Pan Am International Flight Academy

[MikePalazzo]

Hey everyone...After reading posts about flight academys I feel reluctant to write this, but it is a decision I am seriously contemplating and I am looking for some opinions/reviews/ and guidance from some of you more experienced pilots....A little background on myself, I am 20 years old with an associates degree in history...I am private rated and will be taking my instrument checkride within the next month (Nov 15th =) Well to be honest with everyone I am seriously burnt out on academics...I plan on eventually getting my bachelors degree but right now I really wish I could spend most of my time working towars my career; flying...My aviation background has come from a Ma' and Pop' flight school at my local airport....Unfortunately I am only able to fly 2-3 (tops) times a week due to limited instructors....Personally this is not enough so I have inquired all of the flight clubs at the three closest airports that are practical for me to commute to, and unfortunately I am being told that I will be limited to 2-3 times a week due to lack of instructors....This is very dissapointing, thus why I am looking into flight academys...Upon reviewing all of the academys I think Pan Am International looks the most professional and is best suited for me...If I were to enter I am told that Its gonna cost me around 40K...I would begin with my multi rating and finish the course being CFI/CFII/and CFIME and a guranteed job flight instructing at the academy (1 year or so) until I have obtained enough TT/MT for an interview with one of their "contact" regionals...Now ive read earlier posts and I know a lot of people consider this "buying yourself a F/O seat'', but I feel in my scenario I am really limited on options...yes, I would love to keep flying out of my home airport, and do the traditional route of instructing and gaining hours, but the way things are looking thats another 2-3 maybe 4-5 years worth of time which I dont have! I dont look at going to the academy as an easy way out. Personally I feel it is a big plus for me because I can devote all of my time into my flight training to become the best pilot I can possibly be. yes it is appealing to get a F/O job in such quick time, but its more appealing to me to spend 100% of my time over the next year or so strictly devoted to aviation.....

Is there anyone out there with experience with this particular flight academy? The only knowledge I have on it is what I have been told by employees and throught their catalog so I understand a lot of it is bias. How much validity is there to what I am being told? Folks, anyone with comments, and knowledge will be extremely helpful to me...There is no way I would spend all this money and go into something without research, and trusting the posters on this web forum I will take your answers and comments with the higest respect because you sound like some of the most professional in the field....If you do not want to post on this forum and would like to talk in private I can be reached via e-mail - - [email protected] ....I'd encourage people to privately contact me if you have experience with this academy so I can fully understand the point you are getting across......

Thanks a lot guys

Respectfully,

Michael R. Palazzo

 

[cforst513]

everyone is going to tell you to go the route of the local FBO. yes, i realize that the instructor time is limited, but you're 20, right? b/c you're so young, you have to "pay your dues just like everyone else." me being 21 will probably make you laugh, but of the 4 online forums i belong to, the overwhelming majority of pilots say leave those types of schools (pan am, delta connection) alone. they are more for guys getting going late in the game (career changers, 35+ yr olds, etc). that having been said, you're thinking about doing what i am thinking about doing. i am thinking about building some time at an FBO, get some training in, and then enter the schools, thus saving money on the initial "lower" training but then paying top dollar for the multi and instrument time. no one ever seems to write about this, so i am interested too in what others have to say. usually, though, they all either say join the military or fly at an FBO and pay your dues like everyone else. oh, and PLEASE go back and get your bachelor's degree. i know school sucks, i am a senior in college, but with the industry as it is right now, you gotta have something to fall back on. an associates might keep you from realizing your full earning potential, depending on what field you're in. get a bachelor's suck it up for 2 more years or so. you won't regret it. fly safely.

 

[mayday1]

partial to the FBO route..

40k after you have your private and instrument is ALOT of money. I'd guess you could get the remainder of your certificates for about half the cost if you go the local FBO route. Might take a little longer, but at 20, you'll be thankful you have just a mound of debt, compared to a mountain if you go to a big flight school.

just my $.02

 

[nosehair]

Go to your local FBO. Get your Sport Pilot Instructor's Certificate in 150 hours and start filling the shortage of Instructors in your area.

What? No Sport Pilot Program where you live? Demand it! Get it up and running!

 

[bobbysamd]

Academy route

I am not in the "go to your local FBO" group. I like a structured, Part 141 flight school. A good 141 school costs more, but I believe you learn more, better and faster in a school environment. The structure of a school environment forces you to study, prepare for class, do assignments, study for tests, and prepare for your flights. FBOs are not as structured, and can potentially drag out your training and the learning experience. I learned under Part 61 with an instructor who owned his own airplane and left studying up to me. I taught primarily under Part 141 and (1) was chagrined when I first started that I had students who knew more than I did about some things and (2) how well they turned out in comparison to students taught in other programs.

As long as you're considering Pan Am, you should also consider FlightSafety Academy in Vero.

Good luck with your choice of school.

