My flight experience with AFIT was just how I had imagined it would be. With my instructor, being very knowledgeable and easy to work with, I quickly gained the aeronautical and ground knowledge required not only to pass, but also to excel on the oral and flight test with no problems. John and I started by identifying what I had the most trouble with and over the course of the time with him we were able to correct the problems that likely was created by other instructors who themselves passed on their bad habits to me. Your team of flight instructors are highly focused on safety and turning out safer, confident and more aware pilots.
I look forward to working with AFIT and John again in the future. Thanks.
Bill was endlessly patient with me with an absolutely crazy schedule. He knows that basics of instrument flying in and out – as you know. He did a good job meeting my schedule and getting me prepared. Overall, he was super great. He never responded when I got frustrated, and found a new way to teach me when I got stumped. Thanks for coordinating all of this.
Working with John has been a pleasure and a great return on my investment. I found John to be consistently thoughtful about how I could most efficiently make progress towards the goal, an excellent coach in the cockpit, and a font of real world piloting experience. All in all, this has exceeded the expectations I had when I signed with AFIT.
I’d absolutely recommend AFIT and John as an instructor and would be happy to provide a positive reference any time if it would be of help.
I wanted to take a minute a tell you how excited I am to have completed my IFR training using your finish up program. As you know, I have been working on my IFR ticket for almost 2 years and was ready to just give it up altogether. With my busy schedule and trying to work that around a local CFI with other students it would have been almost impossible to have ever completed my training. During our first talk, we had planned on having Bill come to Mississippi and train here but, after talking with Bill about my schedule we decided that it would be better if I came to Georgetown. What a great decision that was for me. I can’t tell you how much I learned from Bill with his years of experience, knowledge and willingness to teach others, he made the training fun. Being able to go to Georgetown and train away from the day to day business activities was definitely a benefit.
The tips and training I received from Bill gave me a better understanding of aviation in general and not only help me pass my check ride but made me a more confident pilot. I never thought that getting a clearance could be so easy. I am so thankful for Bill’s patience and willingness to teach others. See you soon, I look forward to working with Bill in the future to complete my commercial rating.
My delay in writing is entirely AFIT’s fault. Since receiving my instrument rating I’ve flown close to 100 hours! No time to write about how thrilled I am with AFIT… I’m too busy flying our T206H from California to the U.P. of Michigan, to eastern Arkansas and back… twice!
After a year of instruction from local CFII’s, I needed to spend uninterrupted quality time with an instructor who only has my success to worry about. Hal showed up and quickly demonstrated his kind, caring expertise.
Not only is Hal well qualified with the overall IFR system, regulations and procedures, Hal is also familiar with an incredible variety of aircraft. Hal’s familiarity with the 206 and G1000 was impressive and comforting to me. Hal’s professional flight deck experience in turbine/multi-engine aircraft brought discipline and cockpit procedures to me and my humble 206.
On the first day we did an evaluation flight. This flight allowed Hal to get to know me as a pilot, and for me to get to know Hal as an instructor. AFIT sent the best instructor for my learning style! After this flight, Hal designed the training for my specific needs so we could cover what was needed to take and pass my check ride.
We spent the next days focused on what I needed, practiced the procedures, went over the likely oral questions and scheduled the check ride! Wow… in three days I was ready! Hal was very professional, very thorough and extremely knowledgeable. I recommend AFIT and Hal to all the pilots I know who are ready to become better, safer pilots. Feel free to contact me if you need additional detail.
Thanks again for making my flying dreams come true!
As for my experience with Ralph, I can truly say that I had a great time. Don’t get me wrong, I was tired. Much more tired than I thought I would be. Ralph worked me hard over the five days, and it yielded me an instrument rating in the end. Prior to Ralph, I’d had over 50 hours of training with various instructors. I had all the typical reasons for having so much time and so many instructors. In the end, the finish-up course made the most sense to me. The decision paid off since I’m finally done. Ralph is a great instructor and great guy. Even after all the prior training I had, I still learned things from Ralph that nobody else had ever taught me. I have no reservation recommending him to anyone.
Just a quick word to tell you how happy I am with the instruction. Cholena and your flight program have far exceeded my expectations. She is such a talented CFI. Her abilities, attitude and methods have taken me many levels beyond my pre-solo situation and introduced me to a much more effective and safer way to fly.
