737 Type Rating Schools

[loNslo]

Which type rating school is best? Is Higher Power Aviation better than Pan Am Academy or vice versa? How about other schools, etc.

 

[jimbo]

Aeroservice in MIA...did it in Oct of 2000. Price was $6800 including a $400 allowance for hotels. They can provide you with housing info. It took 2 weeks...1 week grnd school and 1 week in the sim. Brush up on your spanish though....just about everyone there was from latin America and had heavy accents.

 

[jimEJet]

THE BEST, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, WITHOUT A DOUBT IS K&S AVIATION OUT OF PHOENIX.

THEY ARE THE NICEST PEOPLE. STEPHANIE AND KIRK. THE CLASSROOM IS JUST LIKE A 121 COURSE, LAID BACK AND NON-THREATENING. THE MATERIALS ARE VERY STRUCTURED AND STRAIGHTFORWARD, NO GUESS WORK, WHATSOEVER.

THE CLASS SIZES ARE REAL SMALL, FIVE TO SIX GUYS.

THE PROGRAM IS A DUPLICATE OF SOUTHWEST'S TRAINING DEPARTMENT. ALL CALLS AND PROCEDURES ARE PER SOUTHWEST'S SOP'S. SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING THE TYPE FOR A SWA CLASS OR INTERVIEW THAN THIS IS THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN! I BELIEVE K&S IS THE ONLY TYPE PLACE APPPROVED TO TEACH SWA'S SOP'S. ALL THE OTHER TYPE PLACES WILL ONLY TEACH YOU GENERAL PROCEDURES THAT WILL ONLY CONFUSE YOU WHEN YOU GET TO SWA.

I FIGURED IT WAS A NO BRAINER SINCE SWA WILL BE MY FIRST MAJOR 121 JOB AND I NEEDED TO HAVE EVERY POSSIBLE EDGE BEFORE I GET THERE.

LIKE I SAID THERE ARE ONLY GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT K&S AVIATION. I WAS A FURLOUGHED 121 GUY AND BELIEVE THIS PROGRAM STACKS UP TO THE BEST OF THE 121 PROGRAMS I'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO.

THE BONUSES FOR GOING THERE ARE...

PAID HOTEL
SMALL CLASSES
CLEAN AND NEW TRAINING FACILITIES
CLOSE HOTEL TO TRAINING FACILITY
EASY AND CHEAP AIR FARES TO PHX (ESPECIALLY IF YOU JUMPSEAT)
CHEAP TOTAL PACKAGE PRICE OF $7700.00


ONE MORE THING, I KNOW STEPHANIE READS THESE POSTS SO I WANT TO THANK HER ONCE AGAIN!

THANKS GUYS, HAD FUN

K&S AVIATION'S PHONE IS 877 748 6745

GOOD LUCK

 

[SWA GUY]

I went to Aeroservices 1 & 1/2 yers ago. I got through the deal just fine. However the ground school really sucked, the guy teaching knew nothing about the 737!

More recently though some friends of mine went through the class. Aeroservices failed all the applicants, then charged them all about $1,800.00 extra to retrain. Imagine, all the applicants failing? Sound like a quick way to jack up the price doesn't it. Very unprofessional atmosphere, sounds good over the phone, they'll tell you ANYTHING to get you down there.

If I were you, I would go somewhere else.

HC

 

[Mil-BushPilot]

Crew Pilot Training

I went to Crew Pilot Training in Houston.

-300 EFIS

class size was me & another dude so every sim session I was either CAPT or FO

Instructor stayed with us at the hotel for after hours questions and prep. Instructors were retired Delta and Cont pilots plus other airline captains.

cost was $7300 plus a free Continental ticket ( I flew 1st class!)

Southwest flows used.

I only have good things to say for a great program.

QUestions, please ask.

Mil-Bushpilot

 

[waitin]

I second the K&S recommendation...very professional and almost painless.

 

[StarrBuck]

I'll second the vote for K&S.. Not only was it painless, it was alot of FUN... Instructors were great, told you what you needed to know, and what you didn't.

Thanks Steph and Kirk!

 

[DHPope93]

Ah, what the hell, here's another plug for K&S. All the reasons listed above, and great people to boot. They'll even knock down the price if you have other lodging arrangements in the area (I live in Phoenix).

Peace,
DP

 

[BeerNear]

Higher Power

I went with HP in Dallas. Best training I have ever received. Great people with good hearts. Cost around 7000. Log onto www.jetcrew.com for info. One of the co-founders, Mark Stearns, is a great guy and will answer any questions you have. He is a no BS type of guy. Take care and hae fun,

BN

 

[737 Flyer]

Flight Training International in Denver is a great school. They use the United Training Center and have great instructors. Shari Egan is great at helping with the financing part including WIA. There Website is WWW.FTI737.com and their number is (303) 329-0999. One of the other great things about FTI is no waiting. Because Untied is not using their 737 sims as much as they used to, it has meant unlimited training slots for FTI. A friend called one of the bigger schools and was told it would be at least a month if not two before he could get a class, he ended up at FTI right away.

