Advice Please!!!

[RM7599]

My short story: 26 years old and just graduated college with a Bachelors degree in Finance. I am planning on starting my flight training the first of Sept. I have narrowed my choices of training to two routes. 1. Go through the MAPDS program. 2. Go through another program and at the end of this program would have 1200 total hours with 200 multi. I would appreciate all advice, positive or negative! Thanks in advance!

 

[LR25]

Go out to the local airport, find yourself and instructor and get your private.

When your done with that, find yourself an CFII and get your instrument, so on and so on.

It will save you on thousands and thousands of dollars.

The way the industry is right now, there is no reason to be in a hurry.

You get to the point you have around 500 hrs and you try to find a right seat 135 job.

You can get to 500hrs by flight instructing or any other creative way you can think of.

I think its highly overated to spend 30-40K on a flight school.

Plus, you will have to pay more dues in when you land that first job making 15K a yr.


My .02

Good luck with your decision.

 

[350DRIVER]

I would tend to lean towards the MAPD program IF your main objective is to get to the regional airlines the "quickest"- I don't think many other programs can compete with them in regards to the shortest time to get a 121 position. I have a few friends who went through the program and are now captains with them at 23 and 24 years of age repsectively. At a little over 300 hours total time, B1900 flight time as well as a systems class YOU will pretty much be ready to go 121 when you have completed the program since Mesa trains you their way from day 1. IF you choose any other route with the exceptions of your "bigger" flight schools who have direct tracks, agreements with "some" regionals, or other pre-arranged agreements with the regional to allow you to get hired with "less" than their normal minimums then you can look at instructing or building your time up some other way which will take some time (MAPD you pretty much skip the "time building" route)-

IF I had to do it all over again I would have seriously looked at MAPD program since at 23 years of age I am still not flying 121 which was a major goal for me. Instead even though I have pleanty of Multi-engine time as well as most of it being turbine time I am not "competitive" due to my lack of TT. MAPD as well as ASA & FSI proved that a lower time pilot could be a safe one as well a very competent one.- (GLA also proves this day in and day out with their safe track record with low time pilots up front)-

IF you choose to go another route good luck to you although I would seriously look into the MAPD program. Expensive BUT after 19 months you are on your way and won't have to worry about being so called "competitive" or "qualified" due to your lack of total flight time SINCE from day 1 Mesa trains you to be "ready" for the line.....

C H E E R S
3 5 0

 

[bobbysamd]

MAPD

350Driver has it right. I worked there at one time. I posted on MAPD in response to your other post. Bottom line: The program works. People indeed get hired by Mesa at 300 hours. But, don't expect a walk in the park. You have plenty of hoops through which to jump and plenty of people you will need to punch your ticket along the way to the coveted "interview."

Once again, send me a private if you want to know more, but, I think my other post covers most of it.

PS-After a bit of reflection, I feel that Freight Dog, below, provides good food for thought. You complete Mesa in eighteen months and that may seem like a long time. But, it may not be long enough for the system to absorb the furloughees, and Mesa to recall its furloughees. Remember, too, the always-present glut of pilots who are ready for the commuters. So, while I stand behind my two posts about Mesa, perhaps you might consider if it is worth it to rush with everything. I have no idea if successful MAPD interviewess are placed in a pool, but, even considering the non-union Freedom Air startup, you still may not go to ground school for a while after your graduate.

Once again, good luck with your choice.

 

[Freight Dog]

Keep in mind that there are lots of people still furloughed at many regionals who had programs like that. Mesa still has a couple hundred guys or so on furlough. Eagle has a few hundred out too. TSA has guys on furlough too. Those are the guys who were actively recruiting from certain programs. Now, I don't think anyone is recruiting from any kinds of programs.

Get your ratings at your local FBO - it will save you literally thousands and thousands of dollars because at high name or "bridge" schools, you are paying for the name. Get your CFI's and instruct. When you go job hunting, walk in your resume everywhere and see if you can talk to people. That's how you get jobs.

Don't be in a rush because most airlines have pilots on furlough so before they can hire anyone, they have to recall all those guys. Basically, right now the market is flooded with qualified pilots. Use this time to build your time, get a lot of multi time by either instructing or flying checks once you get your time, and by the time the hiring starts, you should be competitive.