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Business Profile

Flight School

Piston Aviation

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 3 total complaints in the last 3 years.
  • 1 complaint closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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Complaint status

Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:07/02/2024

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Resolved
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    The week of June 17th 2024 I paid $8000 in full for aviator lessons, when the day came for me to take the course two different Pilot instructors wouldn&#**;t fly me, due to my weight restrictions requested a refund, and was told I would receive it within 11 days and I have called and text, and no response from the owner.

    Business Response

    Date: 07/02/2024

    ****************** will receive a full refund, the contract he signed says we have 60 days to issue a refund, after date of request.  We will get it done sooner then that though

    Customer Answer

    Date: 07/03/2024

    The business has refunded my money, issue resolved.

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:11/13/2023

    Type:Order Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I enrolled in Piston Aviation's program starting on August 1st, which, according to the contract linked in the **** includes unlimited hours. However, I am being charged additional fees contrary to the terms outlined in the agreement. I've observed a discrepancy in treatment compared to a fellow participant who is not facing similar charges.Details:Start Date: August 1st Contract Terms: Unlimited hours as per the agreement Issue: Being charged extra fees not specified in the contract Additional Information:It seems there is inconsistency in the application of fees within the program, as evidenced by the different treatment my flight ***** receives. I seek a fair and consistent application of the agreed-upon terms, so I request a refund.Resolution Request:I kindly request the Better Business Bureau's assistance in facilitating a resolution with Piston Aviation, ensuring adherence to the contract terms and fair treatment consistent with their policies for future applicants and compensation in refund form for myself.Thank you for your attention to this matter.

    Business Response

    Date: 11/30/2023

    To Whom it may concern.

    I have attached our copy of his signed agreement.  ****************** signed up for our Accelerated Private Pilot Program for a cost of $18,500.  The Program is intended to be 30 days long.  As he correctly stated the program started August 1st of this year.  Due to weather in the month of August we extended the program through September.

    Please Refer to Section 9.8 "Refund Policy for Accelerated Programs" of our attached agreement with ******************.  This paragraph clearly states that at the start of the student's assigned  program, all funds become completely non-refundable.  That date was August 1st in ********************** case.

    The "unlimited" hours ****************** refers to is during the duration of the course, which in his case was through September.  Unfortunately ****************** was absolutely not prepared to sit for a Private Pilot checkride, due to his lack of study.  His flight ***** he refers to was very much ready for his checkride at this time.  At ********************** persistence we gave him some additional hours to work with to see if he could get prepared.  At the end of this ****************** informed us he wanted to quit the program, and asked us for a refund for various items in his program.

    ***************** used $18,641.59 worth of services during his time with us.  Plus he voluntarily chose to withdraw from the program and has section 9.8 of the agreement states, the funds are non-refundable.

    Piston Aviation will not be issuing ****************** a refund.

     

     

     

     

     

    Customer Answer

    Date: 11/30/2023

    Complaint: 20863751

    I am rejecting this response because:
     They have not reached out to either me or the BBB in regards to their mistakes as a company and I believe actions need to be taken against them as a business.


    Sincerely,

    *************************

    Business Response

    Date: 12/01/2023

    Attached is a Full accounting of all the Lessons and Flight ****************** did with Piston Aviation.  The *** Minimums for Private Pilot are: 40 hours of flight with 20 hours of dual flight training.  Piston Aviation offers different packages for Private Pilot.  Our standard package at the time ****************** signed up was $13,500.  Our accelerated package was $18,500.  The difference in cost is because the accelerated students get priority scheduling in our most advanced aircraft.  We provided ****************** with priority scheduling and all the support he was promised the entire time he was with us.  ****************** proved to be a difficult student, but we bent over backwards to see him through his training.  He tried to quit early in his training, and he was informed of the non-refundability of his account at that point.  he then opted to keep training.  At the Beginning of October ****************** had accumulated a total of ***** Flight Hours and used 77.3 Instructor Hours.  His flight hour total was typical but his instructor hour usage way exceeds a typical students.  He did not take it upon himself to study on his own.  He was informed that he would need to purchase more hours to continue.  Upon ********************** protest, and conversations with his instructors, we conceded and assigned his account 15 more flight hours and 10 more instructor hours at no additional cost to him, to give him a final opportunity to get ready for his Pilot Test.  On October 31st, 2023, ****************** informed his instructor and myself via text message that he was quitting the program, and he asked for a refund.  I told him I would review his account once again.  I provided him the attached record, and summed up his numbers for him

    His Factored Flight Hours were: *****.  the Base Rental Rate at the time of his package was $169/hr.  ***** x $179 = $10,342.62

    The Total number of Instructor Hours he used was 84.4.  The Instructor hour rate was $85/hr. 84.4 x $85 = $7,174

    He was provided with course materials, a headset, flight bag, and priority scheduling overhead, which total $1000

    Piston Aviation Provided him the services promised that he paid for.  

    Once again Piston Aviation will not be issuing a Refund, He knew it was non-refundable when he signed up and has been told multiple times.  He had ample opportunity to take his training seriously.  

    We consider this matter closed, and will not respond further.

    Customer Answer

    Date: 12/05/2023

    Complaint: 20863751

    I am rejecting this response because:

    I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my disappointment and concerns regarding the response I received recently. I believe there might be a misunderstanding or oversight in the communication, and I would appreciate a moment of your time to address these matters.

    Firstly, the statement about prioritization over the plane is something that I never received and saying that I did is unprofessional. There was times I went up there or was on the schedule and other people would have the plane over me. So, I would go home and study because the plane was not available to me even though I was on the schedule. Furthermore, I want to emphasize that I dedicated countless hours of personal studying on my own to ensure proficiency because i was supposed to have unlimited ground hours and never did. So, I was forced to self-teach myself for a program that I was paying for and you have the audacity to say I didn't study is degrading and an insult. It is crucial to clarify that my commitment and effort should not be mistaken for a lack of capability or even as a disability. It's extremely unprofessional to use this language that *** be perceived as undermining and accusations. Additionally, there was no set schedule or structure to this program which was why we were behind and even the instructors complained about it.

    Secondly, during our previous correspondence, specific numbers or details on finances were not provided to me and shouldn't matter as it was included in the package and contract I purchased. Clear and transparent communication is vital in resolving issues, and I would appreciate if you could provide more information or clarification on the matter at hand.

    Lastly, I would like to bring attention to what appears to be unfair consumer treatment that you didn't address and ignored because you know it's true. The case of **** not having to pay extra while I faced additional charges is a concern that needs addressing. I believe in fairness and equality in customer relations, and I am eager to understand the rationale behind the divergent treatment.

    I believe open communication is key to resolving any misunderstandings, and I am hopeful that we can address these concerns amicably. I am open to further discussion and clarification on these matters.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter as I was more professional than you and anyone can see through it.

    Sincerely,

    *************************

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