American Eagle @ Flight Safety?

AV8TOR

AV8TOR

New Member
has anyone heard anything regarding the agreement between FS and AE? Only 400 hours...I think that's a little low on the timeline. You are still wet behind the ears. Looking to see what other people have to say about this agreement...thanks for the info

web page NEWS @ FLIGHTSAFETY

American Eagle Signs Agreement With FlightSafety’s Flight School on Pilot Recruitment Program

January 17, 2005

LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, New York (January 17, 2005) - American Eagle Airlines has defined its intention of recruiting new pilots through a program created by the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida.

Called a Direct Track Program, the process of qualification, evaluation, and recruitment is streamlined into a formal, consistent initiative. The number of hours of training in the American Eagle Airlines standardized operating procedures, at the Academy, is defined along with other qualifications such as pilot licenses, and hours flown in single and multi-engine aircraft.

With this program in place the aspiring new pilot can prepare for a professional flying career with the confidence that the steps being taken through the Direct Track Program in building a logbook are exactly in accordance with the requirements of an airline that is actively recruiting.

The Direct Track Program includes the use of the flight Academy’s full flight, FAA Level “D” simulator for the EMB-145 regional jet airliner, which is part of the American Eagle fleet. The program initially includes a combination of ground school, briefing/debriefing and single and multi-engine evaluations. The initial phases are followed by Line Operational Experience - then Advanced Simulator training.

The program’s compliance with the American Eagle procedures provides experience in the formality of the airline environment and prepares the candidate to meet the airline’s stringent evaluations with confidence. The modules of the program total 13 weeks of preparation for the pilot who has proven his or her eligibility. The qualifications include an accumulation of at least 400 hours of total flight time, including 100 hours of multi-engine time, of which 43 hours may be accumulated in the Direct Track program.

The FlightSafety Academy has been preparing pilots for professional flying careers for nearly 40 years. The Academy’s campus at Vero Beach Airport encompasses student and academic facilities and includes one of the largest fleet of training aircraft in the United States. The Academy is the only initial training establishment to include FAA- approved Level “D” full flight simulators in its facilities, along with a wide range of advanced training devices. The air fleet includes two aerobatic aircraft for upset and disorientation training.
 
"Only 400 hours...I think that's a little low on the timeline. You are still wet behind the ears."

I don't like the idea of 400 hour pilots, FSA trained or not, flying around in RJ's. Never have, never will. With that kind of time, you are being baby sat for your first couple hundred hours and don't have the experience to contribute your fair share to the operation. It's a burden on the Captain.

That said, these programs have been around for a long time and will probably expand with the kind of money that can be made with them.

Pinnacle recently stopped hiring low time Gulfstream guys because of a couple of bad incidents. Word is, the insurance company made them do it.
 
ASA program has been around since the '90s. About whether it works or not, the ten or so candidates that I have been involved with in the program all are either in class or out of IOE in the CRJ. Their training at ASA did not differ it the slightest from those off the street with much more time. That all made it through initial, IOE and so on with no problems. There are a couple of them who brouse these forums, so perhaps they could chime in with some first person perspective.
 
I personally think 400 hours is low, compared to what AE is hiring at if you walk in off the streets. Here is what is stated on their website
So somehow the training that you get at FS will cut mins by 600 hours. That's sounds like one of those "too good to be true" ads. But I think that if they are willing to put that on the line, it's worth checking into. I don't know of any pilots that went thru FS, being that I am still new to flying.
If anyone is going thru one of these programs or has graduated from their program, feel free to let me know what you think of the training.

To be considered for an interview with American Eagle, Flight Officer applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

Commercial Pilot Certification with Multi-engine and Instrument ratings

Total fixed wing time to exceed 1000 hours*

Multi-engine fixed wing time in excess of 100 hours*

A current flying job (12 month experience)

Current FAA First Class Medical

IFR Currency

FCC License

Possess the ability to work in the US

Possess the ability to travel in and out of the US to all cities/countries served by American Eagle

Ability to relocate

Ability to work weekends, nights, shifts, holidays, and overnight trips

Minimum age 21

<font color="red"> </font>
 
I am an instructor in the ASA program which is one of the three direct track programs at FlightSafety. All I can say is that it seems to work, as I stated earlier I have been personally involved with 10 or so candidates. The key is that all the candiates must first interview with the airline and get a conditional offer of employment. Once they have this offer, they complete the training in Vero Beach, some multi IFR and then into the ERJ-145 level D. When they finish, they take another company checkride and then wait for their class date. If you have any other questions about the program, feel free to ask.
 
