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What our customers say
Alec Dufour
Minooka, Illinois

My 14-Day AFIT PPL Training Experience

Hello all! As a 19 year old aviation flight major, it is quite difficult to get the one on one time you need with an experienced instructor in order to progress and be successful in this field of studies, especially with COVID-19. Because of this I sought out alternative routes in order to achieve my private pilot’s license; after lots of research and many phone calls I found AFIT to be the most professional and successful company to help me achieve this goal! After a full year at my university, I left with 10.4 total flight time hours. I got in contact with Tony, the owner of AFIT and he set me up with an amazing instructor named Andy. Over the course of two weeks, I went from 10.4 hours to almost 50 and a private pilot’s license to show for it!

I am astonished as to how quickly I was able to learn once given the right guidance and instruction. I would sincerely like to thank Tony and Andy for such a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!

Sincerely,

Alec Dufour

Minooka, Illinois

Clyde Stemberg
Kalispell, Montana

10-Day Instrument Training Course / Cessna 172

Tony,

I am now an instrument rated pilot! About halfway through I was ready to give up but John and his wisdom and British humor gave me a swift kick in the butt to stick with it! John’s style of instruction was spot on, extremely knowledgeable in all areas of flying and an amazing person! I was honored to have the privilege of getting my instrument under the guidance of John, and will definitely be back for continuing my additional ratings. Thanks for everything.

Best Regards,

Clyde Stemberg

Kalispell, Montana

Mitko Smith
Boise, Idaho

6-Day Commercial Rating

I would like to thank AFIT for helping me obtain my Commercial Rating. I had the pleasure of working with John from Van Nuys, California for a second rating, he was phenomenal.

John is so full of knowledge and extremely helpful with all aspects of training. My ground knowledge wasn’t up to standards, but John was patient and tremendously supportive. Both Oral and Practical portions of my checkride went very smoothly because of John’s expertise.

I would also like to thank Tony for coordinating the training. AFIT is a top-notch company and truly cares for their students and the training process.

See you soon for my Multi-Engine training

Mitko Smith
Boise, Idaho

James Lufker
Huntington, New York

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training

First and foremost Greg is an excellent instructor and a great guy. He is easy to get along with and his relaxed demeanor pays dividends when trying to learn in what can be a stressful undertaking at times. Greg is knowledgeable and his years of experience as an aviator shines through his teaching in the plane, the ground school, and everything in between! The AFIT accelerated program is an adventure in it’s self. Every day it’s a new undertaking with new destinations and new things to learn. The course is a challenge and a big undertaking, but having Greg by my side for 2 weeks I was able to learn a tremendous amount about aviating, navigating, and communicating and my confidence grew and grew as the time flew by. In 2 weeks’ time not only did I have an adventure of a lifetime which culminated with getting my pilot’s license, but I also made a good friend!

Thanks Greg, cheers!

Your student. Your friend,

James Lufker

Huntington, New York

John Yeom
Lompoc, California

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Tony,

I had a great experience! John was an amazing instructor. It was truly a great moment to attain that certificate! It was a childhood dream and I was able to achieve this. Thank you, AFIT, and John! I am glad I made the decision to do AFIT’s 14 days program. I am lucky I got paired with a CFI that worked well with my personality.

Thank you,

John Yeom

Lompoc, California

Sam Stevens
Henderson, Nevada

Private Pilot finish-up Course

I began the AFIT program in Lincoln, CA shortly after my instructor in Vegas broke his foot and needed surgery. This put a big hold on my training. I felt totally confident with my flying skills but I was very behind on my ground knowledge. Back in Vegas, I failed my written test and within 2 days of working with Ruben, I passed the written test with an 85%. Just 6 days after that, with the dedicated instruction from Ruben I passed my Private Pilot Check ride. Even though I felt confident in the plane prior to meeting Ruben and beginning the AFIT program, by the end I realized how much I had learned and become a better pilot. Ruben was willing to do anything for me to pass my check ride in the 8 days I was working with him. I will forever be grateful for him and AFIT for what they have done for me. The amazing thing that, looking back, I realize is that Ruben taught me so much and it didn’t even feel like instruction. Ruben made it the most enjoyable process along the way and like I had previously stated, he was willing to do anything for me to get my check ride behind me!

