Wit all the trials and tribulations you had even getting someone to schedule your ride I would be interested in hearing the details about how you finally got an examiner, and how the ride went, and didn't you also have to do a demonstrated ability thing?
Mason, I have not been ignoring your question, I've been thinking about it.
A CFI friend here in San Diego sent me this congratulatory e-mail yesterday. I do not want to show his name for obvious reasons. I also am censoring out any clues to his identity for the same reasons. I think this might answer a lot of questions.
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CONGRATULATIONS!!! Intensive training without interruptions was the key. One gets the feeling that the examiners within the San Diego area are very selective - almost like a 'closed shop' in whom they want to work with. Even at *****, I had good results with a PPL applicant when I scheduled him with *********at Hemet.
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The training was indeed, "intensive" but it was just four days. They put me up at the Avi Hotel Casino about five miles away. The cost, including most of my meals for the hotel was under $450.00 for five nights. That is just the hotel, not the training nor check ride costs. Sheble is not expensive at all, compared to another "school" I went to years ago. Single engine, wet with an instructor for only $140.00 an hour. Ground was around $40.00 an hour.
I figure the total cost, including the drive out there in my Jeep was under $2,500.00.
The hotel was very nice, the food was excellent. They have around five or six restaurants to pick from. I was too tired after a whole day of training to do much gambling, so all I did a few times was throw away a few bucks on my way to a restaurant.
As mentioned above, the key was intensive uninterrupted training. When one instructor is done with you, another one takes over. They figure out exactly what your weak areas are, then turn them into strong areas.
When I was there, just about all the other applicants were going for their multi engine commercial ratings. I met one young fellow who was after his CFI rating. They also do conventional gear, glider, and sea plane ratings.
Sheble has it figured out as far as finding what is wrong, then correcting it. They act laid back, but within a few days I figured out that I was involved in a very well choreographed training school. I had at least five CFIs working on my case that I know of.
I hope this answerers your question.
John
