Part 135 Initial Ground

[User998]

I had a former student of mine call me this evening with a question, and I was unable to give him a confident answer about it. So thought I'd throw the scenario out there, and see if anyone can give me a definitive answer.

This guy has been offered the oppurtunity in July to participate in a 135 initial ground school with a current 135 charter company. There's no job attached to it, but his friend (who works for the company) got him a seat in school so that he could get him "135 certified". It's going to be a 5 day course, with no compensation for time in attendance.

Here's his question. Is it worth his time to go ahead and sit through this initial course? In other words, is having only completed the ground portion of the 135 training, with no previous or in-near future 135 flying, how will that fair him down the road - in terms of job prospects? Also, if he does get hired onto a 135 outfit, will they still require him to go through their 135 training as well?

I'm not 135-savy at all, but I didn't know if this was a situation similiar to getting a type rating, but having no actual time in type.

Would this look good on his resume, or should he just politely decline the invitation and wait until the training is required by a future 135 job - if thats where he wants to go.

 

[FlyFlyFly]

There really is no such thing as a 135 ground initial. There is compnay specific indoctrination training. Then there is 135 flight certification, accomplished through training and checkrides. It will be a learning experience, but probably not worth missing work for. It will mostly be company policy and FAR review. Maybe a trip to the pool with a raft and AC evacuation and a chnace to make some good contacts for future employment.

 

[charter dog]

I suppose it depends upon what you mean by "worth his time". As a pure learning experience, it may be of considerable value to your friend to sit what I assume from your description to be a company indoc course. While I wouldn't put it on a resume, and this course has no qualification value outside of the specific company involved, it may serve as a valuable look inside the world of part 135 operations for him.

Indoc typically covers comany manual and procedures, OpSpecs, FAR/AIM, Hazmat, drug program and myriad other modules such as LAHSO, PRM, RVSM, TAWS/GPWS, TCAS and CRM. Should he ever elect to pursue employment at a 135, 121 or 91K company, he will get to do all this again since it is company specific. For someone interested in a future in this business, it may indeed be worth his time and effort to sit this class as long as they are gracious enough to allow it. It will give him a good idea what to concentrate his independant studies on. As the previous poster stated, it's not worth missing work for. Unless he is in a position to fly for this company in the near future.

Some companies just go through the motions of burning up the forty hours, some sit you down at a computer and some actually teach the class with competent instructors who really try to make it a positive learning experience. I hope for his sake that this one falls into the latter category.

Best,

 

[User998]

I stand corrected, it's the company indoc that he's invited to attend - see I don't even know enough to get the terminology right.

So what I'm getting from you guys mostly is that it'd be a good educational experience for him, without any real benefits (minus the obligatory networking)? The guy's going to have to give up an entire week of his time to attend these sessions, and possibly not get any more out of it then what he could get from busting out FARs and reading Part 91, and brushing up on parts of the AIM?

And to clarify, going through this indoc wouldn't be of any value for putting on the resume as well - indoc is company specific, therefore meaningless to a future employer?

 

[cvsfly]

I stand corrected, it's the company indoc that he's invited to attend - see I don't even know enough to get the terminology right.

So what I'm getting from you guys mostly is that it'd be a good educational experience for him, without any real benefits (minus the obligatory networking)? The guy's going to have to give up an entire week of his time to attend these sessions, and possibly not get any more out of it then what he could get from busting out FARs and reading Part 91, and brushing up on parts of the AIM?

And to clarify, going through this indoc wouldn't be of any value for putting on the resume as well - indoc is company specific, therefore meaningless to a future employer?

If it is just "Company" Indoc - Company Specific, it will provide no real value outside of that company. It will concentrate on their Operations Manual, Operation Specifications and Company Procedures & Policies. The emphasis and educational value would be in the Part 135 regulations and Ops Specs. There is Ground Training beyond that - Indoc - Airman Specific ( weather, nav, W&B, etc - Aircraft Ground, Emergency, and modules as stated above. Intial New Hire for Turbo-Prop is usually 24 hrs (32 for Transport Cat) and all of the Indoc (Company & Airman Specific) is usually done at the same time within those hours. It maybe possible that (airman specific, aircraft ground) training could be credited to another company at their POIs discretion, but without completeing the entire qualification course, it is unlikely. If it is not complete training, I would not even bother putting it on a resume.

 

[Rick1128]

About the only advantage to sitting in on the ground school beyond the usual increase in knowledge, would be the possibility of being hired on with that operator. At that would depend on how close he is to their hiring criteria, how he does in the school and how well he impresses the instructor and management.