“When the Examiner showed up for my students checkride, he had the FAA with him doing an observed ride. This means that the FAA was examining the Examiner who was giving the checkride, so you know he wasn’t going to miss anything! Talk about double pressure!

After my student passed his checkride using these preparation methods. The FAA and the Examiner both said to me that it was the best observed ride they have ever seen and that his knowledge of weather was way above average.”

Joe Standley CFI, CFII, MEI

“My name is Gail LaPook and I am a designated pilot examiner in the Chicago area. I have tested many of Joe Standley’s students over the years. I know that when I get one of his people that I am going to see an applicant that has been well taught and well prepared for his encounter with me. He is a really good, detail oriented instructor and gives his students the benefits of his years of experience. He has always called me to get a de-brief of his student’s performance and asks me if there are things he is not covering completely. Usually, my de-brief is a very positive one as I feel Joe takes his job as a flight instructor seriously unlike other instructors that teach at the surface level and short change their students. I have no reservations about praising Joe as a good choice for a flight instructor .”

“I came to Joe looking to get my instrument rating. He not only got me there but progressed my flying more than I thought was possible during an instrument rating course. I felt enormously prepared and confident going into my checkride and I passed with ease. The FAA examiner said it was one of the best checkrides she had seen in a couple years. And all I did was fly the way Joe had taught me to fly. Joe stands out above other instructors I’ve had because no matter your experience level, he will get you to where you need to be. He demands a lot, but that’s because he knows what you need to do to get better. He motivates you to study hard and sets expectations for your ground training and your flights. He emphasizes precision and will teach you to be consistent, which is the biggest hurdle for a new instrument pilot. Joe teaches the control and performance method of instrument flying and I was amazed by how quickly my airmanship developed. His approach is to fly as much as possible and maintain proficiency. This is essential to doing well on a checkride. During my training, all my time was in the plane, not in a sim, and we flew in IMC as much as possible. Although even when VFR, my training was just as good. He uses products like ForeFlight to increase SA and make the training as real and accurate as possible. It was reassuring knowing Joe wouldn’t send me to the checkride unless I was more than ready. I was definitely ready and he also got me there in a minimum amount of hours. Joe instilled a new level of discipline in my flying and I am grateful for that type of instruction. I did very well in military pilot training, and I attribute a lot of that to what I learned from Joe. He is a phenomenal instructor and I would recommend Joe to anyone who is serious about taking their flying to the next level!”