Delta Connection Academy...THOUGHTS????

[jaxonvil]

I agree with Standaman. DCA, just like any other school, aviation related or not, is not for everyone. If you have the money, DCA is your fastest option, if you want to instruct to build time then interview with a Delta connection carrier. I know more than a couple folks who completed the program and are flying right seat all within a year. No, that does not allow for much experience, but, for those who are knocking DCA grads for lacking experience, you are absolutely correct. But if you were in the same situation as a 1000 hr. pilot looking at an airline interview, wouldnt you take it? or would you continue whatever else it was you were doing because you did not have enough experience in your opinion. DCA is a very standardized, SAFE, school which does cost too much. If you are very lucky, work hard and accept the fact that this is all just a business and should be treated as such, DCA will provide you the oportunity to learn the trade as safely as possible. No guarantees, but it is working for me.

 

[Four02Driver]

Here's my biggest problem It's called --real world experience-- A place like DCA does NOT give you what you need to take any aircraft down to mins when other peoples lives are at stake. I fly for a single pilot / autopilot airline and we fly at times 10 to 15 approaches a day down to mins. All of you guys have to agree that quick time and lots of cash do not replace experience

 

[huncowboy]

Here's my biggest problem It's called --real world experience-- A place like DCA does NOT give you what you need to take any aircraft down to mins when other peoples lives are at stake. I fly for a single pilot / autopilot airline and we fly at times 10 to 15 approaches a day down to mins. All of you guys have to agree that quick time and lots of cash do not replace experience

But how do you get that experience? It does not grow on trees.

You can fly single pilot IFR down to minimums flying cargo or become an FO at a regional with an experienced captain in the left whose job is to watch over your shoulder and be your mentor to some extent. Correct me but I thought there are captains who fly with new hires for a while. I understand that won’t replace a few thousand jet PIC or even SIC time but where on Earth would you get that time if not at a regional or corporate (which is even harder to get on).

If you go fly cargo than you may only make one mistake in your life and chances are you will be alone when you do so. By the time you’re done your experience will be remarkable but you still do not have jet experience in most cases. That is if you are still alive. Some are not cut for this because they are not ready for it at 1000TT, and some are. I would hate to find it out the hard way.

One has to get that experience this or the other way, and not everyone can be a cargo pilot. Sure the experience from cargo is worth more than gold but unless you get on with some quality place like Airnet and a few more where you will get both, training, and great maintenance (and hopefully they will screen out those who are not cut out for it while they are alive). I hear/read too many stories that discourage me from flying cargo or part 135 unless for the above mentioned operations. But to get on with them is almost as hard as getting a regional job.

So what can you do? I fully understand where you come from and I myself would love to fly some single pilot IFR (for a few operations) or get the kind of training that is offered at the USAF… but this is not how it works right now.

 

[aeronautic1]

You can fly single pilot IFR down to minimums flying cargo or become an FO at a regional with an experienced captain in the left whose job is to watch over your shoulder and be your mentor to some extent. Correct me but I thought there are captains who fly with new hires for a while.

Oh yeah, just what I really want to do... fly a Hawker single pilot because I have to babysit some wet behind the ears low time CFI because he feels he doesn't have the moxie to fly an actual approach to minimums.

If the flying public knew that regionals like Gulfstream/Comair etc... where "training" airlines, they wouldn't get on the plane.

Get out there and fly some 135 Baron night cargo for a thousand hours then give me a call. If you survive the experience, you will become an "experienced" pilot of value. Otherwise, you are nothing more than a seat warmer.

Best of luck in your aviation career.

 

[jaxonvil]

what is the RIGHT way to get that real world experience. Please let me in on the acceptable path to greatness. (I thought I was in the real world, maybe this is not coffee Im drinking)

 

[bobbysamd]

Real-world experience

what is the RIGHT way to get that real world experience. Please let me in on the acceptable path to greatness. (I thought I was in the real world, maybe this is not coffee Im drinking)

You acquire real-world experience primarily through working. You learn that things are done differently than what you learned in school. You acquire real-world experience step-by-step commensurate with your experience. E.g., you might begin by instructing. As you build time to qualify for single-pilot VFR 135, you do that. Then, at 1200 hours, IFR 135. You do that a while. Then, at 1500 hours, you get your ATP. The regionals might consider you at that point, though these days there are too many better-qualified pilots ahead of you. Etc. Some of the jobs you may have along the way might include night freight in decrepit equipment.

Once again, this is only one example of how to climb the ladder.

 

[standaman]

Flight Instructing is real world experience. Okay so maybe I am not going down to DH on the ILS everyday. So what. I know that if I needed to do it I could. Try teaching a student to do it and some day you could be challenged to your limits. All areas of flying wether it is Part 135 flying, flight instructing, or just flying around yourself offer different challenges and rewards. They also offer limitations as well. Most of my day is doing stalls and steeps turns in my local area. I only get to see other airports when I go on a cross country. The benefit of instruction is I have to know the regulations. I have to be able to teach anything. All of this is still practical real world experience. One way of building time is not any better than the other.

 

[huncowboy]

Get out there and fly some 135 Baron night cargo for a thousand hours then give me a call. If you survive the experience, you will become an "experienced" pilot of value. Otherwise, you are nothing more than a seat warmer.

Best of luck in your aviation career.

and then you're going to tell me to go out and get some 1000h jet time and then give you a call... you are getting that captain pay for something

Plz do not put Gulfstream next to Comair. Thx.

 

[Four02Driver]

look thats all I'm saying is that one thing that needs to be remembered is when someone comes out of an acadamey straight to the right seat of an RJ etc. at 500 hrs some are hanging on to the tail cone, and thats not good.

Heres my experience I went from CFI to the left seat at the regional I work for Single Pilot IFR Scheduled with pax. The first time I saw 1800 rvr it scared the crap out of me and I'm a local boy.

Now I'm a senoir training dept capt and the last thing we want to be doing is teaching someone what to do while barreling down at the earth at 3 miles a minute. Cause in the real world approaches are not done at 90 kts more like 140 to 170

So if I offended any of you academey guys to bad cause you'd never pass my interview sim ride. (and I dont give emergencies on the ride)

 

[The_Russian]

What???

No emergencies?!? Sounds like you give a boring sim ride.