ASA

Visceral

Well-Known Member
I've been catching snippets of info about ASA slowing down or freezing hiring until next year. I wish I knew how this will affect FS. A hiring pool is not a fun place from what I've read from Skywest pilots who have sat in one for very long times. Instructing would be an option, but laying out 4k on a CFI ticket to be used about a year sounds like a waste. I think I might have to look at the non-fast track route if the rumors solidify. Thing is, I haven't heard of a single person doing the instructor track. Anybody got any thoughts or info?
 
I'm planning on the fast track if the market is good, the instructor track if there are furloughs on the horizon.

The important thing to remember, I]null[/I]you get the Conditional Offer of Employment before you start instructing,
so either way the job is yours to lose!

...hopefully...

Cheers,

Chunk
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Chunk: You do not get the conditional offer from ASA BEFORE you start instructing. You must put in 500 hr dual given before you can even sit for the interview. If you get the conditional offer, then you get standardized for instruction over on the ASA side of the house. You will be in the Senecas instructing the ASA fast track candidates in Line oriented XC IFR utilizing ASA procedures.

One advantage of doing this route is that, after your 800hr contract is fullfilled, you go over to the SAAB 2000 simulator and do the ground/sim training at no cost. You also do not have to do the checkride that the Fast Track guys do.

Not a bad deal eh?

Just wanted to set that straight for you bud.
 
HOHOHO,
So are you saying after/if you get a COE from ASA while instructing at FS, you will go to instruct in Senecas exclusively? That would amount to a good deal of multi-time if true. It would be nice to get info from anyone doing the actual instructing track. Instructing at FS would be great because of the steady supply of students, but getting an earlier line number with ASA is my goal.
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Thanks for the updated gouge. I went to go check the FSI webpage because I believe they show the COE before instructing on one of their graphics, but found the following:

Web Site Notice


The web site you are trying to view has been automatically disabled

The hosting customer responsible for this web site, Interbasix, has unfortunately violated their terms of service with Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., and has a large, balance past due. The inability of Interbasix to supply relief for services rendered or to come into compliance with the terms of service has forced this web site into this state.

For any questions you might have regarding this notice, please contact your account representative at Interbasix.

Or, if you are unable to reach your account representative at Interbasix or you have any questions or need any clarification regarding this situation, feel free to contact the support department at Deep Sky Technologies, Inc. You can either email Deep Sky Technologies, Inc., or call directly to speak to a support representative.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you!

Ouch.

Looks like Interbasix (probably who hosts flightsafetyacademy.com) screwed up big time!

Cheers,

Chunk
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Yes, you do go over and exclusivly instruct in the Senecas. This is the plane that all the ASA candidates fly before they go to the SAAB 2000 simulator. It is a great deal.

That early senority number is cool, but if you plan on heading out of there after several years to go to a major, I would imagine that having the PIC time as an instructor would get you on your way quicker. It doesnt really matter on seniority if your gonna bail, but you never know what will happen. I wouldnt shell out 25k for the program in the first place!!
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Flight Safety is an excellent school (I am almost done as a student and plan on instructing if they will hire me). It does have its ups and downs, but what place doesnt. All in all the people here are really cool and professional. There is no doubt that instructors here get HIRED!!! I think we will be losing about 20 in the next month or so. They will go to ACA, ConEx, Mesaba, ASA, and some others. Funny thing that I have not seen one instructor from here go to COMAIR. At least since I have been here.

The student base is good for instructing, you get good multi time, benifits, and the majority of the students are professionally oriented.

We are getting about 20(?) new Seminoles in the next 4-5 months as well. I think the first 6 will come in October. The Piper plant is on the other end of the field!

I guess only you can make the choice on which route to take, and either way you go Flight Safety is a great place to be.

Good Luck at whatever you decide.
 
I plan on attending FSI starting in December. I of course am interested in the fast-track program but I am very cautious because what if the economy goes so sour that ASA furloughs it's newest pilots. Then there I am, with about 300 hrs flight time. I wouldn't be qualified for any regional.
So just for my own security, I would rather build the 800 hours by instructing. That way, I also have the option to apply to ACA or whomever else once I'm done. The only think I wonder about is how many hours per month do FSI instructors average? If I work hard and take the initiative, how long would it take me to instruct 800 hours?
Thanks in advace for your feedback.
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If you keep up with the ASA news at other sites, you will see that ASA is being forced to scale back pilot classes due to contract issues with Delta. From what I read into it, Delta doesn't want ASA flying all the people in their nifty RJs, so they limit them to a certain percentage of what Delta flies. If ASA was more like Skywest with contracts with many different airlines, this wouldn't be that big of an issue. I don't think ASA is close to furloughing pilots yet. The couple of regionals I've seen so far furloughing pilots have not been "major" regionals. The instructing track isn't something students can choose so much as FSI can select them specifically for it...at least from what I've read. Regardless, I'm pressing ahead with my plans...damn the economy!
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ASA is scaling back on classes for a couple of months (from what I've heard here in training). There are a couple of reasons - primarily, the freeze on Delta hiring (among others). Also, ASA is apparently accelerating the retirement of the Brasilias, so all those crews will need to be re-trained in the RJ or ATR. However, from what I've heard, we are still going to be putting 2-3 new RJs on line per month, of which only one is replacing a Brasilia. So there is still growth. The Delta scope clause is an issue, but scope is an issue at most regionals (Skywest included). Delta's scope also applies (as far as I understand) to them, and I wouldn't be surprised if United's last contract included scope as well.

