PIC ..... any reviews (good or bad?)

[Betmerick]

I went through PIC for my instrument. I have my opinions that I would gladly share but I am interested in unbiased opinions of other students / graduates. I'm sure you are reading between the lines here and yes I did have issues. I just want to see if it's a pattern or was my experience unique?

 

[jssaylor2007]

Just wondering what it cost?

 

[Betmerick]

The hourly rate is around $120 an hour. Generally you have to pay the costs of the instructor's travel expenses (airfare and hotel) to your location. Luckily my guy lived locally so that cost was not incurred. We did 1/2 days so the cost was $480 a day but actual hobbs time was 2.7 or so. Rest was wasted time IMO.

 

[Timbeck2]

I going to give it a bad review.....only because there wasn't a PIC to look at.

 

[Bonchie]

Everyone I know says they are great.

But they are also overpriced IMO. $120 an hour (about 2-3x a normal instruction rate) + you pay all their expenses. If you want to take an accelerated program, there are much cheaper options out there.

 

[Clip4]

The hourly rate is around $120 an hour. Generally you have to pay the costs of the instructor's travel expenses (airfare and hotel) to your location. Luckily my guy lived locally so that cost was not incurred. We did 1/2 days so the cost was $480 a day but actual hobbs time was 2.7 or so. Rest was wasted time IMO.

First, I am neither a past student or a fan of accelerated instrument training, but I am surprised you did not get much from the non flying time. Done properly, that is were the most benefit should have been.

 

[flyingron]

I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with PIC. I agree it is not for everybody, but it was exactly what I needed. I don't have my log book handy (I'm on the road and won't be back until Friday night), but I'm guessing i did about 5 hours of flight time on the days we flew all day. I pretty much had the exclusive use of the instructor for 8 solid hours plus lunch.

I lucked out on the expenses because mine was visiting his daughter nearby, so I only paid for his room the first few nights (when we were working the sim and book work at my house). The rest of the time I met him at the airport.

I got mine done in eight days so they gave me a couple of days off for good behavior (and a refund of the tuition). I don't know what the current rates are but I seem to recall it was $5000 for the ten days. You have to add to that the instructor's travel/lodging and your aircraft charges. I felt I had the checkride wired and the DPE agreed.

Actually, they were going to send CapnRon (I found out after the fact) to me but he was actually teaching somewhere else the week I wanted to do it. The guy they did send was quite good and knew my Avionics (Garmin 480) pretty well. He told me before we started to get the 480 simulator software and we used that side by side with their simulator (then an old ATC 610) on the few days we were doing book work. He didn't know the 55X autopilot, but took the pilot guide to read the first night and pretty much understood it by the time he got back (I knew it well already).

 

[AggieMike88]

I am happy with my PIC experience, and it was with Ron Levy (CapnRon, that FlyingRon mentions above).

The only thing I would change was that I scheduled too few days for the way things played out. We got real close to finish, but had a weather day keep us from flying a needed hop, and then experienced difficulties getting an examiner scheduled. In hindsight, I wish I had booked as 13-14 days to allow for some schedule flexibility for such things.


FYI for accelerated programs, there is one in the middle of the country that I advise you remain well away from. In the past they might have been good, but my and another PoA member's experience there show that school isn't what it used to be.

 

[Van Johnston]

I chose to travel to the instructor, figuring I could concentrate better being away from home, and that my own expenses would be cheaper than the per diem they charged. Having already trained once and failed a check ride, I was on a 4 day finish up program. I was surprised when my card got charged again after the course. I inquired, and they said they charged me mileage for the instructor to drive between his house and the airport everyday. I thought that was pretty lousy. I failed the check ride again, although I don’t necessarily fault their program for that. As Capn Ron would say, YMMV.

 

[Betmerick]

I would have thought that there would be more comments on PIC but maybe it isn't the school of choice for accelerated training any longer. After going through it (8 day schedule advertised) took over 16 months (doing 1/2 days many split schedules due to him) so it was just like an overcharged regular scheduled training. I've been told that the IR checkrides have gone to scenario based and simply doing repetitive approaches doesn't do the trick for the DPE's. I had to basically get "re-trained" at another facility before I was done and checked so needless to say it was an expensive experience!