What You'll Get
There are few freedoms as liberating as being able to fly, which is why humans spent millennia inventing the airplane and why penguins are so very, very bitter. Exceed evolutionary shortcomings with today’s Groupon to Bob Baird’s Flying School, located at Atlantic Aviation at the South Bend Regional Airport. Choose between the following options:
- For $65, you get a two-hour Discovery Flight package (a $150 total value) that includes:
- 90 minutes of instruction on the ground (a $60 value)
- 30 minutes of sunset flight time (a $55 value)
-
A DVD of your flight (a $35 value)<p>
- For $250, you get a flight-training package beginning October 31 or November 7 (a $600 total value) that includes:
- 20 hours of ground school, including flight-simulator training and one hour of flight time (a $500 value)
- Prep materials for the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test (a $35 value)
- A DVD of your flight (a $25 value)
- Navigation maps and materials (a $20 value)
- A flight-time logbook (a $20 value)<p>
Certified flight instructor Robert Baird dispenses sage aeronautical instruction in introductory flights and intensive training sessions. In a two-hour Discovery Flight lesson, aviation aficionados learn the ins and outs of one of the club’s Cessna 172 airplanes in a preflight briefing. After guiding the craft safely aloft, the instructor passes the steely reins to his eager pupil for 30 minutes of in-air control. Rookie aviators enjoy lofty sunset views of local landmarks, including the University of Notre Dame, without the difficulties of snagging a cloud with a grappling hook, and the pro pilot then resumes control for a return trip to terra firma and postflight briefing.
In ground-school courses, Mr. Baird prepares aeronauts for the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Monday–Friday sessions. A flight simulator preps propeller jockeys in such important topics as cross-country navigation, solo-flying techniques, and selecting an intimidating pilot nickname. During a one-hour flight, progressing flyers will use provided maps and materials to navigate to a distant airport, land, and return to South Bend. A flight-time logbook helps students track hours spent in thin air, and an included DVD lets them show off flying abilities like an astronaut on a trampoline. Upon completion of the one-week package, novice flyers will be primed to pass the FAA knowledge test, which is not included in the cost of this Groupon.
The Fine Print
Expiration varies. Amount paid never expires. Limit 1 per person, may buy multiple as gifts. Limit 1 per visit. Valid only for option purchased. Must activate 1-week class option by 11/7/11, discovery flight option expires 1/1/12. 24hr cancellation notice required. Must be 15 or older for Flight-Training Package. Must sign waiver. Subject to weather. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.