ERAU - Prescott

[larry]

I see Embry Riddle is advertising for CFIs in Prescott and I have 300 dual given as well as my CFII, MEI and a BA.

1) Are they REALLY hiring or just pretending to with the advertised job?

2) How long does it take to get to the multi engine aircraft?

3) How is the pay and work environment?

4) How is the town? Prescott looks good on the internet, anybody live there?

5) Do they have any kind of bridge programs that the CFIs would be able to take advantage of?

Thanks guys....

 

[banned username 2]

4) How is the town? Prescott looks good on the internet, anybody live there?

I lived in Prescott for 4 years back in the late 80's... I loved the town, it has grown a lot since... I thought it was a great little town tucked in the hills...

 

[larry]

Anyone else, somebody on this board must work there.

 

[bobbysamd]

ERAU-Prescott

I worked at Riddle during the same years that Falcon Capt. attended. It's a smaller city, population maybe in the 20K range. It's a mile high, so it doesn't get as warm as Phoenix or the desert, but it can get warm in the summer. You do need air conditioning. Falls are very pleasant. Winters can be snowy. Prescott is an alright restaurant town for a smaller city. When I lived there 12-13 years ago, there were only two cinemas, but they showed first-run movies.

I have no idea if ERAU really is hiring instructors. Just the same, it won't hurt you to apply. I was hired there with my MEI in late 1988, in the midst of that hiring boom. There was a lot of instructor turnover because the commuters and freight were picking them up as soon as they hit mins, so getting into the multis was relatively rapid. It took me about eight months, and when I finally got students I built about 250 hours of multi in a semester (I still had plenty of single-engine students.). It probably is slower now because the industry is slow.

I feel that Riddle pay is excellent. Riddle really was the best flying job I held in terms of pay. When I was there instructors were expected to bill 30 hours of contact time a week. I had trouble with that at first because (1) airplanes were scarce, and (2) I didn't know how to work the system. I learned (2) and stayed busy. ERAU had a system in which you were bonused if you billed at least 1000 hours of contact time in a year. It really wasn't hard once you learned the system. One of the ladies in the flight line administration told me she could not understand why more instructors did not make bonus. On the other hand, we had at least one CFI who was making $30K+. He knew how to work the system. He also was busting company work rules and instructor duty day limitations.

One other thing is that ERAU is laden with politics. The place had plenty of big egos and agenda promoters. It was frustrating, but, as I learned later, typical flight school.

Hope these points help. Good luck with applying to ERAU.

 

[banned username 2]

Re: ERAU-Prescott

I worked at Riddle during the same years that Falcon Capt. attended. It's a smaller city, population maybe in the 20K range. It's a mile high, so it doesn't get as warm as Phoenix or the desert, but it can get warm in the summer.

Prescott is now around 25k and Prescott valley is also around 25k (was about 6k when I was there!) Chino Valley is still pretty much unchanged...

 

[bobbysamd]

One further point about ERAU

The place is an extremely stimulating learning environment. It lives, eats and breathes flight training 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can't beat it. You'll always find yourself challenged to keep on top of the books.

When I was hired at ERAU I felt I was knowlegable. I quickly found out how little I really knew. I learned as a Riddle instructor and moved on. I was surprised at subsequent jobs how little those people knew compared to the average Riddler.

 

[Flyguy5432H]

i wouldn't doubt that Prescott is actively looking for CFI/I, a few of my friends transfered out there from the daytona campus.

it's sad how much things have slowed, just before 9/11 we were losing up to 5 CFI/I's a week, to regional, corporate, or other higher flying jobs. not long after 9/11 though many were coming back looking for a job as their new career dried up. i spoke with my old roomates last month, all of which are instructors at the daytona campus and they are working, but are expecting a layoff during the summer due to less students.

the flight training is excellent there and you should recieve a discount to take classes if you so choose. they will definitely keep you busy as a full time instructor.

 

[KingAirKiddo]

Holy smokes...Prescott Valley has 25,000 people living there? I lived there for a year when I was about 12 and it was a tiny town!

Larry,

I was a student at ERAU-DAB and never instructed there. However, my impression as a casual observer is that instructing at ERAU is probably one of the best deals going right now for someone in your position in the current industry climate. I'd definitely check it out if the shoe were on my foot.

Prescott is a nice town if you like the mountains and the outdoors. It has all the conveniences that you'd expect from a city of its size, but it's real easy to get away from it all if you're into hiking, camping, etc. The grand canyon is not too far away, and Phoenix is only about an hour and a half or two hours away. Keep in mind that I haven't lived there for about 12 years or so, but I definitely have fond memories of the area.

Hope this helps...good luck.

KAK

 

[CFIIer]

Instructing at ERAU-PRC

I'm currently instructing at ERAU-PRC, so I can probably give you all of the details you're looking for.

