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Larry Schwartz
09-17-2011, 01:55 PM
Last January, right after I soloed, my flight school sold their LSA. The closest rentable LSA is a 2.5 hour drive away. With my schedule only allowing me to fly on weekends combined with Michigan weather, I managed only 5 lessons this summer. Bouncing between 2 instructors with very different teaching methods, I have not soloed the new plane. With winter coming it seems less likely that I could finish my training anytime soon.

I have been thinking about going someplace that offers accelerated training. I would like to hear about other people's experiences with these schools. I'll be heading to Orlando for vacation this December, if anyone could recommend something in central Florida.

Thanks,

Larry

AllenR
09-17-2011, 09:53 PM
Probably the best place to go for a sport pilot license is Lockwood Aviation in Sebring, FL. They are just south of Orlando and specialize in sport pilot and have a very structured program to get pilots certified ASAP. They even offer housing. A friend of mine did it and loved how organized they are. They are also the U.S. distributor for Rotax engines. http://www.lockwoodaviation.com/

G (http://www.lockwoodaviation.com/)ood luck.

Bill Greenwood
09-18-2011, 12:40 PM
Larry, yes, I do. At Winter Haven , Florida there are three flight schools.
Look them up on the internet, ie google.

First is Tailwheels, Etc. a flight school which advertises getting your pilot license in 2 weeks. I am sure there are lots of naysayers who will downgrade this and try to talk a student out of it, but I am impressed when a flight school is willing to state this up front. There are lots of other places that will drag a student along for months as long as he's willing to pay, until he runs out of money or interest.
I have actually been at this school, although I did not take lessons from them. They are low key and friendly, not one of those places where 300 hour CFIs are wearing a tie and calling everyone "Sir", but may not really have done much flying or teaching.
I have flown into Winter Haven, it is a very pretty small airport about 20 miles east of Lakeland. 3 good runways, no tower to delay you or interfere,and with a lot of convenient housing and restaurants nearby.
It sits on a lake, right there is also Brown seaplane base, a long time flight school offering float ratings in J3 Cubs and twin Seabees.
Also on the same field is Preston Aviation, which says it offers tailwheel checkouts in J3s and Stearmans.

I don't know if they have any LSAs , but unless you are irrevocably wedded to only LSA flying, I'd suggest you go to Winter Haven.
It's probably very nice weather in Dec there, not too hot. Also nearby is Kermit Weeks Fantasy of Flight complex, and Warbird Adventures at Kissimmee that teaches in T6s. I have done a biennial flight review with Jon there and it's great, if not cheap. That's a real airplane and a real pilot trainer.

Bill Greenwood
09-18-2011, 01:00 PM
Larry, I forgot to mention that if you are training in a J3 Cub, it qualifies for both LSA and private pilot training, not limited to just LSA.

I was curious and tried to phone Lockwood aviation that Allen suggest. Lockwood is closed today, Sunday, so didn't get any info from them.
Being closed on Sunday, which is when many students are able to fly, seems like an inconvience unless they have some process where a student can access the keys and the planes and fly solo.
I wonder if they have a religeous objeciton to working, flying on Sunday? Their recording doesn't say or their website. The photos look good. I personally prefer low wing planes, not the Cessna look alike LSAs they show on their sight. When and if you get into advanced aviation, which I hope you do. most of the high performance planes are going to be low wing. Plenty of good high wing ones also, Cub, Stearman, Pitts, etc. It's not the biggest factor in deciding what to fly especially what to learn in.
I have not flown a high wing strictly LSA. I have flown a Gobosh low wing LSA, and found it fun. You do need a hat or shade of some type on a hot sunny day.Great visibilty.

Chick
09-18-2011, 09:48 PM
Lockwood is the place to go. They do an incrededible job. A totally professional organization. They moved mountains to make me feel like I was the only student there. The CFI was first rate and they have a DPE on staff. I wish I went there years before.

sginter
09-22-2011, 06:11 PM
I trained with a great CFI in Hendersonville, NC in a great Champ. It was an accelrated course and if it were not for weather on the last day would have been completed in 10 days over a Christmas break. His website is www.blueridgesportflight.com (http://www.blueridgesportflight.com) and name is Greg Collins. I highly recommend his program. An added bonus is "mountain" flying and multiple grass strips carved out of the tops of those mountains. Well worth the money.

