Hi, I'm new to this board and am excited to start training in Atlanta for a private pilot's license as soon as possible. I'm trying to narrow my list down to 3-4 CFIs to meet with but so far have found surprisingly little in the way of feedback/reviews other than people saying that a particular company is good because it has "good guys" or because it is less expensive. I would really appreciate any specific feedback/recommendations based on my profile:
I figure if I'm shelling out over $10K for a hobby then it can't hurt to ask around to try to find someone I would enjoy working with. Some of the company names I have heard of based on "my father in law got his certificate there" recommendations are Skybound Aviation, Fulton Aviation, American Flyers, and Advanced Aviation, with no specific instructor recs.
Thanks in advance for sharing your advice/experiences.
- I want to fly as a hobby and for recreational travel.
- I live and work in Midtown and the only options are PDK and FTY. I understand PDK is expensive and busy but I am willing to pay up for convenience.
- Would prefer an experienced instructor who does it for teaching rather than the hours and who won't leave midway through the process. I would value someone who is timely and has prepared for each session.
- I am a female and finding an instructor who is truly not sexist is very important. Not someone who is pretending not to be sexist or has the "girls are different learners - you need to treat them more delicately" mentality. I don't mean to suggest that all or even a majority CFIs are this way but the field is male-dominated and I have found that in my other hobbies such as golf and shooting, a certain clubby macho attitude carried on by a few individuals still exists (which can be perpetuated by the women involved as well), which is very off-putting to me.
- In terms of personality I will settle for professional. However, I generally get along better with direct, methodical types rather than laid-back good 'ol boys or Buckhead Betties.
- Have a full-time job; would need to train on weekends or early mornings and would want to fly 2x per week such as Saturday and Sunday (so CFI not being able to work with me on Sundays due to a regular church commitment would be a dealbreaker).
- Prefer more self-study on the ground school portion to more regimented/classroom setting.
I figure if I'm shelling out over $10K for a hobby then it can't hurt to ask around to try to find someone I would enjoy working with. Some of the company names I have heard of based on "my father in law got his certificate there" recommendations are Skybound Aviation, Fulton Aviation, American Flyers, and Advanced Aviation, with no specific instructor recs.
Thanks in advance for sharing your advice/experiences.