Thank you for everything Ruben. For the last couple weeks, I’ve just been in awe of the quality instruction I received from you. Still can’t believe that we did it! 

Sam Stevens

Henderson, Nevada

Louise Schatz
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

14-Day Private Pilot Course

Tony,

Thank you for getting me set up for my Private Pilot course in Sacramento and an even bigger thank you for pairing me with my senior instructor Mike.

Mike turned out to be the perfect instructor for me—incredibly patient, calm, and exceptionally good humored. He possesses an amazing wealth of aviation knowledge, which he shared freely throughout the time I spent with him.

The days went by incredibly quickly. Mike was always encouraging, even when I doubted myself. In addition, his great sense of humor unquestionably helped keep me going day after day.

He answered my endless questions without making me feel stupid for even asking. His scaffolding approach to teaching made sure I had a good foundation–he helped me see the ‘big picture,’ while continually reinforcing the basics. His confidence in me helped me learn things faster than I ever imagined possible. Mike really went the extra mile for me—two miles, actually!

Thanks again for a wonderful experience, and also for a wonderful instructor.

Best—

Louise Schatz
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Andy Segal
Bolinas California

10-Day IFR In My DA-40 NG

Hi Tony,

As a newly-minted instrument pilot, I rank the AFIT training experience as one of the best aviation experiences I’ve ever had.  The ten-day format made learning the required skills easier and developed them into habits.  Beyond meeting the minimums, the full days provided lots of time for building out a fuller picture of instrument flying and how it works in the real world.  At the end, my check ride went as smoothly as one could ever hope.

There is lots to learn in the IFR world – procedures, flying skills, radios, instruments, etc.  The beauty of the format is that there is no time to lose a nascent skill between lessons.  You learn a proper radio call on the morning flight and do it again that afternoon and then again the next morning.  Meltdown doing holding procedures in the morning?  Back we went to the same place after lunch to get it right.  Had there been a week-long gap between sessions, the experiences and skills would have faded.

Spending 8-10 hours per day with an experienced CFII, one can’t help but learn a lot beyond the basics.  For example, at one point my airplane displayed an engine warning light.  Working through that issue was not on the instrument syllabus, but given we were in the middle of the program, we strategized how to handle a stop at the shop for a quick repair and incorporated it into the required cross country.  A weekly lesson format would have ended with “let me know when you get it fixed.”  There is no substitute for “real world” experience and when you are committed to a ten-day program, the real world is more apt to show up!

Check ride preparation is more than pilot training; there’s the required documentation.  Given that these guys do this training over and over, they know how to prepare the paperwork in their sleep.  On check ride day, my CFII walked with me into the DPE’s office, stood by as the documentation was reviewed (available to fix anything if necessary), and got the check ride started on the right foot.  Contrast that to flying to an unfamiliar airport, hoping the paperwork meets any idiosyncratic preferences of the DPE, and starting the oral after going through an audit.  Much better to fully focus on the oral and flight without worrying about logbook gotchas.

For me, the program was a smashing success.  The non-stop nature enhanced my learning and created a cool life experience.  I gained some valuable judgement and got through the check ride relatively unscathed.  Bravo!

Thanks.

Andy Segal
Bolinas California

Roxanne Gates
Kapolei, Hawaii

14-Day Private Pilot Training Experience

Dear Tony,

I wanted to share my experience training with Oleg.  Oleg is a great instructor and a truly amazing pilot. I learned so much in such a short time, I didn’t even know it was possible but Oleg really supported me from start to finish. He pushed me, but also listened to me and pulled back when I was feeling overwhelmed. Even with the added stress of the California fires, Oleg adapted the training and made sure I got all my hours in. I really felt like his and my main goal, everyday for 14 days, was to get me to pass the exam. Fortunately, the hard work paid off in full and I am now a certified pilot.

It was tough to fit all the training and all my questions into 14 days since I had no background or experience in aviation before hand, but Oleg made it happen.

