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okotoks flight school

Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 5:57 am
by wingover
The new flight school in Okotoks, which just opened in January, was making big promises about finishing licences in 45 hours. To my recollection, their first "class" of students was supposed to be finished at the end of March.
Does anyone know how they are doing? Have they been able to actually deliver on their promises? It seemed a little optimistic to me but good on them if they are doing it.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 11:08 am
by Tailwheelup
If you read the posts, like many schools they have been short of an instructor or instructors.
The promises are realistic providing the instructors meet the expected standards and
that the students are not in the categories known for taking a longer than normal time.

As for the comparisons with other flight schools, its probably better to promote your
features. The student pilot private pilot grape vine is pretty active and good or bad news
travels fast. This can and does result in many student spending a lot of time traveling
to train at a school that meets their requirements.


There is now a serious problem of an instructor shortage across Canada
and its resulting an overall quality problem from PPL upwards.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 12:09 pm
by flyer 1492
I am hearing that the wait time to start your PPL at the Calgary Flying Club is now 18 months.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:26 pm
by CanadianBird
I have a friend who is planning on starting there. It's been a bit of a BS match between lack of planes, instructors, and getting a straight answer. Everything from what is included in the "Premier Price" (apparently, ground school is extra), to when there's actually availability to get into a class for it.

I'll fill you in as it goes.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:13 pm
by wingover
haven't heard anything about this school for quite a while. With the wait times in Springbank, is it worth going here or should one just stay on the list and wait for CFC or SATC?

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:21 am
by KissPlusOne
I'll just present the facts as cleanly as I can without ranting too much. It is a new school, and, as it has been mentioned already, there is an instructor shortage.

I know someone who started doing their CPL flight training with the Okotoks school. This is a guy who began with an RPP, owned a few different aircraft to meet his needs at the time, and has flown across Canada, gaining experience on various runway surfaces...

When he was going up for circuits in the school plane, he called downwind for a T&G, when his instructor came on the radio and said,
"No touch and gos! Only stop and backtracks!"

A few other shenanigans caused him to change schools. It might be that he has more life experience than other students, but he wasn't too impressed with the school. But, they are a fledgling school.

The quality of instruction my friend had while there was not the greatest, but maybe it was just due to the student-instructor relationship. I can't determine that.

Unfortunately, because so many instructors are being sucked upwards and onwards, the new instructors to fill the voids don't have even a year of experience, and then stuff like what I described happens. Sad.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:34 pm
by CpnCrunch
KissPlusOne wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:21 am
When he was going up for circuits in the school plane, he called downwind for a T&G, when his instructor came on the radio and said,
"No touch and gos! Only stop and backtracks!"
I don't think I'd trust a student to do T&Gs there. Have you ever flown there? On a hot day with the 1.6% upslope it can take quite a lot of runway to get airborne in an underpowered plane. Add in the somewhat variable decision making skills of a typical student in terms of deciding when to go around...

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:44 pm
by Squaretail
It’s more than big enough to do touch and goes on, assuming the land developers haven’t put up another flag pole or light post up again at he end of the runway.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 2:42 pm
by CpnCrunch
Squaretail wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:44 pm It’s more than big enough to do touch and goes on, assuming the land developers haven’t put up another flag pole or light post up again at he end of the runway.
As long as you don't touch down half way down the runway and slow down too much, but I guess that applies to a lot of runways.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:25 pm
by wingover
Just had this CADOR sent to me as well:


2019-07-25
Narrative:
Controller unable to establish communications with a Okotoks Aircraft Holding Co. Inc. Cessna 172K (C-GADF) from Calgary/Okotoks Air Ranch, AB (CFX2) to Calgary/Okotoks Air Ranch, AB (CFX2) that was conducting a local city tour. Several aircraft on approach to Calgary, AB (CYYC) were delayed descent for 15 minutes until contact was re-established.


Perhaps it would be wise to stay on the wait list for the other schools!

