Delta Connection Academy...THOUGHTS????

[crjfo2b]

they make u do that at DCA, they make u do at least 2 rating with them before they would consider you for employment as an instructor...

 

[THE Flying Ace]

We fly to SFB a lot during the winter from MN, and the thing I don't like about DCA is those dam# seminoles can only use the long runway, which forces us to do few 360's or S-turns down the final.

 

[Lucky]

We fly to SFB a lot during the winter from MN, and the thing I don't like about DCA is those dam# seminoles can only use the long runway, which forces us to do few 360's or S-turns down the final.

Thats funny, I see the seminoles using 9 center all the time. Correct me if I am wrong, but thats not the long runway.

 

[lymanm]

"Thats funny, I see the seminoles using 9 center all the time. Correct me if I am wrong, but thats not the long runway."

Correct, but only for full strop arrivals & departures. Touch & gos must be done on 9L/27R (the long one) as DCA has conservative minimums for that manoeuver on the PA-44. Singles do their touch & gos on 9R/27L, way the hell out there.

On a related note, the controllers at SFB are among the best in the country (that I've come across). Try mixing 3 parallel runways with 6-7 in the pattern for each of the outer 2 runways, 4-5 arriving/departing in the middle one, half on which are IFR. Oh, don't forget the 5 A330s, 767s and 747s that arrive within an hour of each other every afternoon, not to mention the executive/frax traffic and Pan Am 727 traffic all hours of the day. Most importantly, their ability in dealing and being patient with inexperienced students (and instructors!)

 

[THE Flying Ace]

There sure is a mix of aircraft. Everything from the smallest, to the largest.

Got to hand it to their controllers. Can't wait till they get that north taxiway done!

 

[Lucky]

On a related note, the controllers at SFB are among the best in the country (that I've come across). Try mixing 3 parallel runways with 6-7 in the pattern for each of the outer 2 runways, 4-5 arriving/departing in the middle one, half on which are IFR. Oh, don't forget the 5 A330s, 767s and 747s that arrive within an hour of each other every afternoon, not to mention the executive/frax traffic and Pan Am 727 traffic all hours of the day. Most importantly, their ability in dealing and being patient with inexperienced students (and instructors!)

Y'all might not know it but the FAA recognized SFB tower for Tower of the year award. St. Pete radio for flight service station of the year and Orlando Approach as Approach controller of the year. Not to shabby

 

[1.3XVso]

RUN

RUN..!



My 3 cents.

 

[bobbysamd]

Comair v. MAPD, or, "my school is better than your school"

DCA is the best school for people who are disciplined and realy want to become an airline pilot.

I'd argue with that, having interviewed at Comair and meeting people there, and having instructed at ERAU, FlightSafety and MAPD.

It takes a bunch of discipline to get through Mesa. Students are under the gun constantly to meet flight and course completion deadlines. They have to maintain a B or better average in their flight courses to get the Mesa interview. As well as flying, they are going to college, at least part-time. MAPD is plenty challenging, especially when the sole aim of so many is getting "the interview" and being hired by an airline at 300 hours.

FlightSafety is plenty demanding. One finishes that entire program in seven months or less. The carrot at the stick there is also "the interview."

Please note that along with not caring for Comair's environment, I did not care for FlightSafety's or Mesa's when I worked for the both of them, so I feel I'm being objective in my comments.

 

[SMOE]

Alot of the info in this thread is either out dated or just false,
-Completion of the program means completing 800 dual as a CFI at DCA ( and you WILL get hired )

REALLY? You will get hired? What about the last group of eight that went up to Chataqua and only three were picked up? Why didn't any interview at Comair? Maybe Comair is finally catching on...

You mean you will get hired if you keep your head down, don't make waves, and don't piss the administrators or the slimy Chief Pilot off.

Heck, you may even wind up in the sacred inner circle. Case in point: the contract says your guaranteed ONE interview. What about the instructor who after blowing two interviews is still allowed to hang around and suck oxygen? And, SHE's not the only exception but I see no reason to drop names.

- The program at DCA is one of the most demanding outside of the military,

Are you speaking from personal military experience or is that just more hearsay that DCA instructors pass along to one another like the Gospel?

