Delta Connection Academy...THOUGHTS????

[pgcfii2002]

Damn this thread has gotten big......

 

[mddg3581]

I recently graduated from DCA in August 05'. I started with 0 time and finished around 275 hours with my CFI-I. I personally had a great experience while I was there. The instructors were for the most part very knowledgeable and everyone was willing to help at all times. I think it really matters for each individual what they want to get out of the program. If you are dedicated and have a positive attitude things should go quite smoothly.
- I actually spent about 75K while I was ther for the program..not including living expenses. Its a pretty penny and it goes quick but I would do it all over again the exact same way. When I finished I was offered a job interview to instruct and was hired. I ultimately got a job at the Pontiac airport instructing and opted to not instruct for DCA. True you only get 10 per hour but I think it would have not been bad to instruct there. They have about 5-6 campuses nationally so you really get your pick alot of the time now which can drastically reduce your wait period between finishing training and starting to instruct. Like I said though, if your attitude is good and you worked hard the job interview seems to be a formality in instructing there because they are already aware of who you are and how you did. As far as the regional airline interview I think about 90% of the instructors get a job pretty easily after leaving the school. The name really does carry weight with the companies that interview Delta students. Most of my classmates are instructing for DCA now either in Sanford or another campus and seem to enjoy it. If you have some more in depth questions Id be glad to chat some more. Good luck on your decision. Oh yeah,, I checked out about 4 other schools as well but decided on DCA. (ATP, Flight Safety, American Flyers)

 

[de727ups]

"When I finished I was offered a job interview to instruct and was hired. I ultimately got a job at the Pontiac airport instructing and opted to not instruct for DCA."

Why? You don't think the guaranteed interivew is all that important? Or was it the $10/hr CFI pay?

 

[mddg3581]

Well, the job I took pays more than 2x an hour what DCA offers plus full benefits. The comppany also has a corporate side which takes its instructors so i was able to find soemthing much like DCA with a corporate side to things. Very true that many of the regionals are unstable so which one do you pick?? I decided with this opportunity maybe I would try corporate first. The flip side to DCA instructing is the pay which makes living tough. Being that Im from MI I can live focheaper with family which helps. The bottom line regardless of which route you take though is that when all is said and done you are going to be a flight instructor and are going to have to pay your dues as a broke ass to the industry. I realize its going to be quite a while before any financial rewards are made in this industry for us right? Besides.. we fly because it is a passion, not because we think we are going to be rich..hopefully

 

[de727ups]

"Well, the job I took pays more than 2x an hour what DCA offers plus full benefits."

Would you have got this job had you had spent half the money you did at DCA and trained at a smaller school? Or do they only hire DCA guys?

 

[mddg3581]

What pissed you off so much about DCA?

 

[mddg3581]

Every instructor I know of at my company attended Western, UND, Riddle, ATP... I will say they are all good programs from the sounds of it. I checked out the Florida schools and decided on DCA. I was kind of torn between that and Flight Safety though. I personally do not think the money I spent had much too do with my hiring besides indirectly the money got hte training done. I am very pleased to have obtained everything though in the condensed time period.

 

[SBD]

My .02 cents. DCA is way too expensive. Just with every flight school there are positives and negatives. You can get quality training almost anywhere. It is up to you to put the effort in. My advice to anyone thinking of attending DCA do your research! If you are planning to attend and do not have a 4 year degree, go to a state school or local university (that is not overpriced) and get yourself a degree (something non-aviation related). You always must have a back-up plan. One can find flight training anywhere. Most of the instructors that I work with are great individuals. Management doesn't seem to have it all together. They will take a 18 year old kid, his dreams and money and run with it as far as they can. The funny thing is that anyone can sign up for their program, but in reality many of them do not belong in that environment (part 141). It is very fast paced. Good training yes, if you put the effort in. Bad management, well that speaks for itself.

 

[cezzna]

I went to DCA in 93 and it sounds like they still have the same planes. I can't believe how much it costs now. I was in and out in 7 months finishing private through the MEI all for around 25k which includes housing. During training they came out with PFT and I said see ya. I wouldn't recommend going there now from what I hear. I wouldn't recommend aviation period.

