Tampa

[No_Eagle_1355]

Does anyone have any experience with flight schools in the Tampa Bay region? I’ve been looking at Tampa Bay Aviation and Clearwater Aviation in particular. I’ve heard great things about St. Pete Air but it’s an extra 20 minutes each way from me and I’ve heard numerous people tell me to try and find the closest school to me. TBA flies out of CLW and CA flies out of PIE. Any firsthand insight into any in the region would be appreciated.

 

[Jbutah]

I started my PPL with St. Pete Air in January. My experience has been great so far. I have had no major issues scheduling training twice a week. They were busier in January and February so I had to make sure and schedule a few weeks out, but lately it seems they are less busy. KSPG is a great airport, not crazy busy, but you get the feel of an active towered airport. I was looking at St. Pete Air and a school at KSRQ. I live halfway between the two. I chose St. Pete Air mainly because my office is in Tampa so I drive through St. Pete a few times a week.

 

[No_Eagle_1355]

That's great. Yeah, if St. Pete Air weren't an extra 20 minutes in each direction, I'd consider it more closely. I live in northern Pinellas County so to drive 40+ minutes in each direction when PIE and CLW have flight schools makes it a little tricky. Good to hear your experience has been great. Everyone I've talked to at that school has the same thing to say.

 

[Salty]

PIE is a good place to train IMO. You get to work with a tower, but it's not real busy.
I personally don't think whitted is a good place to train. It's just too stressful IMO.
CLW is in the middle for me. The winds there can be tricky, but it's not that big of a deal.

I have used both schools and got my PPL with one of them, but I haven't dealt with any of them for almost a decade, so my opinion there is not relevant.

 

[farangutan]

I'm working on my comm. multi add on at Tampa Bay Aviation in CLW and finished my ASEL commercial training at St Pete Air (checkride in a couple days actually.)
I recommend you save time and money with Tampa Bay Aviation. Especially if you live close and working on PPL. It seems the winds are direct crosswind almost every time I fly there but it's good practice and you get used to it. Only reason I went to St Pete Air to finish up was that I kept having to cancel after an hour long drive to the airport because of an issue with a plane or low clouds at Tampa Bay Aviation. I also trained out of Atlas Aviation in Davis Islands and out of Zephyrhills. Both are fine too but probably out of your way.