I've been flying with Harvey & Rihn for over10 years and have completed multiple biannual flight…read morereviews, along with many enjoyable flights. Over that time, I built a strong relationship with the school and truly valued the experience.
However, over the past period, I began noticing a shift in the environment. I've recently experienced unprofessional behavior from staff, including an instructor, Frank Davis, who used inappropriate language and cursed at me during a ground session. Additionally, a new office manager became overly intrusive regarding my flight times, creating unnecessary friction.
There were also administrative issues that raised serious concerns. When I returned from a recent flight, the staff member on duty did not close out my receipt and told me I would be contacted the next day to handle a $95 fuel reimbursement. As a result, I was never given a receipt by them.
Instead of resolving it, the office manager later contacted me asking me to pay again. I provided proof of the original $469.80 charge posted to my credit card and even had a representative from my bank confirm the payment directly with them.
Despite this, I was then told that without a receipt from them, they would not reimburse the fuel--even though they never provided that receipt and they had the fuel receipt showing I paid out of pocket.
To be clear: they failed to provide documentation, then used that same missing documentation as the reason to deny reimbursement for a legitimate expense. At that point, it felt like an attempt to keep my $95 reimbursement, which is extremely concerning and, frankly, unacceptable.
My most recent in-person interaction ultimately confirmed that things have changed.
On this occasion, I departed later than planned and communicated that I would be returning later than my scheduled time. Before leaving, I confirmed with a staff member that someone would still be present when I returned, and I was assured they would.
When I got back, the owner, Debbie, was on the phone and clearly upset that I had exceeded my scheduled time. I fully understand the importance of scheduling and take responsibility for the delay. However, when I apologized, I was told, "Pay the rental and get the hell out of here."
At 51 years old, and after years as a loyal customer, I found this level of disrespect shocking and completely unacceptable. Mistakes happen, but professionalism and basic courtesy should never be compromised--especially with long-standing clients.
It's truly disappointing to end a relationship with a place I once genuinely enjoyed. However, based on these repeated experiences, I've made the decision not to return.
If you're considering flying here, I would strongly encourage you to carefully evaluate how customer interactions are handled. My recent experiences reflect a level of service that has become rude, dismissive, and unprofessional.
I cannot recommend any longer based on how this situation was handled
