ACA CRJ Training

[gump88]

Pilotboy, just my opinion, but I think you made a bad career move by quitting. You will have to explain this at your next job interview. And as a previous poster noted, FOs are trained to proficiency. Wow dude, you made it to the last sim without washing out. I would have rather been washed out for trying than to quit because I didn't think I would pass. Initial training has always been a group effort at places I have been. Everybody pulls together so that EVERYBODY makes it through. Where you might be weak in electrics and strong in hydraulics, another classmate may have the strengths to help you through. CRM begins on day 1!

Sorry, just my .02.
gump

 

[MetroSheriff]

Pilotboy, just my opinion, but I think you made a bad career move by quitting. You will have to explain this at your next job interview. And as a previous poster noted, FOs are trained to proficiency. Wow dude, you made it to the last sim without washing out. I would have rather been washed out for trying than to quit because I didn't think I would pass. Initial training has always been a group effort at places I have been. Everybody pulls together so that EVERYBODY makes it through. Where you might be weak in electrics and strong in hydraulics, another classmate may have the strengths to help you through. CRM begins on day 1!

Sorry, just my .02.
gump

There has GOT to be more to this story. Why would you get up and walk out right before a checkride. If you made it that far it is because the IP thought you could make it.

 

[pilotboy]

To fill in the missing link. I quit because i was told that i wasn't going to make it through. The thing was that in my privious attempt on Sim 11 i did everything to standards but towards the end i messed up on steep turns, and stalls with ONLY small 50 or so deviations on altitudes. Then on the second attempt the instructor was know to be one of the harsh dudes at the place and he told me right off that i would be doing EVERYTHING over again. I did everything to standards but my captain ( another instructor) kept on messing up . And finally when i asked for a specific speed he gave me the wrong one. Even after questioning the speed 3 times on final. After the sim i was told to meet with the director of training and told that i would be let go. Well, i thought to myself...... i've given it the best i have and this is how i get treated?! well i no longer want to work here so i quit..... i think leaving a job is far better than getting fired? don't you? well i have NO REGRETS for doing that...

 

[gump88]

one more thing:

11 sim sessions???? wow, thats 44 hours in the sim for one airplane. We only had 8 sessions at Bombardier for RJ initial and I thought that was more than enough.

I smell something fishy..........

gump

 

[gump88]

50 foot altitude deviations on steep turns and stalls is not a busting item. Know the PTS!

 

[pilotboy]

Gump

i don't know what you have up your butt man but you sound pretty angry at something. Anyways, i know my "PTS" and i know what i can do with an airplane.. i know as well that most other instructors including myself will give a pilot more than one chance before failing him or her on any one item. Again gump, i know you angry at something or someone but im not to blame for that... if you don't have something constructive to say shut your ***king trap. I would sincerely hate anyone like you in the cockpit . you sound like the type that thinks he knows everything. Imagine you with an experienced captain. Or even worst YOU AS A CAPTAIN ONE DAY. Oh My God i feel sorry for the indvidual sitting next to you.!!

 

[gump88]

Pilotboy,

Maybe the root of the problem is starting to surface. You do not like to be corrected and you have an attitude. My friend, I have been a Captain on the CL 65 and I'm sure you would enjoy flying with me. I think that you need to take responsibility for what happened. Its not the instructor's fault or the ACA training program. YOU are responsible for getting yourself through. Ever heard the old saying "cooperate and graduate"? I think that possibly your inexperience and bad attitude had a LOT to do with your situation.

Please understand that my intentions are not to put you down; only to analyze the situation as an unbiased fellow aviator. I mean no offense, and quite frankly, if you can't handle the heat then stay out of the kitchen.

I wish you much success in the future,

gump

 

[Mickey757]

Pilotboys back ground;

Flown--Cessna, Piper's

Ratings--Comm, MEI

TTL Time--1,500hrs

While I think that quiting at the end of sim training was a very unwise decision on his part, You also have to look at what the commuters are doing by putting some one with his experience level into The CRJ, Which is the equivalent of a "minnie" 757! Add to that a lousy IP and a immature pilot ( experience wise, and yes even personality wise! ) Even Miss Cleo could have seen the out come of this, In essence no one wins. ACA is out a whole lot of money, and someone is out of a job, and possibly a problem with future employers.
Not slaming you ,But you have to make decisions that will be with you for the rest of your career, So they had better be "sound decisions"

Take it a a learning experience and go forward with your career. Don't look back, and never give less than 110% for your self!

Best to you!

 

[Patriot328]

Pilotboy:


I have several friends that fly the CRJ here, some of them former interns with 600hrs. Guess what, they all made it! One busted his checkride, but retook it and passed. It's all about attitude. Despite how hard they make it, hundreds and hundreds of people before you, some with less time and less experience than you, have made it.

