My short Delta Connection Academy Experience

[joeg252]

I made the mistake of going through their program only to have it back fire in my face. Run,don't walk from that school, you don't need them!!!

 

[standaman]

Sorry to hear so many had a bad experience at DCA. I can say nothing but good things about the program since it worked for me. Granted flight programs have problems and are expensive but what company does not have problems. Many of the opinions are problems that do exist but you have to get rid of all the noise and focus on your career.

 

[as739x]

Great thread guys!

So help me out here. I am looking into moving to FL next summer to attend one of these schools. I have been in contact with DCA. They are the only one to actually e-mail me back. PanAm gave me the pre-written response. I have not been in contact with FSI as of yet. For those of you who know something about these schools, pros n cons , about FL schools. Thanks guys!

 

[bobbysamd]

FlightSafety

Great thread guys!

So help me out here. I am looking into moving to FL next summer to attend one of these schools. I have been in contact with DCA. They are the only one to actually e-mail me back. PanAm gave me the pre-written response. I have not been in contact with FSI as of yet. For those of you who know something about these schools, pros n cons , about FL schools. Thanks guys!

Look at my post above regarding FlightSafety. I have written plenty of others, which you can find if you run a board search.

Just to repeat, the long and short of FlightSafety is you will receive excellent training in great facilities in good, well-maintained equipment. The place is not cheap, but provides great value not only in terms of the training but also for its name recognition. Finally, the school is very concerned about customer satisfaction.

Good luck with wherever you choose to train.

 

[SMOE]

Great thread guys!

So help me out here. I am looking into moving to FL next summer to attend one of these schools. I have been in contact with DCA. They are the only one to actually e-mail me back. PanAm gave me the pre-written response. I have not been in contact with FSI as of yet. For those of you who know something about these schools, pros n cons , about FL schools. Thanks guys!

Whatever you decide, please don't base the quality of the operation on whether or not they give you an email reply! Search this board or go to www.jetcareers.com/forums and you'll read all you need to read, good and bad, about DCA and some others.
Good luck...

 

[Satan]

My vote's for all the training programs in Florida, especially in light of the unusually calm hurrican season

 

[aeronautic1]

Follow the money...

Look, if you want to train in Florida, go to Professional Flight Training in Ft. Lauderdale (954-938-3043. Outstanding equipment/instructors, there own in-house 135 Navajo operation and 737 cockpit sim trainer. Get all your instructor/ATP rating here then shop your resume. The regional business is saturtated with low-time pilots in the right seat which is why the copilots @ ComAir. Air Wiz etc... make less money that a waitress at Denny's. It's multi engine PIC time that builds a resume. What better way to do that than by flying Nava-joes and 402s. That's how I got into Hawkers, Citations and Learjets. I cannot even imagine being pigeon-holed with an outrageous education loan and barely being even able to pay the rent as a regional SIC. The only winners in the airline training school business are the airline training schools.

 

[AZaviator]

So help me out here. I am looking into moving to FL next summer to attend one of these schools. I have been in contact with DCA. They are the only one to actually e-mail me back. PanAm gave me the pre-written response. I have not been in contact with FSI as of yet. For those of you who know something about these schools, pros n cons , about FL schools. Thanks guys!

I would pursue ATPs. Their training is very fast paced, but in my opinion is very good. They quote you one price for all your training and that is the price you pay. There aren't any hidden costs, nor do they sell you or make you pay for extra programs you don't really need.

I would avoid Pan Am. The training there is decent, but is very overpriced. They make you sign up for additional programs there such as CRM, and the ACE program, which are programs you could do without.....plus, they significantly increase the price. I personally know several people who are very competant pilots who have gone to Pan Am and left for other schools after paying over $10,000 for their private pilot's license.

As Bobbysamd stated, Flightsafety seems like a good school and one worth checking out. In addition, I would maybe even pursue looking into some FBOs. You might find the best deals there.

Good luck!

 

[vikaero]

Training is what you make of it.... I went to a now defunct school in Oakland, cali...well.. we had plenty of people with the 10-15000 $ private accusing the school, equipment, instructors etc... BUT.. RARELY did anyone look within to see what they did to get to that predicament. Some had the attitude that just because they were at a flight school it was the schools responsibility to HAND OUT the certificates and ratings. Nobody was too keen to shoulder personal responsibility... especially the ones that were not cutting the mustard.

Personally, I feel that before starting flight training the onus is on the student to have a honest picture of who they are and what they want as well as what it will take to get there.

....Just my two cents.... not defending academies/certificate factories OR FBO training.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

I was an instructor in the Orlando area and have numerous friends that instructed at DCA. The entire program is incredibly overpriced and the school owns you. "You better not be late for a flight or it will be a bad reflection on you when you interview for the CFI job." After being ripped off for your ratings you will be walking on eggshells during your CFI indoc, which will not be for 6 months after you finish your CFII. As an instructor you will not make enough to live. A friend of mine is in a group there now where there are almost twice as many instructors as students. It will take you 2-3 years to get the 800 hours of dual given to interview with a regional.

By the time you finish with all that you could have been flying for a regional for a year. It is not worth it. You can get an interview with a Connection Carrier on you own for one third the cost and one half the time.