The Flight Safety Bridge Program

[Martin747]

I just received information material about the Flight Safety Bridge Program. Flight Safety works with ASA. ASA will interview and if accepted, will grant a conditional offer of employment PRIOR to starting the training with Flight Safety. (What are the conditions I wonder.) The training costs about $30K. Pilots have to have the commercial and multi engine tickets in order to apply.
Has anybody been through the program that could tell me about it? Is it worth the $30k? How is work with ASA? How do you like the CRJ-200? From what I understand Express Jet and American Eagle are also doing it.
Thanks,
Martin

 

[DrewBlows]

I don't know anything about this program, but thought I might be able to give you a little perspective. I paid a little less than $30,000 to go from 0 time to CFI, and got paid for all (most anyway) of my time after that. I went through a part 141 university program, then instructed there. It will definately cost a bit more now. I graduated in 2001, but it still makes me cringe anytime I hear of a private certificate, or a "bridge" program that costs $30,000. There are still resonably priced places to get your aviation education, you just have to look. I know that it's expensive to learn to fly but you don't have to get ripped off.

Good luck.

 

[bender]

A student who was in my CFI program at ATP was in that program, but his class was cancelled. It might have been temporary.

 

[mayday1]

conditional offer of employment PRIOR to starting the training with Flight Safety. (What are the conditions I wonder.) The training costs about $30K.

I think the conditional offer is basically an interview you complete prior to training to ensure you're the "type" of candidate ASA would hire. Then upon successful completion of the program you're off to ASA for their training with a new hire class.

I looked into this program a while back, but was turned off by the price (at the time I inquired, it was $23k). Also, you need to understand, there are no guarantees with this program at all. I think the program has a decent track record, but again, not everyone makes it to ASA. I personally, am not interested in making a $30k+ bet that it will work for me. If it doesn't work, you're out $30k and the training you received in an RJ is basically worthless, since you'll only have about 300hrs and a comm/multi rating.

 

[Medicryan]

I did some research on the program and I came up a little short. The only thing they advertise is an 'Advanced Airline Training Program' which takes you from 0 time to an interview with ASA. They didn't say anything about already having ratings like your comm/ifr and then going to the program.

 

[mayday1]

They didn't say anything about already having ratings like your comm/ifr and then going to the program.

well, you'll need your comm/multi/inst before you can be considered for airline training.

As far as research goes... just call them up, talk to them, and they'll send you a packet of info. That will hopefully give you enough info to make a decision. Bottom line though, it's still $30k or whatever, and you're pinning your hopes on ASA still hiring when you're done with the program.

 

[bobbysamd]

Fsi P-f-t

As much as I endorse FlightSafety Academy as a great primary training provider, I cannot endorse this tie-in. It has all the attributes of P-F-T, i.e., having to pay big money up front, no guarantees of actual hire, conflicts of interest between trainee-customer and trainor-vendor, complete with fraud potential. And, later, explaining to your hardscrabble interview board why you bought a job. Bottom line, P-F-T being an employment issue, only.

Once again, the promise of P-F-T as an end-run around traditional experience and time-building are all illusionary.

 

[Martin747]

Every time I write Flight Safety with specific questions about this program they send me application info which doesn't answer any of my questions. When I am on the phone with them, they are very curt. I also talked to ASA's hiring department and they said they take 2 or 3 low hour candidates from the program. I really need to speak to someone that has done this program because Flight Safety won't give me any names of people to contact who completed it.

 

[mayday1]

I really need to speak to someone that has done this program because Flight Safety won't give me any names of people to contact who completed it.

that alone should be a red flag... when a school will not furnish this information on their FO or direct track programs, it typically means there is something to hide.

 

[Snakum]

Thirty grand for a CPL/ME and an interview? Or is it thirty grand for a CRJ familiarization and an interview? I must be missing something here. Couldn't you get a CL600 type for about half that?

I understand and respect the rules of Capitalism. If a company officer can make a dollar or two for his organization in this crazy industry because a starry-eyed, aspiring professional pilot with good credit or with wealthy parents is willing to sign on the dotted line ... they will do it, and they'll sleep at night. No problem. It's capitalism.

What I cannot respect, though, is the behavior of the starry-eyed aspiring aviator willing to pay these laughably huge prices for a couple hundred hours of right-seat time - often in single-pilot piston twins, 250 hours of twin turbine Part 121 time, or whatever. I don't hate the pilot personally, but I severely dislike his or her behavior, even though I can sort of understand why someone would consider it. Especially in the case of an ex-Army or Navy helo pilot who needs that vital FW time to go with his or her twin turbine RW time just to break into the business. That airlines don't consider the full value of RW turbine flying time is a whole other rant of it's own. The people making those ill-informed decisions should be forced to spend a couple hours in an R22.

For five years now I've been reading how everyone hates PFT and strongly advises against it, yet people keep doing it, and people keep getting hired out of PFT programs to regionals, nationals, and the larger freight outfits. So I have to wonder ... who's interviewing and hiring these guys? Aren't there pilots on essentially every hiring board? When those with input into the hiring process start putting their money where there mouth is this crap will cease, and not until then. I realize in some cases their hands are probably tied ... re. Pinnacle hiring GIA grads until recently, or Commute Air's bridge thingee with ATA (I think it was them?). But when you guys do have input, and when you can make a hiring decision, please do those of us coming up thru the ranks a huge favor, and we promise to retuirn the favor in whatever way we can ...

PFT = No Hire ... period!

We'll definitely owe you one!

Minh