- Report: #1402111
Complaint Review: Peak Aviation Center - Colorado Springs Colorado
Reported By:
Kellen -
Manitou Springs, Colorado, USA
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
Peak Aviation Center
1587 Aviation way Colorado Springs, 80916 Colorado, USA
Phone:
719-573-4452
Web:
cospilot.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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Peak Aviation Center Rip off, Rude and abusive instructors, illegal sign off to solo airplane, and other broken FAA regulations. Colorado Springs Colorado
At the time I was a student pilot going for my private pilots license towards my airline career. This was around a year ago while I was 16/17 years old. I had been flying with one of their instructors for quite some time. After being allowed to solo in the airplane and "trained", I was signed off for my initial checkride with the FAA.
The school required that I first complete a flight with either the Chief instructor, or the assistant cheif instuctor. My flight with the assistant cheif instructor (whom was great) did not go well. After spending over $14,000 on flight training, I did not know half of what I needed to know, including emergency procedures. They graciously offered free flight training for my private which was completed in just a week.
After barely passing my checkride, more things came to the surface. My old CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) has signed me off to fly the plane BY MYSELF illegally, without proper training. The required pre solo knowledge test was never administered to me. After reluctantly moving on, more things happened. The cheif flight instructor, John Clare Panton was very aggressive towards me. He was constantly berating me during ground lessons. He would say things such as:"Theres no way you will ever get a good score on your written test, you are incompitent".
Now going for my instrument rating, I needed 50 cross country hours. He told me I could get this from going any distance, as long as it was point A to point B. This was wrong. There needed to be a 50 mile minimum distance to be cross country time. I believe he did this knowingly and willingly, being he was a CFII with over 13,0000 hours.
Later I had some engine problems during a flight and opted to land. I had a non pilot passenger with me. When John showed up, he noticed my passenger had a closed container of soda. (No where in the rental agreement did it mention beverages not being allowed) he paniced, yelling at me "what the f**k is this s***"?! No way to talk to a customer paying $130/hour to fly an airplane.The owner was also quite rude, backing John up, and threatening to ban me from the school, unless I did remedial training with John. I attempted it, but it went badly.
I'm upset because that company essentially spent $18,000 of my family's money. May I also mention that if the FAA found out I had been logging a short flight as cross country time, my certificates could have been revoked, and my career ruined. (I have fixed my logbook since). If I could go back in time, I would have reported them to the FSDO and let them handle it, but its much too late now. I hope this alerts people of the risk of flying with Peak Aviation Center.
