PPL at FlightSafety?

I will be starting training for my PPL soon and as I've been hearing not many good things about local flight schools I am looking into FlightSafety at Ft. Lauderdale. I tried searching for info on it but couldn't find it anywhere. Does anyone know if there is flight training for PPL at the Ft. Lauderdale Campus? If so, do I have to be at least 18 to enroll? And If I can enroll would it be a good idea to get my PPL at this school or not. I personally think FlightSafety is a great school and like how the are both part 61 and 141. Any insight on these questions would be greatly appreciated!

[GOBUFFS]

As far as I know, FSI does not have a Ft. Lauderdale campus. The academy is located in Vero Beach, FL which is about an hour and a half north of Lauderdale. You can get your private pilot's license here. Most people here are here for serious aviation training, and I have only met two people who came for just a private license. One decided to keep going after the private, the other is in the middle of private training now, and may decide the same.

I received my private before coming to FSI, and I have to say, after doing serious research into the choices out there, I do not regret coming to FSI at all.

Hi. Ft. Lauderdale is at least 4 hours away. 1 hour and a half can only get you a little north of West Palm Beach. On the package I got there is a map with red dots which represtents a campus. There is a big one at Vero Beach which is obviously the main academy and there are smaller dots. There is a smaller red dot where it says Ft. Lauderdale. So there ie something from FSI down here.

[Doug Taylor]

Methinks that's a FSI campus, but perhaps for advanced jet type-rating training. But for neophytes, I think it's just the VRB campus.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[gomntwins]

I'm not an FSI expert by any means... but it would appear from their website that the Vero Beach campus would be for initial ratings, like your PPL,Commercial, etc; whereas the other campus' are geared more towards specialized training (type ratings, Maintenance training, crew training, etc.). It would appear that, if you do want your PPL from FSI, you would have to make the trip to Vero. Good luck!

[USMCmech]

The FSI location at Vero Beach is the only one that does initial pilot training.

I got my PPL while I was in hight school at my local airport. Than after I got out of the military I went to Fligt Saftey for all my other ratings.

I wouldn't recomend anyone going to FSI for their Private Pilots Liscense. Not because ther's anything wrong with FSI, but because you need to know if this is something you want to get into before you spend all that money.

Also, unless I'm mistaken they don't accept anyone younger than 18.

Thanks! For those prices it would be much more efficient to go to a local flight school.

[davidhigbie]

I wish we were at Ft. Lauderdale....very few chicas in VRB among other things.

[GOBUFFS]

I routinely make it from Vero to Palm Beach in an hour, and Ft. Lauderdale is about 45 minutes from Palm Beach.

Also, I would imagine that the only thing at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale is a sim center. But I wasn't aware of one. I know there is one in West Palm....

[FLflyer]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi. Ft. Lauderdale is at least 4 hours away. 1 hour and a half can only get you a little north of West Palm Beach.

[/ QUOTE ]
Brian- Actually, it only takes 2 hours to drive from Ft. Lauderdale to Vero Beach. I average that trip once a month, and only once has it taken more than that (bad accident on I-95). It usually takes me just under 2 hours, and I actually obey the speed limit on I-95.

[Snow]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, unless I'm mistaken they don't accept anyone younger than 18.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, I personally know of people who were 17 when they came here, as long as your 18 in time to get your comerical licence (per the FAA)


[ QUOTE ]
I wouldn't recomend anyone going to FSI for their Private Pilots Liscense. Not because ther's anything wrong with FSI, but because you need to know if this is something you want to get into before you spend all that money.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree somewhat with that, if your not sure, then try out flying first at an FBO, at the very least take an intro flight. However, if you've been in light aircraft a few times and are sure about being a pilot, then I recomend getting your PPL here at FlightSafety simply because it's easier to learn things the right way from the start. While an FBO might be cheaper, keep in mind here you get your private in 35hrs and I think the national average is around 70hrs or somthing.

[gomntwins]

[ QUOTE ]
While an FBO might be cheaper, keep in mind here you get your private in 35hrs and I think the national average is around 70hrs or somthing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think the reason that the national average is so high as mostly to do with how fast the average person at an FBO goes. A lot of people flying at FBO's only fly once every week or two, pushing the average way up. At FSI, and other fast paced programs the average is a lot lower because you fly on a regular basis. Personally, I flew 3-4 times a week for my private at an FBO and made it to my checkride with less than 41 hours. It has nothing to do with the quality of training- just the frequency of flying, and how you forget less between flights. I'm sure there are more than a few FSI grads who have instructed at an FBO instead of FSI... so theoretically, you'd be getting the same training as at FSI.