The experience levele of DCA instructors who start at zero time is a joke. They get into standz with about 300TT and a whopping 20 or so solo hours. Great decision making experience, don't you think? Most won't fly over 10 kts of crosswind and even more are terrified of actual IMC. But, as long as you can memorize the FAR/AIM from cover to cover, that's all you need to know. And, since most checkrides are done in-house, you have the low time evaluating (and I use the term loosely) the no time. What a racket.

Finally, what airline training to you receive before the bridge program other than reciting call-outs on an instrument approach? Why don't you tell everyone how much CRM training you get? Or what about hands on practical experience with FMS, INS, GPS, TCAS, GPWS, turbine engine/advanced aircraft systems? Why don't you tell everyone about the modern 172s the school is overcharging for?

Just two-cents from someone who temporarily believed the 97% lie...

 

[de727ups]

Not knocking DCA...but

It took me 7 years from graduating college to a major with a part 61, FBO, training background. I only mention this because there ARE ways other than DCA to make it in aviation.

 

[mnixon]

i completed my double i in november of 2003 and am preparing to go back for standz class....while i may agree with yall that the advertising may be off at times...the training that i recieved at dca i believe is second to none...i am biased considering the amount of money that i gave them but i feel more than prepared. I just think its funny that all the people who cant hack it at a particluar school, feel the need to come back with a vengeance to bash it....and not just DCA, all academy's. Best advice to potential students....when you go on the tour, talk to students and for the most part youll find they like it. If you bust your rump you can do it...bottom line....while nothin is guaranteed in life, Interviews included, i felt and still do that this is the best way to break into aviation. Crucify me because i had a good time and busted my ass to get a double i with well under 250 hours and 10 months. oh yea thats right experience? you need 250 just to get a commercial ticket? yea because drivin a 52 all over gods green earth is such great experience! just my two cents! peace, Im out

 

[de727ups]

Well...

Sounds like you don't put much value on flight experience. Glad you worked hard and got your ratings but I put a high value on the learning experiences one can get by flying a 52 around God's green earth. I think it's a shame you'll be allowed to teach the next round of DCA students with such a lack of flying time and experience...but I guess that's how it works there. You think "the program" makes up for a lack of real would experience? Give me a break....

I've seen academy types and 61 types. They both have their strong points and their weak points.

God help us if the airlines start hiring from only one type of background....whatever that may be. The best thing we have going for us is the mix of academy guys, Alaska bush pilots, military, freight, corporate, ect...we all bring valuable experiences to the cockpit.

By the way, I'm not "bashing DCA" as some guy who couldn't hack it at some other school. I leave for 757 school at UPS this week and I've been a CFI since 1981. I don't mean to bash anybody but I see DCA's marketing and hear statements like yours bragging about not needing flight experience to be a CFI and....I just gotta say something

 

[mnixon]

first off let me congratulate ya on class...thats great....and second....i totally agree that diversity in flying is a great thing....the guy next to me might be taught in a different way that helps me see the issue at hand more clearly....im not saying that academy grads are better....it just worked for me

 

[de727ups]

Glad to hear you say so

'im not saying that academy grads are better'

That's not the impression I got from your first post.

 

[The_Russian]

mnixon,

What do you have to compare DCA to? Have you been to FSI or Pan Am, etc? Two out of few of the schools that I went to was DCA and FSI. FSI was a college of aviation. DCA (then Comair actually) was a joke. Who would you rather have teaching ground school, 230 hr. CFI or St. George? (you FSI guys know who I'm talking about) The aircraft at FSI were maintained properly with a progressive mx program. DCA leases a bunch of planes with horrible equipment and does the minimum FAA mx required. DCA's proceedures are "kick the tires, light the fires" compared to FSI's flight ops. Just read the briefing page on FSI's checklist. Those are just a few examples.

 

[mnixon]

i dont have anything to compare it to except a few fbo's that ive rented aircraft from where the instructors were subpar. like i said before i think a different mix of educations is good....DCA just worked for me!

 

[The_Russian]

Was just interested and looking for a basis of your statement. Not trying to put you down or anything. Good Luck!