As I've said before, the FSI fast track program is great. It's certainly not for everyone, but even with the slowdown it'll still get you to the regionals/majors faster than instructing will. As I've heard over and over and over in the last 8 weeks: "SENIORITY IS EVERYTHING"
 
I called FSI to clear up a financing question last night when I came to the realization it was Labor Day in the states and everything was closed. I ended up speaking to a GATT instructor (spatial disorientation trainer) and he said FSI was close to closing a deal with ACA and American Eagle for a similar (or maybe same) program as ASA.

He also said students are still going through the fast track program and they get preference over the instructors...

Anyone else hear anything new?

Chunk
 
Thats all new to me. When I visited FSI, they were saying Eagle was asking for too much multi to make the FSI program affordable to anyone but a multi-millionare. They said a lot of the FSI instructors were going to another FBO in Ft Pierce(I think) and buying blocks of multi-time to get in with Eagle. Talks with ACA eh? That puts an interesting spin on things too. Chunk, are you already approved for a Key loan? I think I'm gonna wait to see what these dropping interest rates will do to the competition for loans.
 
I have completed all my paperwork for the Key Alternative Loan. I'll get my first disbursement when I start move to Vero next May/June. (18 June is my Private Audit class). The loan is a variable one, so you take the good with the bad. I'm getting the loan to pay for the training only until my GI Bill kicks in, so hopefully I'll pay most of it off right away.

When are you starting?

Chunk

PS--It was much easier to get the loan than I ever expected!
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Hi all. I'm at Flight Safety and they haven't formally announced it, but the buzz around the marketing office is ACA and Eagle will have programs here. I don't know the time frame, but they even mentioned adding an additional simulator to accommodate everyone.

Also, training here has been good. Ground school (private) was excellent. I am glad I didn't get my private somewhere else. I have a friend here who had 37 hours and was scheduled for a private check ride prior to coming. He chose to attend the complete ground school, and he is glad he did. He said he didn't learn much at his FBO and felt his solo cross country was unsafe due to his lack of knowledge.

My only piece of advice (if I had it to do over again) would be to get a couple cheap hours at an FBO and get your landings dialed (or at least workable). I had some trouble learning the flare and had to repeat a lesson. Not that big a deal, except dual instruction in a cadet is $141/hr. Expensive learning curve.
 
HELLO ALL
I PLAN ON ATTENDING FSI NEXT JULY. I WENT THERE ON A TOUR AND I LOVED IT.BUT I FORGOT TO ASK ONE MAJOR QUESTION. HOW DO THEY GO ABOUT GIVING PEOPLE EXTRA HELP IF THEY NEED IT?
OR DO THEY DROP YOU FROM TRAINING.
LET ME KNOW WHATS UP
PEACE
JAY
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Chunk,
I'm planning on starting in March in the ASA program. I really need to do some more research on ACA and Eagle now too, as they seem to be options...thanks for the info John Doe. I'd like to know the good and the bad about these two new entrants, so I'm gonna have to study up on them. With Flyforums down, I haven't been able to find an Eagle board, and ACA is about the same. I am cranking out my commercial flying now, and plan on going to ALLATPs to get my multi/comm in Nov or Dec. The GI bill has been kicking in 60% for all my flying(after private) so it is a big helper. Took 3 months to get first payment, but they've been good so far. I guess I should apply and get approved for a loan before I quit my job and lose my income too
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. Chunk, I heard the rock just got missed by a typhoon recently. I flew with the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena and loved the typhoon evacs to Guam or Misawa.

[ September 08, 2001: Message edited by: Visceral. ]
 
We just got whacked by Typhoon Nari...twice!
It hit us then doubled back and hit us again. I don't know if you were here for Supertyphoon Bart, but this little one did more damage and it only had 105kt winds!

The 909th was too late to bug out and so they had to sit it out. They flew out after the storm passed.....hmmmm...I guess no one ever exlained to the Air Farce the premise of flying out BEFORE the big wind comes.

Cheers,

Chunk
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Jovan,
John Doe has a good point, the school is expensive. And, wait till you get into the m.e. time. Ka-Ching! But, don't worry. The school doesn't want to drop you, you're paying big money. The only fear for a lot of people here is that they won't pass the ASA check. Then your in trouble, low hours with a big bill. FSI is a great school, but not everyone makes it to ASA.

[ September 09, 2001: Message edited by: FSI Newguy ]
 
FSI NEWGUY
SWEET!!!!!!
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I JUST HOPE THAT I DO SUCCEED..AS A MATTER OF FACT I HOPE YOU ALL SUCCEED. IVE BEEN STUDYING ALOT AND I FEEL THAT ILL BE ABLE TO BREEZE THROUGH GROUND SCHOOL, BUT ITS THE ACTUAL FLIGHTS (LANDINGS) THAT IM WORRIED ABOUT.
LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES
PEACE
JAY
 
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