Flight School BS and Drama

[Champcar]

Why is it that every flight school has some sort of BS and drama that always comes along sometime or maybe all the time. Do customers expect too much??

[Ian J]

Explain.

[kellwolf]

Eh, that's just aviation for ya. Got specifics or do we have to guess?

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by Champcar

Do customers expect too much??

For the prices they are willing to pay, yes .

At one place I worked, people would complain about aircraft availability. But they wouldn't pay $20/hr more for the newer 172's that were always available.

[Van_Hoolio]

People are always impatient. That's the whole reason for flying, right? To get there fast? A wise man once told me that.

[N422NM]

It tends to happen when bottom line and self-worth suddenly take precedence over customer service and student satisfaction...

[Screaming_Emu]

everything in life is gonna have some sort of drama. You just gotta learn not to sweat it, take advantagve of what good there is in the situation, and when to move on.

[Champcar]

Originally Posted by ChinookDriver

Explain.

Well moral is down due to things the owner has decided to do out of the blue. None the less we only have one Twin thats allways down and 10 people need to fly it at the same time. All the airplanes tend to go into MX at the same time, Cheif Pilot has to be a pencil pusher insted of helping us students.... just random crap.

[killbilly]

It has been my experience that this happens in any business or transaction where :

a) Large sums of money are involved
b) The perceived quality of the service rendered is often subjective, and opposing views can often both be considered correct from an objective standpoint.

YMMV

[desertdog71]

Sounds like its more of a "Chit happens" drama more than anything.

[grassrootsflying]

Originally Posted by killbilly

It has been my experience that this happens in any business or transaction where :

a) Large sums of money are involved

I would like to add that many pilots who decide to open flight schools are poor managers.

I once called to cancel a lesson 1 week ahead of time, the instructor never got the message. He assumed I was a no show and never called to follow up. The next week, I drove 1 hour and waited 2 hours for him to show: he ERASED my name off the schedule and denied it, even though I could see the old pencil marks. Another instructor had to tell me what happened.

Considering that I spend many thousands, I was a bit miffed that my complaint was ignored.
Sometimes stuff happens, but the root of it is that it both customers and business both mess up. Whoever has the advantage doesn't need to be polite and often isn't.

[SeanD]

I havent had much luck with flight schools here in LAS. The 1st one I went to closed down for unknown reasons. I think it was lack of hangar space or something like that. The one I was at recently never had any planes available so it was impossible to secure a weekend of flying causing a delay in my taining (somtimes 3 weeks or longer) which in return would cause me to forget what I had learned. Flying is not like riding a bike. I did cause me to leave that school for another. I have almost attended every flight school in southern Nevada. I hope this will be the last. So far so good.

[bdhill1979]

Originally Posted by grassrootsflying

I would like to add that many pilots who decide to open flight schools are poor managers.

the two flight schools that I have attended have been like that. Great pilots, but can't run a decent business to save their lives.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Champcar

Well moral is down due to things the owner has decided to do out of the blue. None the less we only have one Twin thats allways down and 10 people need to fly it at the same time. All the airplanes tend to go into MX at the same time, Cheif Pilot has to be a pencil pusher insted of helping us students.... just random crap.

Hahaha...an thats exactly why I choose not to go to Air Safety. Lol..."D" promised me that they were the best school to fit my needs.

LOL...

[DE727UPS]

"D" promised me that they were the best school to fit my needs"

I met Dee P six or seven years ago and walked around his school. Left me feeling like I wouldn't trust the guy and reinforced my feelings that big academies where you have to wear a uniform are laughable.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by DE727UPS

"D" promised me that they were the best school to fit my needs"

I met Dee P six or seven years ago and walked around his school. Left me feeling like I wouldn't trust the guy and reinforced my feelings that big academies where you have to wear a uniform are laughable.

I mean well...he did have his hands in Westwind creation. That alone was reason enough for me to stay away!

[Champcar]

Thanks.

I for one will not call out peoples names on the net. I didnt name names in my post cause I didnt want to. I have yet to talk to him about my issues and they guys reads this forum. Next time id prefer you didnt go shooting off names.

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Champcar

Thanks.

I for one will not call out peoples names on the net. I didnt name names in my post cause I didnt want to. I have yet to talk to him about my issues and they guys reads this forum. Next time id prefer you didnt go shooting off names.

Eh...sorry!

[jrh]

My college's flight school certainly has enough drama. Even though I'm no longer there, a couple good friends of mine still give me the scoop.

All sorts of little complaints...the mx department is too slow, the dispatcher is an old lady who doesn't know anything about aviation, one of the CFIs is a moron because he logged several hundred hours of multi PIC time when he wasn't flying as PIC, the assistant manager plays favorites with the CFIs, the assistant manager and head manager don't get along because the head guy is really cool and the assistant guy is an underqualified wannabe....and on and on....

Sound familiar? One of my friends who works there says she just sits back and laughs at everything. It can be quite the zoo, but somehow they keep having a good time and turn out decent pilots.