★★★★★
5 out of 5
6 months ago
Good place. There are some great instructors and resources there! Completed the program just under 12 months (private was the first six of that). I think this is the best Part 61 school in the area for people wanting an accelerated program and are career-minded. I would recommend:
1. Completing the PAR, and if you have time the IRA, FII, CAX, FIA, and FOI (in that order) before starting the program. Sporty’s for PAR, King’s school/Sheppard Air for the others. Plenty of people have success without doing this, but it’s really nice to have a few out of the way. I took the PAR, IRA and FII (take IRA and FII back to back!) before the program and it allowed me to focus on flying and check ride prep. CAUTION: if you do this, get decent scores as some DPEs take the review of deficiencies fairly seriously and you don’t want an unnecessarily long check ride :-)
2. If you are prone to motion sickness, fly 3-4 times at another flight school or until you’re cured before starting private here (wish I had done this)
3. If you’re short you might need a seat cushion (booster seat). Bring this up on discovery flight, don’t wait! Even if you’re not short but you have a shorter torso you might need one
4. Get a good headset with noise cancellation. For the premium you’re paying on flight hours, please do yourself a favor
5. Recognize this is your time and money and if the flight isn’t going well terminate it ASAP (especially your first few flights in private). Don’t be afraid of your instructor. Stand up for yourself. The current instructors at SUS are pretty good :)
6. Use downtime to study/sim/make new friends at the training center. Currently the culture is very friendly and good-natured! Make as many good relationships as you possibly can!
7. As in other fields, get a mentor!!! Called mine after every check ride. You’ll want someone to weather the ups and downs with you.
8. Make sure this is the right time in life for you to do this. There is nothing more heartbreaking IMO than someone who shows up at ATP who hasn’t truly brought enough time, money, or dedication with them. They will pay. Be very honest with yourself and your loved ones before you take this risk. Do your research. Then dive in headfirst and enjoy it.
I passed all my check rides except private on the first go. I probably would have passed that one too had I followed my own advice here and tried to get a few hours/landings in before starting for confidence. Good luck!!
Allie Donato
