Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?READ!

[Contrail the Kid]

I am a 23 year old who is graduating from the University of New Mexico this fall, with a bachelors in fine art (photography). Aviation is my one and only career goal. Ultimately, I plan on working for the majors, and always have since a child.

With in the last 5 years I have been in talks with Mesas Pilot Development program, in order to be sure I had all of my ducks in a row, and begin a professional career as soon as possible. From early on I understood the importance of no traffic tickets, a college education, and so on.

From the beginning Mesa had told my family and I that they would accept NO hours from any other flying school, if I were to attend MPD. Though now they accept Private Pilot License (at least 50 hours Single-Engine Land), which would supplement one semester of course work. My family and I had hoped I could earn some hours down at Double Eagle in Albuquerque, NM, in order to get an earlier start. From what we have been told by a few pilots, Mesa was a viable option for my career goals, and still is.

I've been down to Farmington, NM and talked with the Mesa school personally recently. I've taken all of my pre-rec classes for their program and only have main course work to complete (10 school hours a semester rather than 15-16). I would earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Technology, have 40 hours (20 right seat/20 left seat) in the CRJ Flight Training Device (CRJ/FTD), and earn my private, instrument, and commercial multi-engine certificates with approximately 230 hours in total flight time. It would be about $60,000 all together. And in 2.5 years hiring could possibly kick in again, if not shortly after. 90% fly with Mesa after graduating MPD.

Problem is I need to know if something better is available. Tomorrow I am attending an Aviation Career day in Albuquerque, which will be hosted by Del Sol Aviation, and will include Del Sol Aviation, Cutter Aviation Charter Services, Enchantment Helicopters, Seven Bar Flying Service, Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) Aviation Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, NM Army and Air National Guard, & Santa Fe Top Gun Adventures and New Mexico Department of Transportation Aviation Division.

Can any one help me have a good idea of what else I could be looking for?

 

[Clocks]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

-Mesa might not even exist in 2 years. Having some preferential interview at Mesa is basically meaningless.

-Any CRJ/ERJ FTD time is borderline worthless and absolutely not worth paying for.

-$60,000 is a heck of a lot of money to pay for flight training when you aren't even going to come out of it with your flight instructor certificates.

Bottom line: You are about to have a 4 year degree. Airlines don't care what your degree is in. All you need to do is get your private/instrument/commercial/CFI at a local flight school and go flight instruct. You'll be ready to go when the airlines start hiring again, and you wont be $60,000 in debt with a worthless interview at mesa.

 

[CRJDriver]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

-Mesa might not even exist in 2 years. Having some preferential interview at Mesa is basically meaningless.

-Any CRJ/ERJ FTD time is borderline worthless and absolutely not worth paying for.

-$60,000 is a heck of a lot of money to pay for flight training when you aren't even going to come out of it with your flight instructor certificates.

Bottom line: You are about to have a 4 year degree. Airlines don't care what your degree is in. All you need to do is get your private/instrument/commercial/CFI at a local flight school and go flight instruct. You'll be ready to go when the airlines start hiring again, and you wont be $60,000 in debt with a worthless interview at mesa.

:yeahthat:

You got a 4 year degree, that's a good start! Take your time with your flight training and enjoy it, there is no need to rush right now....

 

[BobDDuck]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

Long ago I flew into Double Eagle and remember them having a really nice FBO. Stop by and talk to the guys there and price out doing your ratings through them. It will be a lot cheaper and you'll be able to work part time while you do it and not go into (as much) debt.

You already have a degree so you are all set there. The Associates in Aviation is worthless. All you need to do is check the box and your BAFA will do that.

You could conceivably get all your ratings (right on up through CFI) done in a 1.5 years and then spend the next year instructing and actually MAKING money to fly. Then at your 2.5 year even horizon IF the airlines are hiring again you'll be in an even better position than if you went through MPD.