Thanks for all you work and I very much look forward to more AFIT instruction in the future.
I was very pleased with Ralph my instructor. He did an “excellent” job preparing me for the written, oral, and practical exams. Ralph is dedicated to getting his students signed off and making sure that they are safe. I would recommend your service and Ralph as a CFI to others in my situation.
I would like to thank you for the great experience with AFIT. As an older pilot I was concerned that I might have trouble learning and processing new information. John was fantastic. His knowledge of instrument flight was very remarkable, as was his ability to teach. I made a very wise choice training with AFIT. I am totally confident in my skills as an instrument pilot now, instead of just passing the test. After reaching 10,000 hours commercial multi engine, the instrument rating will be a very welcome addition, and I am sure I will be a safer, more proficient Pilot.
I would highly recommend AFIT and John as an experienced professional pilot and I will be sure to return for recurrent training.
I wanted to let you know how my training went in Denver Co. First, I would like to let you know that John was excellent. While I had some uncertainty about going to Denver to do my commercial training, I am very glad I did. This trip presented me the opportunity to fly in some weather conditions unlike anything here in California. By far, the most challenging part of the training was flying in Denver’s weather conditions. Wind kept us from landing at the departure airport on day 3 and nearly kept me from taking the check ride. John worked around those conditions and was a major part in the timely completion of the training. Not only was John excellent with the commercial training instruction, but, I learned a great deal about flying in crosswind and freezing conditions. This training was a huge part of my flight training and was consistent with the quality of my instrument flight training I received from AFIT for my instrument training. After getting both my instrument and commercial training with AFIT, I am extremely pleased with your company and I would highly recommend AFIT to anyone!
John is a gifted flight instructor and due to weather issues trained me in IMC at least half of the time. In 10 days he accomplished what would have taken me 18 months to achieve given my busy work schedule. Thank you AFIT!
My schedule is one that has never let me complete the IFR rating due to time and or the lack of time. Being a person of many hats, the little time I have, I spend with my family, and fly only as much as I can. This made it impossible to have conventional training on the weekends for one hour at a time. As you know this situation put me down to the last week before my written expired. Luckily I went on line and searched for IFR Training and you guys came up. I sent you an email not sure as to what I would get, when you returned the call for help when in an hour I felt better about what I might get. When you said Bill would come to me and allow me to maintain a bit more family life each night that was even better. I must say Bill and I had a special time. The weather went south for the check ride, then Bill called and said pack your bags, we are going to Texas, I knew he knew how to get this done. Under the worst of situations, we made a plan and got it done. We flew to good weather, we went to an area where he knew what to do and introduced me to the examiner I needed to know to accomplish the rating in 6 days.
I must say thanks to Bill and your group. Even when the it seemed impossible to get the rating in time, you guys pulled it off. I learned more about IFR in one week than two years of training on weekends and one hour at a time. Hitting it hard and constant is the way to go…..
Thanks again, and my hats off to you Bill..!!
This was one of the biggest adventures of my life, flying my new plane cross country while learning IFR. John is truly one of the most experienced and knowledgeable pilots I’ve ever met.
I researched many options before deciding to work with AFIT. I needed a program that was both fast and would make me a confident IFR pilot. I did not want to work with the traditional method of flying a hour or two a couple times a week. I already had my instrument ticket but have not utilized it for 12 years. After just 11 hours flight training I feel that my skills are better now than when I took my check ride some 15 years ago. Cholena is a true professional Instrument Flight Instructor. You can tell she eats, sleeps, and dreams of IFR flying. During our training we flew many days in serious IFR conditions. I felt at ease from the start with Cholena in the plane. She explained every detail in easy to understand terms and offered several acronyms and tricks to remember complex skills. I can not say enough about her professionalism and dedication to her job.
Great job Cholena!
Bill is everything you advertised and more. You can add my endorsement to his long dossier of glowing remarks. There are not enough superlatives to describe the man. I found him to have the patience of Job, the aeronautical wisdom of Solomon and the teaching ability of Socrates. In addition, he is of upright moral and ethical character, seldom found these days (he humbly assures me that Texas is full of such individuals, but they sure are rare in Jersey). He is the kind of guy with whom you would go to war or fly IFR in confidence. I could not have asked for a better teacher–hands down the best instructor I have ever had. I count him as a friend and mentor.