Scott

Janet Davidson
09-23-2011, 07:13 AM
Tho' not quite what you were asking for with info about Florida, but much closer to home, with weather conditions & terrain not dissimilar to MI (ie, beautiful at this time of the year ;) ) is Steve Krog's place at Hartford, WI - http://cubair.net/

Adam Smith
09-23-2011, 08:05 AM
Hang in there Larry. A similar thing happened to me - soloed and then an accident to my instruction plane left me high & dry. It took over 2 years to finish my PPL. What got me across the finish line was an accelerated training school in Florida where I had the time, planes, instructors and weather.

mdd6781
10-09-2011, 07:03 PM
Hey Larry,Try Orlando Gateway Sport Pilot, working on mine now and they have accelerated program. They have locations in Kissimmee/ Orlando and in Winter Haven. Talk to Jonathan he is great guy and honest.. Good Luck..

Rick F
11-13-2011, 06:23 PM
I'm in Eaton, Ohio and interested in LSA but can't find any instructors in vicinity. Anyone know of anyplace close? I am halfway between Dayton, Ohio and Richmond, In------------rick

danielfindling
11-14-2011, 06:12 PM
Last January, right after I soloed, my flight school sold their LSA. The closest rentable LSA is a 2.5 hour drive away. With my schedule only allowing me to fly on weekends combined with Michigan weather, I managed only 5 lessons this summer. Bouncing between 2 instructors with very different teaching methods, I have not soloed the new plane. With winter coming it seems less likely that I could finish my training anytime soon. I have been thinking about going someplace that offers accelerated training. I would like to hear about other people's experiences with these schools. I'll be heading to Orlando for vacation this December, if anyone could recommend something in central Florida.Thanks,Larry Hang in there. I soloed in 1985 and finished in 2011. Why not train for a private pilot license and proceed to solo, then transition to sport pilot (or finish the private). A Cessna 150 cannot be much different than a sky catcher. As an aside I am based in SE MI and there is a sky catcher for rent at KVLL

sdilullo
11-16-2011, 10:58 AM
I'm in Eaton, Ohio and interested in LSA but can't find any instructors in vicinity. Anyone know of anyplace close? I am halfway between Dayton, Ohio and Richmond, In------------rick

It's not the closest from where you're at... but Stewart's Aircraft Service (http://www.stewartsaircraft.net/) in Waynesville, OH (SE of Dayton) rents Cubs and Champs and instructs in them. That's where I learned to fly and it's a great place - can't recommend it enough.

constanelli
11-18-2011, 02:29 PM
Would anyone who has attended Lockwood's two week course mind going into detail what the actual course was really like? Meaning, what did you actually do on a daily basis. Also, do you think the course could be finished in less than two weeks by someone who's just about ready to solo, but no longer has access to a Light Sport plane? Many thanks

Chick
11-18-2011, 03:44 PM
I finished the course in less than two weeks.(Barely!) It was a lot of work. I had passed my written the week before and was well prepared for the oral. I had lots of hours for a student because I was driving 16 hours roundtrip every weekend, that the weather was good, to the place where I was training. (That's another long story!) I was ready to solo the second day at Lockwood. Jeff, my instructor, was great! We didn't waste a minute. The only limiting factors were how fast I could absorb the training and just pure fatigue. Romke is the DPE there. He actually flies with you a couple of times so you get accustomed to being with him before your checkride. He is very knowledgeable and fair. Every experience I had with everyone there was most professional. They really moved heaven and earth to make sure I had the plane whenever I needed it. They even reserved it for me for the entire day after I got my ticket so my lovely and long suffering wife could go fly with me around Florida. They also have a deal on hotel rooms. If you would like more info email me at chick@chickbartlett.com or just call at 770-595-9942. It was a very enjoyable experience. I would highly recommend them.