1) Are they REALLY hiring or just pretending to with the advertised job?
A) I believe that we are always interviewing. However, since the demand has slowed, and the supply has continued to grow, they aren't hiring at the rate that they once were. They've had new-hire class this year (Jan), and I've heard that they'll probably have another one around August or so. Not sure, your best bet is to call HR. There were 7 of us in the class, and they probably interviewed 40 or so. They like to at least give all of their own a shot, but they do hire from outside, as long as you can teach. I had 600 dual given when hired, and by far had the most in the class.

2) How long does it take to get to the multi engine aircraft?
A) That depends on how quick the movement is from people above you. It depends on seniority, as well as your personal performance (ie passrates and such). I've heard of some here getting their "upgrade" in as little as 3 months, and others taking 8 months or more. The Chief Instructor would prefer that everyone could teach in everything, but of course that takes time and money.

3) How is the pay and work environment?
A) As good as anywhere you will work as a flight instructor. You start out at 13.60hr or something like that, unless you have over 750 dual given, then it goes up to 15.87hr. Each year you work there it goes up a couple of bucks an hour. Full benefits, and paid holidays. Also, paid when school closes due to snow or whatever. Great environment with brand new airplanes and brand new state-of-the-art simulators. We are switch from 141 to Part 142 so there are going to be some major changes coming about soon. I instructed out in SoCal for a year, and one of the best things about this place is how in control you are of your schedule. I have complete control of when and how I schedule my students, so I don't have huge gaps in my day, like I would've in the past.

4) How is the town? Prescott looks good on the internet, anybody live there?
A) The town isn't bad. You don't have the entertainment here that you would in some bigtime happening town, but it's got the movies, bowling and a brand new mall. It's more of a retirement town than anything else. I disliked it a lot more when I was going to school here, but it's not the worst place to be.

5) Do they have any kind of bridge programs that the CFIs would be able to take advantage of?
A) Not really. Unless you did one as a student here, you aren't really entitled to any of that. However, instructing here is definately a plus on the resume. Interviewers know what they are getting (usually) when they go to interview an instructor from here. One guy just got picked up by Airnet, and they relayed a message to tell us to send up anymore guys that were 135 qual., because that was the best interview they had done in some time.
Also, in the past, ACA has come up to interview, and taken 12-15 instructors at a time... Obviously that depends on how the market's moving. Also, the school puts together "Career Expos" once a semester and there tends to be some pretty good reps from airlines that show up to chat with.

Anyway, if you have anymore questions, PM me.

 

[CFIIer]

One more note

The DAB campus is nothing like the PRC campus in terms of teaching. The DAB instructors are unionized, and there is a whole lote of tension between management and the instructors. Out here in PRC we can at least communicate, and tend to get along pretty well for the most part. There are some communications issues, but it could be a lot worse.

 

[GuppyPuppy]

Is it true that ERAU-P trucks in women from Flagstaff and Tempe for weekends???

Sorry, couldn't help it!!! Actually, I have heard that the females are pretty scarce on and near campus.

For flight training, it would be a great environment...except finding flyable IMC. It would be a great place to network...give it a try!

Cheers!

GP

 

[bobbysamd]

ERAU-PRC

3) How is the pay and work environment?
A) As good as anywhere you will work as a flight instructor. You start out at 13.60hr or something like that, unless you have over 750 dual given, then it goes up to 15.87hr. Each year you work there it goes up a couple of bucks an hour. Full benefits, and paid holidays.

Congrats on getting a raise. Is the 1000 hours of contact per annum bonus system still in effect?

As far as IMC goes, we used to take our students to the LA Basin for that experience.

 

[banned username 2]

Re: ERAU-PRC

As far as IMC goes, we used to take our students to the LA Basin for that experience.

In my approximately 250 hours of training in Prescott I think I got like 4 or 5 hours of actual... I'm sure the CFI's get a decent amount...

 

[Simon Says]

I know the jail cell in Prescott Valley was quite small, but the cops were fun to chat with.

CFIIer,

Where in SoCal did you instruct? ADP?

 

[CFIIer]

The 1000 hour contact thing no longer exists to my knowledge.
As far as IMC, just a few days ago there was a good opportunity for it, because the freezing level was high enough to get into the clouds without icing up. However, typically when IMC exists, it's either as a result of a thunderstorm, or it contains ice of some sort. I instructed all over the valley, including chino, riverside, corona and redlands. Never instructed at ADP, but had friends who have and still do. Apparently they don't pay so well, and they expect you to sit around and wait for the business to show up.

 

[bobbysamd]

Riddle bonus system

The 1000 hour contact thing no longer exists to my knowledge . . . .

That's too bad if it doesn't. It really was a deal. All contact time counted toward bonus; flights, orals and sims.

Go ask Cathy C.; she would know.

There were many communications issues, too, during my time at Riddle. Flight line-campus tension, among other things. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. But ERAU is still one of the best instructing gigs around, in terms of pay and benies, and experience and knowlege gained.