You’ve got a good instructor on your hands.

Sincerely,

Roxanne Gates

Kapolei, Hawaii

Kenneth Mattox
Van Nuys, California

My Private Pilot Finish-Up Training

When it comes to Flight Training there were tons of options, I should know I was attending another school, however either by luck or chance I decided to switch over and attend AFIT. I knew I need structure and a teacher who was committed to my success. John didn’t only give me the tools I needed, we built a life-long relationship that I will forever be grateful for. I past Private Pilot check ride with flying colors in a short period of time.

Thank you AFIT for commitment to me and thank you John for your hard work!

Kenneth Mattox

Van Nuys, California

Nicholas Stauffer
Gallup, New Mexico

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training Course / KLHM

I just want to say thank you to Tony from AFIT and to my incredible instructor, Ruben, for helping me achieve my lifelong goal of becoming a private pilot! Five years ago, I first started flight training the traditional way at a local airport. Unfortunately, my instructor, a new CFI who was fresh out of school and couldn’t wait to join the airlines, seemed more concerned about logging time for himself than my flight training. After about 15 hours of lessons spread out over several months and never soloing, I decided to take a break because life became too busy, and at the rate I was going, it seemed like I would never get my private pilot license.

Earlier this year, my friend told me about AFIT and how he was able to get his private pilot license in just two weeks. I was intrigued and gave Tony a call, and he got me set up with my AFIT instructor, Ruben, at Lincoln Airport outside Sacramento. When I first met Ruben, I could tell right away that my flight training experience would be much better this time. As a full-time, senior flight instructor, Ruben’s number one goal was helping me become a safe and competent pilot, not building time for himself to move on to some airline. Ruben is an excellent flight instructor with a real passion for teaching. Because of him, I was able to complete my first solo flight in just three days. By the end of the two weeks, Ruben made sure that I was very well prepared for my checkride.

The upfront cost of AFIT is high, but I have no doubt that those two weeks cost less than traditional flight training, which is inefficient and takes many more hours spread over months or years. The training with AFIT is intense, but it is efficient, and I know that I am a safer, better pilot because of it. Having tried flight training the traditional way, there really is no comparison: If you truly want to become a pilot, AFIT is the way to go.

Nicholas Stauffer M.D.

Gallup, New Mexico /  Barto Pennsylvania

Vicky Demas
San Francisco, California

10-Day Private Pilot Finish-Up Course  / KSZP

Hi Tony,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you and John for an amazing experience with the accelerated flight training program. As you know I was a bit hesitant at first, but within the first day of the training it was clear that this was the right decision  for me. I was able to achieve my dream of becoming a pilot and I had so much fun doing it!! 

John is a great pilot and instructor; very knowledgeable and structured but also easy going. He definitely made adjustments to focus on my weaknesses and took my learning style into account. 

I would recommend the program to anyone.  Thank you!

Vicky Demas

San Francisco, California

Basileo Odukoya
Los Angeles, California

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course KLHM

Hi Tony,

Sean is a well-skilled pilot and instructor. He really gives you the reigns from day one. Flying with Sean is more than just flight school. He really gets you ready for life as a pilot. Flying with Sean, I felt well prepared for my check flight and beyond. I still use many of, if not all, of the things he taught me today. You are in good hands as a pilot, with Sean as your instructor. 

Thanks for everything!

Best Regards,

Basileo “Toks” Odukoya

Los Angeles, California

Shannon Spanhake
San Francisco, California

14-Day Private Pilot Course / KLHM

Hi Tony,

Oleg is a great pilot and a very dedicated instructor, on numerous occasions, he made himself available to work with my schedule. He prioritized safety and strong aeronautical decision making. In the end he helped me build the confidence I needed to pass the oral exam and the check ride on the first attempt. I recommend Oleg to any incoming student to the AFIT program.

Thanks for everything!

Shannon Spanhake

San Francisco, California

Tom McKeone
Austin, Texas

14-Day Private Pilot Training

For nearly a decade I have been trying to get my pilot license. I even tried other accelerated training courses. What I encountered was relatively new CFI’s who were just building time for their commercial licenses. While they did fine I found they were not as experienced as I wanted. 

