A person wanting to begin flight training in Ottawa is prepared to spend in the neighbourhood of ten thousand dollars, and it only makes sense to get the best deal and the best experience. Choosing a flight school is something I did almost two years ago, and I believe I made the best choice at the time. That being said, has the situation changed now?
A Google search for “ottawa flight school” returns a handful of operators in the Ottawa area, including the Ottawa Flying Club (OFC), Ottawa Aviation Services (OAS), and the Rockcliffe Flying Club (RFC). I began flying at the OFC, and just switched to OAS. I have personally dealt with only these two, though, so the rest of this post only deals with them. (Side note: there used to be a Carp Flying Club, but a few months ago it was absorbed into the OFC)
Tables are pretty, so let’s start with one that simply compares the two schools on even terms.
| As of Feb ’12 | OFC | OAS |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Types & Rental Cost (/hr) | Cessna C150 ($133) Cessna C172 ($172) Beech Duchess BE76 ($269) | Diamond DV20-A ($130) Diamond DA40 ($180) Beechcraft BE19 ($140) Cessna C172 ($145) Grob G115C ($150) Piper Seneca II ($270) |
| Instructor Cost (/hr) | $52 | $48 |
| Membership Cost (/yr) | Student: $75 Flying: $150 | Free |
| Online Booking System | Yes | Yes |
| Recency Requirements | <100 hours: 30 days >100 hours: 60 days | 30 days |
| Website | www.ofc.ca | www.ottawaaviationservices.com |
| Other | Partners with Algonquin College to offer Aviation Management diploma |
Okay, so now that the basics are out of the way, a little bit of “comparison beyond tables” is next. The OAS has a definite advantage in terms of aircraft; for instance the Grob is fully qualified for aerobatics, and the Katana goes far beyond any Cessna trainer out there. The hourly rates for planes and instructors between the two schools cannot be compared perfectly, so I’ll leave that out. Speaking of money, though…the OFC is a “club”, and well, members do have to pay up. OAS on the other hand brand themselves as a “flight school” and require less commitment from their members. This translates to free membership.
The OFC partnered with Algonquin College to offer a one-year diploma in Aviation Management a few years ago, and has since devoted a large percentage of its resources to properly tracking students through their program. Unfortunately, private members who are not enrolled in the diploma are at a disadvantage because aircraft are usually booked solid for a couple weeks in advance.
Despite the OFC’s aircraft being very old (several more than two decades), the equipment is occasionally improved. For instance, a couple planes have been outfitted with improved GPS/NAV combo units. Conversely, the DA20 I saw the other day at OAS had a 1990-era GPS unit, not too impressive.
I called this post a comparison rather than a review of two flight schools because the outcome is relatively neutral, and a review can’t be neutral – it has to come out and blurt either “this rocks!” or “this sucks!”. A comparison leaves the final decision up to the reader, and that’s what I wanted to do. Maybe once I’ve spent two years at each I’ll write a review 
UPDATED AS OF JULY 17, 2011
HI I AM LOOKING AT THOSE THREE SCHOOLS (OFC, OAS,RFC ) SO MY QUETION IS
ON YOUR EXPIRENCE WITCH ONE YOU FIND BETTER AM 52 JUST WANTED THE (PPL ) FOR HOBBY
THANK YOU
I’ ve been flying at the OAS a little over 4 years and still happy I made the decision. I can’t do any comparison with OFC but I find the staff to be quite competent and still promote a family type welcome feeling on each interaction. In contrast, I have been at the OFC looking to buy books or other materials and I found it quite difficult to get someone’s attention.
My experience with the DA20 is also far more enjoyable than the Cessna 152. That little aircraft is just a joy to fly and burning 4-5 Gallons/hr, you can take it very far on that 9 gallons usable. I also flew their 172 but found a good solid base transition to the bigger DA40 with the Glass cockpit at OAS. For long distance, 145 knots on the DA40 is standard, a tail wind really gets the cost down. For me, Although some of the aircraft at the OAS are slightly more expensive, I am always able to book.
The biggest challenge at OAS is recurrency. the 30 days, I find is too short for pilots already licensed. They do have a variety of aircraft and you will always get one to go somewhere but the problem is that you have to have flown that type within 30 days.
Overall, the school and its staff is a 9/10 for me. Only my opinion…
If you planning on buying an aircraft after training is it gonna be somthing newer with a glass cockpit, not likely. Learn on something similar to your future purchase. 2 c