 

[mddg3581]

Aviation is a tough decision these days. It would have been nice too finish DCA soemwhere close to that which is no longer a reality there. Part of the new student contracts include Bridge training at the end of your instruction period which includes a good amount of sim training in the crj and a ground school which does greatly prepare the instructors for their interviews. Its "free" but built in to the cost somewhere but it is nice too be able to get that extra trainig before interviewing

 

[mddg3581]

Yeah it is an expensive school. I must be the only person who enjoyed the time their and does not severely regret it. I will say the 10 per hour was an easy thing to pass up. I finished in August and probably have about 200 more hours than the guys I would have went through stands with. The new Cirruses were supposed to go to the Houston campus last I heard. Do you know if they got them there? I'm not disagreeing with your points and of course its obvious where the bridge cost is built in..everywhere. I thought it was a great school myself as a student but realized there were better ways to build my time as an instructor. When were you a student/instructor there?

 

[SBD]

buffettck, I agree with a majority of your post. The aircraft are old and I mean old. I had a few students that were younger than the Cessna fleet. As for your bud, I feel truly sorry for him. That is the majority of the instructors there now. Luckily I instructed elsewhere during my Standz break and built some time. The only part I disagree with your post is the student enrollment. There are so many freakin Chinese students there now that they are drafting instructors to teach these guys. The positive thing about that is they are very dedicated to their training and will listen to what you actually tell them. One more thing is about the maintanence department. While they are working with a very old fleet, they do an excellent job.

 

[joepilot29]

Wow DCA hasn't gone out of business yet?

Keybank Loan...............$100k
Time Spent @ DCA.........1.5 years
Susan Burrell's Mercedes..$80K
Bar Tabs .......................$5k
First Instructing job after
not getting hired at DCA....$20 per hr
AVG Regional salary........maybe $20K (might be pushing it)

$625.86 Loan payment per month for the next 20 years of my life...............PRICELESS

Do not go to DCA way too expensive. I wish I had done my homework on went a cheaper route. Anyone off the street can get the same interviews. Good training, met a alot of friends half have been furloughed already. Had alot of good times. Place seems to be going downhill every year.

 

[SBD]

Buffettck, as far as the aircraft you saw, one of the Spanish students had an "incindent on a solo." Building your time training the Chinese students is up to each individual. I am not in the group and I do understand your point to somewhat. The question I ask to you is with all the time on your profile what the heck were you thinking in enrolling at DCA?

 

[mddg3581]

Sounds like we probably we probably had the same instructor somewhere along the line. What did you think of the stagechecks and Azma rides? I did my multi with screamin gene which was nutz!!

 

[cobraman]

But, DCA will probably still maintain their 100% accident free stance...

Who says they have a 100% accident free record? Any person smart enough to use the NTSB site will plainly see a list of accidents. It's called FLIGHT TRAINING you twitt! Metal will get bent, paint will get scratched. More importantly, we flew over 100,000 hours last year and no one died. That should say tons about the flight instructors and maintenance guys that bust their @$$ everyday out there keeping the kids safe and doing the job the right way.

 

[cobraman]

This clown answers his own post 4 times in a row!

Buffetck,

Move on with your life, get over it. DCA was going to FIRE you, they were being nice and asked you to resign! Hell, you couldn't even remember to call your new students and couldn't be bothered to show up for monthly meetings.

When your employer finds out your scared $hitless of flying in actual, they fire you for real next time.

 

[mnixon]

You guys have quite the pissing match going on here! Scott, you were going to get fired, I was part of the meeting, and who cares about your "over-the-water" actual. We all fly in the clouds, it's part of the job there bud. If you have more actual than he has total, prove it by being a mature aviator who mentors those with less experience. Not an arrogant ass. Rant off, and back to the tstorms for the rest of the night. By the way I have to fly across lake michigan tonight in the tstorms in a navajo. Does that count as "over-the-water" actual? Kiddo?

 

[SSMOWS6]

DCA in the SFB base said they were making a decision about new aircraft 5 months ago. I got a letter in my mail box saying they are about to make a decision between Cessna, Cirrus, or Diamond. Is backseating requird in any other school by any chance?

 

[cobraman]

Scott, Your Rhetoric is getting old.
You are sounding like a little B!tch.:bawling: