CFI's in San Antonio

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HenryL

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Sep 25, 2018
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Henry
Howdy. I'm from San Antonio and looking for a good CFI (preferably CFII). Is anyone able to recommend one?

I'm also fairly familiar with the local schools, but any insights you can provide on them would also be helpful because I haven't decided yet whether I want to use any of them or just work with a CFI individually.

Any other tips are welcome. I haven't done any formal training yet, but I have studied a fair bit on my own.
 
Don't forget to look for regional Facebook Groups.

For the DFW area, North Texas Aviators is a good group of folks and an excellent place to network to find resources.
 
Boerne Stage

http://www.5c1.net/rentals_training.htm

I’m not impressed with any of the other operations in town.

If you’re interested though, it’s Alpha Tango at SAT and Sky Safety at SSF.

I don’t know about Anderson in Bulverde.
 
TCABM said:
Boerne Stage

I’m not impressed with any of the other operations in town.

If you’re interested though, it’s Alpha Tango at SAT and Sky Safety at SSF.

I don’t know about Anderson in Bulverde.
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I don't know much about Boerne Stage except where it is. I'll be sure to check them out some more. Is there anything in particular that you like about them?

I've been unsure about Alpha Tango and Sky Safety, but trying to make the best decision. The doc for my medical recommended AT. And Sky Safety seems like the most "professional" outfit in town, and the only part 141. But that's not necessarily what I need right now.

Bulverde is farther than I want to go, so I would only do that if it were far and away the best. My limited research of Anderson tells me that they are painfully strict.
 
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AggieMike88 said:
Don't forget to look for regional Facebook Groups.

For the DFW area, North Texas Aviators is a good group of folks and an excellent place to network to find resources.
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Are you aware of any particular ones for the San Antonio area? I've looked around there is one for Corpus Christi and one for the Rio Grande valley, but not much that applies where I am. It almost makes me wish I still lived in DFW. There are so many more options there.
 
To be honest with you, I'd probably go fly with Anderson if it was me. I used to live and teach there, but it's been 5 years and everyone I knew has mostly moved on.
 
HenryL said:
I don't know much about Boerne Stage except where it is. I'll be sure to check them out some more. Is there anything in particular that you like about them?

I've been unsure about Alpha Tango and Sky Safety, but trying to make the best decision. The doc for my medical recommended AT. And Sky Safety seems like the most "professional" outfit in town, and the only part 141. But that's not necessarily what I need right now.

Bulverde is farther than I want to go, so I would only do that if it were far and away the best. My limited research of Anderson tells me that they are painfully strict.
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AT was nearly shut down a few years ago. Then a lot of changes occurred and the target student became foreign students.

No idea if Hamed still runs it, but I’d go to SSF before I’d go to AT.

Sky Safety had the VA part 141 thing down. Now, I guess they just have the 141 thing down.

Both seem high priced for what you get. AT is $100/hr do a C152 + $50/hr for instruction.

Sky safety doesn’t even advertise rates and seems to have began targeting foreign students too.

The challenge is that many foreign students are a guaranteed income stream and you’ll be at the bottom of the list, priority wise.

5C1 has its challenges and is higher priced at $125/hr for a 180hp Cherokee and $45/h for instruction. And the airport is full-stop only so you’ll have to head over to Kerrville for T&Gs, but that’s where the practice area is anyways. Probably add .2 for every flight where you’re practicing landings.

You won’t be a number at 5C1.
 
Based at 5C1. My son did his primary training and earned his license there a few years ago. That instructor is still there, and believe he is full time.

The owner sent out an email in July saying he had just hired a new chief pilot/instructor and that they were looking to step up their flight training game. I.e. dedicated hangar/classroom, ground schools, certified Cirrus training facility, and eventually Part 141. There are a lot of new instructors on the schedule. Might be worth your time to drive out and talk to the new guy.

If looking to go independent, go by the Pilot Shoppe on Sandau Road. There’s a bulletin board and binder there full of CFI business cards.

