Delta Connection Academy...THOUGHTS????

[TRGFlyer2006]

I can't believe this thread is still alive! Sweet

 

[TRGFlyer2006]

This statment isnt true as well , these are taught and are part of the program you lame ass

I assume you are talking about the slips...

The statement wasn't that DCA doesn't teach slips. It is foolish to assume that a primarily 141 school would just flat out omit the maneuver or down play the importance of it. The statement was, in my opinion, that the DCA instructor didn't see the value in teaching slips to someone who solely has the intent of going to the airlines. (From what I'm told BTW...is the goal of ALL attending GIA.) We all know that DCA is no different than any other flight school. Other than being out to just make money they are NOT primarily training F/O's, but just awarding single pilot ratings.

Just curious... What are your experiences with the school?

 

[craftkeeper2001]

This is stupid. Ever look at PTS from the FAA . The school is regulated very strictly by the Faa and visit on a regular basis both for pilot standards and the maintenance side . The school works with the Orlando Flight standards to bring about better ways to regulate and to help pilots who have made mistakes . My thoughts on the comparison to schools you made the choice and seems your blaming your faults and lack of accomplishments on the school because many pilots come from this school and go on to become airline pilots. The biggest changes are yet to come to be the best and have the most advanced fleet of aircraft , so keep your eyes on the academy while you fly your pipeline or that 172 for another flight school . So as I SLIP my way out of this thread .

 

[ftld81]

I go to the DCA in south florida, and I love it. It's a much smaller school than the one in sanford, which makes it more personable. It's also associated with the community college, and you get an associates in science while you're training.
I'm currently working on my Instrument rating and I'm up for my checkride..since ive been there...(8 months)...about 6 instructors got hired by chataqua or sky west...
I really like the school, and I've learned a lot.

 

[JRSLim]

Why not go to MAPD?

As a current instructor for MAPD, I recommend it highly. What Bobby S said about it being a disciplined program is true. The program produces quality pilots while always keeping the students best interests in mind. The program works and in my 16 months here I have seen the results of hundreds of satisfied graduates - from both ab initio and PACE.
I don't want to hijack this thread, but if you may be interested feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to talk to you about it - from an inside point of view.

 

[CX880]

As a current instructor for MAPD, I recommend it highly. What Bobby S said about it being a disciplined program is true. The program produces quality pilots while always keeping the students best interests in mind. The program works and in my 16 months here I have seen the results of hundreds of satisfied graduates - from both ab initio and PACE.
I don't want to hijack this thread, but if you may be interested feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to talk to you about it - from an inside point of view.

yea you forgot to mention that you'll end up at MESA after the program..

 

[JRSLim]

yea you forgot to mention that you'll end up at MESA after the program..

Yep - exactly, but for someone with 300 hours, they are pretty happy to be working for Mesa - gaining turbine time with which they can later move on with.

 

[CX880]

Yep - exactly, but for someone with 300 hours, they are pretty happy to be working for Mesa - gaining turbine time with which they can later move on with.

Yea right, I'd rather set my own schedule, wake up whenever I want, make 40 per hour as a CFI. Sure beats $20 per hour working 14 hours per day with 8 days off per month, turbine or no turbine. MAPD grads have to be FOs for a long time anyways rendering that turbine experience useless. Do mapd grads even have enough pic to get the ATP?

 

[JRSLim]

Yea right, I'd rather set my own schedule, wake up whenever I want, make 40 per hour as a CFI. Sure beats $20 per hour working 14 hours per day with 8 days off per month, turbine or no turbine. MAPD grads have to be FOs for a long time anyways rendering that turbine experience useless. Do mapd grads even have enough pic to get the ATP?

No, they don't (have enough PIC for ATP) - when they graduate after 19 months. They are trained to be first officers for the airline - the ATP isn't an issue at that point.
Everybody has their own path. What the program does is take relatively low time/no time pilots, and give them the training necessary to be an asset as a first officer. I have flown with many 1000+ hour pilots outside the program who would not be as well suited for a FO position as MAPD grads. Sure they have to be FOs for a while, but pretty much everyone does. How many years does the $40/hr CFI have to work to get the minimums to be hired for the same job? The MAPD program gets you to interview standards in 19 months.
The reality is turbine time is turbine time- and is rarely 'useless' unless your career goal involves being a bush pilot in Alaska.
MAPD isn't just another quickie flight school that takes your money up front and closes down the next week. We are the training academy for the airline. Students still have to meet the standards, and still have to pass the interview, but they are interviewing for a job they have been specifically trained for - the first thing that happens is they get a CFM - modelled after the MESA CFMs. They do flows and checklists from day one. Line pilots request MAPD grads because they know the quality of the person they are flying with. Thats the difference between finding your own route as a CFI and going through the program - you get there faster, and your skills are specific to the job.

Thanks giving me the chance to answer your questions.

 

[bknight_c50]

Line pilots request MAPD grads because they know the quality of the person they are flying with.

I'm gonna have to disagree with that sentence of your post. I'm a line pilot, and I fly with a lot of other line pilots. For one, we never request a specific person to fly with, because we can't...whoever shows up that morning to start the trip is who you're flying with, like it or not.

The general opinion from the captains I fly with is that a new hire is a new hire...No real differences between them, they're all kinda green, and the captain has to be on his toes and verify everything regardless of the new hire's background as far as where they got their licenses. No one school better than the other, and no certain route better than the other. They're inexperienced, and to some varying degree, they're behind the airplane a little. Not that this is bad...it's gonna take awhile for anyone to catch up in a new airplane...The point of this all is that if a line pilot could "request" any type of pilot to fly with, they're going to request an FO that's been at the company for a year or two that's up up speed with everything, and has some experience under their belt to be able to help make decisions with knowledge that you can really only get by doing the job. That said, you gotta start somewhere, and almost everyone on the regional and majors board was once a green new hire, that made captains suck on the seat cushions every now and then. Regardless of your school, when you're a newhire you're going to make some captains nervous...I know I did.

I'm not bashing your post or your school, but that line about pilots requesting MAPD grads just kinda sounds like what the admissions people feed you when they're trying to get you to sign on the dotted line. Nothing wrong with that...it's their job, but that's one of the many not quite 100% accurate things that students are told when they check out a school with the hope that the students will believe them.