Is this PFT

[larry]

I'm looking at the Regional Airline Academy as an option in Janruary. If you have 700tt and 100 multi, and you pay them $4000.00 then they will put you through a 4 week program that ends with an interview with a regional. The only regional they listed that does not have pilots on the street was ACA. I instruct part time now and meeting those times is no problem. The alternative is quit my full time job and instruct full time until I build competitve times. That would take me at least a year. I'd rather pay the $4000.00 and move on, that would be cheaper for me in the long run.

I haven't found anyone thats been through this program, and I've check lots of message boards. Do you think this counts as a Pay for training program? I don't see how it is anymore than paying inflated prices for your ratings at Comair or flight safety to work you way to a job their regional connections. Flame away. I have marshmellows on a stick in front of my computer screen.

http://www.raajobs.com

As an alternative I'm really hoping Flight Safety brings back the CFI intern program with ASA. Any word on that?

 

[chawbein]

Go for it, who gives a sh!t if you paid for training. You have to do what's best for you, because no one else is....

By the way, unless they are giving you a job and you are paying them to have it then I don't think it is PFT. Otherwise it seems like you are just paying for hours.

 

[ceo_of_the_sofa]

One of the CFIs at the school here is so tired of flying the pattern and "broadcast", he's thinking of going into real estate. He's allready been through the PFT, and about a year of "teaching". So, if I were you, I'd school full time for a few months to see if it's your thing, and if not, then do the PFT (there's no shame in that, but make sure you read the contract)

 

[cvsfly]

As long as you are not promised a job and pay to occupy a required crew member seat on a revenue flight, I don't think it is PFT. You maybe paying a premium for training that gives you an opportunity to get an interview. If they advertise anything other than that, I think would be fradulent. I did an ATP program with MESA/San Juan in 1996 that quarenteed me an interview with a selection of MESA companies. Got the ATP, got the interview, was not selected, end of story and never persued it any more. I wasn't competitive at the time with my ME time or the type of flying I was doing for the market at the time (and just didn't interview well). Worked for some , not for me. Would I do it again? Probably - It wasn't very expensive and I walked away with my ATP which I needed anyway. Would I pay $4000? Depends. Would I pay $20,000 for the priveldge of sitting in the right seat of a King Air, Metroliner, etc. definatly not. Like in any profession I think a job history speaks more for your ability, experience level, and worth as a potential employee not for how much training you were able to pay for.

 

[larry]

Well I'm confidant flying is what I want to do. I honestly enjoy teaching, I just don't enjoy the pay. I've been doing it part time for over two years now. I can take a month of paid leave at my programming job and go to this school in Orlando, then go back to my programming job wile I wait for my turn in the pool to start working. That plan seems much better than work full time as a CFI for a year, then try to convinve my wife not to leave me, then try to get hired by a regional. I was thinking this route would chop a year of sub standard in-human wages off my route.

 

[cvsfly]

You sound like you are in a good position to do it - paid leave and all. I wish you luck, but take the marketing peoples rhetoric with a grain of salt and don't quit that job yet thinking you will be with a regional any time soon.

 

[414Flyer]

Go for it, who gives a sh!t if you paid for training. You have to do what's best for you, because no one else is....

Well, hey, thats a good idea! I think I will work for free, or even pay to for a job, if it will get me the hours I need!!!! (sarcasm filter off). I think the attitude of I gotta do everything I can for me, and screw everyone else is detrimental to everyone.


Regarding the RAA program. Just be very cautious. They would love to have your money, and will tell you about anything to get it.

I corresponded with someone online once, and apparently he had been told by one of the academies, that the airlines prefer someone with 300 hours and has gone thru a "program" over someone with 2-3 thousand hours and freight experience

 

[rightrudder]

I would be extremely cautious with this one. It is not PFT, so don't sweat that.

I may be skeptical, but in these times i'd be very surprised if they in fact can guarantee you an interview at ACA. Maybe you should try to contact someone in hiring at ACA to find out if this is true. Ask RAA for references and proof that in fact you can get an interview.

Call the BBB as well as the Consumers Affairs Dept. in the state that RAA operates and see if there have been any complaints.

I'd hate to see you pay $1000 per week for 4 weeks for some glorified groundschool classes and AST sim time. You could buy yourself some multi time instead, enough to perhaps help you get a freight job where you could quickly build time to get an regional interview.

Anyways, good luck to you and caveat emptor.

 

[rightrudder]

I forgot to add, that even if you do get an interview, remember that the competition is fierce. An interview is not a guanteed job.

 

[bobbysamd]

P-F-T

While this apparently does not meet the generally agreed-upon definition of P-F-T, i.e. you pay for company-specific training that is useless anywhere but at the company in question, I'd still be very careful. These operators generally do not have your best interests at heart. They are looking at making a fast buck off people desperate for an "airline" job and are not especially interested in seeing you succeed. In other words, I'd bet the washout rate is higher than the norm.

Check it out carefully and see if there is any refund policy. See how much of an up-front deposit they want. I don't believe for a minute the bit about "we even guarantee interviews with regional airlines." For one thing, about the only regional that I heard is hiring is Comair. You won't get a Comair interview through RAA. Then, as others have pointed out, just because you get an interview doesn't mean that you will interview successfully. Even if you do interview successfully, it still doesn't mean you will be immediately awarded a class date. You might be in a (cess)pool for months - and you'll wonder what advantage you gained.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Timebuilder]

1) Not PFT.

2) Sounds like an awful lot of money for what you would get.

3) Being offered an interview means squat in this highly competitive environment. You're better off having an ACA crewmember walk in your resume.

4) My advice: keep instructing, build quality experience, network, and be patient. This recovery in aviation is going to take a while.

5) Don't give up your day job.

 

[larry]

Well my master plan to check this place out was

1) Go visit
2) Get them to put me in touch with a former student
3) Contact the regional of my choice (ACA for example) and verify that they will in fact hire a pilot with less than the minimum required times if they go through this program

If all of this works out, then I will try the program and consider it a $4,000.00 gamble. Experience i aviation tells me that one of three checks will not pass but its worth a try!

 

[Timebuilder]

Good.

You have learned to be cautious, and that's a necessity in avaition. Let us know how this works out.

Personally, I talked to those folks about an instructor job. After 9/11, they didn't return my calls. Remember, you may need to instruct some more, and finding an instructor slot once you leave a job can be difficult.

Choose wisely, grasshopper.

 

[Old Crow]

I tell you what. You give me that 4000 dollars and I'll give you an extremely honest effort at getting you a job with recommendations too. We can get together, talk, go visit the airport the general office and anything I can do to help. I'll even buy you dinner and give you a flight review with emphasis on part 121 procedures.

Just send me a PM and we'll get the ball rolling.

 

[mccann]

re. FSI CFI intern - ASA

Whew, acronym soup. Talked to FSI the other day: their CFI track to ASA is operating, BUT... (1) you have to have gone through their program from 0 time to be eligible (2) only operating at a trickle; ASA tells them when they need another "batch", and they send through another group of 4.

Hope this helps, wish it were better news. I'll have to take a look at RAA. So far ATA & Comair have been looking like the best bet, but I'm still researching.