I want to start out by saying how great Ed was as an instructor. Prior to him finishing up my training I had taken the Oral part of the IFR check ride and didn’t even come close to passing. Ed arrived and informed me of what I needed to really look at closely and was able to explain to me what knowledge I was missing or had issues with. He worked with me for hours on holds and getting those down to a science and helped me to understand it in my language of understanding. I plan on doing my Commercial and would like to have Ed back for that.
I can only speak very highly of Ed and appreciate him very much for helping me pass my Check ride.
I have to tell you that the experience and quality of training I received was hands down first class. My instructor Cholena was extremely knowledgeable, patient and one of the best pilots I have had the pleasure to fly with. I am amazed and proud of what I have achieved with my training and passed my instrument check ride with ease and confidence.
I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for hooking me up with Ralph. He is a great instructor and was very patient and supportive during my first day of “nerves.” I have flown with many different instructors over the years and Ralph ranks right at the top.
I look forward to flying with your organization again in the future.
Just wanted to drop you an email and say thanks for everything. I went to Placerville, California and took your 10 day IFR course with Cholena and I have my IFR ticket in hand. The training was very intense. I flew almost 50 hours in congested airspace, at night, and actual IFR conditions but I was truly blessed to have flown with Cholena. She is easily the finest instructor I’ve ever had, and she made everything come together for me.
I feel confident and safe after taking your course. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with you again.
Thanks for everything
AFIT was an excellent finish up course for a student pilot like me. it had been several years since I had flown solo, but in no time, under my instructor John, I was current and ready to solo again. A short week later, I had my private pilot’s license. John was a great instructor, and even more so, a great all around guy. He always believed in me and never let me get frustrated in the cockpit. I know that I will keep in touch with John for years to come, and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to work with him.
I thoroughly enjoyed the five days that I spent with Bill. His knowledge of the G1000 as well as 30 years of flying not only helped me pass the instrument checkride my first attempt, but has made me a much safer and competent pilot. I intend to continue training and am sure I will be calling you in the future. Thanks again.
Just wanted to follow up on my experience with Ed and my IFR training with AFIT.
I tried the local FBO approach for a few months and was getting nowhere. I decided to go with AFIT and your senior instructor, Ed. When Ed arrived in Oregon he immediately started with the fundamentals of setting up the airplane for various approach speeds and power settings…..very important! We covered every aspect of IFR training during the 10 days Ed was here. He was tireless and worked long hours each day getting the flying and ground school work done. Every off moment when not flying or doing specific ground school work, he tested me on the “Red Book”. He completely understood the G1000 in my Diamond which made the training much more effective. I was able to pass my IFR oral and practical test the first time because of Ed’s great training.
Ed was patient, consistent and a “great educator…not just an instructor.”
I would recommend Ed and AFIT to anyone wanting to obtain their IFR rating and really learn what’s needed to pass the FAA oral and practical test and be a prepared IFR pilot. Thanks.
I wanted to thank you again for the opportunity for Gail and I to participate in the training program you and John put together for us. As you know our flight training has been on and off again for several years and the intensive program you guys have is exactly what we needed to get back on course. John is an incredible instructor with a natural ability to adapt to the individuals needs. Lets face it training a husband an wife at the same time in anything just has to be difficult.
The experience was great and we fully expect to be back with you again in the future. I would recommend your course to anyone, it really was a great experience.
I had a great time with Ms. Parkhurst. It’s taken a couple of days to decompress from the intense training but I’ve already filed twice and I’m really excited about being able to fly in the clouds.
Cholena is an excellent instructor. She pushed my limits and I look forward to hearing her voice in my head as I fly. I had spent time for my practical before engaging with AFIT and never learned some of the techniques that were taught by Cholena. She has a deep understanding of the systems available and knows how to use those systems to their fullest. We flew so hard that when the check ride came along it was basically at half the pace of our training.I’m very happy to be an instrument rated pilot. I put a lot into it and AFIT made it happen.
Great Job!
Working with AFIT was a great experience. It fulfilled the promise to get my private pilot certificate in 10 days. Working with Bill was the best part of the training. His knowledge, experience and patience made me gain the confidence I needed to learn how to fly and pass the test. He has the ability to give you advice and support just when you need it.
I will definitely recommend AFIT to my friends and colleagues. Bill is the best flight instructor I ever had. I look forward to working with AFIT in the next few months for my Instrument rating.
Just wanted to thank you and John in helping me get my license. I’ve had a number of instructors and John truly was the best teacher I’ve ever had. He was able to teach me to be the safest pilot in any airplane I will go on to fly, not just what I was focused on in the 172. Between his friendly, welcoming nature and his ability to teach in any variety of ways is what made this course fun, incredibly informational, and gave me everything I needed to become a safe pilot. I will highly recommend AFIT and John to anyone interested in getting their ticket.
Thank you for everything and look forward to working with you again!
John was a real Professional. Mackenzie had the best experience possible getting her license and it was truly because of the program that AFIT provides.
Rest assured, your organization will be my recommendation from this point forward.
My deepest Thanks!
AFIT took me from zero experience to a fully certified private pilot in just two weeks. Your total immersion program was the perfect environment to gain all the necessary skills to become a safe, competent, and confident pilot. Flying every day in the AFIT intensive flight program not only allowed me to retain and recall my previous flight lessons with ease, it also provided the opportunity to more easily build upon that skill-set which quickened the pace at which I was developing my piloting abilities. I can’t imagine a better route towards acquiring my certification.
I had researched several accelerated flight schools before settling upon AFIT, and while most can offer the same time frame for completing your training, where AFIT stood out was the caliber of instructors they carry on their roster. And a good instructor will make all the difference. Ed, my instructor was more than just a great teacher, he was an invested teacher. He cared not just about the educational material that I was learning, but that I was having a fun and memorable experience along the way. In doing so, he turned what could of been two long weeks of intense nonstop arduous training into an enjoyable experience that just seemed to fly by (no pun intended).
In the end, I am greatly satisfied with my time at AFIT, and would highly recommend AFIT to anyone considering gaining their private pilot license.
I wanted to thank you for sending John down to the islands. We flew the Diamond DA-40 with the G1000 all over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As a busy professional, I was not as prepared for John’s arrival as I had planned to be. He was able to give me the framework to build my knowledge base to be successful. I felt comfortable learning from John due to his mild manner way of teaching. John was extremely knowledgeable about general aviation, Diamond aircraft, and the Garmin G1000. I am a much better pilot after the ten day course, not only because of the instrument instruction I obtained but also because John helped me polish my basic fundamental skills as well. During the training process, I would listen to what he said and would absorb about 10% of the information. Over the following days, I would revisit our conversations and I realized that every word was invaluable.
I appreciated the fact that John was patient and would tell me the information a couple of times so it would stick. He was always available for questions and was exceptional at following-up to make sure all bases were covered. I not only had the opportunity to train with an expert aviation instructor but I have also gained a friend and mentor to call with questions that may surface throughout my flying career. John relayed many stories that would drive home different safety aspects of flying and why caution and a conservative attitude will increase my life span. His words will still linger long after he has departed, “there are many old pilots and many bold pilots, but there are very few old, bold pilots.” Since most of our flying is over open water, I believe these are words to live by.
After all was said and done, I was expecting to pay much more for the training I received. I feel I got a bargain. I recommend the A.F.I.T. program without reservation. Please feel free to have potential clients contact me to discuss the A.F.I.T. instrument training program as well the exceptional instruction provided by John my Senior Flight Instructor.
Thanks for everything, keep in touch, and most of all safe flying.
It was a pleasure to work with John on my instrument rating. I am glad to have passed my instrument rating at the end of 10 days of flying. AFIT (John) delivered as advertised. Without AFIT, I would not have completed my training in such a short time. Taking more than two years to complete my private pilots license was not the path I wanted to follow for my instrument rating. As the new owner of a Diamond DA40XL, I didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of my private license training. The instrument training I received in my airplane has advanced my skills to be safe and proficient while obtaining the maximum benefit of a technically advanced G1000 aircraft. I enjoyed the time flying out of Boulder, CO to destinations that provided me with the opportunity to fly many different instrument approaches at airports in Wyoming, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado instead of just the local area that an examiner would use to test my skills. John provided me with tips and insights on flying beyond instrument flying that only a well seasoned professional flight instructor of his caliber could provide. I appreciate the knowledge and skills I gained from flying with John.