So you are an ASA instructor? Are you trying to get a job with ASA? or just like teaching people to fly? That's what I am worried about, I plan on getting my CFI's, but I'm not sure that I will be able to teach someone to fly or teach the Instrument training. I have seen that a lot of schools over these direct track program. I know that you loose out on a lot of skills that you acquire but I really don't think I have the capabilities to teach someone how to fly. That's why I am looking into these programs

Thanks again for your help and advise
 
A little busy with work right now, but I should be able to reply soon. I did go through the ASA program and am on the line with the airline.

I'll be back with a first person perspective soon!!!
 
To clarify, I am an instructor at FlightSafety and one of the instructors in the ASA direct track program. I was a CFI in the 141 program prior to getting involved with the direct track students. I interviewed and was hired by ASA earlier this year, I am just waiting for my class date.


[ QUOTE ]
So you are an ASA instructor? Are you trying to get a job with ASA? or just like teaching people to fly? That's what I am worried about, I plan on getting my CFI's, but I'm not sure that I will be able to teach someone to fly or teach the Instrument training. I have seen that a lot of schools over these direct track program. I know that you loose out on a lot of skills that you acquire but I really don't think I have the capabilities to teach someone how to fly. That's why I am looking into these programs

Thanks again for your help and advise

[/ QUOTE ]
 
How many hours do you have now, and what were your hours when you were hired by ASA?

What about the people that go in for their interview and they don't make it? Do they get another shot at a different airline? Or can they re-interview with them? How many people have you seen that didn't make the cut for ASA?
 
Unfortunately, I really dont know the number that interview and dont make it as I only see them after they get the conditional offer of employment. The percentage that complete the training after getting the COE is very high.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I hear ya.....but has anyone heard anything GOOD or BAD regarding this program?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, the end result is that you end up working for American Eagle..........


'nuff said.
smirk.gif
 
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, the end result is that you end up working for American Eagle..........
'nuff said.
smirk.gif


[/ QUOTE ]


blush.gif

Really they aren't that good to be working for? I honestly don't know. I figured they would be pretty good, but I haven't heard anything about them
 
Oh yeah,
ooo.gif


what would be a good regional to try to get with once you get the hours? ASA? Express Jet?
 
It's a crapshoot, IMO. I'm the wrong person to be answering your questions though, sorry.

Rausda is a good guy, he pays more attention to these sort of things. I'm sure he can give you some better advice than I can.
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I hear ya.....but has anyone heard anything GOOD or BAD regarding this program?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm an intern with ASA at the moment, and I work closely with the instructors that actually do the ASA direct track interviews and checkrides. They speak highly of the FSI candidates, and of the program itself. Most of the candidates have a much better time with the systems and sim training than an off the street 1200 hour CFI.

From ASA's perspective, the people coming into the program are "known quantities." They come from a training program that has been approved by ASA, and once they complete the direct track program they have all of the ASA procedures in mind.

To quote one of the instructors here at ASA... "I'd rather have a 300 hour pilot with no bad habits yet learned than a 1200 hour pilot who has been scud running for the past 1000 hours. They are trainable."

G
 
DISCLAIMER:

Before I get misquoted, let me say that the instructor who said the above quote is not involved in hiring. He was purely speaking from an instructional point of view, not a hiring point of view.

G
 
[ QUOTE ]
has anyone heard anything regarding the agreement between FS and AE? Only 400 hours...I think that's a little low on the timeline. You are still wet behind the ears. Looking to see what other people have to say about this agreement...thanks for the info

[/ QUOTE ]

It's an agreement. Something that can make FS look good. Unfortunately, to get hired the company needs to be actually hiring. Currently, hiring at AE has slowed to a crawl and is only enough to fill attrition. I'd look at the other airlines and see what their projected hiring is as well. Sounds as if ASA has slowed too. If that is the case, CoEx may be the only real viable option out of this 'affiliation' w/FS.

While they guarantee you an interview, you do not necessarily end up with a job. I know someone who went to FS for the chance to interview with these carriers and they did not get hired. In fact, one so called 'interview' was only 4 questions! It seems they were just going through the motions in the interview so FS would be considered as holding up their end of the bargain. Also, since you only need to get an interview, why would you get the job over the others in the group when they have at least 1,000TT+, many with previous 121 or 135 experience? Food for thought before you lay down any money for such a program.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top