TAB Express
My favorite was its ad in the March
Flying where the banner said, "Men & Women WANTED to Supply US Airline Pilot Shortage, etc." This ad came out on the heels of massive furloughs. Okay, in all fairness, perhaps the magazine was past deadline and the ad couldn't be pulled.
Then, the May
Flying provided a double dose of TAB Express; an ad on Page 12 that proclaimed (fanfare, please) "The Airlines Have Resumed Hiring!"
and, an article about the place on page 55! Money buys you just about anything these days. It buys you ad space,
and, editorial space!! Shades of checkbook journalism. Not to mention how it kills
Flying's credibility.
Don't forget the
www.tabexpress.com website, where, if you go to the Newsletters link, you'll see the following piece: "TAB Express to Launch FAA 135 Operations in Addition to Our First Officer Training Operations. TAB Express is going through the motions to launch "On Demand" two-crew 135 charter service. Combining the cost-effectiveness, reliability, passenger space and speed of the King Air will give TAB pilots needing to build up to 500+ hours that some of the regional airlines may require. TAB First Officers will serve as FO's on these flights." Hit the "Enter Here" button on the homepage and it leads you to a route structure and flight schedule. This sounds like it's much more than just a school. It sounds like you-know-what.
Of course, my real favorite is it accepts trainees from 21 to 50. At 51, I'm too old, again.
So much for me using TAB to find my way back to the business (Don't worry, I would have
never considered it!!).
I'd vouch for Mesa's school as having credibility for people looking for a school that leads directly to a regional job. I worked there. People really do get interviews with Mesa and are hired. It's not P-F-T because it provides strictly initial training, albeit with a strong Mesa bent. No one is hired upon remitting payment. The only promise that MAPD makes is you
might get an interview if you maintain a B average in your flight training, make nice and act nice.
The thing with uniforms doesn't bother me particularly. Lots of schools and training outfits require that trainees and instructors wear uniforms. We did at FSI. I believe that Comair requires its instructors and officials to wear uniforms. We didn't have to wear uniforms at Mesa and Riddle, but had to adhere to a somewhat strict dress code. Pub, I do appreciate that you like the place. I also appreciate that the place says it uses airline pilots as instructors.
