Rich P-F-T ad

[bobbysamd]

Anyone see the ad on page 73 of the March Flying? Some outfit called TAB Express, www.tabexpress.com, is running this "ad."

"Men & Women WANTED to Supply US Airline Pilot Shortage" "Airline First Officer Starting Positions Are Now Available for Zero Time to 500 hour Pilots and Pilots with over 1000 hours. (Ages 21-50)." "Express Direct First Officers are the Standard by which Airline Applicants are now measured."

C'mon, gimme a break!

I've just started to read aviation magazines again, so maybe this place has been advertising for a while. But it's the same malarkey I saw in pilot magazines ten years ago. First of all, and especially these days, there is no pilot shortage. I'm sure the furloughees who read the board will vouch for that.

I'm pushing 51; if I were to go back to flying would I have to hurry with this course or not be accepted by this "school?" I have over 4500 hours; am I overqualified?

Given the times we're in, I couldn't help but to find this bit of reading to be amusing. I'd just hope no one is taken in by this ad.

 

[Fr8Dog]

Well I guess I wouldn't be accecpted either since I've got over a year til I'm 21. Darn that really sucks I wish I could pay them money to get a "real job" and be measured by the same standards that other airline applicants are measured. Give me a f*&@ing break.

 

[Wiggums]

Now that I work at a company that prints one of those full page color ads in every flying rag I can tell you that they do work. They work quite well. Where would aviation be without the suckers?

bobbysamd: You worked at FSI. Its not like their ad is much better.

 

[wildbill]

P.T. Barnum would be proud of that company. Of course some how AEPS is involved...

 

[bobbysamd]

FSI

FSI's ads aren't as extreme as the one I found. The web page, at www.flightsafetyacademy.com, does show a pic of a regional FO type in front of what appears to be an RJ. The implication is clear. However, there's nothing in the ad about "First Officers being the Industry Standard."

Look at this page, http://www.tabexpress.com/welcome/welcome.htm . Then click on Career Opportunities. Quote: "Tab Express International exists to provide experienced "Airline First Officers pilots IOE ready" to the Airline industry." I realize I'm taking a quote out of context, but the message is clear, to me, anyway. P-F-T. I mean, geez!

 

[jaybird]

if you do a search under low time training or something like that. you will find a thread about tabexpress. i posted the same exact comment as bobbysamd. it's total bs. if they weren't crooks they would have the decency to change the ad. it's not that hard to change an ad either.

 

[ifly4food]

Stupid, but not PFT

Just for the record, I'd like to point out that this is a cheezy scam, but not really PFT. Everybody pays for thier ratings one way or another (unless you fly military). This is just an expensive (and stupid) way to get your ratings.

PFT is when you get hired by an airline, and they make you pay for your airline training. Let's not confuse the issue with broad interpretations of what PFT really is.

 

[A1FlyBoy]

Wiggums / Bobbysamd

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to add my 0.02 on FSI. The guy that you see in the add from Bobby's post is a very old ad. In recent issues of Flying, however, the add with the ASA guy in the terminal with an ASA RJ outside is legit. We were both at Vero together... after completing our training; ASA got into bed with FSI and he wrote the big check to toss the dice and successfully completed ASA training and is flying with them in the RJ. I choose not to cough up any more money( if you washed out the money was not refunded ), was listening to my heart as my girlfriend was back home, and am instructing at the FBO.

People need to do their homework and research schools, talk to gratuates, and check their placement departments. FSI does a first rate job in training, but ads are how you read into them. Consider the source and their message. It is, after all, a business.

 

[A1FlyBoy]

talk to the 'graduates' too. <grin>

 

[na265]

Bobby, this is something I have wondered about for the last few months. This is truely false advertising. How can these schools bring in students with this promise of a job interview with AE or COEX,(and others) when these Co's have pilots that are laid off? I spend many days out in FL with my Corp job and have seen a reduction in flying(seems that way to me) from the schools like ATA and FSI. Talking to some CFI's I have met, they have all said the job picture is grim. Seems like dirt bags who will make a buck at anyones expense. BTW, I fly with a guy who worked for one of these places. He said these "students" would get 100hrs in a 90 King Air, 100hrs in a 200 sim, and paid tens of thousands of dollars for this training. It just seems wrong.