My experience at Ben Aviator College in Ft. Pierce, FL

I'm brand new to the forum, but I would like to share a few thoughts. I just spent a total of $6280 for 58 hours of twin time at Aviator College in Ft. Pierce, FL (that's $108 per hour). This price included the checkout with an instructor, and board! They sold me a package deal, not hidden or secret fees. Just great flight time with another pilot (they paired me with). We had one under the hood, and the other was the safety pilot. Because both pilots are required, both can log PIC time. Plus, I'm an MEI. We all won! I don't work there, but I would in a heartbeat. The staff is great, the planes are simple, and the financing is fair! You've got to check it out. I'm sure with an increase in fuel prices that they will be increasing the price, but for now, it's only $98 for 100 hours (the more you buy, the cheaper it is). http://www.aviator.edu/home/flight-training-programs/multi-engine-time-building-programs.aspx

As a sidenote, a staff member drove me to the airport at 4:30 this morning. He didn't have to do that, it wasn't in the contract. He could have said "no" wait until business hours, but with the weather today I would never have made it back to Philadelphia.

If you are a career pilot you are in the wrong business, get in sales! The above made me want to...

"Are you tired of putting around listening to a wimpy 0-320? Do you say to yourself, I have two wings why only one engine? Then you need to sign up for the multi time program"
"But wait, call now and you will be in a Duchess, the princess of the skies, crusing 58 hours in the sunny skies of florida for only 3 years of easy low payments of $174.99/month!"

Seriously though, I clicked the link. You should get in marketing/sales.

Don't you find it odd that someone has TWO posts total and this (OP's that is) is one of them? Kind of makes you wonder who they really are and why they joined.

And his other post is almost an identical copypasta of this one. Even if he was just a customer who had a good experience, just a litttttttle too blatant there.

Given their previous history of shill posts, this is not really surprising. Lets just say that a search of either google or this forum will find genuine information about this school.

We all know these guaranteed pay up front courses are the gravy train strait to a Jeeeeeeeetttttt!!!

zommmg sign me up

Its the gospel truth. I never did any such course and I have yet to see N1 or fan speed....im still stuck in torque misery.

But chicks dig beta!

Chicks dig guys that are kind, thoughtful, and fun with a slight bad boy side.

No, chicks dig beta.

I've heard chicks dig Big Rocks and Long Props

I always thought it was them shaggin' wagon 207s.......

Or maybe that's just the Native chicks.....

Or..... you could just ask me:bandit:

Or me.

There ya go... always getting the last word

I've been to Aviator....it was the worse experience of my life...I would say 90% of the student hate it there and if they could leave they would. Most are locked in due to their visa. The planes are always broke down, I heard stories how the aircraft logs are "doctored" stories of them "fabricating" new wings. I had a plane for my check ride with large crack on the nose gear so I grabbed a mechanic and he said nope can't fly it has to be fixed. I grabbed another plane for the checkride and the next day the plane with the crack is out flying around and still hasn't been fixed. I heard about the linkage rod for the flaps broke on a checkride and the plane ended up doing a barrel role. Not all the instructors are mature enough to be teaching. They lack work ethic, cancelling flights just being plane too lazy to get out of bed. Some speak really poor english so there is a communication barrier. I ended going next door to the mom and pop opperation and finished up my instrument, single and multi commercial there. It took a month before they noticed I wasn't flying there but still living in the dorms...They really don't care about the student. I could go on and on....The DPE calls that place the junkyard. Some planes have fuel pressure and oil pressure gauges that seem to glued to be in the green..they never move...Some never make it in the green but it's OK because it never moved yesterday and the engine still runs.

Time building might not be so bad...if you have the time and do a really good pre flight...Do know that you can only go as far as the fuel in the tanks will allow...They will only reinburse you up to like a $1.20 a gallon for av gas. Your only flying at night so if you do need to put it down it will be at night. I would check the regs on the safety pilot logging..I don't think you log that as x country time as a safety pilot.

Good luck! You have been warned....

Trade Winds is just next door and always treated me right!

I anxiously await "Tom Daniels"'s third post....

heh.

Wasn't Ben Aviator purchased by another company recently?

I've been lurking on JC for quite a while, but wanted to post here after reading this thread. After my old "ma & pa" flight school folded last year I took some time off to look for another school, and waited for the economy to start breathing again.

I wanted a place that was stable/growing, does their own maintenance, has many students, is in a busy aviation area, has career Senior Instructors & an experienced Chief Pilot, does both Part 61 & 141, has some solid referrals from guys who have completed the flight program, and where I could get hired to instruct and be a busy instructor in twins.

After a few visits to flight schools--and talking with one of the guys in this thread who completed the program at Aviator--I came here and have not been disappointed.

There's about 190 students here now, and there is also a two-year College program on campus. It's growing rapidly. About a dozen instructors over the past two months got hired by Regionals. With on-campus housing it's a great environment to study with other guys at all hours of the day, and to practice presentations in the classrooms in small groups.

The school has been around for over 20 years and has graduated over 6000 pilots. Just in case you think I'm some marketing dude--feel free to give me a call 607-351-2191 and I'll be glad to tell you about the specifics of my experience here over the past several months. No flight school is perfect, but compared to my previous flight school this one is way better for anyone who wants to be a professional pilot.