Rainbow Air

[Phil_Eagle]

Hey People,
has anyone ever heard of Rainbow Air in California?

They offer a ATPL programm
http://www.rainbowair.com/academy_european_ptip.htm

that will give me a JAA-FCL and an FAA-ATPL and I'll end up having 1500 hours. The price is 85,000 dollars and an JAA-FCL training programm in europe would cost me more.

Read it through, tell me what you think please.

Thanks

[DE727UPS]

I took a look. Rainbow Air has been around a while. LBG is a very busy airport in very congested airspace. Personally, I'd rather see folks who's english is poor learning to fly out in the middle of nowhere rather that at a place like LGB. Sheble's, out in Blythe, should get a program like this started and then students could get their class D checkouts at places like....Yuma.

Anyhow. As a flight school. Rainbow has good rates and a fleet of older airplanes (just like mine, nothing wrong with that). There are a few things I take exception to about their program, though:

They guarantee an awful lot, for such a small school, for 85K. They include lodging, a Citation type rating in Italy, airline ticket to Europe, examiners fees, and a VIP club membership (whatever that is).

They use the words "heavy turboprop" to describe a Beech 99. This is misleading. A Beech 99 might seem pretty heavy if you flew nothing but 152's but to advertise it as such at a website is as bad as the stuff I see in the DCA ads. I'd call a C130 a heavy turboprop. The Convairs I used to fly a medium turboprop. A Beech 99 is light turboprop.

Rainbow doesn't appear to operate anything bigger than a Cessna 310. They are contracting out the multi timebuilding stuff to outfits that let you log right seat time. I've never had a problem with timebuilding in this manner, since the airplane is certified for one pilot and you are not a required crewmember. This sort of time may be of limited use, though. It sticks out like a sore thumb in your logbook and some interviewers will bring it up in a negative way. I've heard Skywest does. Perhaps they could care less about this sort of thing in Europe.

Reading further into Rainbow's helicopter training. They do endorse PFJ as you can pay for PIC time in a turbine helicopter. Right there is enough for me to shoot the place down.

In short, Rainbow is probably an adequate little flight school at LGB. They are in over their heads, though, with a "guaranteed price" 1500 hour program they don't have much control over and they are walking a fine line in the grey area with their fixed wing timebuilding. If you just wanted a local flight school for basic ratings, I'd say Rainbow is worth a look. However, I'd stay from the 1500 JAA guaranteed program. Too low a price, too many variables, and some questionable timebuilding practices.

[bunghole]

Hey all...this may be too late in but check out the 'F' rating from the BBB. Not a good thing.

web page

[FrenchPilot]

[ QUOTE ]
VIP club membership (whatever that is).

[/ QUOTE ]

I want that !!!

Seriously, It doesnt look good to me :

- The course will include:
#
The following FAA certificates and ratings: PPL-A; IR-A; CPL-SE/ME; CFI; CFII; MEI; 135 LOA (at 1200 hrs); ATPL.
#
The following JAA certificates and ratings: PPL-A; Cessna Citation Rating; ATPL


If you are getting your JAA certificates, it probably means you are cant work in the US, so why would yo need your FAA Instructor Ratings ?

You can only get you IR in European Airspace, so you have to add the cost of that.

Nico

[slowandlow]

I was over there yesterday, and there schedule is booked solid for a month. The chief pilot keeps calling me too, even after I told him I'm not interested. He's as bad as the Makarion used car salesman...I mean instructors

[bunghole]

[ QUOTE ]
I was over there yesterday, and there schedule is booked solid for a month. The chief pilot keeps calling me too, even after I told him I'm not interested. He's as bad as the Makarion used car salesman...I mean instructors

[/ QUOTE ]

Whats your career objective? Have you looked into ATP at LGB yet? I'm trying to find out which FBO they use and if anyone else has had a good or bad experience from them.

Ciao...

[slowandlow]

I would do the ATP thing if I could use VA benefits with them.