Flight Safety Academy

[Pilot7700]

I was originally thinking of going to the Delta Connection Academy, now I am leaning more towards Flight Safety Academy in Vera Beach Florida. Does Anyone have any input on that school

 

[Mogus]

You really a private pilot? Your profile says, "Single engine sesna," and that you have 35 hours, the bare minimum under part 141...just makes me wonder... Sorry I can't help you with your question.

 

[Chief_FE]

From personal experience I can tell you youre making the right choice staying away from DCA. They'll take lots of your money while they have you bend over ... and won't even give you the courtesy of a reach-around!

Flight Safety, don't know. But they stopped answering my emails when I started asking the hard questions.

The best advice I can offer is stay away from the license mills, get your ratings, build time. make contacts.

The guaranteed interview is the biggest scam going right now until hiring picks up.

Good Luck

 

[bobbysamd]

Another lengthy, boring bobbysamd FlightSafety post . .

Apologies to those who've read my previous FSI postings, so please bear with me regarding this new query.

I was a flight instructor at FlightSafety Academy in Vero in 1991-92. I realize that is several years ago and things might change, but I've had contact with one or two people who are still there and I've heard from members of this board who are FSI students, so I'm confident in the accuracy of my comments.

The main program trains students in about six-seven months for their Commercial-Instrument-Multiengine certificates and ratings. I am happy to vouch for the program's quality. The ground school is adequate and the flight training is high quality. FSI is the only program of which I am aware that provides acro, spins and unusual attitudes training as an integral part of the course. That, in and of itself, is extremely valuable training because it gives one confidence in being able to deal with unexpected attitudes.

The facilities are excellent and the equipment is plentiful and extremely well maintained. I understand that FSI has been acquiring one new Seminole a month for the past one-and-a-half years. Having plenty of airplanes is important because it provides at least some assurance that your flights will take place as planned. I worked in another school where there were never enough airplanes. As a result, I had trouble scheduling my students consistently, which impeded their progress (and diminished my paycheck!).

FlightSafety is an intense program. You will have to attend class, study, be prepared for every activity, and be expected to keep up - which is a major reason why the program works. Don't expect it to be a day at the beach (although the beach is just past the bridges). In other words, the place is a school, just as if you were going to high school, college or a vo-tech, and you have to approach your training as such.

The basic program ain't cheap, at $44K+, and that's the minimum. Most students usually pay more because they often need extra training. That's no reflection on their ability; every student has strengths and weaknesses. You will pay extra for your Commercial Single and CFI ratings, if you choose to get them at FSI, which leads me to my final point.

FlightSafety offers its grads a chance to work there as instructors. That's an important consideration, for any school. However, I understand that currently there's a six-month waiting list for in-house hires at FSI. That could change overnight if the regionals pick up a bunch of instructors. In that regard, FSI likes to talk up its connections with the regionals.

From an employee's point of view, I did not see eye to eye with the managers and how the place treated instructors when I was there. However, I can vouch for three of the people who are now running the place as being first-class individuals.

Hope this helps. Good luck with wherever you decide to train.

 

[Ace757]

I can vouch for FSI. Did my CIME there, and its the best training I have ever recieved. You will defanitaly know your S**t when you get out of there. Also there strong usage of checklists and procedures will prepare you for a future job at the airlines

 

[PennEagle]

FSI

FSI is a great place.... I looked hard at FSI, ATA, Comair and others before deciding on FSI. Not only is the training some of the best available, but the networking is outstanding ..... they'll bust a move to help you get hired after you've finished.

Just my 5 cents

 

[Torey15]

OK Hoss, let's address some issues here without the sugar on top:

First and foremost, without a good and competent instructor all is lost. It does'nt matter that FSI has a new PA44 delivered to the property each month, nor does is matter how much they emphasize checklists or how many shiny adds they place in FLYING Magazine. You must have a good instructor, so make sure you get one!

I should know- I graduated from the CIME program at FSI and my instructor was unequivocally the worst ever. I did not realize this until I started teaching and saw how limited my BASIC ground knowledge was in every aspect - It was a miracle I passed my rides the first time out, let alone at all. I was not a student who had to be spoonfed either - I studied hard and was prepared for every lesson (so I thought).

