Hardest/Easiest regional training dept.

[superjet]

Just curious who takes the cake for these categories. I've heard TSA and Lakes are the hardest in the industry.

 

[Knob]

Lakes is the hardest I've ever been through. There is absolutely no help for stragglers and the sim eats new hires alive. I think the washout rate is somewhere around 30%. To me this just says the training program is inadequate. During recurrent I was in class with a new hire class and the CEO came in to answer questions of the newbies. One guy raises his hand and asks Chuck if he can have more sim sessions than whats on the schedule. Chuck looks at the guy sideways and says "Why?, you shoud know how to fly by the time you get here. If I leave a $2 steak on the grill any longer its not going to taste like a $5 steak is it?" Chuck is such a tool!

 

[Vladimir Lenin]

pdt ain't the bestest from what i've seen on here

 

[pilotpat-1]

Mesa CRJ and ERJ programs are very good, very high pass rates. You will always be given extra time if you need it. But the Dash has had its problems, but I think the instructors that were causing all the problems have moved on. BE1900 all so has a very high pass rate. I do agree if you have a lot of failures it is the instructors.

 

[WhiteCloud]

Lakes is the hardest I've ever been through. There is absolutely no help for stragglers and the sim eats new hires alive. I think the washout rate is somewhere around 30%. To me this just says the training program is inadequate.

You're right. TSA was tough only because they expected you to figure a lot of the stuff out for yourself. If you didn't have previous airline or turbine experience to draw from you had a few strikes against you to start. To be fair, many of the individual instructors were very good and helpful but the company culture was to weed out those who couldn't get it quickly. To quote a memorable line from a higher up in the Training Dept. (many years ago)..."If they can't figure it out for themselves we don't want them". Their initial checkride failure rate was over 50%. I guess it made them look tough for the Feds. This was some time ago though....have things changed there?

 

[OUT]

That's not right making you figure it out on your own. Doesn't the company know that most of them have never flown a jet before? I know that I will be very nervous an intimidated when I finally make it to a regional ground school.

 

[WhiteCloud]

I know that I will be very nervous an intimidated when I finally make it to a regional ground school.

I think that was the point....they wanted us to be nervous and intimidated...not so much about the airplane but about the company. It's a control technique. For what it's worth, just get your instrument flying down solid and read Mark Holt's (former TSA Captain) book "Turbine Pilot" and you'll be well prepared to enter ground school at a regional airline. Good preparation will help in dealing with nervousness. Good luck. WC

 

[illtake2]

I started with TSA in July. Out of 18 people in the class 2 washed out on the EMB 145 and 3 washed out from the J41. We started with 10 on the jet and 8 on the 41. Class isn't hard its the stress that gets to you. Everything you have worked for and your airline career relies on a checkride in an airplane you have 7 lessons in. I looked at it like 1000's of other people made it through and I know I am not any worse than them.

 

[T-Storm Chaser]

Air Wisconsin's training program is pretty good. I wouldn't call it easy by any means, but it is very thourough and well taught. The instructors are pretty good and help you understand the material. Don't get me wrong, you still have to put in a good deal of study time, and studying in groups can be really helpful, but the instructors and higher ups want to see you make it through. On a related topic, i also have heard from friends at TSA that their training dept. is pretty tough. CHQ supposedly has a good training dept. also. I don't think any of them are "easy", and if they are then I wouldn't recommend you work there.

 

[flyguy81]

at chq we had a class of 27, 1 washed out and 1 quit