Four02Driver
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Delta Connection Academy...THOUGHTS????
- Thread starter GreatLakesWings
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elantra2002
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To me it sounds like a few things are going on in this thread.
Trying to rationalize their mistake(s) in stands class
Dragging their feet in making a decision what to do. Don't drag them too long or you will miss the boat
Acting like their God's gift to aviation, an attitude the airlines H.R. department will see in an interview.
And forgetting that they too were wet behind the ear's and maybe someone helped them out along the way. They were just too arrogant to remember.
Trying to rationalize their mistake(s) in stands class
Dragging their feet in making a decision what to do. Don't drag them too long or you will miss the boat
Acting like their God's gift to aviation, an attitude the airlines H.R. department will see in an interview.
And forgetting that they too were wet behind the ear's and maybe someone helped them out along the way. They were just too arrogant to remember.
aeronautic1
Virgil_Tracy
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- Sep 9, 2003
- Posts
- 716
I am 20 almost 21. They say it is around 60 average per person. I will prob spend around 70. I got my funding from Key Lone. www.key.com Most of the students that don't have the funding themselves, use key.
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aeronautic1
Virgil_Tracy
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ucf_motorcycle
Member
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- May 25, 2004
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- 9
Who told you it was 60K because when I signed up (June 03) my contract said 46k and like you said it really is about 70k and can be easily more.
Where are you in your training right now? ANd how much have you spent so far? I finished Commercial with 180hrs in the program from 0 time and spent 43K. Then decided to stop because of the outragues price I wish I hadn't enrolled in the first place.
Where are you in your training right now? ANd how much have you spent so far? I finished Commercial with 180hrs in the program from 0 time and spent 43K. Then decided to stop because of the outragues price I wish I hadn't enrolled in the first place.
Goose Egg
Big Jens
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2004
- Posts
- 1,719
I have no opinion on DCA. I didn't go there, and I don't know anyone who did. However, I would like to make it known that my flight training and college was considerably less than most seem to spend. I do have loans, but they are all federal and the total amount is less than $20k, and that includes a BS degree and Private through CFII. I went to a ("pretty-boy") state school, and actually most of my training was Part 61. Just letting you all know that there are other options. At the moment, I am instructing at a different college--private, expensive, and part 141--than the one that I graduated from (and having an absolute blast, mind you.) We have had our high-time instructors going to some fractionals and regional airlines. I don't have a guaranteed interview to any airline. Don't need one--I can get an interview myself.
Oh, and I suspect that most of Four02's sim failures are due to inadequate instrument flying skills. Not that the ride itself isn't a good challenge, but it probably does not contain anything unreasonable (correct me if I'm wrong here, Four02...) Probably the same situation for the DCA guys. Some folks can't get out of the "Top Gun" mentality--they don't realize that flying airplanes involves work, challenges, setbacks, and patience.
-Goose
Oh, and I suspect that most of Four02's sim failures are due to inadequate instrument flying skills. Not that the ride itself isn't a good challenge, but it probably does not contain anything unreasonable (correct me if I'm wrong here, Four02...) Probably the same situation for the DCA guys. Some folks can't get out of the "Top Gun" mentality--they don't realize that flying airplanes involves work, challenges, setbacks, and patience.
-Goose
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Dirty Sanchez
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Comments on DCA
I'm presently attending DCA. I've earned at least my private there, and am still enrolled in the program.
First, as mentioned, DCA offers outstanding preparation for the airlines; you will learn far more than a 61 school (I attended one until about 12 hours) and the quality of the instructors, in general, is also superb.
The aircraft suck. straight up, the school would be far better off getting equipment that actually works.
With the private syllabus you will be using Cessna 152s... all are at least 30 years old, and every fourth or fifth flight will have to be incompleted due to maintenance problems. When problems are written up on an aircraft, by my experience, its a toss of the dice as to whether they will do anything about it. I wrote up one airplane for the same problem three times in two days.
The school chages more per hour for these aircraft than Avion, next door, charges for its BRAND NEW cessna 172RG equipped with GPS and all decked out. I am not aware of FSI or ERAUs cost, so i cannot compare to them.
The school charges 60 dollars an hour for any time you spend with your instructor; the instructor gets ten of that. the school pockets the remaining 50.
Ground school costs 60 an hour PER STUDENT. With twelve students in a classroom, thats 720$ PER HOUR the school is making. The groundschool instructor earns ten of that seven hundred. The school pockets the rest.
I am unaware of where that money goes. the learning aids are mostly broken and resemble something found buried deep in the recesses of a ghetto public high-school's basement. The demonstration E6B in our classroom was broken and unuseable for classroom demonstrations; a student had to hold the plate in place while the instructor tried to spin it without dropping it. Their model airplanes used for demonstrating flight principles are basically dollar-store foam toys held together with masking tape. The VHS tapes in the Learning Resource Center are a Joke, the tracking is so far off on them that the TVs are unable to account for it... the pictures skip and jump so much as to be completely useless for instructional purposes, but we are still required to watch them. Most students have given up trying to watch them, and simply sit in front of their TVs reading the Gleim... a practice actually recommended by several instructors.