Depending on what part of town you live, don’t discount Castroville, Pleasanton, or New Braunfels. Don’t know anything about training there, just saying it might be a shorter drive depending on where you are coming from if you think Bulverde is too far.
 
TCABM said:
Sky safety doesn’t even advertise rates and seems to have began targeting foreign students too.

The challenge is that many foreign students are a guaranteed income stream and you’ll be at the bottom of the list, priority wise.
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They post course costs, which can get you most of the numbers. I got the rest by emailing and asking. All their rental prices are noticeably better than AT's, but they don't fly 152's.

CESSNA 172N-$125, CESSNA 172P-$125-$145, SYMPHONY 160-$146, MOONEY M20C-$179, PIPER SENECA I-$278, Instruction-$53

They do seem to be trying to attract foreigners. They also contract with Palo Alto college to offer a joint Associate Degree/Pilot program. I hadn't made that connection before, but it makes a lot of sense.

Van Johnston said:
Based at 5C1. My son did his primary training and earned his license there a few years ago. That instructor is still there, and believe he is full time.

The owner sent out an email in July saying he had just hired a new chief pilot/instructor and that they were looking to step up their flight training game. I.e. dedicated hangar/classroom, ground schools, certified Cirrus training facility, and eventually Part 141. There are a lot of new instructors on the schedule. Might be worth your time to drive out and talk to the new guy.
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That's good to know. My biggest worry with a smaller operation was that I would have to be constantly keeping track and making sure I was staying on track. If they're trying to grow and become more professional that's a good sign. I'll definitely make a trip out there. Luckily, I'm already pretty familiar with the area.

Van Johnston said:
If looking to go independent, go by the Pilot Shoppe on Sandau Road. There’s a bulletin board and binder there full of CFI business cards.
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I've heard good things about that place. But are they open regular hours? I found one website that seems to indicate that they're only open by appointment on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Van Johnston said:
Depending on what part of town you live, don’t discount Castroville, Pleasanton, or New Braunfels. Don’t know anything about training there, just saying it might be a shorter drive depending on where you are coming from if you think Bulverde is too far.
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The closest field to me would be San Geronimo, where the local EAA is based. But as far as I know they don't do their own training. I actually did look into Bario in Castroville. It's only about a half hour from me, which is closer than Stinson, and only slightly farther than KSAT. But they were pretty rude when I emailed them, so they're off the table for me.
 
HenryL said:
...They also contract with Palo Alto college to offer a joint Associate Degree/Pilot program. I hadn't made that connection before, but it makes a lot of sense...
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Last year SACC-PAC ceased new enrollments for at least a semester in that program and was considering letting it expire at the end of the current student load due to the GI Bill changes.

I don’t know what the current state of the program is.

Don’t really know what your goals are, but chasing AT and Sky Safety may not be in your best interest if your self-financing and not part of one of their programs.
 
HenryL said:
That's good to know. My biggest worry with a smaller operation was that I would have to be constantly keeping track and making sure I was staying on track. If they're trying to grow and become more professional that's a good sign. I'll definitely make a trip out there. Luckily, I'm already pretty familiar with the area.
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I will send you the e-mail via PM

HenryL said:
I've heard good things about that place. But are they open regular hours? I found one website that seems to indicate that they're only open by appointment on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
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Those may be their testing hours; they are a test center too. I think the store hours are 9-5 M-F. Last I checked the owner did not have a web site just for the store.

HenryL said:
The closest field to me would be San Geronimo, where the local EAA is based. But as far as I know they don't do their own training. I actually did look into Bario in Castroville. It's only about a half hour from me, which is closer than Stinson, and only slightly farther than KSAT. But they were pretty rude when I emailed them, so they're off the table for me.
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In that case, maybe look at Hondo.
 
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TCABM said:
Don’t really know what your goals are, but chasing AT and Sky Safety may not be in your best interest if your self-financing and not part of one of their programs.
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It's looking that way to me as well, but I think I should at least visit and see for myself what they've got going on. My goal is a bit unusual. Broadly speaking I'm interested in the career route, but at the moment I'm looking to make myself the best possible candidate to fly for the Air Force, so I want to finance my PPL and hopefully instrument and join before I turn 29 and pass the age cutoff. A retired recruiter friend told me that having instrument experience is a big advantage. Time and money are both in fairly short supply, but I'm doing what I can.

