Flight Safety

[ms6073]

Curriculum (curricula?) Vitae

A latin term for qualifications (resume) presneted in a specific format (I think). Most companies outside of the US (ICAO and JAA) will refer to forwarding a CV to be considered for a position.

 

[Lucky]

Re: Zlin

They're a lot of fun...fairly abrupt spin entry. Caught me by suprise the first time.

It was good training. I'll feel more confident about letting my students do *actual* MCA once I start instructing.

Chunk

Chunk... you mention "once you start instructing." What is the current wait there for a position as a Flight Instructor. I've heard anywhere from 6 months to two years. Are you still training, or waiting for a position?

 

[Timebuilder]

In the spring of 2001 I was looking into FSI, and the ASA program. A friend talked me out of it, saying that I had a very bright future at the school where he had taught, and where I was currently teaching. Who knows what might have happened in my life if I had taken the position that was ofered by FSI back then.

I CAN tell you that I was told that I could apply for the ASA program after having instructed for 500 hours at FSI, and by 800 hours I would become eligible for the interview. The costs were high. The pay was less than I was making. There was a risk in that I did not know if the ASA program would come to an end while I was working toward that interview. Would I fit in with the management style of the chief flight instructor? There were a host of unanswered questions.

On the bright side, I never had a question about the quality of the school. I knew that I was getting a sales pitch regarding the ASA program. I knew that there had been manufacturing issues with the R model Skyhawks, and that the problem had been dealt with. I knew that FSI on the resume would be a "plus". How much of a plus it might be was up for interpretation.

I knew that JFK junior had been just one student, and that he took more than one attempt to pass his bar exam, and was perhaps not cut out to be a pilot. While he may not have been treated any differently as a student pilot, he came from a family where self confidence often exceeded common sense. It is likely this overconfidence that was his undoing, not his FSI training. His loss is a sad one both for his family and friends, and for the addtional damage his loss brought to aviation.

For a young person, with time on his side and money at the ready, schools like FSI and ERAU are fine choices. For the man short on time and money, I would say they are not.

Come to think of it, it may have been ERAU with the piston pin problem on the Skyhawks.

 

[Chunk]

FlightSafety Academy is located on VRB, the home of Piper. Wouldn't do to have any high wing products on the ramp, now would it?!?!?

I am in the middle of my CFI training. There is a pool of folks waiting to instruct....about 70 deep. How long that'll be, who knows. I'm looking for work elsewhere in the meanwhile, but Florida is saturated w/CFI's and my wife is paying the bills, so I can't just pick up the tent and move.

Anyone need a CFI in the Vero Beach/Ft Pierce/Melbourne area?

As far as FSI goes, I flew as a SENSO (backseat) in the Navy for 7 years and my standards for training is high. FSI has met all of my expectations.

Chunk

 

[SennaP1]

Flight Safety Situation

I was listening today over my school's air to air and overheard some CFI talking about the situation at FSI. He saidthere are 220 students and 100 or so CFIs. It this true that kinda sucks for the CFIs (2:1 ratio) I guess its good for the students. He also said they have like 100 Seminoles sitting on the ground. Is this true? Also he mentioned there is a waiting list 9 months long for a new student (to get one, or for the student ??). Also mentioned pay at $150 every two weeks, and something about not being able to get out of a contract he signed. Any truth to this. Just wonderin' Hard to believe....

 

[Chunk]

That's what ya get...

....for listening to gossip!

There are about 80 CFI's and 250-300 students. Some of those CFI's are contract-only (Asiana, RWL, mostly foreign carriers) and I don't think those students are counted in the 250-300. Some guys have 1 or 2 students. Some have 3 or 4. It's not like it was pre-9/11, but it's picking up.

We have 20 new Seminoles, all very busy. All of your instrument is done here in PA-44's. We have about 5 "old" Seminoles that used for getting your Private Multi. It wouldn't do to have the Garmins getting slammed on a guy's first short-field.

There is a hiring pool to CFI here. It's about 9 months or so. During the wait, you are free to instruct elsewhere or stay and get you CFII and MEI at the employee rate.

The pay isn't the highest (I think about 15/hour), BUT! you get full bennies (401K, medical, dental, etc.). Plus, you get your CFII and MEI reimbursed once you pass standardization.

Here's the best thing about instructing here....YOU WILL GET HIRED at an airline or whatever it is your goal is. FlightSafety has a great rep and the networking opportunities here are outstanding. In the 7 months I've been here, I've met the Director of Ops for NetJets Intl., and 4 different chief pilots for corporate and charter companies. A customs pilot came here to do his CFI and must've been impressed because he came back a month later with a recruiter. I personally got to sit jumpseat on a G-IVSP soing practice approaches.

To be frank, I can't imagine going anywhere else. Great atmosphere, great customer service, great training, great facilities and maintenance, new airplanes, spin/acro training, spatial disorientation training, sims, etc. etc. etc. It's not the cheapest, but it isn't the most expensive. I personally think it's the best civilian training available. For example, your weather classes are taught by a retired forcaster/dispatcher from EAL. He was with them for 30 years and has a Masters in metro. The resources here, if you seek them out, are incredible.

It's not for everybody....if you aren't willing to eat, sleep, and drink flying, don't come here. This is, if done properly, graduate level work.

Sorry for the sales pitch, but it's a great place!

Chunk

 

[bobbysamd]

FSI - then and now

I second Chunk's comments. Especially the benefits. FSI offers good health and the 401-K. Pay has gone up, thankfully, in ten years. I know for certain that management has improved. I heard in late 2001 that the place was getting one new Seminole per month. The place did not have the airline upgrade when I was there, but that was then and now is now.

The place has hired from outside. I was hired because the place was seeking so-called "senior" instructors to teach in the foreign airline contract programs. I suspect the place won't be hiring from outside for a long time because of the backlog in its pool.

I can vouch for the facilities. In 1991 the campus was alright, with a main building for administration and classrooms, the dorms, and the bungalows for the Swissair students. The flight line consisted of two buildings: a building that had dispatch, several briefing rooms, the sim lab, and offices for the Center Manager, Chief Pilot and his assistants, and the maintenance hangar. The building was new when I arrived. I was in town for the day two years ago and was surprised to see how much the place had expanded.

As an FSI employee during the years I mentioned I had a mixed experience. But FSI offers great initial training. By the way, don't expect to find a great deal of fun in Vero, or as some people call it, Zero Beach. A few places to eat, a cinema, a couple of places to drink, and the beach are all that I remember. Which may be just as well if you're immersed in such an intense program. You can always go see Mickey in Orlando.