Testimonials
We love to hear from our students!
“My name is Nickolas DiPietro, I am a junior professional pilot major. I just wanted to take a moment and tell you about the recent upset recovery training flight I took with bad attitude LLC. I strongly believe that every student, especially students at the CFI level should take this course. Yesterday I had the privilege of flying with instructor John Dye. Despite the fact that this was my first time in aerobatic airplane, he made me feel extremely comfordable from start to finish. During the flight, we talked about common mistakes pilots make that can potentially put them into dangerous attitudes. We went over four profiles (nose high, nose high over bank, nose lo, and nose low overbook) and learn how to identify and react to each of them, Learning how to recover from each of the profiles makes me feel much more confident in my flying abilities, especially as I make the transition from student to CFI. The lessons I have learned so far in this course I know I will carry with me for the rest of my flying career.”
Nickolas DiPietro
College of Aeronautics and Engineering
Kent State University
“After Finishing my last flight today, I walked way a safer and more competent pilot. The training I received through Bad Attitude LLC was unmatched, and I see it as nothing less than essential to collegiate flight training.
Besides being the most fun I’ve ever had in an airplane, I feel better knowing I have seen these parameters in a training scenario first, rather than a real-world scenario.
Again, and I cannot say it enough, a huge thank you to you and to Bad Attitude for allowing this opportunity I hope to be back for another course soon!
Clare Willette
“Spins have always been somewhat of a mystery to me, and I never truly felt comfortable spinning an airplane even after earning my spin endorsement for my CFI certificate. Prior to taking this course, my experience consisted of merely four spins and no formal group training. Having already done the Upset Recovery & Tailwheel Endorsement courses with Bad Attitude. I knew that their spin course would be the best way to improve my proficiency, and it was certainly worth the investment. Now, I feel just as comfortable doing spins as I do flying a chandelle or a steep turn. Aside from the fantastic flight training, perhaps the most valuable portion of the course was the ground school. John did an amazing job debunking some of the common misconceptions about spins as well as providing an easy-to-understand aerodynamic overview of spin characteristics and recovery procedures. All the instructors at Bad Attitude are among the highest-caliber CFIs in the sky, and it is always a privilege to learn from them. Every pilot, especially aspiring flight instructors, would greatly benefit from taking this course. I can’t recommend Bad Attitude enough, and I will certainly be back for more.”
John Arata
Kent State Aeronautics
Dispatch Safety Representative
Captain – Kent State Precision Flight Team
“The upset training was awesome and I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for the excellent program that you have in place.
I was very impressed with the professionalism and the in depth knowledge that was presented it was a great learning experience and I believe that I will be a better pilot because of it
You and your team did a great job and are top notch, it was a real workout, all mean not filler and I will definitely recommend you to my friends and fellow pilots.”
Thanks again,
Dave Ventura
Eclipse Jet
“John, I just wanted to thank you for the great training from yourself, Billy, and Bobby for the Upset Recovery Course through Kent. The ground school was thorough and immediately applicable to the flight training. You presented it in a way I haven’t received in twenty years of aviation including Navy and Air Force primary flight training and Part 135 Operations as a pilot, instructor, and check airman in helicopters and airplanes. I’ve sat through and given a lot of training. It’s obvious when someone has a complete mastery of the subject matter and it becomes self-evident when they are one of the few truly professional educators in aviation. Although it’s been twenty years since I’ve had any aerobatic or spin training, you and bobby were able to bring it all back and built upon it quickly. Anyone looking to become a commercial pilot, flight instructor, or simply a more professional and save aviator should invest the time, effort, and money into this course or the spin awareness and training. It’s a great return on the investment and some of the best insurance you can purchase. Anyone looking to get a better understanding of the aerodynamics of flight would be hard pressed to find a better teacher than John. Thanks again and I look forward to working with you again in the future. Thanks.”