Hope this helps16

 

[J3CubCapt]

My 2 cents

Higher Power did me well. I really enjoyed the class time and our ground school instructor was the best I have ever seen.

I think there is a great relatioship between HPA and SWA. Its cool to have the SWA recruitment team come over to HPA and talk to the class.

I have to admit I have heard nothing but great reviews about K&S too. An obvious realation to SWA as well.

Good luck in your search!

If anyoone is interested, I'm selling my Higher Power manuals on www.ebay.com item=2128288095

 

[Krunch]

K&S Kick Butt...

If you are getting a 737 type it is probably to get into the door and sucessfully interview with SWA...
Why go to any other place when K&S teach SWA procedures...
Not only that but it is a well run organization with a cadre who truly care...

"Krunch"

 

[jball2]

I'll 3rd K&S


It was nice to already know it SWA style when I showed up for new hire class.

Awsome instructors! Most are SWA pilots who love to tell SWA stories.

Have Fun!

 

[MaxFly]

K & S.

The crew there is fabulous. Great instructors. Nice people. Would give it my highest recommendation.

Kirk and Stephanie seem to know scores of people at SWA (Kirk is a SWA Captain, Stephanie was a station manager I believe). They are hooked into the SWA network as well as anyone.

Small class sizes. Great instruction. Great experience.

Go to Phoenix.

 

[PTinbound]

As for me and my house, I'll stick with Higher Power in DAL. After all, where else does anyone want to be but the promised land?
The "power lunch" that Mark organized at the ball bark (TGIF's overlooking the diamond) was itself worth the $7380. I sat across from the then JM and the next table over from CH (I'm dating myself here). I talked one on one with one of the PD interviewers, gloves off with no notetaking. It gave me tremendous confidence for the future interview. That experience was priceless, and the training was outstanding. They've got it down to a science there. I'm sure that K+S is great too, but I went to HPA and I'll vouch for them.
Thanks Mark!

 

[canyonblue]

I went to Aeroflot Training in St. Petersburg, Russia. Cost about 20 Mil but got great training in the sim (It was a bathtub on top of a bowling ball). No wait thats Lance Bass. Never mind.

 

[poisonivy737]

Thanks guys

This is to JimEJet, waitin, starrBuck, DHPope93(see you on the 13th), Krunch, jball2 and MaxFly:

Thanks! guys for voting for K & S Aviation. We truly enjoyed our time with you all. We are getting all set up for all 300 material. As you all know to come to recurrent class is free of charge. Just call me and let me know. The pilots vote on the contract August 19th. Hey it is great for the two years before renegotiations in the following contract. Talked with Heather this morning about the future new hire classes and interviewing. Call me and I will give the updates.

Thank you again and look forward to hearing from all of you.

Stephanie

 

[hankhill]

Higher Power Aviation

loNslo,

I went to Higher Power and I highly recommend them. Twelve of my friends have also gone through the program, and without exception they said great things about the quality of instruction and the hospitality of the staff.

We all flew for two Part 121 carriers who have excellent training programs, but I agree with several of my buddies who commented that the best instruction we've ever received was at Higher Power.

At HPA you don't have to worry about dealing with the high failure rate described by one of the posters above at another flight school. Higher Power is at the other end of the spectrum and you can expect to be treated with kindness, respect, and a lot of support.

It's a classy and professional operation and if you go there you won't be disappointed.

Good Luck to you wherever you decide to go!

hankhill

 

[crjdude]

Not to keep going on and on about it, but K and S is the best game in town. I got my type there and it was truly a pleasurable experience.

All of my instructors were either current SWA or retired SWA.
Used SWA flows, procedures, and checklists. Also being around all those SWA folks sure is motivating. If not completely infectious. I thought I wanted to work for SWA before I went............Great stories. Truly a great group of people.

Without a doubt the best training program I have ever been through. Really get alot for the investment.

Many thanks to Kirk, Stephanie, Jan, Bill, Rhinehard, Steve, Brent and Mike. You guys are the greatest and will always receive my highest recommendation.

A Pleased Customer

 

[loNslo]

Thanks everyone for all the info. I've been in touch with K & S, along with Higher Power as a results of the post on this thread. However, it may all be for naught. I just found out from the officials here in upstate NY that the max grant for WIA funding is now down to $2000.00, which is better than nothing but leaves more than I can afford. Take care.