Regional Airline Academy

[rsnodg]

I responded to posting for a job on AVJobs.com. I got a call from Regional Airline Academy (RAA). They said my criteria met the needs of two airlines that were hiring. They further told me that if I went through their transition program ($5,000), required by some of their contracts, I would get a job. What do you guys think? Is this a scam, or is it legit?

Ron

 

[rsnodg]

RAA

I forgot to mention the airlines, Colgan & Allegheny.

 

[Flash]

If you look at some of the previous threads I think that Colgan is still hiring. That said, I was a bit peaved when I read Flying magazine this month and noticed the ad for R.A.A. It reads "Guaranteed Airline Interviews" then lists CoEx, TransStates and Allegheny underneath that statement. Hasn't CoEx had several hundred laid off for almost 2 years now? Buyer beware!!

 

[stillaboo]

They further told me that if I went through their transition program ($5,000), required by some of their contracts, I would get a job.

Ask them what contracts don't require you to go through their program, if it's only "some" of them.

Also, do they 'guarantee' you a job? There are no guarantees in life.

I don't think Allegheny is looking for pilots right now (they're looking for CRJ's on their property though), and Colgan is hiring PFT only (confirmation from Colgan guys?). So, it sound like you pay $5 G's to RAA, then pay the PFT fee to Colgan (12K?), and then get the 'job'.

Do a search for "PFT" on this board and you'll get an idea of what some pilots in the industry think of this career progression. You will have a plethora of opinion, for sure.

Most Colgan guys aren't there for the long haul (for a variety of reasons). I'll let them speak to that.

I'd seriously research all aspects of this before you put down the $.

PM me for details if no Colgan guys are forthcoming with info.

-Boo!

 

[chperplt]

Colgan is hiring PFT only

There are a mix of PFT and non PFT in the next class. Not sure what the breakdown is, but there are non PFT getting hired. I believe the last class was 6 PFT and 2 non PFT.

 

[AZaviator]

If I were you, I'd look at the best and worst case scenarios.

Best case scenario, is you pay $5k and get a $13k-15k/yr job with Colgan.

( I haven't heard of Allegheny hiring for quite some time.

Worst case scenario is you pay $5k, and
1. Don't get an interview
2. Get an interview but don't get the job.

In this case, you obviously spent $5k for absolutely nothing.

I personally wouldn't even think of paying $5k for whatever it is the REgional Airline Academy is offering. From your experience, it appears you have over 1,200hrs of flight time, so I seriously doubt they would teach you anything extremely beneficial. If I were you, I'd look into 135 Freight, or flight instructing, or something other than paying another $5k for a program that MIGHT get you an airline job making very little. It might not sound as glamorous, but it certainly beats getting more into debt. Just my $.02

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Icywings2]

http://www.colganair.com/employ.htm

They don't appear to be hiring. I would call them and ask them the same question you are asking here and also find out the guarentee if any RAA will give you.

Good luck!

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

Regional Airline Academy was at the carrer fair in ATL I went to a few months ago. It's not like they have airlines that require you to go thru the RAA contract. It's the RAA who charges you $5000 for the program. They're just making lots of money on people... They were pretty much saying to everyone, yes, we're hiring but you must pay us 5K before you talk to Colgan or Allegheny.

I think they're scam artists, another buch of thiefs trying to rip off the honest ones.

 

[chperplt]

Colgan is currently hiring though these programs. Search for previous Colgan PFT thread.

 

[stillaboo]

chperplt,

thanks for keeping us all honest on this thread.

-Boo!

 

[bobbysamd]

May I throw up now??

I got a call from Regional Airline Academy (RAA). They said my criteria met the needs of two airlines that were hiring. They further told me that if I went through their transition program ($5,000), required by some of their contracts, I would get a job.

This brings back bad memories. This sounds exactly like P-F-T of twelve years ago. You are qualified for the job on paper, and your quals show that you are (I cannot determine your multi time), but you have to attend some sort of training for which you pay. Let's be real here. It is the check and not your quals that gets you "hired."

This form of P-F-T is especially noxious and is of the lowest order. You will never know for sure to whom the school's interests are beholden, to your's or their's. These outfits have a clear and vested interest in MAKING MONEY. You could go through the program, but, for some reason that you cannot determine, be washed out. You would be out all that money.

I would not do it. I could write a whole speech on the evils of P-F-T. That notwithstanding, it is your decision. My advice would be to find out all details about how and when you pay your money and the refund policy, if any, . After that, I strongly urge you to look up "scam" and "fraud" in the dictionary. Look up "predator" and "prey" while you're at it.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[WrightAvia]

The LOVE of money, is the ROOT of all evil

If you want to clear your CONscience, PM for details on how send me that evil money for proper disposal.