Gordon Harwell
IFR PIC Cleveland Clinic 3
PHI Air Medical
“Hi John, The extreme professionalism and incredible knowledge displayed by the instructors made this course well worth it. This course was easily the most beneficial part of my training, not only because of the great instruction given, but actually seeing what a true upset looks like and being able to recover from it is a lesson learned that I will soon not forget. Along with being informative, I had a ton of fun flying with everyone involved and I know I will be back to do my recurrent training as soon as I can.”
William Kaib
Captain – Kent State Precision Flight Team
Secretary – Kent State Flying Club
Certified Flight Instructor – Kent State University
“John, I would like to thank you for an excellent program. I just completed the flying portion of the upset recovery training today. I will have nothing but good things to say about the program. Frist, from my initial contact, everyone at Bat Attitude was very easy to work with. They were able to accommodate my schedule easily for both the ground school and flying components. The ground school part was well-presented with both written materials and videos, which illustrated why this training is a good idea and the mechanics of the aerodynamics involved. There were lots of opportunities to ask questions. I did my flying with Bobby Mondora, who is a Boeing 777 pilot in real life. Bobby is a great stick and rudder guy. He was also a thoughtful instructor. He took the time to thoroughly explain each exercise, so you would know what to expect. He would make sure you got it before moving on to the next exercise.
The three flying sessions were a hoot. The maneuvers get more extreme as you go along. By the end you will have flown in every possible attitude from ninety degrees nose up to straight down, to upside down, and everything in between. And you will know what to do when its time to recover. The last half hour or so is what they call “free style.” That means that you don’t know what’s coming next, and some of the entries are done in such a way that its easy to become disoriented. You might start in a nose-high overbank and end up in an inverted nose down situation. The training works, and the recovery is almost automatic.
One last comment is about the planes they are using. These are not your run-of-the-mill flight school aircraft. They are Super Decathlons, which are rated for aerobatics. Best of all, they are beautiful, well-maintained, and safe.
Would I recommend this program to my flying buddies? A definitive hell yes!”
“I recently had the great pleasure to attend your upset training course with my son, as well as my father. The upset training that we received from you was invaluable. I must commend you on your ability to take a confusing topic and translate information into meaningful and applicable context. At the end of two full days of training I felt confident, trained, and safe. I am grateful for the positive transfer of knowledge especially across three diverse demographics of aviators, all at one time. I highly recommend your course to all aviators regardless of their level of experience.”
“I did both Upset Recovery training and Spin, Loop, Roll training. I have only good words for all the instructors at Bad Attitude. Learn aerobatics correctly with Bad Attitude, instead of learning it the wrong/hard way. Thanks to John, Bill and Tyler.”
“One of the coolest and best things I have ever done in aviation!
After completing the Upset Recovery Training (URT) course at Bat Attitude Aviator Training Company, I feel incredibly more confident in my flying skills and abilities. Most of the places I had come across in the past all seemed to be a little bit of ground school, and a short aerobatic ride. Bad Attitude and John Dye, actually taught me why we “unload” and then you go out and actually do it… over and over again! Not only do you get the feel of what it looks like, feels like, sounds like and maybe even tastes like) I was salivating because it was a real challenge!), but they teach you aerodynamically what is going on. They provide case studies of accidents, and incidents that have happened where quite possibly the proper training could have saved lives. It was a wakeup call to me, yet again, to see professional flight crews get into hairy situations, and to realize it would be easy to have the same response without proper training. There was no “arm chair quarterbacking” so to speak, but the case studies were presented in a way that says,” Hey! Wake up! This could happen to you!”
If there is any doubt in your mind, why John is so passionate about this URT course, after about 15 minutes into your first hop you will see why. I walked away very humbled, but also very enlightened by what I saw. I have never been one that feels infallible in a play, but this course made me realize even with well over ten-thousand hours in the air, in planes from BE-77 Skippers up to boening 737’s, and a lot of others in between, there was a lot I have not seen.
As the flying portion continues, you’ll find yourself learning, competing with yourself and honestly having a blast learning things that may save your life, your passengers lives, your crew’s lives, and save the aircraft.
