Pilot min. qualifications @ Comair???

[birdwatchin]

DAL737FO, you're not wrong that academies use airline connections as selling points. I think the issue taken with Foobar's posts is that he implies that academy grad's don't deserve the job they were hired for. I take nothing away from those more seasoned pilots you mentioned, but I don't think any jobs were taken from them by academy grad's. Comair has hired a lot of pilots this year - far more than the academy could possibly put out. Here's the issue, observe...

Originally posted by Foobar
Or, surrender you certificates, buy them back via the Comair Academy and viola! You are a Comair pilot.

and later...

And yes its buying a job. If you pay $60,000.00 for all your ratings instead of $25,000.00 Then you've paid for the job.

Foobar, if you imply that someone "bought their job," you may or may not know it, but you've insulted them. Refer to 172driver's post, academy grad's do work and do prove themselves worthy of the job. It wasn't served up to them with side salad.

So, you get responses to your very obvious dig at the academy, and also of Comair, suggesting they hire someone who is less than yourself, a person who "earned" it, well - not yet though, right? Look, I respect that you have a family and need to make $$. That's great. But you did throw an obvious insult out there... and there are quite a lot of academy grad's out there - from all of the schools - that wouldn't appreciate the sentiment that they don't deserve what they've accomplished.

Originally posted by Foobar
Don't put up the pretense that you are taking the same route as the guy who learns to fly at an FBO, hauls freight, works the crappy 135 job, then goes to Comair.

Foobar, you try to placate with "don't be defensive" lines and then continue to rip academy grad's. Just remember to lose that attitude before you interview - because the Captain your interviewing with or sitting next to as FO might just be one of those academy grad's you hold in contempt (don't try to deny that contempt bud, it's very apparent from your first post on this thread). Nobody is "putting up a pretense" except you - and that seems be that you deserve it more. However you get there, you're on equal footing with that other guy when you get through IOE. No better off, no worse. Your training will be the same if you come in from DAL, the academy, or the local FBO.

Another point worth mentioning is that academy grad's work at other airlines besides CMR. Take note that one of the first, and very short, replies to Foobar was from an ERJ pilot. Also, not all "academy pilots" out there come out of DCA (Foobar even mentioned this in a post).

There is one thing that you get from an academy that you can't "buy" there or anywhere... a legacy of friends that will always help you along the way. Even if you don't know them, when you meet another academy grad, you have a connection to them and that's a good start at building a friendship.

 

[Foobar]

Ok guys, you spent extra money on your flight training just because the recent graduate 250 hour CFI's at Comair are way better than the 250 hour recent CFI's at your local FBO.

It had nothing to do with buying a job / interview / contacts / friends / whatever the heck you want to call it.

You guys are swimming in da river called da nile.

For the record, I don't have a chip or look down on someone for taking the Comair, Flight Safety Gulfstream, Pan Am Academy, what ever route. Its dues paid in cash instead of dues paid in time. Its just a trade and I honestly don't have a problem with it. I'm sorry I brought it up.

In fact when my students ask me about those schools I tell them, if you have cash but don't have time, go there. If you want to take a loan and move quickly go to one of those schools. If you have some time, want to go slow and not take on debt. Stay at the FBO. Quality of instruction between the two places depends on the instructor you happen to get and what you put into it.

 

[Caveman]

All of the Comair Academy people that have interviewed in the last two years were all enrolled in the program before 9/11. That means that when they ponied up the money to go there they knew that they could have gone the FBO route and still gotten an interview with 1500/300. Just because they chose a school that was airline oriented doesn't mean they were cutting corners. If anything they were showing a commitment to get the best aviation education their money could buy. As it turns out it was also a blessing in disguise. The added bonus of having a guaranteed interview is now a godsend. At the time it wasn't considered worth much because they would have gotten the interviews regardless. Two years ago anyone with 1500/300 could get an interview at most regionals. Don't blame them because they happened to be at the right place at the right time.

BTW, I'm not a Comair Academy grad but I do fly with them all the time. They seem to be a fine bunch of talented professionals for the most part. I personally know 172Driver and he is not some young punk that paid for a job. He paid a premium price for excellent instruction that also gave him the opportunity to COMPETE for a great job. He earned his opportunity and he made good use of the chance.

 

[skiddriver]

I think that these anti-ComairAcadamy posts are misguided. My new-hire class had 4 folks from other airlines, 1 retired RW/FW military retired guy [me], 1 corporate guy, and 3 flight instructors. Two CFI's were CA flight instructors - a former cop who wanted to make a career change, and a guy who worked his butt off at an FBO fueling and deicing to pay his way. The other guy was from a Pt 141 school in the midwest. All three of the flight instructors breezed through the training program, and all of us are online and finished up our probationary year without any problems.

If you have the requisite credentials, can get and pass an interview, and make it through training - it doesn't matter where you got your time. If you don't feel like going through Comair Academy, why don't you try flying 22 years in the military? It worked for me, and no one will post nasty things about you in this forum.