Required in the school's syllabus is several hours of time on their PCATDs. This is essentially a 386 computer with MSFS 1994 on it and a yoke/simulated radio stack attached. You will see them in the tour. The school charges over a hundred dollars an HOUR to use these.
I will concede that the PCs are somewhat useful for flight training, however, definitely NOT worth $100+ an hour. Maybe ten. The same equipment can be purchased for a home computer for under 1500 dollars. You HAVE to spend over fifteen hours on them for the training. It would make more sense for each student to simply buy his/her own.
The "simulator" time costs only ten dollars less than aircraft time.
The instructors are incredible. Intelligent, well-taught, and proficient, i am convinced that the school DOES hire top-notch pilots as instructors. They are all friendly and have a genuine love for aviation.
I wonder what would happen if the school happened to hire an instructor with enough initiative to start a workers Union. The school stresses that it simulates an airline environment. . . ;-)
There are definitely people i would reccomend this school to... i recommend taking advantage of the free tour and checking it out for yourself. Ask to see the inside of the aircraft. Ask questions. If it sounds like the admissions guy is dodging a question, keep digging. Find out all you can to see if this school is right for you.
I'm presently attending DCA. I've earned at least my private there, and am still enrolled in the program.
First, as mentioned, DCA offers outstanding preparation for the airlines; you will learn far more than a 61 school (I attended one until about 12 hours) and the quality of the instructors, in general, is also superb.
The aircraft suck. straight up, the school would be far better off getting equipment that actually works.
With the private syllabus you will be using Cessna 152s... all are at least 30 years old, and every fourth or fifth flight will have to be incompleted due to maintenance problems. When problems are written up on an aircraft, by my experience, its a toss of the dice as to whether they will do anything about it. I wrote up one airplane for the same problem three times in two days.
The school chages more per hour for these aircraft than Avion, next door, charges for its BRAND NEW cessna 172RG equipped with GPS and all decked out. I am not aware of FSI or ERAUs cost, so i cannot compare to them.
The school charges 60 dollars an hour for any time you spend with your instructor; the instructor gets ten of that. the school pockets the remaining 50.
Ground school costs 60 an hour PER STUDENT. With twelve students in a classroom, thats 720$ PER HOUR the school is making. The groundschool instructor earns ten of that seven hundred. The school pockets the rest.
I am unaware of where that money goes. the learning aids are mostly broken and resemble something found buried deep in the recesses of a ghetto public high-school's basement. The demonstration E6B in our classroom was broken and unuseable for classroom demonstrations; a student had to hold the plate in place while the instructor tried to spin it without dropping it. Their model airplanes used for demonstrating flight principles are basically dollar-store foam toys held together with masking tape. The VHS tapes in the Learning Resource Center are a Joke, the tracking is so far off on them that the TVs are unable to account for it... the pictures skip and jump so much as to be completely useless for instructional purposes, but we are still required to watch them. Most students have given up trying to watch them, and simply sit in front of their TVs reading the Gleim... a practice actually recommended by several instructors.
Required in the school's syllabus is several hours of time on their PCATDs. This is essentially a 386 computer with MSFS 1994 on it and a yoke/simulated radio stack attached. You will see them in the tour. The school charges over a hundred dollars an HOUR to use these.
I will concede that the PCs are somewhat useful for flight training, however, definitely NOT worth $100+ an hour. Maybe ten. The same equipment can be purchased for a home computer for under 1500 dollars. You HAVE to spend over fifteen hours on them for the training. It would make more sense for each student to simply buy his/her own.
The "simulator" time costs only ten dollars less than aircraft time.
The instructors are incredible. Intelligent, well-taught, and proficient, i am convinced that the school DOES hire top-notch pilots as instructors. They are all friendly and have a genuine love for aviation.
I wonder what would happen if the school happened to hire an instructor with enough initiative to start a workers Union. The school stresses that it simulates an airline environment. . . ;-)
There are definitely people i would reccomend this school to... i recommend taking advantage of the free tour and checking it out for yourself. Ask to see the inside of the aircraft. Ask questions. If it sounds like the admissions guy is dodging a question, keep digging. Find out all you can to see if this school is right for you.
SloDoDriver
Forever Furloughed
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2004
- Posts
- 64
Wow a lot of negs on the ol' academy. I hear the same thing about UNDers and Riddlers. If I could have got into the right seat at age 21 like one of my former students I would have been all over it. I would never blame anyone for doin the Com Academy thing. I just would hate paying back those student loans making 20k a year for awhile.
bobbysamd
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2001
- Posts
- 5,710
CAA (DCA) Review
Good review from thorrr, above. I would bet that the "152" that I flew during my interview in 1991 is among the ones he mentioned - and is probably original equipment from when the school was Airline Aviation Academy.
One thing missing from thorrr's review though. How does the school treat students and instructors?
Good review from thorrr, above. I would bet that the "152" that I flew during my interview in 1991 is among the ones he mentioned - and is probably original equipment from when the school was Airline Aviation Academy.
One thing missing from thorrr's review though. How does the school treat students and instructors?
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