFC. Most of the instructors are very good! Bill Hueston the CFI is a very approachable and very good Class 1. Kevin Walsh is still there, and is one of the best guys they have there. But personally I would go to Conastoga. Better A/C, and worth the extra cash

[mikesxr]

Yeah when i went up in one of there 172's we had to giggle the plugs for the headsets around for them to work and they still kept crapping out. I think I am going to sault college now im going up for a tour to see whats its like on monday.