Looking for others interested in attending classes with me at Front Sight near Las Vegas Nevada or Sig Sauer Academy in New Hampshire later this year.  I have a bunch of Front Sight memberships which makes those courses very cheap.  These are the courses I'm interested in, looking to take about 3 classes.  I'll also consider other schools.

Front Sight https://www.frontsight.com/Courses.asp
4 day defensive handgun or 2 day skill builder
2 day advanced tactical handgun (prereqs)
1 day tactical awareness (prereqs)
4 day rifle marksmanship
1 day precision rifle fundamentals (prereqs)
4 day precision rifle (prereqs)
4 day Uzi submachinegun
4 day select fire m16
2 day long gun tactics (prereqs)

Sig Sauer Academy https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/courses
Shoot House Instructor (prereqs)
Active Shooter Response Instructor (prereqs)
PRS101 Precision Scoped Rifle
Concealed carry for instructors (prereqs)

I wonder if it would be cheaper to try and get these guys to come out to Hawaii to give a class?

I wonder if it would be cheaper to try and get these guys to come out to Hawaii to give a class?

FS only does classes at their range.  Sig does their pistol instructor class here for HPD once in a while.  There are two challenges.  Biggest one is finding a range to host it as it's a commercial activity.  Xring is a possibility though it would be costly.  Or small private ranges here or the neighbor islands.  Then getting the minimum commitments is a headache.

I wonder if it would be cheaper to try and get these guys to come out to Hawaii to give a class?

Cheaper how?

You'll still need pay the regular class fees and individual student ammo costs.

Now you want to add to the costs:

Travel
Per Diem
Lodging
Local transportation
Instructors having to register their handguns at HPD (time wasted during business/class hours)

FrontSight needs to still pay for their overhead, salaries, and all other operating expenses at their facilities.  There's no way they can afford to do off-site classes for less.

They also need facilities for classroom and shoot/no-shoot live fire training.  Those facilities, if available, need to be rented -- unless you have such spaces to donate to the cause.  Part of the overhead includes their insurance.  I doubt their policies cover locations they don't have control over.

The cheapest membership is $250 ($200 for the membership + $50 background check).

Included in that membership are FREE training classes.  You need to add travel and lodging expenses.

Not rocket science.  If you can't afford the travel costs and a reasonable cost for 5 days of training and CCW permit testing/applications, which includes notary and fingerprinting, then I doubt you'll be forking out $200 to take the class locally.

Think EEF is referring to the cost of 2 or 3 instructors coming here versus 20 of us flying to the mainland.

Normally a 4 day Sig trip costs me about $1600 for airfare, hotel, car and meals.  FS about $950.  It's cheaper and more fun if a group goes.   Also I've found you have a better chance of passing when you can help each other.

For 20 students taking a course here with 3 instructors flying down, the the travel cost might come out to $300+ range fees per student.

It can be much cheaper IF you can arrange for suitable range and get their “break even” number to commit. Both are huge ifs for Hawaii. I tried to get a few trainers to come out. All willing and sort of like a Pro Bowl for them as their families wanted to come out. Sadly, could never get past the range logistics. Had a friend on Kauai that built his own range, but never worked out timing wise.

As for hosting the trainers, it’s quite common. A few of my buddies host them all the time on the mainland. Not FS and stuff like shoot houses are of course special, but it can be done. I’ve attended a couple. While I of course had to pay to travel, about 18 or so of their buddies didn’t. 

Think EEF is referring to the cost of 2 or 3 instructors coming here versus 20 of us flying to the mainland.

Normally a 4 day Sig trip costs me about $1600 for airfare, hotel, car and meals.  FS about $950.  It's cheaper and more fun if a group goes.   Also I've found you have a better chance of passing when you can help each other.

For 20 students taking a course here with 3 instructors flying down, the the travel cost might come out to $300+ range fees per student.

Exactly what I was thinking, thank you.

Is it not possible to host such a course at Kokohead?

Exactly what I was thinking, thank you.

Is it not possible to host such a course at Kokohead?

