Comment thread "Nasty Control Zone" for Calgary / Springbank Airport

Strategically Springbank is placed in an excellent place - right next to the "entrance" between the mountains which leads directly to Banff, Lake Louise and other natural marvels of the Canadian Rockies.

Unfortunately, control zone for this airport is just messed up. You are getting handed from inner tower to the outer tower to terminal to whatever... all that to just get out of the airport! Not very friendly for non-locals, too. I've got a nasty commentary: "Get a VTA" when asked the tower for a local reporting point, stating that I'm unfamiliar with the area. Best advice - study the freaking place in advance and specifically compare what you see on the map with what you see on the Google Maps! You'll be surprised how different those look.

Calgary Flying Club, a major flight school at Springbank, is one of those indifferent money-drainers which sell you the crappiest planes for the highest price, and never forget to apply funny additional fees. Their instructor didn't even say "hi" to me when he first saw me to go for a checkout! Was like: "That's you? Ok, let's go". Two people at the counter, yet you have to fill a bunch of forms yourself.

Luckily they have a SATC (Springbank Air Training College) there, where people are genuinely friendly and useful, and making you wish to stay. Also much cheaper prices and no membership fee comparing to CFC - at the same airport! How's that? They didn't hesitate a second to show me their planes (CFC guys did not permit me to even touch a plane I'm going to fly without an instructor "supervising" the process). SATC planes were in much better shape than those of CFC and their instructors were positive, fun and knowledgeable. Can only recommend them for both renters and students.