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 7:20 am
by Beefitarian
CpnCrunch wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2019 2:42 pm
Squaretail wrote: Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:44 pm It’s more than big enough to do touch and goes on, assuming the land developers haven’t put up another flag pole or light post up again at he end of the runway.
As long as you don't touch down half way down the runway and slow down too much, but I guess that applies to a lot of runways.
Uh, yeah. I could do touch and goes there in either direction so it's not exactly challenging. Even up hill.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 5:17 am
by Beefitarian
I'm in favour of more options even if I'm happy where I go on occasion.

I am curious about this still.

Do they do casual stuff or just the lincense programs? Is there extra planes available for rental?

Here's a link with phone number in case anyone is looking for contact info.

https://flyokotoks.ca

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 10:11 am
by yhz41
Moesif wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 10:30 pm I just started working there not too long ago and its a very different type of flight school. We just had a guy last week pass his flight test in 44.9hrs! It's still a new school with kinks to work out but a much better option than the nearby big operations
By your posts it sounds like this is you first job and you arent from the yyc area so how could you possibly draw that conclusion?

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 4:31 pm
by C.W.E.
44.9 hours should be plenty of time to get a PPL.

It used to be 30 hours.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:05 am
by Moesif
By your posts it sounds like this is you first job and you arent from the yyc area so how could you possibly draw that conclusion?
Don't need to be from the area to come up with that conclusion. the surrounding schools seem okay but okotoks is just fundamentally different and provides an offer that can't be found elsewhere
C.W.E. wrote: Sun Aug 04, 2019 4:31 pm 44.9 hours should be plenty of time to get a PPL.

It used to be 30 hours.
Yet the national average is 70 hours...

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:32 am
by C.W.E.
Yet the national average is 70 hours...
Why does it take that long?

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 12:45 pm
by photofly
Because an hour isn't nearly as long as it used to be?

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 1:02 am
by laminar
C.W.E. wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2019 11:32 am
Yet the national average is 70 hours...
Why does it take that long?
I had a dozen hours on my training record in “let’s see where you’re at” flights from all the instructor turnover and the new instructors needing to “see where I’m at” with my proficiencies despite the detailed log in my training record left behind by those previous instructors. It bothered my wallet at the time but in retrospect it resulted in me getting more prep for the exams. I imagine there are other schools doing similar, and adding a little extra cash grab in there too

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 5:44 pm
by trey kule
because an hour isn't nearly as long as it used to be?

How true! Photo, you are becoming jaded. Keep it up

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:16 am
by Beefitarian
Maybe because people start flying before they have a radio license, then they build hours being number 6 for take off, getting used to controllers, flying in traffic etc.

Things are a bit different compared to the good old days, learning nordo off a big grass circle.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 12:28 pm
by 5x5
Beefitarian wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:16 am Maybe because people start flying before they have a radio license, then they build hours being number 6 for take off, getting used to controllers, flying in traffic etc.

Things are a bit different compared to the good old days, learning nordo off a big grass circle.
Nope Beef, you've got it all wrong. It's all because schools, students and airplanes (nose-draggers for goodness sakes) aren't as good as they used to be in the "good old days". A number of high-count posters over the years should have made that very clear to you by now.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:45 pm
by Beefitarian
Sorry. :(

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:31 pm
by trey kule
Beef wrote
Maybe because people start flying before they have a radio license, then they build hours being number 6 for take off, getting used to controllers, flying in traffic etc.
Or....maybe it has something to do with the FTUs convincing TC to redine flight time from engine on to engine off.
I figure an extra $400 at least to training costs on a ppl.
Maybe someone will take TC totask for allowing this practice as it is not what the CARs state.

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:03 pm
by Schooner69A
Wasn't flight time always thusly defined?

In over sixty years of flying, there's always been "air time" and "flight time". Was there a time when the definitions were different?

J

Re: okotoks flight school

Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:33 pm
by Aviatard
Schooner69A wrote: Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:03 pm Wasn't flight time always thusly defined?

In over sixty years of flying, there's always been "air time" and "flight time". Was there a time when the definitions were different?

J
CARS 101.01(1) says this:
flight time means the time from the moment an aircraft first moves under its own power for the purpose of taking off until the moment it comes to rest at the end of the flight;

It may have changed at some point, but I have no idea when that may have been.