In closing, John does a great job teaching the ground school course. Some or all of it may be review, but the presentation is like none I have ever seen. That says a lot since I have been going through Airline ground schools for over 17 years! Then the flying portion utterly priceless. I will definitely be doing more courses with John and Bad Attitude, including a tailwheel course, and then into aerobatics!”
“I had a wonderful experience earning my Tailwheel Endorsement with Bad Attitude LLC at Salem Airpark. John provided me excellent ground instruction on the theory and aerodynamics of conventional gear flying as well as clear and thorough supporting materials for me to take home and study. Tyler was a rock star in their immaculate 8KCAB Super Decathlon. Tyler’s concise, easygoing, and patient approach to flight instruction can NOT be overvalued. In my many years and 8500 hours of flying I rank my experiences with both John and Tyler among my top 5. I can’t thank John and Tyler enough for an excellent flight training experience, and I look forward to working with Bad Attitude LLC again in the near future.”
“Bad Attitude’s Upset Recovery Training program is, without a doubt, the most valuable flight training I’ve ever received, as well as the most fun. Through comprehensive, brilliantly taught, ground schools, and by letting the pilot experience exactly what an aircraft is capable of throughout it’s entire flight envelope, Bad Attitude’s URT gives pilots the knowledge, tools, and confidence to effectively recover swept, and straight, wing aircraft from an upset instance that had the potential to turn into a bad day. The quality of instruction is incredible, the aircraft is meticulously maintained, and Salem Airpark (38D) is a great setting. In short, Bad Attitude is an invaluable asset to the region, and their Upset Recovery Training should be experienced by every pilot.”
“Upset Recovery Training has been one of the most valuable courses I have undergone during my training to be a professional pilot. The information learned here allowed me to better understand how to respond in critical emergency situations. Bad Attitude took the flight envelope to the limits and their method of training provides a clear action during any aircraft upset – up, down, left or right. If you can think of an aircraft state, Bad Attitude will put you there and teach you how to recover.
As a Certified Flight Instruction (CFI), the course material has been invaluable to helping me teach students. Before you end up in a plane, you learn in depth about aerodynamics and actual cases where upset recovery training could have saved lives. Much of the key to teaching is not only knowing how to do something, but also why. Thanks to Bad Attitude, I feel my pilot and instructing skills have been taken to another level and I am a safer pilot because of it.”
“Being new to the world of aviation I turned to Bad Attitude with the hopes of improving my stick and rudder skills, as well as my confidence in the cockpit. After completing the tail wheel course and the URT, we can say they knocked my expectations out of the park. Not only did I become a more confident aviator, I gained knowledge that will make furthering my aviation career less confusing and could save my life. I can’t say thank you enough to John Dye and to all the instructors at Bad Attitude, for your professionalism and dedication.”
“Thank you so much for making Tailwheel endorsement at 38D such a wonderful experience. I couldn’t have hoped for a better experience than what I received with you. The ground instruction facilities were ideal, and more importantly I learned a lot from you while having tons of fun! Special thanks to Billy who took me through most of the flight instruction and provided the endorsement. Your calm, encouraging, glass-half-full style helped get me through the uncertainties of learning such a responsive new airplane and stick! Even when I was quick to point out my faults in maneuvers, you were quick to counter with my successes. I also really appreciated your scheduling flexibility to accommodate the limited time I had available to attain the endorsement.”
“My name is Josh Maher. I am a student pursuing a CFI certificate. I attended the tailwheel, spin and upset recovery courses at Bad Attitude. The courses were intense and very enjoyable. John, Bobby, Billy and Tyler thoroughly explained every question that I had (and many I didn’t know to ask) from the classroom to the cockpit to an inverted, nose-low attitude. In addition to being great instructors, the guys are flat-out down to earth rad dudes that are there because they genuinely care about spreading the knowledge they’ve acquired over their many thousands of hours in the air and convey their aviation knowledge to their students, not to build hours. I set out to become a safer pilot and left feeling safer, refreshed and with a changed perception of what it means to fly an airplane. Also worth mentioning is the planes were great, clean and nothing marked ‘inop’ on the panel. Thanks again guys! I’ll be back asap.”
