Client Testimonials

VIDEO COMMENTARY FROM APS TRAINING

Andy McCarthy
Private Pilot
Cirrus SR-22 Pilot

Colin Foppe
St. Louis County Police Pilot
Cessna 172 Pilot

Michael Ferguson
US Army
Citation & King Air, Chief Pilot

Tracy Hogan
US Army
King Air Pilot

Scott Worden
Cessna Aircraft Corporation
Production Test Pilot - Cessna Mustang

Received: 21 September 2007

TO: Paul "BJ" Ransbury, President, APS Flight Training
FROM: Ryan Swets, CFI

Paul,

I recently had the opportunity to take part in your Upset and Instrument recovery courses, and after some time to reflect on experience, I thought I'd share my impressions with you.

I find that there really aren't very many ways to frame this -- simply stated, your courses absolutely must be considered an indispensable component of any pilot's training. I have exactly one regret -- not taking the course earlier in my career. I intended for the APS classes to enhance my safety and effectiveness as a Flight Instructor (which they absolutely will), but the truth is that departures from controlled flight can happen to any pilot, regardless of their level of skill or the precautions they take. With this in mind, I would not hesitate to recommend APS to any and every pilot I meet, from the first-hour student to the seasoned professional.

The APS staff consists of some of the finest aviators I have ever had the privilege of meeting: pilots who display a mastery of both knowledge and skill in every aspect of the course. In fact, all of the staff at your facility, from the instructors to the support staff, were genuinely warm, impressively dedicated people... and intimidatingly competent down to the last man and woman. I left APS with the firm knowledge of how a training operation at the absolute top of its field is run, and I say without exaggeration that your facility is the model to which I have compared all other schools in my subsequent dealings.

To my fellow pilots of all experience levels, I say this: when you accept the duties of Pilot in Command, you assume personal responsibility for everyone in, near, and under your aircraft. They are, quite literally, placing their lives in your hands. If I may be blunt: when the Pilot in Command meets with a situation that is beyond his abilities as an airman, the result is very often fatal. You, and those under your care, die. It really is that simple. It is, therefore, your ongoing responsibility to take every possible opportunity to expand your knowledge and enhance your skills. The training you receive at APS will do exactly that... you will learn how and why pilots lose control of their aircraft. More to the point, you will also learn exactly how to recognize and recover from these situations in the fastest, safest possible manner. This is knowledge that cannot be considered optional by any pilot. The price of such training, though intimidating to some, must be considered as part of the price for the awesome responsibilities that every aviator assumes when he decides to take the role of Pilot in Command. As this stage in my career, the personal sacrifice required to attend the course was great, but I absolutely believe that doing so was one of the best investments I have ever made. The physical cost is minuscule in comparison to the benefits of the course.

If you are an instructor, you students are depending on you for their safety and their lives.
If you fly for an air carrier, your passengers are depending on you for their safety and their lives.
If you are a military aviator, your comrades are depending on you for their safety and their lives.
If you fly your 4-place GA single for the occasional burger or family getaway, the people you love most are placing their absolute trust in you. For your safety. For their safety, and their lives.

Paul, the opportunity to study under your staff was a privilege and an honor. I will make every effort to return and terrify your instructors once more with my fumblings as soon as humanly possible.

Warm regards,

Ryan Swets,
MEI #3021134-CFI