Frequently asked questions
- What is the registration deadline?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- What else do I need to do or know before the clinic?
- What insurance paperwork do you need from me?
- What do I need to bring with me?
- What do I wear?
- What's the schedule?
- What time do I show up?
- When will I fly?
- How long will I fly?
- What will I be tested on?
- Will I get an IPC and a Flight Review?
- What meals are included?
- Do I need a rental car?
- Who runs the shuttle?
- What is there to do for my companion?
- What is the Companion Course?
- What happens if the weather is bad during the clinic?
- Where do I park my airplane?
- Can I request a specific flight instructor?
What is the registration deadline?
Registration for each program closes a week before the clinic begins, or when the program fills up, whichever comes first.
What is the cancellation policy?
If you cancel more than two weeks before the program begins, you can receive a full refund.
If you cancel within two weeks of when the program begins, you may either take another program within 12 months or receive a 50% refund.
topWhat else do I need to do before the clinic?
Insurance paperwork required
After you've registered and paid for the course:
- Reserve a hotel room - we strongly recommend doing this right away and at least 30 days or more prior to the clinic.
- Insurance: Contact your agent and having him/her forward to us a certificate of insurance plus a waiver of subrogation naming BPPP, Inc. as an additional insured.
View sample insurance certificate (pdf, 53KB) - Hold Harmless agreement:
You must personally sign and return the hold harmless agreement (pdf, 33KB). - Send insurance and hold harmless documents to Jan Monti:
Email:
Phone: 775-230-8363
Fax: 775-782-5225
US Mail:
Jan Monti
2208 Bellanca Street
Minden, NV 89423
- If you have tip tanks, make sure you arrive with the tip tanks empty.
- Be sure to read the FAQ titled What do I need to bring with me?
What do I need to bring with me?
Airplane stuff, Bring your POH to the class on Friday. Leave the rest in your airplane:
- Airworthiness certificate
- Registration certificate
- FAA Approved Flight Manual (Handbook) and/or POH (Pilot Operating Handbook)
- FAA required Weight and Balance data
- 30 day VOR/VOT check
- Current database for your GPS
- Maintenance logs are not required
- An airworthy airplane. If we do find an item that makes the aircraft unairworthy by FAA standards (including all warning systems like the gear warning horn, gear down lights, and stall warning horn), we will make arrangements with you to complete the flying portion of the program after the discrepancy is resolved.
- Empty tip tanks
Personal stuff:
- Pilot certificate, current medical and photo ID
- Current charts, sectionals, and approach plates appropriate to the area of the clinic
- Checklists appropriate for your airplane
Good to bring or do, but not required:
- View-limiting device (most instructors have one of these)
- Flashlight and extra batteries, kneeboard (or whatever you use)
- Check the headphone jack and push-to-talk switch on co-pilot side. It will make your flight more efficient if your instructor can communicate with ATC.
- If you don't have a built-in intercom, bring a portable one so your instructor can communicate with you
What do I wear?
Dress comfortably. The classrooms and Friday dinner are casual. Remember, we're here to have fun!
What's the schedule?
View or download the weekend schedule (pdf, 20KB).
What time do I show up?
Plan to arrive in the classroom area of the hotel between 8:00 and 8:30 AM Friday. Sign-in begins at approximately 8:30 AM, and ground school classes start promptly at 9:00 AM.
topWhen will I fly?
You will fly in one of the three flying sessions, either Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, or Sunday morning. These assignments are not finalized until Friday afternoon and will be posted at the sign-in tables.
Generally, pilots attending BPPP for the first time will be scheduled to fly Sunday morning, and returning pilots will be scheduled to fly Saturday or Sunday.
topHow long will I fly?
You will be with your flight instructor for a five hour block of time, within which you will fly two flights for a little less than four hours of total flight time. After the first flight of around two hours, you'll land at a remote airport and take a break. At the end of the second flight you'll wind up back at home base.
topWhat will I be tested on?
Nothing! The flights are not tests. They present the opportunity to have some fun, get new endorsements, pick up a few tips and help you to hone any rusty areas that you may have. We are not pilot examiners. The best way to think of us is as your personal coach. We are here to bring your game up to the next level while enjoying the experience.
topWill I get an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) and a Flight Review?
Most pilots qualify for a Flight Review, an IPC (if you are instrument rated), and a new level in the WINGS program.
The FAA does require that we complete specific maneuvers and procedures with you, and that you fly those to certain standards, in order to qualify for the IPC. This isn't a test, so we can fly maneuvers several times to knock off the rust as needed. If for some reason we are unable to complete all the required maneuvers for an IPC in the time available, we will share with you what you need to do to complete the requirements, and if appropriate, we will help arrange for you to fly with a BPPP instructor in your area to finish the IPC outside the program.
topWhat meals are included?
We provide dinner for you on Friday, and lunch on Saturday. All other meals and your hotel room are your responsibility.
topDo I need a rental car?
Only if you want to do other things in the area. There will be shuttles to transport you between the FBO and the Hotel Thursday afternoon when you arrive, and during the weekend to get you to and from your BPPP classes.
topWho runs the shuttle?
It depends. Sometimes the FBO runs the shuttle, sometimes the hotel helps, and sometimes BPPP rents vans driven by BPPP personnel or hired drivers. The FBO should have information to help you when you arrive on Thursday, and we'll keep you informed during the weekend.
topWhat is there to do for my companion?
Our highly rated Companion Course is enjoyed by spouses, significant others, friends, and children 14 years and older. This runs from 9 AM to 5 PM on Friday, and 10:30 AM through lunch on Saturday, and the cost is only $295. In addition, your companion is welcome to join us for dinner on Friday, whether or not they attend the Companion Course.
topWhat is the Companion Course?
We have a page on this web site devoted to our very excellent Companion Course.
What happens if the weather is bad during the clinic?
Safety comes first at BPPP. Sometimes the weather is such that we cannot complete all of the flights. When this happens, we arrange for you to fly later with a BPPP instructor in your area within the next 60 days to complete the flying portion of the course.
topWhere do I park my airplane?
We communicate ahead of time with the FBO and the Control Tower for every clinic. The FBO that we partner with at each location will have a plan for where they will park you. Due to the number of airplanes arriving for the clinic, the plan varies from location to location. Usually, the best procedure is when contacting ground control upon arrival on Thursday, tell them you are there for the Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program, and they will direct you to the parking area. Follow signals by FBO ground personnel after that.
topCan I request a specific flight instructor?
All of our instructors are excellent, and carefully chosen. We are sure you will have a positive experience and learn something new from each one of them. It works best for us if you let us assign an instructor to you.
However, if you do have a specific request (about instructors or anything else for that matter), please contact our registrar, Pam Bailey, prior to the clinic and have your request added to your file. Having your request on file a week or more before the clinic maximizes the chance that we can accommodate you. Note that once the clinic starts, it is more difficult for us to meet special requests.
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