Secondly, FSI will not help you get a job doing jack without a pricetag attached, usually a big one. The best place to network is a busy FBO (MillionAir, Signature, Mercury, etc.), not Vero Beach. Have you been to Vero Beach? C'mon, man! FSI and Jay Elder will also advertise ASA's flowthrough program, which is a joke and an expensive one (look to cough up an ADDITIONAL $40,000 on top of the first $40,000 you spend) at that.

ASA has some of the biggest hacks in the industry currently flying for them as a result of this wonderful program. A 220-275 hour newly minted commercial pilot has no business in the right seat of a CRJ, nor anything else that has paying customers behind them. Again, a joke and one that I personally witnessed. In fact, my opinion of ASA went in the crapper after who I saw pass the interview and be accepted into the program. Do you have a heartbeat and cash? Welcome to ASA.

Bottom line, there is no easy way. It is a long hard road any way you look at it. Getting your ratings, teaching, flying boxes through cruddy weather. Have a good attitude and watch out for those in this business who don't - they are plentiful.

If whoever is teaching you does not share in the following attitude, get a new one. Your CFI has to be patient enough to remember when he/she could not do what they are trying to teach you. Good luck!

 

[Chief_FE]

Amen.

 

[bobbysamd]

FSI

You must have a good instructor, so make sure you get one!

I should know- I graduated from the CIME program at FSI and my instructor was unequivocally the worst ever.

So, how come you didn't address your concerns with the Student Counselor? By the time you passed your Private any realization that you did not know enough should have been apparent and you could have had an instructor change.

I did not realize this until I started teaching and saw how limited my BASIC ground knowledge was in every aspect - It was a miracle I passed my rides the first time out, let alone at all.

I gather that you earned your CFI at FSI. I recall that you had to know your stuff because the DE(s) were tough.

I have written repeatedly that FSI ground school, as I recall it, was "adequate." Enough to provide a foundation upon which to build.

A 220-275 hour newly minted commercial pilot has no business in the right seat of a CRJ, nor anything else that has paying customers behind them.

(emphasis added)

Well, maybe things have changed. When I was at FSI the ASA program required one to put in time instructing before the "conditional offer of employment" was fulfilled. So, these individuals would have had closer to 1200 hours before they went to ASA.

I had a student, who was one of my best CFI students ever, go that route. I should mention that he put in plenty of time in Scheduling and Dispatch long before he sat down in the right seat of a Cadet.

I never said that FSI is perfect. No flight school is perfect. And, yes indeed, you need a good instructor. But FSI still provides a fine training experience, name recognition and opportunities to succeed thereafter.

 

[Torey15]

Bobbysamd,

I understand your point about getting a new instructor, but as a very young pilot, I did not know what I was missing until the completion of my training and transition into the CFI role. Again, I studied very hard and was at the time I thought a very capable student pilot-Wrong. Additionally, getting a multi engine license and an entire rating (instrument) in the twin dictates that the CFI be sharp. Who I am to tell the CFI he does'nt know what he is doing during training for the two most important ratings of all?

Furthermore, alot of what you stated about those sitting in the fishbowl as we called (management) it, is factual. So many of the CFI's were constantly upset at the higher ups that morale among the instructors was terribly low. I have never in my life heard more complaining from a group of people. Maybe it was justified - I do not know. That attitude however permeated into the teaching and was/is unacceptable. Students deserve better, especially with that kind of financial commitment to the institution.

All my comments about ASA are truthful. To this day, if I saw one of those guys sitting in the right seat, I would do a 180 back up the jetway and wait for another flight. I know that does not reflect the capabilities of the ASA pilot group as a whole, but it did cloud my opinion of the organization at the time, besides the whole PFT deal, which is another thread for another day.

Overall, it does provide a good base for the fledgling pilot, but I just want people to understand that the FSI Academy pedigree does not carry any weight in today's industry, nor does it guarantee a stellar flying education.