Josh Maher
“The Upset Recovery Training flight course by Bad Attitude at Kent State University was a phenomenal flight training program and I would recommend it to all pilots. All the instructors are genuine about helping the students understand the aerodynamics and giving a hands on approach to it. I really enjoyed the method of teaching the recovery process and the focus on each individual students strengths and weaknesses. The instructors themselves are very motivational and look to only better the student and provide the best training possible. They are all very personable gentlemen who are obviously passionate about flying and enjoy sharing it. There is not a negative thing that I could think of about this program. Thank you to all the instructors who I have met and worked with including John, Tyler, and Billy!”
“Upon completion of the Upset Recovery Training with Bad Attitude I feel my skills as a pilot go above and beyond. I learned valuable techniques to safely operate my aircraft all the way from Cessna’s to Boeings’s. As far as my experience with Bad Attitude I couldn’t have been more impressed and pleased. From Day 1 the ground school was nothing less than interesting, educational, and eye-opening. Getting in the plane for the first time was the best experience I have ever had flying, my instructor Bill Shugart and the rest of the staff at Bad Attitude, John Dye, Tyler Khan, and the people at Salem Airpark were kind, helpful and professional. I very much enjoyed my experience with Bad Attitude and feel very comfortable knowing I have received such quality training.”
“The training i received was excellent in all ways. I think it was the perfect amount of time as far as ground instruction and air time is concerned. The training felt very chronologically organized to the point where I was able to anticipate the next steps to go through both in the ground school and in the air. I was slightly nervous to get into the spin training but as we progressed through the steps i felt very comfortable with each step in spin training process. In all despite initial concerns I had I came to have a blast with spins and felt comfortable while doing them especially with your folks vast amount of experience and professionalism backing me up to help me learn what was needed. I truly feel like a much safer pilot and the spin and what pilots do to induce a spin doesn’t scare me anymore. I would recommend this course to anyone and really think that your course should be a staple for anyone seeking a CFI certificate or spin training in general.
At some point i would like to come back and work on a few other things that interest me and a tail wheel endorsement
Thanks for all the input to you and your team”
“I’m a student pilot who recently had the privilege of training with the outstanding instructors of Bad Attitude LLC located in North Lima, Ohio for the Upset Recovery Aviator Training Course. The company which is head up by owner John Dye top notch training in upset recovery aviator training as well as other great courses. I was referred to this fine school by the owner of my flight school at Jim Long Aviation. Turns out, this was the best thing i could have done to ensure if and when an upset event takes place when I’m at the controls — I have the necessary tools to ensure I will not become a statistic. The course began with very thorough ground school which explained the concepts and graphs at an easy to follow pace with lots of reinforcement to ensure understanding and retention
Several learning aids were included which really helped create a scenario in my mind i could connect to real flying. once the ground school was completed and i began the actual flight training, i was amazed at how quickly i was able to catch on to using vital techniques such as these despite the fact very few pilots per capita actually have these skills. The training put me in several crazy attitudes which I enjoyed immensely and allowed me to develop the skills required to recover from them and live to tell about it. The instructors were extremely passionate about enhancing my knowledge and making me better and safer at flying. They succeeded! The patience I was shown helped me to relax and learn to do things that will keep me on the cutting edge of good airmanship
The primary focus of the instructors was my learning and my ability to demonstrate my knowledge of the recovery maneuvers and not how quickly they could be paid. In fact, the only person who brought up payment was me because I sincerely appreciated the instructors teaching me how to save my life and maybe the lives of others. If you truly want to be a complete aviator with confidence as well as pilot know how, I highly recommend this course. For the training and knowledge you walk away with, your money couldn’t be better spent.”