You had an instructor that was hard.. ya know what.. tough shyt, welcome to the real world. I had three different feds for my type ride and oral in the FRJ (3.5 hrs of oral, 2.0 hrs of sim checkride, and 2.0 hrs of airplane check ride.. regular ole type ride, not a train to proficiency ride.. 1kt over and you bust). Quitting was a bad move. You're going to have to explain why YOU QUIT in another interview (and bashing the training dept at ACA will not go over well at another interview because they will think you are putting the blame on someone else). I wouldn't want to have to explain why I quit a regional like that.

 

[pilotboy]

well your right... perhaps i do not necessarily like to be corrected all the time. And i don't like to live in a crach pad for 7 months with another 12 people. Not to mention the fact that it was the first time away from home ever in my life. And living on $150 a week. Of course my moral and my attitude wasn't the best it had ever been. But im not whineing here.. i know its not easy and next time around.. (that is if there will be a next time) i will have to learn how to sucessfully sacrifice alot in my life. Pretty much everything i have at that. But , i understand this is a part of what ive choosen to do. Further more i admit i didn't have an attitude conductive to learning. You got to the bottom of the problem there. Thanks for your insites

 

[BagelBomber]

ACA Interested,

I was at ACA for a short period of time recently and went through the CRJ short course program. I was current in the CRJ and had approx. 1000 hours in type. I have recently moved on to a new carrier but enjoyed my short time at ACA. There are some fundamental philosophies that, in my opinion, are flawed. Here are some of my personal observations on the training:

-First, is their philosophy on checklist usage. Most of their checklists are silent and uncommanded. The only way the PF or PIC knows if the checklist has commenced or a specific task has been completed is by one of the last two tasks read aloud, and then "checklist complete"(ie. taxi, descent/approach). The gear and flaps are never confirmed up on the climb checklist and the gear is not confirmed down by both pilots on landing checklist. All training I have ever received or studied has had the PF or PIC command the respective checklist. Additionally, the PNF or FO may then "flow" the checklist followed by reading the tasks aloud. This promotes good CRM between the pilots and if for no other reason provides confirmation on the CVR.

-Second, the practice of utilizing the FO to taxi the aircraft while the Capt starts the remaining engine begs numerous safety concerns. The pushback engine start and subsequent taxi start should be completed by the FO. The FO has no nosewheel tiller for steering and has only 4-6 degrees of steering with the pedals. But, that is not the big concern. The Capt now has his attention inside the cockpit preoccupied with starting the engine on a busy airport with a potentially low-time FO taxiing. One would have to weigh the risks of a low time FO damaging an engine to that of a taxiway or runway incursion. We all know the low-time FO can taxi an aircraft and start a jet engine, but, their decision process may not be adequate at that stage to react in a timely manner while the Capt is concentrating inside. Bottom line is that it puts the Capt in a precarious position.

-Third, the training managers have lost sight of the big picture and concentrate more on the minutia than flying the airplane. This trickles down to the instructors and makes for a difficult training environment. They seem more concerned with the overwhelming number of uncrucial callouts and procedures than flying the aircraft. The instructors seem bullied by two checkairmen who insist on perfection.

Finally, some examples of practices I believe to be inadequate, unsafe, or just plain overkill:
-Clearing turns below 10,000 ft in VMC is a good practice. Not in IMC, holding patterns, Class A airspace, or any combination thereof.
-Not having both pilots in green needles prior to FAF on an ILS is unsafe. It is more important to have backup info on the PNF side than it is to worry about GPS or FMS autotuning concerns outside the FAF. It's an extremely busy time at FAF. Both pilots should switch to green needles upon receiving a radar vector to final.
-Reduce number of unnecessary callouts throughout but particularly on non-precision approaches.
-The descent guidelines/philosophy may sound good on paper, but don't necessarily translate on the line(ie. passenger comfort in a 3000 fpm idle descent to change only 3000 ft altitude)
-Last item verbalized on taxi checklist resembles nothing like what is printed. "Altimeters 29.92 Left, Right, Checked Right."
-The weight and balance/performance sheets and procedures desperately need to be more efficient, on one sheet, and less cumbersome in the cockpit. Writing the same takeoff weights two and three times is unnecessary.
-Prior to the ACARS implementation, the practice of calling in times below 10,000 ft is a violation of sterile cockpit.

Just some observations on my part. I wish everyone at ACA well. The flying was fun and the people I came in contact with were nice. The CRJ is a busy airplane but can be extremely fun to fly.

Good luck.

BB

 

[ifly4food]

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