Traveling to Boulder instead of flying locally in Phoenix during the summer was an easy choice. John provided insight on great accommodations and what to do in Boulder that topped off great days of flying. I thoroughly enjoyed my break from my day job to flying out of Boulder and would recommend John and AFIT to anyone who wants to do it right and get an instrument rating.
I am extremely satisfied with the program AFIT offered. I think the concept of combining a dedicated instructor with committed participant is brilliant. In nine days I was able to get back to IFR proficiency after almost ten year hiatus; very satisfying. Cholena, besides having plenty of actual experience, is a very good teacher. She is the best instructor I ever worked with. All other things went well during my training. Placerville is a great flying location with easy access to multitude of airports, plane was always available and well serviced, plus the weather cooperated beautifully.
I would recommend your service to anyone who likes to get great practical training within the reasonable amount of time. I definitely will use AFIT in the future for my training needs.
I just want to say thank you for all your help and expertise in training me to be a better and safer pilot. I just completed and PASSED my Instrument Check Ride after 10 days with John. I have to admit it was a lot of work but I feel so good at accomplishing this goal. John was amazing as he could fly for many hours a day and remain focused and on top of the training. I felt so confident when it came time to do the Check Ride as I had many hours of practice in a short period of time which allowed me to become 100% familiar with how IFR flying works. This is so much better than the typical “fly once a week” method of learning. By doing it every day for 10 straight days it becomes ingrained in you.
I just did a Demo flight in a Cessna Citation Mustang and the Cessna Operations Pilot commented on my skills of flying a Jet which I have ZERO experience in. I told him it was the recent training that I had received from AFIT that allowed me to be a confident and proficient pilot.
Thanks again for a great job and helping me achieve this goal while working around my busy schedule. If you are considering getting your Instrument Rating, AFIT is the ONLY way to go.
I very much enjoyed the training with John and overall the service from AFIT. A truly Awesome experience. Thank you..
We will stay in contact.
Ed was great, and happy to accommodate my time lines, night and day. Even flew to Minnesota with me. I passed my checkride without any problems.
Thanks for everything.
John’s a Great instructor! Very personable guy and well seasoned pilot, which is why I was attracted to AFIT (since you have mature instructors). I loved that he knows Foreflight and G1000! I learned a ton!… not just about instrument flying. Even my landings improved due to John. I did well on the exam, so the end result was great!
I just wanted to take a quick moment of your time to thank you for the excellent PPL experience you made possible for me. In looking for an accelerated course for my PPL, I searched the Internet fairly extensively looking for the “right fit” for me personally and geographically. Being from the east coast, I was at first mainly focused on courses offered near to this side of the country. I noticed that your company offered accelerated PPL in a wide variety of locales. I inquired with you about your availability nearby and explained to you my goals relative to my PPL. You took that information and explained to me, in a way I understood, that you knew the perfect instructor for me. You then scheduled me with Cholena near Sacramento, CA. While that was further than I originally anticipated travelling for my PPL, after my conversations and emails with you, I trusted you knew exactly what I was looking for and with whom I should learn. You could not possibly have been more correct!
Cholena is not only an advanced instructor, she is an advanced person. More than merely learning everything I needed to know to pass my written, oral and practical check ride within 14 days from Cholena, I also learned a lot about myself through her excellent manner and insightful comments about my tendencies as a pilot and how to use them to my advantage. Cholena is clearly someone who would excel at absolutely anything she ever decided to do. You are extremely fortunate to have her as an instructor at A.F.I.T.! Anything she ever taught, I would sign up to learn. To that end, you will be hearing from me very soon to continue my training with Cholena to achieve my instrument rating, and then after that my commercial rating. Your tireless help explaining A.F.I.T. to me coupled with Cholena’s mastery of the subject and masterful instruction gently ushered me to a place of great confidence as I start this road as a newly certificated private pilot!