Van Johnston said:
Those may be their testing hours; they are a test center too. I think the store hours are 9-5 M-F. Last I checked the owner did not have a web site just for the store.
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I thought of that, too. I'll see about getting out there today if I can. The aviation community needs to get better at using the internet to spread awareness.
 
HenryL said:
... Broadly speaking I'm interested in the career route, but at the moment I'm looking to make myself the best possible candidate to fly for the Air Force, ...
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How old are you?

Are you degree complete?

Best chance to fly for the USAF is to go USAFA; next will be ROTC; last is OTS.
 
I just turned 28, so I was pretty late to the decision. Degree yes. OTS is the only option. All I can do is try.
 
HenryL said:
I just turned 28, so I was pretty late to the decision. Degree yes. OTS is the only option. All I can do is try.
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You need to find out the FY19 Board dates AND the associated OTS class start dates to see if you’ll still be eligible. (I’m a recently retired AF officer)

Personally, I wouldn’t finance flying training in the hopes it’ll make you more competitive.

As far as military service goes, do it because it’s what you’re called to do, not because it’s a chance at a pilot training slot. That is, do it being willing to accept whatever you’re selected for, be it personellist or Pilot.
 
TCABM said:
As far as military service goes, do it because it’s what you’re called to do, not because it’s a chance at a pilot training slot. That is, do it being willing to accept whatever you’re selected for, be it personellist or Pilot.
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I hope it didn't seem like I'm only doing this for purely mercenary reasons. I want to serve my country. I also want to fly. Both of those are long-standing goals of mine. In a perfect world I will be able to do them together, but I'm perfectly willing to accept different positions if they do not accept me as a pilot (I've had two current service men suggest intelligence for me). In that case I will just continue to fly on my own at a slower pace and maybe have enough hours to try for the majors after I get out. And if for some reason they reject me altogether, I'll try to earn or borrow enough money for a commercial rating and then go from there.
 
HenryL said:
I hope it didn't seem like I'm only doing this for purely mercenary reasons. I want to serve my country. I also want to fly. Both of those are long-standing goals of mine. In a perfect world I will be able to do them together, but I'm perfectly willing to accept different positions if they do not accept me as a pilot (I've had two current service men suggest intelligence for me). In that case I will just continue to fly on my own at a slower pace and maybe have enough hours to try for the majors after I get out. And if for some reason they reject me altogether, I'll try to earn or borrow enough money for a commercial rating and then go from there.
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It didn’t. I give the same speech to everyone.
 
I started working with Anderson in Bulverde yesterday on my flight review. Seems like a great operation. 10 planes, reasonably priced, etc.
 
An instrument ticket will not do anything to make you more competitive for Air Force pilot training. I forgot how their point system works out when filling pilot slots but you'd probably max out the available points for flying experience just getting a PPSEL. In many ways, the AF would prefer pilot trainees not have a lot of flying experience they would have to unlearn at UPT.

Palo Alto's professional pilot program is no lornger available. They're finishing up some students but not accepting any new ones. I've had mixed experiences flying at Sky Safety. They're under new management so I don't know what they're like now. They have a Redbird simulator (on order?) and they seem more oriented to the future airline pilot with the bottom line being $$$$. They seem to have a lot of foreign students from Asian countries. I did like flying the Symphony and Mooney and Brian (chief instructor) and Leslie (desk) are very nice people.
 
Witmo said:
An instrument ticket will not do anything to make you more competitive for Air Force pilot training. I forgot how their point system works out when filling pilot slots but you'd probably max out the available points for flying experience just getting a PPSEL.
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That might be for the best. I'm not even sure I'll have enough money for IR.
 
Van Johnston said:
Based at 5C1. My son did his primary training and earned his license there a few years ago. That instructor is still there, and believe he is full time.

