CFI Programs

[fulcrum]

YOU GET WHAT YOU PUT IN IT

 

[172driver]

I'll try to answer your questions as honestly as I can. First, I agree $10K is a lot, perhaps too much, but the market seems to bear it.

First, you will go through a VFR/IFR proficiency course to get used to the area, Comair procedures, and standards, etc.

The CFI program consists of 40 hrs ground school, 22 ground briefs you give to various CFI's (these vary between 1 and 4 hrs in length), 18 flight lessons, in-house end of course. The quote is pretty realistic -- you will most likely team up with another student on the briefs, cutting the cost in half. The flight portion will probably run over budget a bit, depending on your performance. Right around $7000 I believe but check with the school.

CFI-I is basically a Part 61 course -- train to proficiency, 20 hrs ground school you pay for, 20 hrs free. Students finish it in anywhere between 12 and 40 flight hrs. It really varies depending on the rust. Quoted at $2500 or so.

Then you interview. No politics involved, they are simply looking for solid CFI's. They try to model it after an airline interview (written test, oral board interview). They will look at your training record, attitude, time it took to complete the courses, personality, etc. Basically, they try to filter out the students who had MAJOR difficulties, if you know what I mean.

As far as the MEI credit, you'd have to contact them for the exact amount. They pay the full MEI ($4500 or so) for those who go through the whole program, pro rate those who come in with ratings. I would guess you'd get about $2000 back.

I guess the major selling point and the reason we have students, even at these prices, is the airline interview. I don't want to sound like an admissions rep but where else are pilots being hired at 1000/100? At an excellent airline, no less.

I will warn you though -- many students who come from the outside are blown away by the pace and standards they are held to. Some do very well and others drop out very quickly. Depends on student aptitude, work ethic, and quality of previous training.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[EMcx2]

The preceding advertisement has been paid for by Comair! 172Driver must be a sales counselor because even the people who have gotten through the "program" would not describe it in such glowing terms. I’ll bet it’s Ron.

Let’s tell it the way it really is…..
If you are coming from outside, the minimum price for the initial CFI is $11,000 plus. The VFR/IFR proficiency alone is $4,000. The ground school, which is a waste of time, is $1,200. So the minimum is close to $12,000 if you are perfect. On the other hand, it is not unusual for students at Comair to take 50 flight hours to earn an initial CFI. 50!!
CFII…They quote a price for 5 flight hours to complete the program. Well it turns out; the syllabus contains a minimum of 15 hours of flight time. Oh, and by the way, the CFI group manager said that the average time to complete the CFII was 27 hours! Twenty-seven hours of flight time to do a CFII!!! I know people who have spent more than 20,000 dollars just to get a CFI/CFII. People have spent 70,000 plus dollars earning all of their ratings.
While we are at it, let us mention a couple of other highlights….
Beat to hell airplanes at ridiculous prices.
Complete lack of control of your own schedule.

It is true that many of the students who come from outside of the program drop out. That’s because having been other places they quickly realize they are being exploited and get out before they waste to much money.

Let me give you something else to think about. Lets talk about why everybody goes to Comair; a chance to go right into a RJ. Comair puts pictures of them every where and on everything. Well, before you get to fly a RJ, you have to get hired as a flight instructor.
If you are hired as an instructor, you have to give 800 hours of dual instruction before you can interview with the airline. That is equivalent to training three people from 0 time through their instructor ratings. Let us assume that all three of those students are hired as instructors. Comair academy now needs at least 9 students to keep those CFI’s busy. For those 9 students to be hired, the school now needs 27 new students. Under different circumstances, this same scheme is called a pyramid club. Sorry…I got carried away but the math doesn’t lie. Over time, only one out 3 people will even make it to flight instructor.

The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your decisions….choose carefully.

 

[172driver]

I am not going to be the CAA defender here and I'm certainly not a sales rep. But...EMcx2 sounds like he/she couldn't hack it. I believe I mentioned that many people struggle with the high standards. However, many people make it through the program right on or even under the quotes. I was one of them.

It is probably true that 1/2 to 1/3 of the students who start the program don't finish it as a CAA CFI. Others can say better than I whether or not this is true of most schools/FBO's. How many private students at your school ended up working there? Not everybody is cut out to be a professional pilot.

They quote a price for 5 flight hours to complete the program. Well it turns out; the syllabus contains a minimum of 15 hours of flight time.

Untrue...the CFI-I is quoted at 15 hrs, just like the syllabus.

Oh, and by the way, the CFI group manager said that the average time to complete the CFII was 27 hours! Twenty-seven hours of flight time to do a CFII!!! I know people who have spent more than 20,000 dollars just to get a CFI/CFII. People have spent 70,000 plus dollars earning all of their ratings.

This is true. However, it all comes down to proficiency.