I decided 2020 was the year for me to finally get my licenses. As I researched the options AFIT clearly stood out. Once contacted they send my multiple options and instructors. The biggest difference was the total experience of their CFIs. Tony sent me Greg’s information along with the description of “mature and friendly”. Greg had over 8000 plus hours. 

Greg turned out to be the perfect CFI for me! He was indeed mature and friendly. His style was easy going but no compromises when it came to the training and safety. He quickly got me back up to speed with flying and drilled me during ground school to make sure I was 100% ready for the oral test and check ride. 

Greg is fantastic! I can’t express enough my thanks for helping me reach this life long goal

Tom McKeone

Austin, Texas

Tom Hughes
Nantucket, Massachusetts

14-Day Private Pilot Training

Hi Tony,

I just wanted to express what a great experience I had with John in Van Nuys.  The 14 day program was a win for me.  The training was great.  We progressed at my pace and we didn’t attempt a solo until we were both very confident in my abilities.  John is a very patient and thorough teacher.  Every day was full of valuable lessons.  While it is tough in the early days, it is super rewarding near the end of the program.

I would definitely recommend the program and would certainly recommend John. 

Thanks,

Tom Hughes

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Sayyid McDonald
Chicago, Illinois

14-Day Private Pilot Course

Hello AFIT,  

First, let my state, your school’s the greatest ever. There’s no form of gratitude to explain how grateful I am for AFIT and my great instructor Greg P.  Greg’s experience and guidance is paramount and unmatched. Literally the best instructor I’ve ever met. Greg and AFIT did everything in their power to make my dreams come true. AFIT, Thank you for giving me the best facility and best instructor in the world.

I Appreciate Greg and AFIT more than they’ll ever know.

Sincerely,

Sayyid McDonald

Chicago, Illinois

Zach Williams
Tempe, Arizona

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Hi Tony and team, 

First, thanks so much to everyone. I am very happy I was able to get my private pilot this quickly. 

It is definitely important to remember that this is an intensive program.  I am very glad I came prepared and had already studied a lot.

Knowing this is important because I think the program fits well with Oleg’s teaching style.  Specifically the ” these are the things you did wrong, here is how to do them correctly. In my opinion the program requires you to learn fast, this style worked very well for me. I could see it being a frustrating style if you have a large ego or zero self confidence but honestly I am not sure those people should be trying to learn everything in 2 weeks.  Might just be a personal preference but I would rather have sharp corrections early and learn quickly than gentle corrections over time.

I will definitely be recommending this style of learning to anyone who is serious about aviation. It isn’t easy and you have to work  hard but I am convinced that focused high intensity is the best way to learn.

Thanks again,

Zach Williams

Tempe, Arizona

Oliver Simmons
Doral, Florida

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training

Tony,

Just wanted to drop you a line and mention how happy I was with my training.  Andy was great and I couldn’t have hoped for a better instructor.  He is funny. down to earth and easy to get along with.  He geared his instruction to me and to the test and made sure I was prepared every step of the way.  Even though I didn’t get a few key things done before I got down there, he went above and beyond the call to make sure I was ready for the check ride and prepped me for a successful check out.

Thanks

Oliver Simmons MD

Doral, Florida

Mike Briare
Sacramento, California

My Private Pilot Finish-Up Course

Wanted to let you know I am more than thrilled with the program you have.  I have learned more in 7 days than a year of dicking around with the flight school I was in.  I am so much more confident and such a better pilot. 

I will need a couple days off to clear my head then will roll into the IFR.  The three trainers I met in Lincoln are all great. 

Just wanted to say thanks.  

Mike Briare

Sacramento, California

Cam Hunt
Colusa, California

6-Day Commercial Training Course

Hi Tony,

I had a great time flying with Sean. I like your program and I will tell others about it. Thanks Tony and Sean, I can’t wait to get my first flying job.

