Calgary Flying Club Review

Several months ago I went for an intro flight at the Calgary Flying Club where my pilot was 30 mins late, offering no explanation or apology. Instead it felt very rushed with little explanation about anything in the aircraft. When I returned looking for a tour of the school I was met by a sales pitch and booking without seeing past a briefing room. Since then I've had instructors late and cancellations 20 minutes before scheduled lessons. No apologies or making it right for wasting my time and money. There is very little structure to the training. They don't follow their own syllabus making it difficult to prepare for future flights. It feels very much like people trying to build hours and move on at the student's expense. As for the aircraft the majority are old and beat up compared to other schools in the area.

Building is nice enough, food on site and never had much trouble booking aircraft. Most of the staff are also friendly.

Overall the experiences at CFC turned me off flying altogether. It's very much run like a club and not a school or business. If you're looking for a flight school know what you're in for. Never met the CFI and doesn't look like management here is involved at all with the students. Some leadership would go a long way to making this place the best in Springbank. Disappointing given the rich history of this club.

I finished my PPL training here in August 2016. CFC is like the typical Ultra-Low Cost Airline of flight schools. Professionalism just doesn't exist in this place, with little concern for safety, few safety rules and poor enforcement of those few rules, as well as limited safety training for students. Sometimes instructors will push an airplane all the way across the ramp into the hangar all by themselves with just a tow bar, and no help from anyone to even guide them. They also have old and beaten up planes with things constantly breaking in them and not getting logged because students don't get trained on the importance of logging defects.

And the staff, oh my God. Many of CFC's instructors are more hostile than they are helpful, and most people here are so unapproachable that the learning environment in this place is compromised if not non existent. Most people here will give you an attitude if you ask the simplest of questions. People here act like you're working for them rather than they working for you. Of course there are still some wonderful and helpful staff and instructors here but most I have experienced during my training here were the contrary.

For those looking to get their PPL, especially if they're pursuing a CPL later on for an aviation career, my strong recommendation is avoid this place at all costs and get your PPL done at Mount Royal University or Springbank Air Training College. Much more professional environments in both of those places and much friendlier and more approachable staff and instructors.

Finished off my Multi IFR at the club with Zeina. Super friendly staff and very accommodating and just an overall pleasure to fly there. Would highly recommend.

Did my PPL training with CFC. It was a great experience, the rates were reasonable, instructors were knowledgeable and friendly. Sure there was the odd hiccup in scheduling or aircraft maintenance, but that's real life. Overall I really enjoyed my training here and would recommend the school/club to other prospective pilots.

Good place fir plane owners to leave their plan also student practices are taken here

I moved to Calgary from Ottawa, motivated by the organized and professional atmosphere of CFC and disenchanted by my experience at previous flight schools. I completed my CPL, multi engine rating, Group 1 IFR and instructor rating here in under a year. I wouldn't change a thing. CFC is a well-oiled machine...they boast an older fleet of 172's but they are very well maintained and constantly flying, 2 Piper Seneca's to keep up with their multi and multi IFR demands, a Citabria, and an excellent range of instructors. One of my favourite features of the Club is their after-hours room! It remains open at night even when the regular facilities are closed, so pilots can have the space to flight plan and prepare for their night flights. I no longer work there but would recommend this place to anyone!

Was rather disappointed with their ability to schedule. Went there for an intro flight in to my training, and my instructor was busy overseeing an examination. I understand that things come up and schedules change, but you would think some effort of informing a paying client would have been made. Instead I was left sitting in the lobby with the promise that my instructor would be here shortly. After 20 minutes of waiting with no sign of any intro flight, I opted to reschedule for a time slot in which my instructor was not double booked. The ability to reschedule was easy, but who is to say that another instructor wasn't just handed more than they could deal with at a future date.

Great facility and very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Airplanes are very well kept for a flight school environment. Only slightly negative thing i have and reason for 4 not 5 is bookings are sometimes hard to get as they are usually very busy.

I love the CFC. All the instructors are incredible people, super enthusiastic and encouraging. The energy of the place is something you want to experience - it's somewhere you want to learn. Most of the planes are a bit older but all well maintained and very nice to fly. I will recommend this place every single time.

Excellent space to have fun, enjoy a great aviation day and take flight classes.

Cool place to fly. Most of the planes come with A/C fan built in.

Completed Private Pilot, Commercial & Multi-engine IFR training with Calgary Flying Club

I have done my instrument rating, multi-engine rating and commercial pilot license (CPL) training at CFC and wouldn't go anywhere else in the Calgary area. CFC is a non-profit and thus is not worried about making money at the expense of safety or other unscrupulous activity. CFC is constantly adapting to the current landscape and reinvesting in meeting the needs of Club members.

Great local club with friendly staff & passionate about flying & planning fun events yo promote flying. Food & fuel available on site.