 

[de727ups]

I won't argue with you Bobby, but the reason the 141 students were sharper than you after you trained 61 wasn't part 61's fault, or even your CFI's, fault. I'd guess you just didn't work as hard as the other guys, or realize how much there is to know.

I train just like your old CFI. It's up to the student to put in the hard work and bring himself up to a high level. If he's just "safe", I'll still sign him off for the checkride, because I'm mainly concerned about that. If he works extra hard and knows more than I do, then that's even better. He'll excell at flight instruction and airline training. The guy who is only willing to put in enough effort to be just "safe", probably won't get far in the business.

Good part 141 schools, notice I didn't say all, do force you to have a high amount of knowledge to get through the program. It's not really the 141 reg that makes that happen, though, but a quality school that has high standards. No reason a 61 guy couldn't meet the same standards through a lot of hard work and study.

I would have put my knowledge level and training under part 61 up against any 141 school. Except for my CFI rating. My CFI training was way sub-par but I didn't really know it, or know what to expect. The DE shouldn't have passed me, but he did cause he knew I was headed to ERAU and wasn't going to start instructing right away.

 

[acaTerry]

I'm with de727ups. I have 11 yrs as a CFI from a one-plane FBO to the Lufthansa school and as an instructor at one of the "big 3" academies and I have worked with countless FBO CFI's who I would stack up against any Pan Am or other type of school.
In fact, the structured environment only on the average, lowers the time to completion by less than 15 hours. And I am of the opinion that letting a student pilot dress up like an airline pilot does not instill professionalism, but rather simply swells the head and causes problems. GAWD how I hate seeing kids dressed up like airline pilots while sporting long hair or a goatee.
There are 2 things that matter....the CFI and the student. The rest is just fluff.

 

[MikePalazzo]

I should have responded to my post sooner lol.....From all the negative remarks I have heard about Pan AM, I have decided the place is a lying crock of $hit, and I would be foolish to spend my money there...

I have decided to take a look at ATP....I interview on Nov 5th...Looks like a great school...I have only heard positive reviews from the numerous contacts I have spoken to......140+ ME Seneca hours....30 Single....Ratings-Multi/private....Instrument....Commercial...Commercial Multi....CFI/CFII/CFIME...Plus housing is included

 

[bobbysamd]

I won't argue with you Bobby, but the reason the 141 students were sharper than you after you trained 61 wasn't part 61's fault, or even your CFI's, fault. I'd guess you just didn't work as hard as the other guys, or realize how much there is to know.

You could not be more wrong. I do not appreciate that comment whatsoever and take great exception to it.

If there was anything that motivated me in life, it was learning how to fly. I knew that I wanted to learn how to fly since I was a child. I had to wait until I was 31 before I could. And when I finally could, I was excited. I remember that after my first flight my instructor gave me the Flight Training Handbook. I was so pumped after my first flight that I stayed up a good portion of the night and read it cover to cover. I was far more motivated to learn how to fly than I ever was in any school or college that I attended. To that point, I was always satisfied just to get through.

With flying, I exemplified the Law of Readiness. I looked forward to every flight. During most of the years I earned my ratings, I had to deal with an 8 pm - 6 am work schedule, five nights a week, with my instructor and airplane not being available until five in the afternoon. Except for working and sleeping, I spent most of my non-flying hours studying and preparing for writtens. I read all my manuals cover to cover.

You say it should be up to the student to bring himself/herself up to a high level; it is up to the instructor to provide direction and I had little. I did everything my instructor asked. He said barely a word about what I should know and spent little time with me for my orals. Nonetheless, I must have done something right because I generally scored in the 90s on my writtens, without much help or guidance from my instructor.

I did not have a career in mind when I was learning to fly. But, if you feel that I only wanted to learn enough just to be "safe," please know that I pursued advanced ratings so I could be the best pilot possible. I earned my CFI to try to put my flying on a paying basis. I would dare say that I was a far better and thorough Part 61 instructor than mine was because I was motivated and did not want my students to have the same mediocre learning experience I had.

I've seen it from both sides of the desk, as a Part 61 student, as a Part 61 instructor and as a Part 141 instructor. I did not state categorically that all Part 61 training is bad. Having said that, I'll still take Part 141 any time.

 

[rajflyboy]

Part 61 is the way to go. Part 141 is pretty much worthless unless your getting your Commercial Pilots ticket. Thats the only rating that you will benefit using a 141 school. Your much better off using part 61 for all other ratings.

141 is overrated! Having more time with an instructor in a training environment is not necessarily going to make you a better pilot.

Having a great instrument instructor and having lots of actual instrument time during your training for the instrument rating is the best way to become a good professional pilot. The more actual you get from day one of your instrument training the better!!! Then you have to continue to get actual intrument experience after you get the ticket.

That will get you further than any part 141 school will get you. Sure... go to FL or AZ and get your tickets.........spend a whole lot of $$ and get no actual intrument time..... but that won't make you a better pilot.