Mesa Pilot Program

[wolfeman220940]

Hello I am six weeks from gradating from high school and I am looking into the mesa Pilot program and I was wondering what you all think about it, I like the mesa pilot program because you get a 2 year AS degree and you get a interview with mesa. If you all know of any better place please let me know. Thank you

 

[gear goes down]

You can do whatever you want to do, however, I would not go there. What is their cost????? Mesa is the worst regional airline to work for. I say go anywhere but their!!! You could go to a local FBO and get everything for less than half of the cost mesa offers I bet. You could also go to a local college or online college and get your AS degree.

I’m willing to bet most everyone else here will give you the same response.

Oh, and you do realize if you do work at mesa (or most other’s) you will be making only about $15-20,000 a year when you first start out. Just thought I would let you know that pilots don’t make $200,000 a year.

 

[wolfeman220940]

You could go to a local FBO

I was told by many pilots to stay way from the FBO here because there type of training is not up to par, and I have heard many terrible stories. Do you know of any other program that offer a program like mesa where you get a interview with a Regional carrier.

 

[gear goes down]

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of bad FBO’s out there. But there are good one’s too. A part 141 school might be better than a part 61 school (141 means the program is approved by the FAA). As for the schools that offer a interview, most of them aren’t worth the money. And besides that, you will have to build time some how (like flight instructing) before most airlines will even look at you. Most require a minimum of approx 1,000 hrs total time and 100 hrs of multi time. When you finish up your flight training you will have about ~300 hours.

I did my flight training at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, OK. It is a very good school. They offer both AS and BS degrees also. Most graduates can get a job working as a flight instructor their if you choose. Once you’re an in instructor their and get some more flight time, their are airlines that come every now and then for interviews and most instructors get hired.

Maybe someone else here has actually done the mesa program and can give you a little more details. Maybe its worth the money, who knows these days.

Either way you choose good luck to you and have fun with your training.

 

[Sawmill]

wolfeman: A simple search on this site will tell you all you need to know about Mesa as well as any other pilot developement program. Most, if not all, are a complete waste of money, and that comes from someone who came darn close to wasting his money on one. Fortunately I listened to my friends and instructor who guided me away from that route. Dont worry about an interview at an airline at this point. Go find an instructor at any FBO (there are tons out there) and get your ratings and build time. While you are doing that, buy a cheap beater of an airplane, fly the hell out of it and meet as many people in the biz and ask questions. You would be surprised what doors will open for you along the way. Also, building your time will go faster than you think and you will have fun in the process. If you become so focused on an airline job, it will be a complete let down when you get there. Besides, when you do get there, the industry will probably be pretty different than it is now...who knows, they may even be paying a first year FO a livable wage by then! (wishful I know) Good luck! Sawmill

 

[Slice121]

I was told by many pilots to stay way from the FBO here because there type of training is not up to par, and I have heard many terrible stories. Do you know of any other program that offer a program like mesa where you get a interview with a Regional carrier.

www.prairieairservice.com

No airline interview when you're done, but they are reasonable in price and you will be a competent low-time pilot when you finish.

 

[frog_flyer]

lol you dont need a school to get an interview. get up to mins, get recs, and have someone walk in your app. you dont need a 'fancy' school to do that now do you?

 

[frog_flyer]

www.prairieairservice.com

No airline interview when you're done, but they are reasonable in price and you will be a competent low-time pilot when you finish.

damn that place is cheaper than a bulgarian hooker

 

[Slice121]

dang that place is cheaper than a bulgarian hooker

I'll have to take your word on that one...

 

[epic!]

every pilot i have talked to that worked for mesa hated it with a passion

 

[j41driver]

Not sure where you are located but if you are any where near Pittsburgh, PA check out Community College of Beaver County. They have a pretty good program. Prices were resonable when I went there.

http://www.ccbc.edu/exploring/aviation.jsp?pageId=2090611881251077902964976

 

[PA31Ho]

I was told by many pilots to stay way from the FBO here because there type of training is not up to par, and I have heard many terrible stories. Do you know of any other program that offer a program like mesa where you get a interview with a Regional carrier.

uhm.... you think mesa training is up to par???... i know you're new to it all and think the bigger the school and the bigger the name the better.. (some cases that may be true) however, don't get sucked in because the will 'guarantee you an interview', etc... read the boards, do searches about Mesa.. you don't want to be one of those fools (with all do respect).. i just hear the stupidest statements/questions come out of their mouth.

