• What's the situation like at YBW?

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:50 pm**

Hi all, hope you're having a great week.

Just out of curiosity, what is the situation like at Springbank Airport (Calgary AB) in regards to number of instructors, their availability, ab initio VFR training and MIFR training? Is there enough instructors to fill the demand, or are they hurting for instructors like alot of the major centres in Canada?

And what does the 12 month forecast look like? I would assume it would get worse, but maybe there's a good crop of new instructors-in-training.

I thank you all in advance for your input!

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:42 pm**

Well there's 3 schools so you'll have to be a little more specific. But yes, there should be enough availability to go around between the flying club and satc.

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2018 5:59 pm**

yhz41 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 2:42 pm Well there's 3 schools so you'll have to be a little more specific. But yes, there should be enough availability to go around between the flying club and satc.

Thanks for the info. I was asking in regards to any and all of the training units/clubs at YBW. Seems most FTUs are having a hard time retaining instructors atm.

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:28 pm**

I'd suggest you contact them directly. Word around YBW is that both SATC and CFC have waiting lists now.
How long I don't know.

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:57 pm**

As far as I'm told, don't quote me I could be completely wrong, CFC has a wait list for check on types but actual licenses they're accepting. I'd pick satc if I had a choice tho.

Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:33 pm**

Check on type? Since when did you need a type check to fly a 172?

Posted: **Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:35 am**

Because flying schools don't rent them out without confirming you won't crash and die for insurance purposes.

Posted: **Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:35 pm**

A buddy of mine was waitlisted for several months at SATC to start his PPL. Unsure of the situation at CFC though.

Posted: **Wed Mar 14, 2018 7:48 pm**

Speedalive wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:35 pm A buddy of mine was waitlisted for several months at SATC to start his PPL. Unsure of the situation at CFC though.

That blows my mind!! Waitlisting brand new PPLs. Has this ever happened in the aviation industry before?

Posted: **Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:43 am**

PostmasterGeneral wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:33 pm Check on type? Since when did you need a type check to fly a 172?

For sure you’re God’s gift to aviation, but the FTU doesn’t know that yet

Posted: **Wed Mar 28, 2018 6:22 pm**

Thank you everyone for your input and information. This gives me a pretty good idea of the landscape at Springbank atm.

Fly safe everyone. Cheers!

Posted: **Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:44 pm**

I enquired at CFC in January for my PPL and was told that I might be able to get in at the end of April.
A couple of weeks ago SATC they told me the wait list is 4 months.
If you want to start in a couple of days however, go to Sky wings in Red Deer

Posted: **Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:42 am**

At the beginning of February I went into the CFC and was told they had a shortage of instructors and the earliest I could start for my PPL was the end of April.
2 weeks ago I popped into SATC and was very impressed with the set up, but once again, no availability for new students. This time at least 4 months wait!

As a result of the above, I ended up going to Sky Wings in Red Deer. I called them and was told that they can usually get me in with a couple days notice and that has been my experience so far.

Posted: **Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:27 pm**

I was told the same thing by both SATC and CFC at Springbank - that the waitlist to start PPL instruction was a minimum of 6 months.

I had no idea. I had been up for a "discvoery flight" in February, and thought that I'd be pretty much able to start logging hours as long as I was available when the instructor was available. Not the case. Told that they need to push through a bunch of current students to get them licensed before admitting new students, this all due to the shortage of pilots in the industry.

I also considered Skywings up in Red Deer, but the 1.5 hour drive each way is a real negative for me....

Posted: **Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:32 pm**

It's surprising how they can get you up for a discovery flight so quickly, yet can't get you in to start training for months. I just couldn't be bothered to wait so long to start, that's why I went to sky wings. An hour lesson is about 5hra out of my day but at least I am in the process.

Posted: **Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:13 am**

Yeah, that kind of bothered me to be honest. I don't like the fact that I can go up on a "sightseeing" flight and pay for the time but not log hours.

I might also consider Skywings, especially if I could possibly do more than one hour in a day.

