David McGhee's path to pilot training was paved with eye examinations and costly student loans.
His story, hotly disputed by the flight school he attended, can serve as a warning to aspiring flight students.
In 2006, McGhee chose to enroll at the National Pilot Academy at Ryan Airfield, which wanted more than $60,000 — up front — before his training would begin, he said.
McGhee, 21, had surgery on his eyes when he was young. In future examinations growing up, his doctors said he had "pilot's eyes."
There was one problem, however: After some training, a doctor told him that he'd never pass the highest level of eye tests to garner a commercial license, saying he had a disorder that prevented his eyes from being parallel.
"After that happened, I knew I wouldn't get my first-class license," McGhee said.
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He and his mother, Dorothy Cisler, complained to the school, which they said previously told them not to worry about a lesser rating on the eye exam. Then, they said, the school wanted $5,000 in early-withdrawal fees when McGhee left the school.
Requiring such a large sum of money upfront is unusual, some pilot-school operators said.
"I don't want to have that much money here," said Jerry Williams, the owner of Tucson's Sonoran Wings Flight Training Centre at TIA. "What if they suddenly decide they don't want to fly anymore?"
Instead, he said it's common for people to "pay as you go," similar to getting the bill after eating at a restaurant.
Ken Bond, an official at the National Pilot Academy who is familiar with McGhee's case, said in a written statement that McGhee's could have completed his training despite his eye condition but canceled anyway.
"When students are motivated and have no interest in leaving the program, the policies and procedures are not an issue," Bond said in the statement. "But if students change their minds, they suddenly want a free pass out of the obligations of which they had full knowledge, and to which they agreed upon enrollment. Unfortunately, such a pass cannot be issued."
The school also promised to hire McGhee as a flight instructor once he completed his training, Bond said. When McGhee chose to leave anyway, the school decided to charge the applicable fees.
Cisler, McGhee's mother, has since filed for bankruptcy. What makes her angry is that her son was accepted before having his eyes screened.
"They were so quick to get us in," said Cisler, who recently filed for bankruptcy. "Why did they accept him to begin with?"