Delta Connection Academy

[nycav8tor]

Can anyone tell me about Delta Connection Academy, I'm thinking of attendanting there soon.

 

[JJJ]

The only thing that I know about the Comair Academy is that they have ads in all the aviation mags. The one with the class picture and the guy in the middle who looks like he is dropping a load in his pants.

I doubt that this helps, but I have to laugh every time I see that picture.

 

[Badger]

CA uhhem Delta Conn Academy.

The only factual story I've heard about it is the guy that spent $19,000 on his private/instrument and didn't even get finished with his commercial. He just didn't have enough $ to finish and came to a local FBO for us riff-raff aviators to finish him up. What are they doing down there besides playing dress-up?

I think everybody's noticed the guy dropping the load in his pants, its in all the magazines.. ("only WE have the jobs to sell" ads). If anybody knows who this guy is, please let us know, I don't want him flying anybody I care about. He's probably been fired by now for pooping in the cockpit.

 

[KATL8R26L]

yep

Do a search on this school, you will find much to read about.

Theyno longer rent their own planes do to some accidents that happened during the last year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

What they charge for multi time is very high, and you if you do the instructor program , multi program only gives you 50 hours, plus you must have at least 800 dual given to get into this.

They take some where around only one percent of who they train, and like most schools enrollment is down , with a very low forgin student count.

That is why most students don't finish their program, they wind up going else where.

 

[Hovernut]

Worked for me!

I know the "load dropper " personally...flight instructed with him. Great pilot and a hoot to hang with!!

I went to CAA, now DCA, with only my PPL and finished on budget plus 10%. It's no cake walk by any means. The material and training comes fast and furious, which was fine by me because I had undergone the Navy's nuclear power training years before and was used to the 'fire hose' by then. That befuddled lots of people who were young and immature, partiers, and those that had difficulty with fast-paced programs.

As a current Comair FO, I can say the program definately worked as advertised for me. It doesn't for all, but if you have the burn, the desire, and the ability, you have a good chance, too! I have friends from all walks of life as fellow FOs...lawyers, teachers, physical therapists, and desk jockeys.

You ought to go for a visit. They'll non-rev you down there for a guided tour.

By all means, check into other schools and FBO/flying clubs. DCA is definately an expensive route to go, but in today's climate, it may be well worth the investment...it was to me.

Best Regards!

 

[RJ4ME]

Huh?

Just to clarify a couple of items for those considering DCA as a flight training choice:

* The decision to stop renting a/c to students was the result of a new insurance carrier, not accidents/incidents.

* DCA charge for ME time is comparable to to other flight academies in the area.

* The Flight Instructor portion of the training course includes 800 hours of dual given; yes a minimum of 50 hours ME dual given is a part of the course. The MEI rating is usually completed at around 600 hours dual given so that the majority of ME time is completed just before the airline interview.

I would encourage anyone considering the program to take advantage of a free flight and visit DCA. You can talk to anyone you see on the tour. Ask questions, do your homework. Know what's important to you re your career and future. Yes, you have several choices -- lots of choices -- when it comes to flight schools. But at the end of the day, what is your goal? DCA still sends more flight instructors to the regionals than anyone else out there. Blood, sweat, tears, $$ are all required to complete the program, but talk to some of the guys/gals now in the right seat of an RJ that are a product of DCA . . . . . .my guess is, they will tell you it was worth it.

Good luck in your decision

p.s. yeah, they really do need a new picture for the ads! Even if he is a great guy!!

 

[bobbysamd]

Florida schools

As well as considering Comair, er, DCA (I liked the old name much better), check out for comparison's sake FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach and Pan Am International Flight Academy in Fort Pierce. Run board searches on both. I instructed at FSI eleven years ago and can vouch for its quality.

A lot of people recommend All-ATPs. Check it out as well.

Good luck with your selection.

 

[de Pez]

I went there as a student, instructed there and moved on to a regional with just over 1,000 hours. You must be prepared to study and work hard...Perhaps on the level of a graduate program. I knew quite a few people who spent 20% or more than their projected cost, but how many places can potentially take you from 100 hrs TT or less to a regional job in under two years?
It's intense (if you're doing it right), and expensive, but like so many things, you get what you pay for.

 

[1.3XVso]

Dude I would do you a major research if your gona attend Comair. I was a former student and it was out of hand the money was insane. Most of the dudes that got somewhere with comair was prob back in the days i could be wrong. The multi its insane !!With the price 288 and hour for a seminole? But if you got the brains you could pull it off with a heft price. I would check out flight safety.

 

[Chief_FE]

Going to any 141 school is going to costs big bucks....but you also get what you paid for.

I came to DCA with my Commercial/Multi/Instrument courtesy of a USAF Aero Club. Over the next 13 weeks I underwent the most intense, thorough aviation education that anyone could imagine and realized how much I hadn't learned via the Aero Club (a 141 operation). I did it for less than the estimate. I'm now about to go through the standz class and start instructing.

As some of the previous posters stated, it takes 100% dedication and commitment on your part to make it through. The standards of expected performance are extremely high and many burn out before they can finish. I've heard a few people cite money or "its not fun anymore". I don't think the intent is fun, its hard work with an airline interview at the end of the tunnel.

The school does "invite" most (80%?) of it's CFI graduates back for CFII and instructor standz and I've seen about 8 instructors per month getting picked up by Comair or Chataqua. So, the program definitely does work if you want to fly for a regional.

Before I decided on DCA, I checked in with Flight Safety and TAB Express. Flight Safety has a reputation second to none for flight training but I got the impression that if I didn't get all of my ratings through them, I would be languishing in a candidate pool for a very long time before I logged any dual given. They also stopped answering my emails as I guess I was asking too many questions. TAB interested me because of the turbine time but would tap-dance around the hard questions, "who are you placing students with?", "how many students got hired in the last month?". The final sell on DCA is they didn't candy coat anything. They were up front with the hire rate and the pay ($10/hr).
You may want to check out this web site:

www.oneflyingleap.com

One of the students has chronicled his journey all the way through.

I hope this info helps but the decision is ultimately yours. Good luck.

 

[kevdog]

Does Delta Connection teach their students basic mathematics?

OK, what does the cost of attending DCA + cost of living (per year) - first 10 years pay at Comair (if hired) equal?

Sounds like a deal to me, especially IF you get hired.

I guess if you have money it doesn't matter. Being a pilot is cool.

 

[ABAviator]

Ari Ben Aviator

As you look around and check out other schools take a look at ours. aribenaviator.com. I think you will find its the best bang for you buck out there in the country. If you have any further questions please email me back at [email protected]

 

[Lucky]

God its disgusting when a flight school has to lower itself to trolling other forums searching for students. Are things really that bad at Air Ben? Poaching from Pan Am and Flight Safety not enough for ya? Well since you feel the need to advertise on a different schools thread please answer me this? How many students have you had hired this year and to what airline?

 

[ABAviator]

I don't have the figures handy, but I can tell you if you come to the school you will see hundreds of letters from students that have gotten hired all over. Also I can tell you that we are doing 40-60 check rides a months. As far as the post when I read things like

"The only factual story I've heard about it is the guy that spent $19,000 on his private/instrument and didn't even get finished with his commercial."

I get frustrated that there are certain flight schools that do this.

Ari Cohen
Aviator

 

[kevdog]

The salesman at DCA would never lie!

I love a school that has 100's of letters framed on the walls when you stroll on it, once again...do the math!

I believe ATA had 'letters' all over the walls too.

 

[Lucky]

I don't have the figures handy,

How convienient, you should be running for President. "I'm sorry, I don't recall those numbers at this time."

I don't have the figures handy, but I can tell you if you come to the school you will see hundreds of letters from students that have gotten hired all over.

By now you should have had time to look up those numbers. How many students have been hired directly from your school to fly jet equipment and are making over $25,000 as a First Officer since January? What Airline where they hired at?

Also I can tell you that we are doing 40-60 check rides a months.

I checked the boards at DCA today and in the "months" of October '03 DCA had over 130 students issued new certificates or ratings. Thats more than double the number of your checkrides.

 

[skydesk]

The "real" Delta Conneciton

5 MUSTS ABOUT DELTA CONNECTION ACADEMY AND FLYING

If you love to fly and want a career, do your research about ALL schools; I did for 6 months. I visited North Dakota (UND), Tulsa (Spartan), Daytona (ERAU), Oakland (Sierra) etc. before choosing DCA. In this way, when you make your decision all alternatives were exhausted. The pro's of DCA far outweighed that of any school for the following reasons. Remember, you are making a high money, non-tangeable investment like a doctor, albeit far less of a monetary or time spent one.


1 Every school is also a business, so selling is the modus operendi. Virtually every school will quote you around $45-55 K for their pilot to CFII/MEI program. Don't let $5K change your mind about the better program.
I can tell you plainly we have, quality, individual instruction, programs that really work, absolute best connections in the avaiation community (I have seen every single one of my past instructors, every one, 8 in all, get jobs flying an RJ and two of them were complete nut jobs [of all the people I've known since I have been here, maybe 200+, only 4-5 have not found a job through DCA. All average type people, car salesmen, business owners, students, flight attendants]) also free tutoring, backseating flights and an organization that is well established and getting bigger airline job contracts.
Every single month (from mid April to now 12 hires) right after training here in the RJ trainer, groups of 6-10 people go to interview at the airlines.


2 Give it 2 - 2.5 years (student to instructor) and you will be sitting at the doorstep of an airline (Comair, Chataqua, Sky West, Sky Way, ASA etc.) where usually only 5000+ hour pilots have sat and are sitting still. Requirements: hard work,vigilance and planning. 1 year for pure school by loans or what ever, you also need living money. .8 - 1.5 year(s) for CFII/MEI @ $10 per hour. People who don't make it to CFI: miss classes all the time, have bad attitudes, literally make asses out of themselves, make enemies in the student and instructor ranks, however it has nothing to do with your pass rate in lessons or stage checks; all you have to do is try hard and have a decent attitude!


3 Student life is like this: you are here in Orlando for one reason, to get all your ratings, your CFI time and ultimately to get a job with the airline. Private or instrument ground school (1 month), get help from the Learning Resource Center tutors they are there every single day just to teach. Fly with your instructor and backseat other flights, you basically get free training! Study every day buy allocate youself 8 - 10 hours to do what ever you want. I lived by the 8-8-8 Rule: 8 for DCA, 8 for sleep and 8 for me. The schedule could be at 6:00 one day to 2:00 in the afternoon the next so it's kind of topsy turvey at first. Get used to it. People usually get dicouraged because: They want more time to go play, be with friends, can't adjust to school, are worried about money, are away from home. Don't let this get you off track STAY THE COURSE.

4 It's worth it. I've been a student and now an instructor. I've seen both sides of the tracks. I don't consider myself as gifted or endowed with anything aviation, I just knew I want to choose my profession and I wanted it to be flying. This place has the best potential out of anywhere else in the world to do what I want to do.

5 Things will change. If you make the plunge, do it all the way with both feet in. I promise that you will make it.

 

[huncowboy]

Does Delta Connection teach their students basic mathematics?

OK, what does the cost of attending DCA + cost of living (per year) - first 10 years pay at Comair (if hired) equal?

Sounds like a deal to me, especially IF you get hired.

I guess if you have money it doesn't matter. Being a pilot is cool.

dude if you can do 1+1=2 than lately you stay away from anything that is aviation anyways... so what are you doing at this forum? learning math?

another DCA bashing 10 pp thread...

go there -> talk to students -> check out other places too -> make a decision.

Forums will not provide you a decision.

I am also with the: "It is expensive but worth it." crowd... g'night.

 

[bobbysamd]

Comair

If you love to fly and want a career, do your research about ALL schools; I did for 6 months. I visited North Dakota (UND), Tulsa (Spartan), Daytona (ERAU), Oakland (Sierra) etc. before choosing DCA. In this way, when you make your decision all alternatives were exhausted. The pro's of DCA far outweighed that of any school for the following reasons. Remember, you are making a high money, non-tangeable investment like a doctor, albeit far less of a monetary or time spent one.

You rate a compliment for the thought, time and especially the reasoning you put in to make your decision. Based on my experience with Comair, nka DCA, I would not choose it. I also feel that other schools offer the same or greater potential. Nevertheless, I hope it works out for you.

 

[Kugelblitz]

Never flew there, but many of the Capt.'s I flew with at Comair said that the 'Academy' guys had major attitude issues. They walked around like they owned the place. One of the best friends I made at Comair was an Academy dude. So they are not all bad, but on the whole, there seems to be some sort of entitlement notion with many of these 'graduates'.

Besides, who the hell-k would want to 'connect' with Delta right now?


Duck, here it comes.........