 

[mnixon]

its cool brutta...it just irritates me when people, by no means im pointing at you ruskie!, all of a sudden jump on academies for no reason...i dont jump on all fbos because i had one bad experience! your training is what you make of it no matter which route you go!

 

[The_Russian]

YEAH!

Thats a good attitude and you are absolutely right!

Ruskie! I love it. One day I will own a Mig I swear it. Ebay anyone?

 

[bobbysamd]

What?? They let commies in FSI?

Just kidding. I hope you accept it as such. And, I will interrupt some of your comments, but I don't think you'll mind.

Originally posted by The_Russian
What do you have to compare DCA to? Have you been to FSI or Pan Am, etc? Two out of few of the schools that I went to was DCA and FSI. FSI was a college of aviation. DCA (then Comair actually) was a joke.

Having instructed at FSI in 1991-'92, I second Russian 100%. While I thought the place could have provided more in-depth ground school, the ground school was adequate and the flight training was second to none. FSI has been doing it for years. The place is organized, the equipment is first-rate, and the facilities are excellent. It really is organized something like a college campus, with the flight line at one end and the dorms and school buildings a walk across a field.

On the other hand, having interviewed at Comair three months before I was hired at FlightSafety, the difference is like night and day. I traveled two-thousand miles two separate times for my FSI interview and Comair interview. Comair gave me about fifteen minutes with the Chief Instructor, a 1.5 flight, if that, in a 152, and no rejection letter. Compare that with FSI, which rolled out the red carpet for me, put me up in one of the bungalows on campus for four days, and which interviewed me over three days. There was no comparison whatsoever.

The aircraft at FSI were maintained properly with a progressive mx program. DCA leases a bunch of planes with horrible equipment and does the minimum FAA mx required. DCA's proceedures are "kick the tires, light the fires" compared to FSI's flight ops. Just read the briefing page on FSI's checklist.

Russian is absolutely correct. FSI's checklists were very much airline-oriented. So were its flight profiles. I instructed in the Alitalia program, and the Chief Instructor was so impressed with how Alitalia taught precision even in non-precision approach procedures that he adopted them school-wide.

FlightSafety is expensive, but I feel you really do get what you pay for in terms of quality training.

I don't recall "St. George" when I was there; he must have come later.

 

[Joe 4836]

Want to be a pilot

Maybe you should find a rich girl and marry her. Then you can do whatever you want and let her pay for it. No matter what you're going to have to work your $#@ off.

 

[aeronautic1]

BFD

Will someone please tell me where on my ATP license it says where I got my training at or whether it's Part 61 or 141? Geez!!!

 

[netlord]

HI, I'm posting from Spain, I had in mind coming to Delta Connection academy to do the JAA course, the main reason is because here in Spain, JAA course is 70000 $ minimum.
Do you think its a good choice or not?

 

[netlord]

No one knows nothing?...

 

[SMOE]

Actually, the JAA side of the house is quite good. Mr. Smerdon runs an outstanding program. They are separate but work within DCAs framework. Other than the JAA side, I wouldn't piss on DCA if their pants were on fire...

Just two cents from a former grad...

 

[netlord]

Ok, so if I want a FAA license, I better look for another school...
But if I want JAA its fine,ok thx
If anybody else has something else to say...

 

[flyallday]

Why not go to MAPD?

 

[bobbysamd]

MAPD

Why not go to MAPD?

Not a bad suggestion but for the fact that MAPD doesn't have a JAA program.

 

[Xak]

BUMP!

Does anyone else have anything to say regaurding the specific topic???

I'd like to hear peoples opinions who've actually attended DCA; not people who know people who've attended, or people who've heard things about it, or people who want to compare academies to FBO's or whatever, but from students who've graduated or are currently enrolled in the prgm...

Thanks.

-Xak

 

[SMOE]

BUMP!

Does anyone else have anything to say regaurding the specific topic???

I'd like to hear peoples opinions who've actually attended DCA; not people who know people who've attended, or people who've heard things about it, or people who want to compare academies to FBO's or whatever, but from students who've graduated or are currently enrolled in the prgm...

Thanks.

-Xak

Appaerently no one has given you the answers your looking for. If three pages of mostly negative comments aren't sufficient, check out the thread: "Getting the axe at DCA".

And if you read my previous posts, you would know I was a grad...