Best Regards,

Cam Hunt

Colusa, California

Jack Sayles
Louisville, Tennessee

10-Day IFR Training Course

Tony,

My two week period of training with Ruben was even more beneficial than I would have ever thought possible. Rubens training was very thorough and fast paced, but he always went out of his way to also make it interesting and enjoyable. Another instructor might not have been willing to put in the time necessary to accomplish what we needed to, but Ruben never shied away from doing any and all work necessary to make sure that the job got done. I cannot recommend this program, and Ruben specifically, highly enough, and will be telling all my friends and family that are interested in a career in aviation that they should strongly consider using AFIT for the furtherance of their aviation education.

Best Regards,

Jack Sayles

Louisville, Tennessee

Jackie E. Smith
Irvine, California

IFR Finish-Up Course / Columbia 400 with Avidyne Entegra, Garmin 750/650  / KLHM

Tony,

I once again want to thank you and Mike for the time spent to prepare me for my check ride. Your method of instruction and your depth of core knowledge as well as your aviation trivia all worked to make the course extremely helpful and enjoyable. I feel that I am a far better actual pilot now, having resorted to hand flying virtually everything during the training in spite of an available autopilot. I cannot express enough how far that alone went in my aviation progress.  Mike saw things through to the very end, and having him around for the check ride helped with the nerves, just knowing I had support nearby.

I appreciated Mike’s care and concern for my plane, and his willingness to humor my somewhat obsessive habits in the way I delicately treat my plane was not overlooked in my options of the course. It speaks volumes to your level of respect for students.

Overall, I feel that both you and the AFIT course deserve an A+ rating and I would recommend you guys anytime! 

Thanks again for everything!

Jackie E. Smith

Irvine, California

Jason Eckenroth
Boulder, Colorado

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Hi Tony

It has been ten days since I passed my check ride, after only 40.8 hrs in the cockpit. The two weeks I spent with Sean vastly exceeded my expectations with regards to his level of dedication, availability and interest in my success. Sean did not hesitate to make himself a resource morning, day or night. I felt safe, and challenged, working with him. After our first day together, I had tremendous doubts that I could go from zero flight experience, to meeting the requirements of a private pilot license in the time we had allocated. However, Sean kept me on a consistent schedule and ultimately, we did it.

Thank you again for your support and generosity of time and schedule. I do hope to cross paths again.

Sincerely,

Jason Eckenroth

Boulder, Colorado

Gabriel Mollica
Southold, New York

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Tony,

It is still hard for me to believe that in as little as 2 weeks I went from having zero flight experience to passing my private pilot check ride. My instructor Sean went above and beyond to prepare me and with his help I was able to obtain my private pilot’s license in 2 weeks, even with less than ideal weather.

I could not recommend this program highly enough!

Gabriel Mollica
Southold, New York

Annmarie E. Hackworthy
Notre Dame, Indiana

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Good Morning Tony,

Thank you AFIT and Sean for an incredible experience. My instructor Sean went above and beyond to prepare me not only for my check ride, but also to foster my love for flying. He provided materials, insight, and test prep recommendations in addition to the hands on flight training and quizzing in order to prepare me to be a safe and qualified pilot. Sean from day 1 stressed safety in all aspects of learning. He was dedicated to getting me through the course and made the entire experience fun and enjoyable! The accelerated program gave me dedicated time to focus and retain all the information I was learning. Tony was very flexible in working with my schedule allowing me to succeed and complete the course. I would highly recommend Sean and the AFIT program to anyone looking to pursue their private pilot’s license. The Lincoln, CA location was great for learning due to its size and variable busyness. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such a driven and experienced instructor.

Thank you for your time.

Very Respectfully,

Annmarie E. Hackworthy

University of Notre Dame

Air Force ROTC, Det. 225

Aerospace Engineering

Notre Dame, Indiana

Carla Berntsson
Springfield, Illinois

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Tony,

A huge thanks to you and to Sean for helping me accomplish my goal of becoming a Private Pilot.

Sean is a weapon of a pilot and an outstanding instructor. He is knowledgeable, and has extensive training & experience in all areas of aviation. The best part is that he makes all of the hard work fun. The training could have been stressful and overwhelming but Sean’s calm and patient demeanor allowed me to feel confident and learn in a stress-free environment. I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. I truly enjoyed flying with him.

I had absolutely zero flight experience before AFIT— and to now have my private pilot license after just two weeks of training is truly a testament to Sean’s ability to teach these skills so quickly. During my 14 day training we experienced intense weather but Sean was flexible and adapted his training not only to my personal learning curve but also to the weather conditions. He is genuinely invested in his student’s success.

The 14-Day Private Pilot course is one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. Highly recommend the program and highly recommend Sean as a CFI.

Thanks for the incredible experience.

Until next time,

Carla Berntsson

Springfield, Illinois

Dave Watkins
Castle Rock, Colorado

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course KLHM

Dear Tony,

I can’t praise Mike or AFIT enough for helping me achieve my lifelong dream of attaining a PPL. Like many, I attempted to get my rating when I was young and ran out of time and money. The AFIT program solves the time dilemma.

Mike is the best instructor I’ve ever worked with. He is kind, easy to get along with and one of the most experienced aviators I’ve ever met. His teaching style is so fluid that you cover all topics naturally without even breaking a sweat. I thoroughly enjoyed both my ground and flight sessions with Mike. He taught me many simple methods to break down complex topics, ie. maneuvering speeds. In the airplane Mike drills the process into you. He’s firm when needed and that helped me recognize where I was deficient and what was most critical in terms of safety. I could hear Mike’s voice in my head during every solo flight, and the steps were right on. I asked Mike how long I’d hear his voice when in the pattern and he joked “at least the next 20 years’. I’m happy with that, his method is rooted in physics and being ahead of the airplane.

In addition to exemplary ground and flight instruction, Mike took the time to ensure I was comfortable and getting enough rest. I literally fell asleep within minutes of returning to the hotel the first 2-3 days thanks to Mike flexing my brain harder than it had been in years. Thank you Mike!!

Program wise I’m totally sold on immersive training. We often flew 2-3 times per day so proficiency grew quickly. There was no need to relearn every time I went up. Having a dedicated aircraft and instructor is a huge factor. If I pursue any further training I will definitely be returning to Mike and AFIT.

Thank you Mike and AFIT team!!

Sincerely,

Dave Watkins

Castle Rock, Colorado

Kevin Suydam
Kodiak, Alaska

My 14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Tony,

My background had been 45 years as Captain of my Crab Boats in the Bering Sea, wherein I faced many challenges of weather, and incidents of many kinds. But strapping myself in a small aluminum plane with a motor in front of me and having to keep it in the air; was quite a different challenge.

Mike is likely the most knowledgable instructor a student could ever have. Not only did Mike teach me the flying skills that were necessary, but all other necessary elements to be a safe Pilot. I thought I knew a lot about weather after 45 years at sea, but after Mike’s tutoring I think I could be a Meteorologist giving the daily weather report on the local TV station. And to re-train me from old habits, initially Mike had to keep saying to me: “the Rudder is what you change course with on your boat; now it’s Ailerons to keep yourself on course”, lol.

Seriously though, I do believe that you couldn’t find a better flight training program than AFIT, and especially with an instructor like Mike. In talking with the other instructors there, they were all professionals as well. Anyway, not only did we become friends, Mike truly cared about your safety, and making absolutely sure you had the skills and knowledge to fly. And I felt that this wasn’t just a job to Mike, because he really had his heart in it. Thanks Mike!

Regards,

Kevin Suydam

Kodiak, Alaska

Dave Doherty
Thief River Falls, Minnesota

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Tony,

I’ve had a passion to learn to fly my whole life.  I had started a conventional training program twice and due to family, work, and other things life throws at you, was unsuccessful completing the requirements.  AFIT helped my attain my life long goal at 58 and I couldn’t imagine achieving this dream any other way.  The compressed 2 week program is intense, come prepared and ready to commit.  My instructor, Sean, was incredible and provided tremendous support every step of the way.  He worked diligently to teach the content and develop the necessary flying skills.  All the people were great, the hangars and planes were in top notch condition. 

Receiving my PPL yesterday will be one of the most memorable days of my life!

Dave Doherty

Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Kelvin Winter
Fort Worth, Texas

AFIT 14-Day PPL Training Experience

Mike did an excellent job of getting me through this course. He is wildly patient and skilled at approaching your shortfalls from multiple sides to help get you past them. If you have any life experiences whatsoever that he can help translate into aviation he will do so in order to make it easier for you. There are multiple ways and approaches one can take to earn a pilot’s license but my personal recommendation is to knock it out. In an accelerated course like this, the days feel like weeks but the weeks fly by in what feels like minutes. That is a good thing. You will be shocked what you can accomplish in a day. Mike WILL get you through this. The worst part (in my opinion) of training like this is all of the general knowledge that feels like pure memorization. Mike manages to slip everything you need to know into casual, relevant conversation throughout the days and before you know it you’re walking into your check ride thinking, “that sly dog, he tricked me into learning.

A PPL is challenging but perfectly achievable and I can’t recommend AFIT and Mike enough. Thanks guys.

Kelvin Winter

Fort Worth, Texas

Chi Miller
North Plains, Oregon

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Tony,

I just want to thank you for the great experience I had over the 14 days.  Not only is Abe a phenomenal pilot and excellent teacher, he also got me excited about flying.  I left jazzed about moving forward to getting instrument rated and I have applied to a local flight club, met several pilots that own planes in my home airport and am actively working on getting a hanger and my own bird, which is way harder than you might imagine.  The good news is a 45′ x 40′ T is only $450/mo here in hillsboro.

Here is what I loved about my time in Van Nuys.

1) I learned at a very busy, complex airport and ATC region.  Invaluable to get that kind of experience.  I looked it up afterwords and saw KVNY had 26,000 takeoffs/landings during March 2021.  that’s nearly 1,000 a day.

2) Abe really went out of his way to show me around the airport, introduced me to so many people and helped me understand how to navigate the intracacies of the Airport community.  Abe knows everyone!

3) Abe was the perfect balance of demanding yet patient.  Which often meant adjusting the focus in order to spend more time on my weak areas.  And he was always pushing me to gain the next skill.

4) Abe’s approach to ground training was excellent.  Give homework, then ask me questions the next day about topics from the home work.  If I knew the answers we would move on and not belabor that area.  If I didn’t know the material, he could tell and we would dive into that topic and hit the whiteboard.  Super efficient and avoided wasting time on things i had a pretty good handle on.  BTW, i found Abe’s background in ATC work both fascinating and useful.  Probably rare to have a CFI that has been through ATC training.  Really great that he can describe from first hand experience what is happening inside the tower and explain why they probably just gave that specific instruction, etc.

5) Abe was super flexible on start times.

6) Abe was really good at constantly asking me how i felt about my competence and comfort with various skills and training.  While he was great at gauging my competence through demonstration, he also put a lot of weight into where i thought i needed more work and which areas I was fairly confident with.  This technique is so much better than just following a script or syllabus.

7) The plane was fantastic.  I can’t say enough about how well Alex cares for the plane and keeps it in top shape.  The logs are impeccable and you can see pride in ownership throughout the plane.

8) Lastly, Abe let me be a part of his life for the time I was there.  This made the whole experience so much fun, valuable and memorable.  It wasn’t just 8 hours a day of flying.  We had lunch together, went out to dinner with our significant others, joined a bunch of other pilots for nice night out, etc, etc.  He really went out of his way to make me feel a part of his life and a part of the KVNY family.

While I am starting IFR training, i am finding it a bit slow and frustrating to make progress…so who knows, I may be back for more!

Thanks again,

Chi Miller

North Plains, Oregon

Ottis Sparks
Danville, Alabama

14-Day Private Pilot Training / KLHM

Hey Tony, The program and Oleg were great and exceeded my expectations. I would love to use AFIT and Oleg again in the future and will recommend both to anybody who is considering AFIT.

Thanks for everything.