Thank you!! And THANK YOU, CHOLENA!!! I will be speaking with you both very soon!
This intensive course was the only way I could get my IFR rating. Between work, family and personal issues, it was never going to happen. The 10 days in a row is the only way I could do it. Also I am glad that I flew to Georgetown, instead of the instructor traveling to Mexico. This way I was able devote all my time entirely to the training without distractions.
Flying around Georgetown TX, had many advantages. There are many airports with different approaches. Many of these airports have awesome restaurants. The people working at the FBO Aero Centex took care of everything. They made my stay as pleasant as it could be. The most difficult part of the experience has to do with communications… especially for a foreign guy; it was the most difficult part of the training. But the controllers in TX sounded very nice, not rude, and many times forgiving. I would recommend strongly that foreign pilots train in TX, especially around KGTU.
The best part or the trip was training with Bill. He is an “excellent pilot and instructor”. We flew every kind of approach, with and without avionics to expect failures. He shared his “Tribal Knowledge” with me in the air and on the ground, making many difficult details simple. Bill brought his pink cards to lunch every single day, so he prepares you for the oral exam even at lunch. And when the training was just too much, Bill will distract you with very interesting chats. He is an engineer that has traveled many parts in the world. So he knows things from here and there. He has lived experiences in life that have made him so calm. In consequence that made him excellent for being a teacher. I was so worried about the written, then the oral, finally the flying exam. But he was just so calm, and makes you feel comfortable.
What worked out really well, in the end, Bill took me to the place were the exam took place and made me do a pretest of what to expect on the final exam. That practice gave me the confidence I needed. So when the day came, I had the “5 Ps” that Bill likes to point out. Another huge detail that helped me on the check ride was the examiner, Pete. Another great guy that made me feel calm right away.
So as you see, the sum of events and details made a “Great Experience” for me.
Thank you for helping me realize a dream by providing a great instructor in St George, Utah. I got my PPL after only 12 days of hard work. Days starting at 8 am every morning and ending between 8 pm to midnight some days.
Eric is a “Very” talented instructor with a huge knowledge regarding mechanics, urgency procedures, pilotage,…and he holds a glider license which is always great to know when you have to deal with windy situations.
The St. George Utah area is great for flying with a very large quantity of municipal airports. Weather is diversified with dry areas, snow areas, sometimes windy periods and sunny periods. The landscape is a beauty.
You have to psychologically come prepared because it is very dense training.
The FBO where the plane is located (a Cessna 172 with a 180 Hp) was great in Cedar City. The people were very welcoming and the price was very reasonable.
Eric taught me “everything” related to basic instruments.
I also had a very interesting experience. The airplane I utilized reached its 100 hours mechanic visit. I did it with Eric (instructor and mechanics) and the mechanic of Cedar City. It took 5 hours to check all equipments and structure of the plane. I think it is a MUST to do for a new pilot since you become aware of what is happening under the cowling, behind the rudder pedals, the flaps, ailerons,…. I think that I will also take some more hours in Paris to do a 2 days training on mechanics. (I am mechanic at all and I would say that I couldn’t even put a nail on the wall or hang a frame….but when your life and your family life is in your hands, you make some efforts ;-))
I can be contacted by anyone considering your program. Thanks again…
Thank you for scheduling me with Cholena Parkhurst; she is clearly a committed flight instructor! Cholena is not only very patient, but also she has the nicest way of pointing out the student’s errors while instructing and encouraging them in proper procedures. I am surprised when I reflect on the large amount of information that Cholena taught me in just two weeks.
Also, I was continually impressed with Cholena’s excellent teaching environment. With modern aircraft (two Diamond DA-20’s) at her disposal and an ideal variety of airport types/locations, airspace classes, and geography/topography within which the student can easily gain the necessary instruction and experience. These along with the consistently good weather in the Sacramento Valley were important factors for achieving success within the two week time frame.
Thank you for providing this opportunity for accelerated flight instruction within an excellent learning environment and with a very caring flight instructor who was instrumental in achieving my dream of being able to fly.
I finished up my training with John yesterday. I was very pleased with the training that AFIT provided. In fact, I believe I learned more in those 9 days than I had in the previous 9 months.