The owner sent out an email in July saying he had just hired a new chief pilot/instructor and that they were looking to step up their flight training game. I.e. dedicated hangar/classroom, ground schools, certified Cirrus training facility, and eventually Part 141. There are a lot of new instructors on the schedule. Might be worth your time to drive out and talk to the new guy.

If looking to go independent, go by the Pilot Shoppe on Sandau Road. There’s a bulletin board and binder there full of CFI business cards.

Depending on what part of town you live, don’t discount Castroville, Pleasanton, or New Braunfels. Don’t know anything about training there, just saying it might be a shorter drive depending on where you are coming from if you think Bulverde is too far.
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Do you happen to know what the Renter's Insurance requirements are at 5C1?
 
RyanShort1 said:
I can't speak with authority to that anymore, but as a former CFI there, I would highly advise having it.
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Thank you for the response. Yes, I absolutely will have renters insurance. But I was wondering if there were certain minimums I needed to be aware of. Anderson in Bulverde lists theirs on their website. Couldn't find anything for Boerne.

So, you no longer do the tailwheel endorsement in Boerne's cub? As soon as I get past my flight review, I want to work on a tailwheel endorsement.
 
Never mind. I see you're based in Dallas now. Thanks for your help on the Renters Insurance.
 
randy m said:
Thank you for the response. Yes, I absolutely will have renters insurance. But I was wondering if there were certain minimums I needed to be aware of. Anderson in Bulverde lists theirs on their website. Couldn't find anything for Boerne.

So, you no longer do the tailwheel endorsement in Boerne's cub? As soon as I get past my flight review, I want to work on a tailwheel endorsement.
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Boerne's operation is not really a "club" unless you're talking about the glider club which does require a buy-in and has monthly dues. The powered instruction offered at Boerne Stage (5C1) is your typical Part 61 training. Call the office and they can tell you what the rental insurance requirement is. I would assume it depends on the aircraft you plan on flying ranging from the Cub (cheapest) to the twin Cessna or SR20, most expensive. If you go in person to Boerne Stage, they can provide you with a written sheet of rental rates and requirements for the various aircraft.
 
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randy m said:
Do you happen to know what the Renter's Insurance requirements are at 5C1?
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It varies by aircraft and by pilot's total time and time in type. When you go on-line to schedule an aircraft the scheduling program tells you the requirements. For example, for the Archer: "N8890F Archer - $135/hr wet. PIC minimums: 500 Hours Logged Total Time, 10 hours make & model; or, provide Non-Owned aircraft insurance coverage, comprehensive not less than $40,000. [available through AVEMCO, applications here.]"
 
Van Johnston said:
PIC minimums: 500 Hours Logged Total Time, 10 hours make & model; or, provide Non-Owned aircraft insurance coverage, comprehensive not less than $40,000. [available through AVEMCO, applications here.]"
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So a pilot who has experience with a particular aircraft model wouldn't be required to have insurance? Would one get that experience with an instructor functioning as PIC, or do they mean that for the first 10 hours you must be insured regardless?
 
HenryL said:
So a pilot who has experience with a particular aircraft model wouldn't be required to have insurance? Would one get that experience with an instructor functioning as PIC, or do they mean that for the first 10 hours you must be insured regardless?
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The way I read is that THEIR insurance would allow you to rent provided you have the stated experience. Otherwise, it sounds like they will require you to get non owners insurance on your own in order to rent from them. Bear in mind, carrying non owners insurance is prbably a good idea anyways since their policy is meant to cover their rear while renting to you, not to cover your rear. Meaning, more than likely they have a subrogation clause where they can make you pay their dedictuble in case of a claim, and otherwise not extend you their liability coverage in any event.

This is typical of most rental places. At the time I didn't pay much attention since I was a broke college student and they couldn't get blood out of a turnip. Nowadays with more money in the bank and people who depend on me, I try to minimize my exposure to the subrogation riff raff, which is why I no longer exercise my CFI provileges, nor rent. I also try not to fly people other than immediate family (aka people not likely to sue me), though I broke my own rule a couple weeks ago flying my wife's friends out of town.
 
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