Flight Academies vs. Smaller Schools

[gangdev]

Which can be better? From what I hear about DCA and other academies, there isn't much of a difference in which direction one goes. Anyone have experience with FSI?

 

[350DRIVER]

It depends on how much money you have or want to spend. If you have a lot of it then I suggest going to a MAPD or FSI program. One can usually save quite a bit of money though doing it at a smaller flight school versus with the FSI's of the industry.

You need to tailor a program to fit your needs, desires, and most importantly your financial situation.

there isn't much of a difference in which direction one goes. Anyone have experience with FSI?

There is a big difference if you want a job at a relatively lower flight time. (1 example of many) The grads of the Mesa Pilot Development program are going to the right seat of a regional jet/D8/1900 at usually around 300 hours total time or less. They train you the airline way from day 1, you will not have this benefit if you are coming in from the outside. The FSI's and others have "bridge" programs also that are tied into the regionals.


take your pick...

3 5 0

 

[captainv]

if money isn't a problem, i would say that DCA, FSI, or other top-tier academies are the way to go. it costs a lot, but you get what you pay for.

i have no experience with MAPD, but most regionals won't talk to you unless you have 1200/200. IMO, i'd rather you get some experience instructing, flying cargo, towing banners, whatever, before jumping into 121 flying. most other academies have you instruct for a while before you leave.

if they can take you from 0-300 hours and truly have you ready for a high-performance turboprop, much less an RJ, then their instruction rivals the quality of the military. i wonder if they have the washout rate to match...

that said, you don't have to go to one of the academies. as 50driver noted, you can save a pile of money at a perfectly good local flight school. a rating is a rating is a rating. granted, academies offer better training, but you're also paying for their networking opportunities, bridge programs, guaranteed interviews, etc.

 

[standaman]

Flight training is flight training anywhere you go. I is just the side benefits that each school has that will make it right for you.

 

[Weasil]

I am going to disagree with people who say that flight training is the same anywhere. When I was young I learned to fly in the bush at a little flight school. We weren't taught about POH's, Weight and Balance, Controlled airspace... all kinds of important stuff. When I was a flight instructor I would regularly see students who were just like I was, didn't know a da.mned thing... they could fly a plane just fine but ask them to call a control tower at a Class D airport and they are lost. We would get students coming to us with their own airplanes which upon inspection of the logs were not even legal to fly!

The quality of your flight training can vary greatly from place to place and depends not only on the school you attend but also on the individual instructor you get. And also on how much effort you put in yourself.

As far as academy versus small school, almost all the pilots I see get hired at my current job started out at large flight academies or places like Embry-Riddle, UND, Purdue. Instructed, flew freight and then got hired here. This is a very common career path it seems.... purely because of the connections these places have and the quality of the training.

 

[standaman]

Not disagreeing with you at all Weasil. The quality can differ from place to place. But at the end of the day I have the same license that everybody else at my level has. Everybody has the same priveledges wether they went to ERAU or some flight school at some small airport. The side benefits of ERAU or some small flight school can differ greatly. It is the side benefits and the connections you make that take you places.

 

[bobbysamd]

FSI and Mesa

Anyone have experience with FSI?

I instructed at FlightSafety Academy from 1991 to 1992. I realize that is several years ago, but I know from sources that it hasn't changed much.

It is a big school, but it offers an excellent program. Ground school is adequate and the flight training is excellent. Much emphasis is placed on airline-style procedures and checklists, which could benefit you down the road. In addition, FSI is one of the few schools which incorporates unusual attitudes and acro training in the standard Commercial flight course. Great faciities and well-maintained equipment. I heard some time back that it was acquiring one new Seminole a month.

The place is concerned with satisfying the customer. It does not want people to leave unhappy. But you have to meet the progam at least halfway. You can go from zero time to all of your ratings in less than a year, but you have to put forth the effort. You have to be prepared for every ground school and flight lesson. Your instructors will work with you, but do not expect to be spoon-fed.

The place costs, but I think you get what you pay for in terms of the overall experience. There are employment opportunities at FSI upon graduation, but last I heard, the waiting list is six months long.

As Weasil said, large schools have connections which can lead to bigger and better things. Also, so much emphasis is placed on procedures discipline. You will learn to fly in smaller places, but you may not receive this very important part of your background. Yes, you can learn them later, but it's far better to have this discipline instilled in you from the very beginning of your flying than to have to catch up later.

I do want to write a few (more!) lines about Mesa Airlines Pilot Development. I worked there, too, in 1993. I don't believe it has changed much since that time. MAPD is an ab initio flight school operated by Mesa Airlines. Students are trained from the very first day in Mesa Airlines line procedures adapted to training aircraft. The first airplane students fly is the A36 Bonanza. They get their multis in B58 Barons. This was done for a reason, because, back then, their first airplane upon hire at Mesa would be the Beech 1900 airliner. All three aircraft share very common panel layouts and flight characteristics.

The MAPD program requires that students complete an A.S. degree in Aviation Technology at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. Of course, the major carrot at the end of the stick is "the interview" for a FO job with Mesa Airlines upon graduation and with but 300 hours of flight time. Contrary to popular belief, "the interview" is not guaranteed, although, as a practical matter, it's the student's to lose. And there are those who lose it because they don't follow the program and do what they're supposed to do.

I like MAPD because it works, just as I like FSI because it works, too.

Hope this helps a little more.

 

[dvtpilot]

anyone know anything about gulfstream academy?

 

[bobbysamd]

Gulfstream Academy

anyone know anything about gulfstream academy?

Gulfstream has been discussed plenty on this board. Run a board search using "Gulfstream Academy" as keywords.