Ottis Sparks

Danville, Alabama

Jason Pruette
Oakland, California

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Hi Tony and Andy

Thank you for helping me achieve my goal of learning how to fly. My experience with Any was perfect. From my earlier experiences with another flight school to Andy’s demeanor was night and day. I really appreciated Andy customizing the training to fit my experience. The program was perfect building on the skills from the previous day. I look forward continuing my flying journey and taking more endorsement classes in the future.

Thanks again and look forward to seeing you again

Jason Pruette

Oakland, California

Joseph M Sager
Milford, Pennsylvania

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

Hey Tony,

I want to thank you for the wonderful program you and your team has put together. Sean is a very knowledgeable, patient, and skilled instructor. I hope to stay in touch with Sean and yourself going forward (hopefully to Instrument rating).

You two made a dream come true, at 66 1/2 years young I was able to pass my practical test on the first try after only 2 weeks with Sean!

Thank you,

Joseph M Sager

Milford, Pennsylvania

Jake Ingebritson
Sandy, Utah

Private Pilot Add-On Training Course

“My situation was a little different from a typical fixed-wing pilot. I’m a 2,000+ hour rotary military pilot and I already have my FAA commercial/instrument helicopter. I was looking to get my fixed-wing PPL add-on. During my search for the right accelerated school, I contacted dozens of schools throughout the U.S. (including AFIT). The typical response I received was a boilerplate/form letter, stating it’ll take 14 to 60 days to complete the training. This was not what aligned with my experience and required training, in my opinion. The response I received from AFIT is what set them apart. Tony took the time to look at the requirements and my experience before formulating his response.

Tony provided a streamlined syllabus of nine training days and available dates. I reviewed the information and made the decision to go with Andy in Lincoln, California. Upon arrival in Lincoln, the experience was exactly what was needed. The first day Andy and I hit the ground running with some ground school before flight instruction. With a dedicated CFI, my time was used efficiently and effectively to make the transition from helicopters to airplanes. Andy is patient, knowledgeable and allowed me to figure things out without being unsafe. I was pushed each day to grow and develop my skillset. Andy was vital in my successful pursuit of my private pilot license. Thanks, Andy!!!

Without a doubt, choosing AFIT and Andy was the right choice for my training! I’ll be looking to them again in the future!

Sincerely,

Jake Ingebritson

Sandy, Utah

Daryl Klassen
Aberdeen, Idaho

IFR Training in My Cirrus SR-22 GTS

Tony,

My flight training experience was excellent. I really appreciated the calm demeanor of Todd and how flexible he was willing to be to make my schedule work. He made sure my experience was fun yet productive, so I could go into my final flight exam with confidence.

Thanks again for a fantastic experience.

Daryl Klassen

Aberdeen, Idaho

Kaleo Clifford
Paso Robles, California

10-Day IFR Training

I just wanted to thank Ruben and the team at AFIT, along with Tony who was able to set all this up. Ruben is an amazing flight instructor and his calm demeanor made it extremely easy to learn from. He is patient and is able to explain things in a way that I understand. He has so much knowledge and experience to offer and many hours of flight hours to back it up. He is definitely not a fly by night instructor and will do what it takes to make sure you achieve your goals. Thank you Ruben from the bottom of my heart for helping me achieve mine! We spent around 38 hours in the plane, actual IMC conditions, many approaches, ground training and on and on. He is dedicated to you from start to finish. He helped me go from a “kick the tires and go” pilot to a much more competent and safe pilot then when I first begun. 

Thank you again,

Kaleo Clifford

Paso Robles, California

Trenton Spafford
Rutland, Vermont

14-Day Private Pilot Training Course

I had a great time at AFIT. My instructor, Ruben, had a great teaching style where he encouraged me to look the up the answers to my questions so I knew how to navigate my reference materials. It was an amazing experience overall, the whole thing was an adventure. Accelerated flight training is definitely the way to go, and AFIT has the system figured out.

Thank you,

Trenton Spafford

Rutland, Vermont

Rene Banglesdorf
Georgetown, Texas

14-Day Private Pilot Training

Tony,

Thanks so much for pairing me with Mike. He’s an excellent instructor and extremely intuitive, always pushing but never pushy!

Rene Banglesdorf

Georgetown, Texas

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