KPDK Atlanta

[cignaguy]

Went to KPDK and looked for flight schools today since I am about to start timebuilding/training for Commercial. I was in the hunt for some FBO-type schools, but seems like there are a lot of academy-type schools there. First one I walked into was American Flyers and I was completely UNimpressed. They ran some figures by me and I went running out basically. The flight instructors were wearing ties; is that normal? Nothing wrong with it, just seems like it would be a bit uncomfortable to have to wear them every day as a CFI.

Tomorrow I am going to check out Fulton County Airport. Superior Flight School is there, and it looks somewhat decent. Anyone have any experience with them or other schools at KFTY?

Saturday I am going to Lawrenceville airport to check out The Flight School of Gwinnett. So far, I think that one is at the top of my list. About 30 miles east of Atlanta, but hopefully will be a little less congested (more useful Hobbs time!).

I am still having trouble deciding whether I should do my commercial 61 or 141. I have right at 100 hours total time. Any suggestions/reasoning would be greatly appreciated. Seems like it would save money doing it 141 since there are less hours required; am I missing something here?

Also, I told one of the guys at American Flyers that I was going to find someone to split time with and take turns being safety pilot and he basically looked at me like I was nuts. Splitting time via safety pilot is somewhat normal, right? My main reason in doing it is to save cost and I think it would be a great experience to fly with someone else at my level hopefully. He indicated that it is "ok" if people actually wear the hood. Why would people NOT wear the hood?? Seems like it would just be cheating yourself not to.

Thanks for listning to the rambling and appreciate any feedback as always!

[Gonzo]

Where in Atlanta do you live?
Keep in mind all of the big four (RYY, FTY, PDK, LZU) GA airports can get congested. The down side is LZU and RYY only have one runway. If you are going to look at Superior you should go to RYY.
I have rented from just about every flight school in Atlanta so if you want any info feel free to ask.

[flyguydaniel]

Originally Posted by cignaguy

I am still having trouble deciding whether I should do my commercial 61 or 141. I have right at 100 hours total time. Any suggestions/reasoning would be greatly appreciated. Seems like it would save money doing it 141 since there are less hours required; am I missing something here?

IIRC, part 61 requires 250 hours minimum to get your commercial, while part 141 requires 190. The part 141 commercial requirements are a little more structured and schools usually have more of a curriculum to go along with them. If you are still curious crack open your FAR/AIM and check out all the requirements for each part. Part 141 could save you money. If you go that route, it's possible you could end up with a pipeline patrol/CFI/ skydiving job a little quicker.

[mastermags]

You should PM surreal1221 about Falcon Aviation. They have a PDK and an FFC operation. KFFC is on the southside of ATL about the same distance from downtown as LZU so it might be worth checking out (plus there are a lot of smaller airports down on the southside that are uncontrolled, ie. less congested). Plus the owner of Falcon is connected at ASA, which may or may not interest you currently.

[BEvaristo]

Superior is fairly new at FTY. Their main location is at RYY. I've rented from the FTY location a couple of times and had no complaints. They seemed to be really slow when I went but it's been a little while since I've gone back in there so business may have picked up. I did all my PPL training at FTY and never had a problem with congestion there. I've heard that PDK can get really bad sometimes.