 

[AZaviator]

You are qualified for the job on paper, and your quals show that you are (I cannot determine your multi time), but you have to attend some sort of training for which you pay. Let's be real here. It is the check and not your quals that gets you "hired."

Bobbysamd summed it up best. You are qualified on paper. The check is what's getting you an interview in this case. Not your qualifications. I don't know of a company I'd be willing to pay $5k to interview with.

Have you considered applying with other companies such as Mountain Air Cargo, Commutair, or Ameriflight? Applying there is free and you seem to already meet or are close to meeting their qualifications.

 

[phantom122]

Unfortunately, most companies will eventually go back to PFT, IMHO. This is because most pilots are willing to give in and pay for their training. These same pilots will also agree to wage concessions without demanding that the CEO give up his 10 million dollar bonus. Things aren't going to get better until pilots collectively stand up and say no more to the b.s. being thrown at them. The other day, a flight instructor buddy of mine told me that his boss actually told him that the instructors at the flight school are "paid too much". How in the world $17,000 is too much, I'll never know. I guess making less than poverty wages is "too much". This is the type of crap that has to stop.

As far as these various airline training academies goes, any of them that guarantee you an interview for a pilot position upon completion of training are simply lying about it. The idea they are conveying is that pilots are in demand and that you can be a jet first officer in 10-12 months. Simply b.s. Places like this are in business to make money just like any other business. They've taken it upon themselves to tell people whatever they have to in order to make money. Unfortunately, I fear too many people buy into it, thus part of the reason the market is saturated with graduates from these "pilot factories" desparate for flying jobs. So desparate, in fact, that they'll offer to fly for free, give wage concessions, etc.

 

[stillaboo]

Hep ME help YOU

As far as these various airline training academies goes, any of them that guarantee you an interview for a pilot position upon completion of training are simply lying about it.

Most of them are, yes, but not all of them.

Places like this are in business to make money just like any other business. Unfortunately, I fear too many people buy into it, thus part of the reason the market is saturated with graduates from these "pilot factories" desparate for flying jobs. So desparate, in fact, that they'll offer to fly for free, give wage concessions, etc.

This part is pretty on target, but I don't think where you trained really impacts this. We were all there once. Try to educate those pilots. When you are sitting in the back JS'ing home or to work, instead of sleeping, maybe talk to the guy sitting next to you, particularly if he's young and tells you he's a pilot. He's the future. Help him out and he won't conceed as much, helping you out.

-Boo!

 

[mayoplane]

RAA, like the one in KDED? My friend about a year ago said, " I don't know if I should do it. But I think I will take the risk." He borrowed all that money, and got nothing out of them. No interviews. He went thru some course with a CFI who had much less time than he did and flew F142 or something. It may work, it may not. It's up to you, but I would hate to see you go on the same path like my friend did. This is a lot of money.

 

[bobbysamd]

Guaranteed interviews

As far as these various airline training academies goes, any of them that guarantee you an interview for a pilot position upon completion of training are simply lying about it.

That's an unfair generalization. I would submit that a great many of these academies are lying about guaranteeing you an interview, but not all.

For example, Mesa. MAPD grads get interviews with Mesa; the caveat being is they must maintain a B average or better in all flight courses and to be sure to mind their Ps and Qs. In other words, keep their yaps shut if they have complaints and follow the program.

FlightSafetyhad tie-ins with a couple of regionals, most notably ASA. The place steered CFIs to ASA interviews after they flew off their 800 hour commitment. In line with that, a couple of people have written me that FSI would upgrade school grads it hired to CFI-I and MEI on it nickel in return for that 800-hour commitment.

I cannot recall if Comair, er, Delta Connection Academy, guarantees an interview with the airline. I recall, though, that the bars to getting a CFI job at the place and then the interview are set high.

Having said all that, this RAA program sounds like bunkum to me and sounds exactly the same as P-F-T of the early nineties.

 

[phantom122]

Yeah, but page through any given Flying magazine and you'll find tons of ads for schools promising a fast track to the airlines. You know, they have a picture of some smacked a$$ sitting in an RJ with a quote about how he went from 0 time to airline pilot in 1 year. This MAYBE happened to what, 5 percent of people in the mid 90's when things were moderately decent in the industry.

Having said that, yes I'd agree that I was too hasty to make the sweeping generalization like that. I should say the majority of, not all of the large flight academies out there.

 

[WrightAvia]

What about the flight school ad with the unwed mother sitting on the wing of a duchess or seneca with her kids, while wearing an airline style flight instructor uniform?

Yea...that's what I would do as a single mom. Go into 30,000 to 50,000 bucks worth of debt to get in line for low paying flight instructor jobs, then only to get in another line to fly 135 and then get in line for a low paying FO job at COLGAN and have to PAY 18,000 bucks to get that.

No wonder they drug test pilots.

 

[Flash]

Yes, but single mom has backing of big bucks daddy, article states he was a recently retired chief pilot for Delta.