“I hadn’t been flying upside down since I was flying in the Marine Corps over thirty years ago. Having sat through one of John’s safety seminars I knew I would be doing myself and my passengers a disservice by not taking upset recovery and spin training. Since I had previously earned my tail wheel endorsement with Bad Attitude, I knew these guy’s were dedicated professionals. John is one of the most passionate and enthusiastic flight instructors I have ever known, civilian or military. I firmly believe that the approach and technique in training pilots to prepare for that one bad day will arm them with the right skills to survive. I would recommend any of the Bad Attitude training without any reservation for every type of aviator – light sport to ATP. The spin training and URT can save your life and the tail wheel training not only opens the door to new flying adventures, it also sharpens your stick and rudder skills immensely. John and his team at Bad Attitude are top notch professionals who actually care about the successful outcome of your training. There may come a time when your life might depend on it.”
“Bad Attitude’s tail wheel training program transformed me from a sloppy private pilot with some bad habits to a safe aviator with stick and rudder skills. I had to work very hard to earn my endorsement and I learned more during my tail wheel training than I had learned from all my previous instructors combined. If everyone went through this training from the beginning, there would be far less sad and tragic accidents because most pilots only fly in a tiny comfort zone and do not know how to use the full capability of the airplane. While I was in training an instructor who was recently trained by Bad Attitude called to report that he had a close call with a student and he gave John’s training credit for saving their lives. Make it happen, don’t let it happen…the life you save may be your own!”
“I have nothing but praise to offer for the guy’s at Bad Attitude “Aviator” Training Company. I came into the tail wheel program a low-time private pilot, but left with a much greater sense of confidence in my ability as an “aviator”. Both John and Billy were among the most professional and effective instructors I’ve ever had the pleasure of flying with. Both on the ground and in the airplane, not a second was wasted as we made the best use of the available time. As a full time student working two jobs, I appreciated the flexibility the guy’s offered in creating a training schedule. I feel like I learned more about the pure “stick and rudder” essence of flying in my time with Bad Attitude than in all my previous training.”
“Invaluable training that will save your life if the occasion occurs! URT at Bad Attitude is accomplished with a team of highly skilled, professional instructors. They are extremely passionate and sincere in training any level of pilot to confidently and skillfully recover from an upset attitude. Recurrent URT at Bad Attitude is forever on my checklist.”
“I came to 38D seeking a simple tailwheel endorsement and ended up learning more about stick-and-rudder flying in just a few hops than I have in over 6000 hours of operating transport aircraft. Thorough, professional ground and flight training, all rooted in sound, proven aeronautical theory, went above and beyond what I expected. A valuable investment for both my professional and personal flying careers. I arrived as an “airplane driver” and departed as an “aviator”. Thanks, guys!”
“I have used the Bad Attitude Aviator Training Company to get both my tailwheel and spin endorsements. My experience was excellent. If you are looking for a rubber stamp, you will not get it here. If you really want to improve your knowledge and flying skill, these guys are tremendous! I am really glad that I had the opportunity to work with them and I will continue to do so in the future.”
“As a veteran of 57 years in the aviation business with 11,000 hours both civilian and military I consider myself very fortunate to have had many good flight instructors. I rank Mr. John Dye at the very top of the list. I thoroughly enjoyed my aerobatic training with John. That training has made me a safer and more competent pilot. I highly recommend Bad Attitude.”
“Overall it has been the best flying experience that I have had to date. I have no doubt that anyone that goes through the tailwheel or upset training will not regret it and become a better pilot with more confidence in their abilities.”
“If you are just starting to fly or you have been flying for years you already know it’s all about training. If you have never flown your plane to its limit then you don’t know what its capable of, good or bad. The guys at Bad Attitude can push your pilot skill set to the limits, test your skills before the airplane can test you! If you want to see what your limits are or want to sharpen your skill set then just fly with one of these pros!”
“Bad Attitude is simply great training! I took the basic aerobatic course to brush-up on some old skills and have some fun. I really liked the structure of the course; ground school, pre/post flight briefings and specific flight tasks. Professional, instructive, and enjoyable throughout. John Dye and his team of instructors are enthusiastic, knowledgeable and extremely competent. I highly recommend Bad Attitude to any pilot desiring to improve his/her skills.”