Academy of Aviation

As a first time customer with 1200 hours time, my first impression was very good. I spoke on the phone with the office and scheduled a BFR & IPC to be flown in my own plane. I requested an early start at 7am. The chief pilot met me in the lobby of the FBO at 6:30am. He was On time and prepared. He was professionally dressed so that I could identify him. We briefed on the pre flight as to the game plane for the flight review. During the whole flight review we went over numerous questions I had about plates and procedures. The open discussion was a great learning tool for me. The chief pilot was organized and there was no wasted time. I will again seek out training this new flight school at Westchester County KHPN.

I took about 7 hours of flight instruction with Academy of Aviation, and I consider it a waste of money.
First, the experience was not fun at all, because everything was set up to extract money from you and to make you burn your flight time without gaining any knowledge. They charge you for every small thing. The school even charges you for just having a QA with the instructor. They require you to pay for mandatory ground school, which you do not need if you are able to read the textbook. No other school is doing that.
Second, they put you in the most expensive plane available just to make extra couple of bucks on you.
Third, the school requires advance cancellation if you could not make it, and charges you fines if you are cancelling less than 24 hours in advance. No other school I have been to is doing anything like that.
Fourth, they are extremely busy instructing international students from China, Arab countries, Russia, etc and just don’t have time for you. It is a big and extremely busy business and not a cozy and friendly flight school.
Fifth, they give you a different instructor every time and there is no possibility to keep to any type of syllabus.
Sixth, some instructors do not care about teaching you to fly and just building up their flight time at your expense.
Seventh, they do not have any package deals, and try to sell study materials to you with a huge profit margin.
Eights, I spoke to the Boss and instead of apologizing, he was trying to make me feel stupid for not understand the specifics of their «great» business. What a terrible experience.
I found a very different kind of flight school at the same airport, which I enjoy much more than this guys. The cost of the lessons is also much better, and nobody is limiting you in time to ask questions and not charging you for that.
My advice is to try a couple of schools before making a decision to stay with one you liked the most.

Went there to get some glass time in their Redbird simulator. My FBO requires 3 hours. I had 1 hour in Diamond DA40 and the rest, decided to get in Academy of Aviation.
From arrival, to practice and closing, everything went great. I was greeted, was told that my CFI is finishing up with another student. Waiting area is very comfy. Had a nice, comfy couch, and a TV playing great video about autopilots.
CFI came by, he explained how simulator works, showed me few things and off we went. I knew basics of G1000, but CFI went more in-​depth, showing me how it interacts with autopilot, and more topics. When the CFI’s hour was over, I was able to build a flight plan, get more information, configure the system the way it works for me, and even do an ILS approach (I am not instrument rated).
Would I consider Academy of Aviation again? Of course. I felt that entire operation is nice, professional, and does not feel like a stuffy classroom. I loved personal attention, and reasonable prices.
The only negative thing that I can say is that I had to wait for CFI for 30 minutes. But I would not hold it against them. Again, personal attention given to every student, it seems, and delays can happen.

Having taken some time off from flying I hadn’t been to the school in awhile. In the interim things have only gotten better. The school has moved into a better space in the airport’s main terminal, added several new glass-​cockpit aircraft, and installed a state of the art full motion simulator for rainy day training.