Anyone care to share their experience...

Bubba

Bubba

New Member
I haven't seen a Skymates post in a while, so I'll make one.

I am considering enrolling at Skymates soon in the multi pro course, and I was just wondering if anyone would like to share their thoughts/experiences while they were training there, or if they still are training.

Anyway I just want to get a feel for what it will be like training there on a day to day basis. Xcountry stories, checkrides, equipment....anything that is posted will definitely help.

Thanks.
 
Can you log this as "Multi" time?
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;)
 
Bubba said:
I haven't seen a Skymates post in a while, so I'll make one.

I am considering enrolling at Skymates soon in the multi pro course, and I was just wondering if anyone would like to share their thoughts/experiences while they were training there, or if they still are training.

Anyway I just want to get a feel for what it will be like training there on a day to day basis. Xcountry stories, checkrides, equipment....anything that is posted will definitely help.

Thanks.
Click to expand...



Good thing about training at Skymates is you can fly where YOU want to on X-countries. Wanna check out that killer BBQ you've been hearing about? Done. Wanna fly home for a weekend? Cool. Wanna fly to Vegas or the Grand Canyon? Got ya covered.

Checkrides are more or less the same as everywhere else. Your instructor will know the best examiner to send you with. Things get a little slimmer on the Seminole checkrides since not all of the examiners are allowed to do checkrides in the Seminole. I never thought I had an unfair checkride, but every examiner has his "gotchas." Make sure you've got your transponder on.....

From what I've heard, there have been MX issues in the recent past, but those should be taken care of by now. When I was there, one of the things I liked about the place was the MX dept.

All of the instructors are top notch (at least four of them were my students at one time or another, so they BETTER be!). I managed to come in about $600 under budget even after splurging a bit, but I lived at the airport.
 
I loved flying out of skymates. all the instructors were raelly cool but they've just agboutall turned over and nmoved on byh now so i'm having to get to know the new one's :(.


good luck on monday meli!!111oneoneoneoenoeneoneoenoenoeneoeneee
 
kellwolf..............Things get a little slimmer on the Seminole checkrides since not all of the examiners are allowed to do checkrides in the Seminole.

I'm not sure I understand what that means, but I appreciate the feedback.

Any info on how training is structured? Are all the xcountry flights solo? Do you only fly with one instructor during training? Anything, even the smallest details, will help greatly.

Thanks again.
 
Sorry, I forgot to add one thing.

Could all of you Skymates guys tell me where you are working now, and how did you progress to your current position after your training?
 
You don't have as many choices for examiners when it comes to the Seminole. The FSDO has to authorize a DE to give checkrides in make and model twins. FOr example, I used one examiner a LOT for my single engine stuff, but he wasn't authorized to do checkrides in the Nole, so I had to switch examiners.

Training is structured more or less how you want it. You can either do the more structured 141 program or the more relaxed 61 where you and your instructor form a plan of attack. X/country flights are safety pilot time ala ATP unless you WANT to do it solo, but it'll cost you more that way. You'll be assigned (or pick) an instructor, and that will be your main instructor. If you don't click, changing instructors isn't a problem, and the instructor will understand. Also, if there's a time you need to fly but your normal instructor is busy, you can probably work out with them who is a good instructor to fill in.

As far as where I'm working, I'm in my 6th month at Pinnacle Airlines after instructing at Skymates for about 7 months. I rarely took a day off, and I hardly had a month where I logged fewer than 95 hours. From what I hear, I was an anomoly in that department. :) I left there a shade under 1000 TT and nearly 250 ME.
 
In the recent past we've had one go to ExpressJet, one to Ameriflight, two to Pinnacle, one to a cushy corporate gig, one went to another flight instructing job in California...uhm.....man that covers about the last six months or so.
 
Hey that's a good point. Skymates has had four instructors (almost all at the same time) go out to Ameristar. We've got two old school guys at NetJets, also.

But seriously they didn't get these jobs because they worked at Skymates and the recruiters were like, "Whoa hey look! Skymates! We gotta hire him!" The Ameriflight guys were ALL personal connections, along with the Ameriflight guy, the ExpressJet girl (pending, she'll get it though) and one of the Pinnacle guys.
 
Thanks kellwolf for the clarification on the DE info. Thats a little strange that a FAA DE cannot checkride a pilot who is qualified, maybe slightly sad. Anyway...

I appreciate all the info, keep it coming if you don't mind.

I totally understand the "it's not what you know, but who you know" mentality. I'm a little older, 33, and I haven't flown in about 10 yrs., but I have a friend who is a captain at a major fractional company flying challengers who is encouraging me get my time up. He firmly believes the fractionals are here to stay, and I feel that this type of flying is more my 'style' than aspiring to the majors. Lofty goal for a lowly 100+ pilot!

I firmly believe that I was born to fly (pretty sappy, eh?), and I don't want to be 50 and start second guessing my decisions. I've got a degree, desire and the smarts to know I will never work 9-5 in some cubicle. Just a little background on me so you all know where I am coming from.

Thanks for the help, all.
 
John, don't forget the ex-CFI that's a CA at Mesa and the two or three at Eagle. Also, is it NetJets or FlexJet the other guy(s) are at?
 
What about John Herreshof(Sp?) Last post I saw from him he was going for interviews and then never saw another thing. I hope he got what he wanted.
 
Herreshoff is still instructing and will be for some time.

Yeah I forgot about those guys. Can't forget Stu and Justin hanging out with that King Air gig, either.

Simply put, we move on. Most of us to where we want to go.

And Melissa doesn't have a JC account. I don't think you would catch her dead on here.

EDIT: Crap! I forgot Jimbo worked here! Capn'Jim on here works for ExpressJet now and was an instructor at Skymates.
 
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