How are you finding the instruction there so far?

S

Posted: **Fri Apr 13, 2018 9:42 am**

There used to be a flight school in Okotoks, one in High River (possibly two) and several at the international. Now you say the three left in this region are busy.

How did that happen?

No Smoke, No Fire wrote: ↑Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:43 am
PostmasterGeneral wrote: ↑Tue Mar 13, 2018 11:33 pm Check on type? Since when did you need a type check to fly a 172?
For sure you’re God’s gift to aviation, but the FTU doesn’t know that yet

Since they started using insurance.

Posted: **Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:10 pm**

Simon96Taco wrote: ↑Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:27 pm I was told the same thing by both SATC and CFC at Springbank - that the waitlist to start PPL instruction was a minimum of 6 months.

I had no idea. I had been up for a "discvoery flight" in February, and thought that I'd be pretty much able to start logging hours as long as I was available when the instructor was available. Not the case. Told that they need to push through a bunch of current students to get them licensed before admitting new students, this all due to the shortage of pilots in the industry.

I also considered Skywings up in Red Deer, but the 1.5 hour drive each way is a real negative for me....

You waited till the weather got nice and expected they'd be waiting for you? The winter is by far the best time to train. Smooth air, no convective turbulence, and less traffic.

Posted: **Sun Apr 22, 2018 9:41 am**

co-joe wrote: ↑Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:10 pm
Simon96Taco wrote: ↑Wed Apr 11, 2018 1:27 pm I was told the same thing by both SATC and CFC at Springbank - that the waitlist to start PPL instruction was a minimum of 6 months.

I had no idea. I had been up for a "discvoery flight" in February, and thought that I'd be pretty much able to start logging hours as long as I was available when the instructor was available. Not the case. Told that they need to push through a bunch of current students to get them licensed before admitting new students, this all due to the shortage of pilots in the industry.

I also considered Skywings up in Red Deer, but the 1.5 hour drive each way is a real negative for me....
You waited till the weather got nice and expected they'd be waiting for you? The winter is by far the best time to train. Smooth air, no convective turbulence, and less traffic.

No, I didn't expect that they'd "be waiting" for me at all. I just didn't expect a six month waiting list to start. I've never heard of such a thing before and based on what they said it sounds like it is very unusual. Are you used to seeing 6 month waiting lists when the weather gets nice?

Posted: **Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:52 am**

I did my initial MIFR at SATC years ago. Not sure how relevant the info is now but a friend of mine said CFCs twin was always broken and the only other options were Fly Right or going through MRC’s program. I did my renewal at SATC a couple years ago and seemed like they were losing instructors fast.

Posted: **Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:05 am**

Fly Right no longer exists. CFC now has two twins, not sure if the second one is online yet, they just bought it.
Apparently both schools are losing instructors at a fairly rapid pace to the airlines.

Posted: **Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:59 pm**

Yeah sorry if that sounded rude Simon. It was meant to be tongue in cheek. Nobody has ever heard of a 6 month wait for an instructor. I doubt it was this bad even in 1939.

Fact is though lots of instructors have trouble getting by in the winter because it's so slow, and come summer everyone expects to be able to walk up and take a plane for the weekend or get the sunday afternoon slot. It's not just the schools, YBW tower cuts the circuit off at something like 6 aircraft an hour now, it's crazy. I did some flying at the club 2 years ago and I was blown away by how tough to get a booking it was.

Posted: **Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:50 am**

They were busy last year. I only had to wait two weeks for rental checks. Bummer but that's how it was.

I have not talked with them this year but I'll report back if I do.

Posted: **Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:51 pm**

final28 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:05 am Fly Right no longer exists.

What happened to this school? I got my PPL there way back when they were known as Peacock Aero.

Posted: **Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:42 pm**

blowtorch wrote: ↑Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:51 pm
final28 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:05 am Fly Right no longer exists.
What happened to this school? I got my PPL there way back when they were known as Peacock Aero.

Got sold to CFC but also not CFC.

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