Testimonials
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"I
first met Darryl in the Spring of 2001, when I was looking for an
instructor to work with on my instrument rating. I browsed through
West Valley Flying Club's instructor roster, and called Darryl first
because he was one of the few full-time instructors and committed
to instructing as a long-term career. I certainly haven't regretted
the decision. The instrument training went very well, and we combined
it with transition training to my first owned aircraft, an '01 Saratoga
II TC. Darryl's a very patient teacher, but also challenged me just
enough to make each lesson a real learning experience. His knowledge
of the Saratoga's complex systems was very helpful, and he went
out of his way to personally learn what few systems were unfamiliar
to him so that he could then teach me. And....I passed the instrument
flight test on the first try, with no problems.
I'm now conducting Tailwheel transition with Darryl in the Citabria 7ECA, and we should be done very shortly. It's been a blast and, once again, Darryl's passion for teaching has made it a very enjoyable experience. Tailwheel transitions can apparently be nerve-wracking, but we've had no problems!" Alex
Osadzinski |
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"Working
with Darryl, I was able to complete my private pilot's license and
instrument rating in about six months, passing both checkrides on
the first attempt. Darryl is extremely well-organized and dependable,
qualities that are sometimes hard to find in CFIs. He has a detailed
syllabus that is well thought-out and very effective in tracking
progress towards the checkride. Most importantly, Darryl is a good
teacher; he is patient but also demands high standards of his students,
refusing to allow bad habits to develop. I would recommend him highly
to anyone interested in first-class flight training from a veteran
pilot and instructor."
Alex
Terman |
| "I
had a month off between jobs and decided that I'd like to get my IFR
rating. I had been a VFR pilot for about ten years and wanted to be
able to go some place and come back even if the clouds come in. A
friend of mine had gotten his IFR rating with Darryl (over a period
of several months) and recommended him to me.
To get your IFR rating in four weeks, you need to treat it like a job. I'd drive to the airport in the morning and stay the day, either flying or doing ground school with Darryl. I also flew on the weekends. Since ground schools take longer than a month, Darryl tailored personal sessions for me covering the material. I passed both the written and the flight test on the first try - it wasn't too bad, since all the material was fresh. Pushing me through the entire rating in a month was a large time commitment from Darryl, who had other students as well. He juggled his schedule and accomodated me very well. Darryl was always friendly, patient, and professional. His eye for detail will make you never bust your minimums. I'd recommend him highly to anyone!" Russell Hamilton |
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I first hired Darryl after a 10-year hiatus from flying first to get current and then to pursue my instrument rating. My experience was so positive, that I ended up continuing and got my commercial multiengine and single engine ratings and my certified flight instructor certificates, all with Darryl as my instructor! I stuck with Darryl through all my ratings for a number of reasons: (1) as a veteran flight instructor, he has "seen it all" and is able to instruct and advise from a very deep experience base; (2) I knew that I could stay with him because is one of the rare CFI's that have chosen flight instruction as a profession and not a "time building" proposition -- I knew that he would not abandon me in the middle of my flight training; and finally (3) his enthusiasm for aviation was contagious -- loves to teach and see his students succeed. I would highly recommend Darryl for any aspiring aviator, from student pilot all the way to flight instructor and ATP! Karl
Liang
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I want to express my appreciation for your instructing skills in assisting me to regain my private pilot currency after almost 30 years of not flying. I particularly appreciate your teaching examples and descriptions drawn from your personal experience as they provide "real world" context to help me understand and remember the teaching points. You have a deep understanding of the aircraft systems and instruments, and consequently always have a ready answer when I ask "why" this or "why" that.
I came to Darryl with no previous flying experience of any kind, much less any knowledge of airplanes or aerodynamics. He was able to explain all the systems and concepts clearly and concisely, without speaking down to me in any way. His syllabus and teaching methodology are precise and well organized, and he is able to tailor these to the individual needs of the student. Darryl is patient, yet at the same time demanding and thorough, with clear goals for both the student and himself. I feel very fortunate to have received my private pilot's training from Darryl, and his efficient preparation enabled me to pass the FAA check ride without any problems.
When I was looking for an instructor for my instrument rating I had a long list of criteria. I wanted someone who had professional flying experience, someone who taught full time, someone who was available when I wanted to fly, someone who was willing to spend a lot of one on one ground time, and many other wish list items. Having been inactive for 6 years I knew that I was in for more than an instrument rating... I had to do some serious work on my VFR skills too. After reviewing instructor profiles, exchanging some emails, and talking to some other club members I found Daryl to be a perfect fit. Now that I have spent many hours with Daryl, I realize that the qualities which make him a great instructor were not in my original criteria! He is a patient teacher who methodically teaches you how to achieve the high standards he expects. This was built up slowly, always challenging but never overwhelming. Darryl indulged my constant questions and made sure I always knew *why* I was doing procedures, not just *how* to do them. Our ground instruction was very methodical using a syllabus and the Jeppeson Instrument Commercial Manual. We went through the book together which, I found extremely valuable. I watched all of the Sporty's videos and did not learn 1/10th of what I learned sitting with Darryl. On the day of my flight test I had to change planes due to maintenance and the new plane did not have a DME. Darryl's training gave me the confidence to take the test anyway. Although my hands were flying across the radios at times, I passed the test! I enthusiastically recommend Darryl to any pilot at any level who is looking for a truly excellent instructor. In September 1999 I received the opportunity to take part in an exchange program for a practical training in the USA. I did not have to think twice, I took the chance and left my country, Switzerland, and came to California for a time period of almost two years. Soon I discovered the pleasure and joy of flying. Since I was now in a region where you do not depend so much on weather, and full-time instructors are available, I decided to earn my PPL. It even was possible for a reasonable price. I was a foreigner in a foreign country; I did not have much of an idea, which is why I eventually ended up at a school across the airport where I took lessons until I soloed. Things went OK until that schools Warrior became unavailable for 4 weeks due to engine replacement so I decided to look for another club. It
did not take long to find West Valley. Now I started to appreciate
the benefits that WVFC provides. They are: a huge fleet of airplanes
to chose form, two airports to fly form, and the probably most important
thing, the long list of qualified instructors. Anyone is able to
find an instructor who suits the individual needs. It's important
to Every time when I come to the Bay Area for vacation and I want to fly, I come back to Darryl and West Valley. I am always on a tight schedule during my stay, Darryl knows that and fly's with me to complete my recurrency flight as soon as I call. All this reasons I have mentioned are good reasons to fly with Darryl. I can recommend him to anyone. Pius Landolt |