 

[rickair7777]

In all fairness, MAPD has a good training program, and is one of the very few such programs that has a relatively high success rate placing their graduates...

HOWEVER, there a few issuess...

1) If you spend the time and money and don't get hired, you're hosed because no one else will hire you with 250 hours, because of your serious lack of experience. If you blow the interview or Mesa stops hiring, then what?

2) There are many professional pilots in the airline and corporate world who consider pilots who do not have military or CFI experience to be substandard. Being a MAPD graduate without CFI experience could be a black mark on your record when you apply to a major airline. Unfortunately, some young people do MAPD, get an airline job before they have any experience in aviation or life in general, and then act like complete jacka$$es...giving the whole lot a bad rap, including YOU.

3) If you invest two years in full-time training and CFI work you could be pretty close to the 1000 hours needed to get hired off the street at Mesa. You'd still need 100 ME. Also at that point, you would be eligible to apply to numerous airlines, not just Mesa...

 

[CX880]

gradating from high school

Your not the right age for the program. Not only does mesa have a age21 limit to hire but most who go into that program are old guys, looking for a second career. Last time I talked to a MPD recruiter there was only one 20 year-old in a classs of old guys.

 

[aerolee]

Hey Wolfeman229040, can recommend MAPD at ASU if your thinking about it. Its run differently then the Farmington and San Juan schools, its a 4-year degree, you also get your CFI and CFII. If you plan it right you can get your stuff done in a year and a half maybe two, then instruct for the time remaining at ASU. Then hopefully by the time you graduate you will have enough hours to go somewhere besides Mesa (unless something drastically changes in '07).

So far its been working out for me, I love it here. Prices and training are much better then my local FBO. Contrary to what some people believe, the training is actually really good, cannot speek for Farmington or San Juan as I've heard some things about their programs. My only regret is knowing more about how crappy Mesa is before I signed up, but like I said if you plan it right you can get great training then go somewhere else.

 

[SilverFlyer]

What's wrong with Mesa airlines? I have a couple of friends who have stars in their eyes after recently hiring on with them, but they haven't been there long enough to tell me to stay away. I'd love to be able to use them to walk my resume. . .

 

[Av8rPHX]

Stay away from Mesa, it sucks here. Although if you're desperate enough, we need about 100 pilots to goto JFK for the Freedom Dash 8 flying...get the 1000 PIC and move on..

 

[CFIse]

Stay away from Mesa, it sucks here. Although if you're desperate enough, we need about 100 pilots to goto JFK for the Freedom Dash 8 flying...get the 1000 PIC and move on..

It sucks everywhere in the regional world. I used to think Mesa sucked worse, but I hear other pilots complaining about their schedules, and their hotels, and their reserve lines, and their crew tracking and...... Mesa sucks just as much as any other regional.

Come here, get your PIC, move on. Or stay - by the time you decide to make it a career you'll be so senior that all the complaining you hear about Mesa doesn't apply to you.......

 

[Cows Go Moo]

Your not the right age for the program. Not only does mesa have a age21 limit to hire but most who go into that program are old guys, looking for a second career. Last time I talked to a MPD recruiter there was only one 20 year-old in a classs of old guys.

Not true. I've flown with two 20-year-olds here at Mesa within just the last couple months. It always surprises me when the crew gets together to eat on those 12+ hour overnights and our FO (and often the FA/FAs, too) is underaged. Makes me wonder how they do that... not drinking, I mean.

To be fair to this thread, a very high percentage of the MAPD grads I talk to liked the program a lot. I didn't do it myself, but the one's I've asked who have generally praise it.