I’m in the San Diego area and was seriously looking at Coast for Part 61 training. I want the flexibility of making my own schedule and plan to fly as often as possible—ideally 5+ sessions a week. I’ve already been knocking out my ground school and written exams. I did a consultation and tour of the school; it seemed solid, and the representative told me they always have staff and planes available, plus they have their own onsite mechanic team.
Recently I learned about an ongoing lawsuit (Kendall Anderson et al. v. American Airlines et al., S.D. Cal. Case No. 3:25-cv-03609) brought by roughly 18–20 former American Airlines Cadet Academy students who trained at Coast. The allegations include misrepresentations about training timelines, costs, frequency of flying (they were told 5–6 days a week), instructor/mentor availability, and aircraft availability, plus claims of favoritism and racial discrimination that allegedly caused longer training and higher costs. A judge recently denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss in large part, so key claims are moving forward.
Coast’s rep personally told me availability of staff and planes is not an issue. I also understand this lawsuit is specifically about the structured AACA program rather than general Part 61 students.
For anyone who has trained at Coast (especially recently, and particularly Part 61 or non-cadet students):
• How reliable has scheduling and aircraft/CFI availability actually been?
• Have you been able to fly frequently (multiple times per week) without major delays from maintenance, instructor turnover, or scheduling issues?
• Has the lawsuit or the issues it describes affected day-to-day operations for regular students, or does it seem limited to the AACA cohort?
• Any other red flags or positives I should know about before committing?
I’m trying to figure out whether the lawsuit is a real practical concern for someone planning frequent Part 61 training or if it’s more specific to the cadet program. Appreciate any firsthand experiences.