The only thing you *wont* have is 40 hours of completly worthless CRJ FTD time and a whole lot of debt.

 

[BillPerryCFI]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

I would recommend taking a tour of the MPD facility out at Goodyear if you can and also talk with some of the students and CFIs. If you really want to get some good information on what to do and how to progress, certainly giving a few HR departments a call wouldn't hurt. Most of them if you catch them early enough in the morning are more than willing to answer a few questions about programs that they like to hire from or have seen good quality from.

I don't comment on other flight schools as I don't feel it's professional to skew someones vision as each has their own, but research is golden and spending a little time to tour more than just one choice is an absolute recommendation. I know it is an absolute heart breaker to find something you think is so perfect and is going to get you exactly what you want and you want to just do it and make it happen right now. Believe me though when I say even if your first choice ultimately becomes the one you go with it is imperitive to compare it against something else so you can feel satisfied that you didn't make the wrong decision on a whim.

 

[meyers9163]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

FBO FBO FBO. Get a job in something you love while trying to fly on the side. Things are slow right now but if you are ready with everything in the next two years or so you will be good to go when things pick up! However 60k in debt is a LOT of money. It may not seem like it, but when you are paying 800 a month in a loan, you will wonder what was I thinking when only making 24k. Its a great job, I love the people I fly with, but go about getting into the industry the smart way. Minimize your debt will be a huge help!

 

[JoelT]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

Just to let you know where I am coming from I am a Delta Air Lines pilot and have previously worked for Airtran, ExpressJet (Continental Express), and Pace Airlines. Also, I had instructed for three years prior to that. So, in my experience the best advice I can give you is to stay very far from Mesa.

Also, spend as little money as possible and go all the way through CFI, CFII, and MEI. It does not matter where in the country you fly or for what company. Airlines do not care.

 

[v1valarob]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

From the beginning Mesa had told my family and I that they would accept NO hours from any other flying school, if I were to attend MPD. Though now they accept Private Pilot License (at least 50 hours Single-Engine Land), which would supplement one semester of course work.

That right there should tell you alot about the flight school.

Any place that doesnt "accept" flight time from somewhere else needs to have a closer look taken, and I dont mean that in a good way.

With the way the economy is now, go to a local school, work at the same time as fly, get your CFI and build hours. When airlines start hiring again, they are going to care less where you got your time, all they care is how much time.

 

[kellwolf]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

Rob beat me to it. Honestly, I stoipped reading after the sectio nhe quoted. That's all I needed to know. It ticked me off that ATP wouldn't even accept my instrument rating and most of the work done towards a commerical ME, but they'd let me get some extra cross country time in exchange. Woiuldn't have lowered the price any, though.

MPD has been telling you that in order to make sure they get as much of your $$$ as possible. If you went somewhere else and got, say, your private through commercial, that's a lot of money they'd lose out on. In addition to that, you might have found a school or instructor you like better, and they'd have lost you altogether.

FTD time in a CRJ will get you exactly that: FTD time in a CRJ. In the current environment, it won't set you apart in a hiring situation seeing as 100s of guys on the street already have time in the actual airplane. I was VERY close to going to MPD back in the day, but the shakiness of Mesa's operation kept me from doing it. I saved well over $30K by NOT going to MPD, and I got my CFI ratings in addition to the savings.

I'm with everyone else. Find a school or an independent instructor that you "click" with and get the ratings that way. Get your CFIs, or if you don't want to go that route you can do other things to get the time you need. For example, once you get your commercial rating (if you want to be totally legal in the process), you could combine the love of flying with you degree and do aerial photography.

 

[Contrail the Kid]

Re: Avation career open house, what questions should I ask?R

Thanks for the help every one. I think I realized a while ago mesa just wasn't the answer. They always made it seem like they were the only "best" option here in New Mexico. I will look around locally and see what I can get done.

Once again, thanks to every one, this site has always been my best form of guidance.