I had a rather bizarre experience at IFR6 which is a school that specializes in immersive IFR training and other endorsements / ratings.
They have a one week IFR program that culminates with a check ride. I did my cross country 2 days before the check ride and was not happy with my proficiency. The school is in Charleston and I had failed to consider the implications of December weather in a city on the coast. My skills were not up to par with the wind and turbulence. That is 100% on me.
The day after my cross country was the last day before my check ride and I noticed I was 8 hours short of the 40 needed for a check ride. I do feel that part of what I was paying for was the school managing my time but I'll take responsibility and say that is also 100% on me for not keeping up on my hours throughout the week.
I had asked what a path to success looked like the morning before my check ride and the response was we would fly off the 8 hours today. It was another day of 20 to 30 knots at 3000 ft and my head was not in the right place to receive instruction.
I asked to come back for my checkride prep and checkride but that got a quick denial. We spoke for about 20 or 30 minutes and I was being pressured to stay and was offered to return in Feb or Mar for my checkride. For some reason, the longer we were in the conference room the more contentious it became. But why? I wrote IFR6 a $6,500 check and had not asked or implied I wanted any money back.
I declined the delayed checkride, put on my coat and left. I was walking to the FBO to leave and never to be heard from again. This is when it got even stranger.
On my walk to the FBO, my CFII calls me and asks to have a few pages out of my syllabus. I can't put my finger on why but I had become suspicious. I told the CFII that I would think about it.
After entering the FBO, I got another call from one of the people who runs the place, I told her, I was talking to the lady at the FBO desk and to give me a minute. She hung up on me and immediately drove down to the FBO. She confronts me at the FBO desk, demanding the papers and stating that they had to be turned in to the FAA (I've since spoken to the FSDO, there is nothing to turn in to the FAA). I again declined handing them over and they were already in my plane at that point. She then loudly (I'm not easily embarrassed) proclaims that I have her property in my plane and she demands access to the ramp. The FBO denied her access and assured me no one would be given access to my plane. It was so bad I took my phone out of my pocket and was about to call 911. I knew that would just escalate the situation and decided instead to disengage. The IFR6 person then offers to refund my checkride fee ($500) in return for the pages. I continue to decline.
Fast forward a couple days, I'm now home and the CFII calls me to say he needs the papers in order to get paid. That's much different than "they have to be turned in to the FAA".
I still don't really know what was going on or what happened. All I wanted was to return for checkride prep and a checkride. The way IFR6 treated a customer who had written them a large check a week prior was despicable.
As tempting as it is, go somewhere else. read more
