Carolina Aeronautical A&P Certification School

Don't expect this class to hold your hand and "give" you the certification. Come to class ready to listen, study, and study some more. YOU will be the one ultimately determining whether you make it or not. Mr. Gallien absolutely will give you everything you need however you MUST take every word he says....including studying around 6 hours a day. It's a tough class but you gotta do your part. Thank you, Mr. Gallien. You helped me achieve something that I seriously doubted I'd be able reach.
5 7 years ago (01-03-2018)

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! Expensive and not worth the money. This course is not eligible for VA reimbursement as of 2015 (even though they will lead you to believe otherwise). If you contact the VA directly they will provide you with the revocation letter that clearly states the instructors name. The instructor will guide you through the written tests (which you can just the same study for without help) but you end up on your own for the oral and practical unless you pay a significant amount of more money. Seriously... save your cash. This school is a joke.
1 8 years ago (13-11-2017)

There were 8 individuals in my course on different programs from 12 day to 20 day, yet 1 instructor trying to balance the requirements of each program. It was disorganized to say the least. 90% failed at least one or all of the exams or rescheduled because they did not feel comfortable in taking the exam(s). The instructor told me that he could get me reimbursed about $2000 from my GI Bill, yet when I called the VA for reimbursement directly, they informed me that Carolina Aeronautical was no longer an accredited VA school since 2015 and they could only reimburse me for the exam costs, which were $1400. Mr. Gal states the course comes with 5 hours of retraining FREE if you fail any portion of the exams, but does not disclose that to get the 5 hours, you will have to pay him even more money for additional instruction before the 5 hours free is credited. Course costs are extremely expensive when compared to the industry standard. Do yourself a favor and purchase the ASA Prepware software and study manuals for desired ratings on the written tests and buy the Jeppesen Oral & Practical study guides to prepare yourself for that. You will get about the same amount of information by studying on your own and have a ton of money left over. There are also many reputable schools and programs across the US, if you feel the need for additional instruction.
1 8 years ago (11-09-2017)

I received my FAA A&P authorization forms in 1988 but never took the tests. I had been out of the aviation industry since 1990 and hadn't been involved with aircraft at all since then. Then, 25 years later (2015) a new job presented itself in aviation maintenance that required me to get my A&P certification. I had all of the study guides at home but felt the need for a refresher due to the amount of time that had passed. I will agree that the course seemed tough sometimes but it was mostly due to my age hampering my ability to retain some of the material that was being taught. Sometimes at the end of the day my brain felt like jelly from all of the information that we'd gone over! Once you walk out the door headed to the written testing facility it's all up to you! I never saw John send anyone to take the test that hadn't exhibited hard evidence that they could pass. Some of us took longer than others to reach that point but he made sure we were up to speed before we went. The same is true for the Oral/Practical. Everything is gone over in class that you will need to pass this portion of the testing. There is a caveat though. The written test is just you and the test. The "test" doesn't care and can't influence whether or not you pass it. It's up to you! The Oral/Practical is a different animal. It consists of you, the examiner, and the test subject. The Examiners have strict guidelines that they must follow but the Practical portion is based heavily on their "opinion" as to whether or not you demonstrated completion of the task satisfactorily. If there is a personality conflict or some other apparent "rub" between you and the examiner it's going to be a long day! Again, the school has no control over this. It's up to you. I passed all of the testing. I feel that if I hadn't taken the course there would've been a healthy dose of retesting in my future and I'm not sure I would've seen it through.
5 9 years ago (20-07-2016)

I walked through the door with 12+ years of military and civilian aviation experience and of course thought this was something I could knock out in a week. Man, was I wrong! I felt overwhelmed at first by the shear volume of subject matter but Carolina Aeronautical will challenge you day in and day out until you're ready to pass your testing. I honestly feel if it wasn't for their course I would have not had a great deal of success with the A&P testing process.
5 9 years ago (08-02-2017)