You should go to the course and experience it first.  There are plenty of videos on the YT FS channel, too.

A good portion of the time is classroom.  No classroom facilities at Koko Head.  Even most HI state-required handgun courses meet in classes then drive to the range.

"Shoot houses" don't exist at Koko Head.

There would have to be approvals for the FS targets used:  human silhouettes and caricatures.

FS would have to pay to ship all their supplies as well, just as any mainland training group does.

Need someone to coordinate every little detail of the course with the range supervisors to ensure there are no surprises.

I would rather go to Vegas and enjoy a week there instead of attending their class here. I pay nothing to attend their classes with my membership and I already have a timeshare in Vegas to stay at.

I took a class at the end of Feb and was planning to go again in Oct, but I had some unexpected car and truck repairs and my refrigerator had to be replaced.  so no mo money for a Vegas trip this year.

Dont forget they all need 10rd mags, register all guns coming in +rapback.

U less they borrow all guns needed, which might be way easier.

Only reason for them to come here is free vacay in hawaii.

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Dont forget they all need 10rd mags, register all guns coming in +rapback.

U less they borrow all guns needed, which might be way easier.

Only reason for them to come here is free vacay in hawaii.

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They can't borrow handguns.   

They can't borrow handguns.   

Meant use a handgun with the owner present. Probably taking the class

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I'm just jealous as I had 2 friends go to SIG over the weekend... Got to play with all their fancy toys and such.

I'm just jealous as I had 2 friends go to SIG over the weekend... Got to play with all their fancy toys and such.

NH and Maine are good.places to stay.  The scenery, history, and food.  Lots of lobster there.

zippz, would you ever consider upgrading to one of those private training memberships offered at Front Sight?

i was told that you can fit an entire 4-day FS course into less than 2 days worth of private training.

zippz, would you ever consider upgrading to one of those private training memberships offered at Front Sight?

i was told that you can fit an entire 4-day FS course into less than 2 days worth of private training.

I got some of those but never used it.  Forgot about them actually.  Could use them to practice shoot on the move or precision rifle later.

Haldf of the 4 day class is lectures, so you skip that in the advanced classes, skill builders, and private training.

I got some of those but never used it.  Forgot about them actually.  Could use them to practice shoot on the move or precision rifle later.

Haldf of the 4 day class is lectures, so you skip that in the advanced classes, skill builders, and private training.

Yup. I just went to FS last month for the first time for a 4 day defensive handgun course. I barely missed the DG cutoff, but I definitely  could have made it if I was fresh for the test. I basically just want to go so I can take the test without having to sit through the rest of the class

Yup. I just went to FS last month for the first time for a 4 day defensive handgun course. I barely missed the DG cutoff, but I definitely  could have made it if I was fresh for the test. I basically just want to go so I can take the test without having to sit through the rest of the class

because if you cannot beat the test, the next best alternative is to try and game it...

because if you cannot beat the test, the next best alternative is to try and game it...

After 4 days of shooting, I'd be smoked.  I've only done a 2 day handgun followed by a 2 day carbine.  Holy crap was I gassed.  And that was when I was in better shape.   

There wasn't a formal test at the end, but the instructor gave out some pretty cool gear for stuff like best shooter, most improved, etc.  Might tempt me to game it next time.    

Just an observation, if you want to take the skills test but don't want to waste time at the lectures then I would recommend the 2 day HG skill builder.  It has most of the shooting in the 4 day but none of the lectures.  You basically do a few hours of fundamental/safety review then you start shooting different parts of the skills test, run through short versions of the test, and the whole test, etc...  it is a class designed to get those on the edge, over the line. No man-on-man competition, no lectures, just practice the skills test.  They use the turning targets which can be good or bad depending on the person.  It can add more pressure because the targets "disappear" and are noisy.  It gives you a fraction of a second more time because you can draw on the sound of the actuators just before they start to turn (not a rule but my observation) and keep shooting until the target is 90 degrees (angled shots are accepted as long as the hole crosses the line).

the class does more total shooting than the 2 day but less than the 4 day.  I like it.