Houston Flight school suggestions...

gumbi17

gumbi17

Filing Flight Plan
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May 13, 2013
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Houston, Tx
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Gumbi
I am about to start my flight training in the Houston area, does anyone have any recommendations for flight schools in Houston? I have looked at both the small and larger schools and it seems there are some that are surprisingly more expensive for the same aircraft and instructors.
 
I am in Humble North Houston, but I also work in Katy and downtown, so I can get to just about anywhere. I would drive for a good school!
 
Weiser KEYQ has a flight school just called 'The Flight School' it won the AOPA flight school award 2 years running. Learn there and you will never fear cross wind landings ever.
 
Drive....not recommending the added stress of Houston traffic trying to make a training flights. Depending on your work, it may also be likely that the bulk of your training will be on weekends. KCXO, Conroe is likely the closest to home. I trained with Just Fly. Great people. Husband wife team, 2 Cherokees with testing center. KCXO is a great facility, nice FBO's and an on field restaurant, not that it matters. I started with them when they were located at KDWH, in Tomball. Hooks is a lot busier, at least 3 schools that I can think of, parallel runways that are typically both in use.

Sorry, but KEYQ, for me was like landing on a country road the few times I flew there. For training, that is not a bad thing, in fact, it will probably hone your landing and takeoff skills quickly and make landing at more typical airports a ton easier. Very similar to 17L/35R at Hooks in dimensions. As the song goes, "if you can make there, you can make it anywhere."!

http://www.flyinhouston.com/
 
I like the looks of Justfly but they don't have the hourly rates on their webpage. they are about an hour away from my house, and hook is about 48 minutes so about the same.
 
I've been training at United Flight Systems at Hooks and it's been really good. My only complaint is the strict student solo weather minimums, but I believe all of the flight schools at Hooks are following the same minimums. It has resulted in approximately 30-40% of my solos to be delayed or rescheduled waiting on temp/dew point spreads to increase, or winds to change. A number of flights rescheduled where myself and CFI were fine with the weather but school mins (for insurance purposes) wouldn't allow it solo.
 
23 miles vs 32 miles...you are right! I still think it will be easier getting to Conroe when you look at the roads involved. Just fly rents dry. $70/hr for the 140hp, $90/hr for the 160hp plus fuel. They use 8/gallons per hour of usage times the rack rate at the airport at that time ($3.40/g) the last weekend when I rented the 140. Instructor fees are $40/hr for ground instruction and/or flight lessons.

Bottom line if cost is a concern, you may be discouraged. This hobby ain't cheap. For your PPL certificate plan on spending a minimum of $8,000. It will very likely come in higher. Don't believe schools that say anything less. Highhly encourage that when you hone in on a few schools, interview them, and take a discovery flight. Observe how they operate, what condition the planes are in. Most important is how you feel with the instructor(s). At a large school it is very likely you will go through several as they are there only to accumulate hours in hopes of flying for the regionals.
 
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Matt said:
My only complaint is the strict student solo weather minimums, but I believe all of the flight schools at Hooks are following the same minimums.
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Has nothing to do with Insurance, everything to do with safety. United lost a flight back in 2013, 2 souls on board, brand new young instructor and student. As you mentioned, note temp/dewpoint spread at time of accident. Could have very well been carb icing and or issues stemming from carb float servic bulletin inaction that resulted in a partial loss of power. Full report here. United has "upgraded their requirements" as they should.

http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20131117X22354&ntsbno=CEN14FA057&akey=1
 
I understand the temp/dew point spread issue with safety. Usually this just results in a delay for a morning flight while waiting on temp to increase. The main thing that has given me grief is the 5 knots or less crosswind and 15k or less total wind, and no gusts. Most of my dual was in wind conditions that weren't allowed once I was solo, so fortunately I got a lot of practice in those conditions, which have benefitted me, but now that I am solo, it seems a bit restrictive at times. There have been a lot of days lately with, say a 16 knot down the runway wind: can't solo. 6 knot crosswind: can't solo.

Not complaining, as I totally understand the safety reasons for these restrictions, but it is still frustrating to cancel when it is conditions I have successfully dealt with, and feel comfortable with.
 
United Flight Systems was the school I was looking at Hooks. That sounds restrictive 5 knots of crosswind is the max for solo? As it seems like the wind is always blowing out there!
 
I know a couple of guys that teach at The Flight School at Weiser. I would definitely recommend that school. Good luck with your training!
 
Matt said:
The main thing that has given me grief is the 5 knots or less crosswind and 15k or less total wind, and no gusts.
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Damn. You'd never fly here in OK if all flight schools had those rules. It'd take you 2 years to get your certificate! You're in TX, so I can't imagine the winds are all that different. Sounds frustrating, to say the least.
 
I would choose a school that operates at a tower controlled airport. (the radio communications experience as a student pilot with the tower is invaluable.in practice) the schools at tower controlled airports on the west side of Houston are: Anson Aviation at Sugarland Regionalor one of the 4? schools at David Hooks near where you live. (I live near Memorial Park which is near none of those locations) .I started at Anson Aviation(flew there for about 8 months,its a pilotmill-really turn over CFI's) and then shopped around, visited American Flyers, United Flight, and Texas Flight at Hooks. I choose Texas Flight, where I fly now, and made more progress there in 2 months then I did at Anson in 8.I would also be VERY selective about the CFI you choose.I am now 85% toward checkride. the CFI I fly is an ex pilot with a regional airline, and I learned more from him in 3 lessons than I did with 4 pilots in 6 months at Anson. if you have questions, you can PM me
 
Some of the best flight instruction comes from the old guys who teach because they like it, not because they are trying to make hours and go to the airlines...
 
Flying Scotsman said:
Weiser KEYQ has a flight school just called 'The Flight School' it won the AOPA flight school award 2 years running. Learn there and you will never fear cross wind landings ever.
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THIS. I got my license as KEYQ -- But at Houston Flight Training. The small runway is 9/27 and is always a crosswind. It's great experience and now I've never had a crosswind I couldn't handle. I've gone into some pretty gusty airports and had the FBO guys tell me they were impressed. I didn't even listen to the wind on AWOS... I just feel it out and if it's workable its workable.
 
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