CFI school advice?

Thanks guys, hearing this stuff eases the pain:buck:....ill try and update you guys as to how the rest of the week goes..... and seriously.... thank you! you guys rock:rawk:
 
myron96 said:
Are they back to using all DE's for Xrides, or that just luck of the draw?
Click to expand...

Its always luck of the draw. ATP submits your name to the FSDO, and if the FSDO has 8 FAA check guys available, you all go to the FAA. If they have no one available, then you get a DE.
 
Yea from what I hear I got lucky with Bill, although I still have to get through the Frank ride......I asked Frank how many students make it through the program and he told me 70%...then he said the amount of candidates that get signed of by him for the actual checkride is around 40% lol:buck:.....looks like I'm going to have to prove to him how much I want to succeed as a CFI.
 
popaviator said:
Yea from what I hear I got lucky with Bill, although I still have to get through the Frank ride......I asked Frank how many students make it through the program and he told me 70%...then he said the amount of candidates that get signed of by him for the actual checkride is around 40% lol:buck:.....looks like I'm going to have to prove to him how much I want to succeed as a CFI.
Click to expand...

My class had 100% sign offs from Frank and eventually 100% became CFIs.
 
Dont worry about Frank. Hes a little strange, but I think its all an act. Once in the airplane with him, hes completely different than he is in class. Do what you now how to do and dont be intimidated and youll be fine. When I went through several years ago, there was no oral with frank, only a flight
 
popaviator said:
Any advice from anyone that has been through Franks one on one ground?
Click to expand...

Hope I'm not to late for this one. He's gonna want to ruffle your feathers. Don't worry about that. Just stick to your guns. Let him say what he's got to say, and take it as a grain of salt. He's a funny little man, so treat him as such. And remember to get a good nights sleep.
 
Well I had ground with frank.....:banghead: he kept digging and digging....I'm not one to make excuses though, I should have known the material better. So I'm going to give it another shot @ the Atlanta location on the 23rd and study my ass until then.......If I can give any advice to other pilots getting ready for the Vegas CFI school, it would be this.......don't ask questions, keep as low a profile as possible, talk outloud with your peers while studying. Frank is like a pitbull, he'll go straight for the neck and if you resist or fight he'll put you into submission, just play dead and you'll be alright. He seems to be a good pilot and he really knows his stuff but he's "different", just fly under the radar and you'll be fine.
 
popaviator said:
Well I had ground with frank.....:banghead: he kept digging and digging....I'm not one to make excuses though, I should have known the material better. So I'm going to give it another shot @ the Atlanta location on the 23rd and study my ass until then.......If I can give any advice to other pilots getting ready for the Vegas CFI school, it would be this.......don't ask questions, keep as low a profile as possible, talk outloud with your peers while studying. Frank is like a pitbull, he'll go straight for the neck and if you resist or fight he'll put you into submission, just play dead and you'll be alright. He seems to be a good pilot and he really knows his stuff but he's "different", just fly under the radar and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Awe man... I'm sure you'll be fine at ATL. Just study your ass off until then. Where are you going to be until then? PHX?
 
popaviator said:
Well I had ground with frank.....:banghead: he kept digging and digging....I'm not one to make excuses though, I should have known the material better. So I'm going to give it another shot @ the Atlanta location on the 23rd and study my ass until then.......If I can give any advice to other pilots getting ready for the Vegas CFI school, it would be this.......don't ask questions, keep as low a profile as possible, talk outloud with your peers while studying. Frank is like a pitbull, he'll go straight for the neck and if you resist or fight he'll put you into submission, just play dead and you'll be alright. He seems to be a good pilot and he really knows his stuff but he's "different", just fly under the radar and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Don't let this get in your way. There will be plenty of other opportunitues for you to get through CFI school. I would be interested to hear you opnion on the difference of the schools at VGT and Atlanta. Let us know.
 
v1valarob said:
My class had 100% sign offs from Frank and eventually 100% became CFIs.
Click to expand...

That's because we were champs who lived off of drinking rockstars for two weeks and dry flew that stupid seminole till 2am in the morning!



Sorry to hear that popaviator. I'm sure you will do fine in ATL. Just stay persistent. Frank is definitely a weird person, but he is a wealth of knowledge. Low key with him is the only way to get through his ground school. I sat in the very front of the class next to where he would sit while he taught so luckily he rarely ever picked on me because I was out of his line of vision.
 
I think I'm going to bite the bullet, and add on my CFIs this summer through the program. What's the rate on the SLM loans, anyone know off hand?
 
ppragman said:
I think I'm going to bite the bullet, and add on my CFIs this summer through the program. What's the rate on the SLM loans, anyone know off hand?
Click to expand...

mine are prime +1/4%, and my credit score is in the upper 700's. SLM is a variable. I'd try to find one thats fixed as SLM isn't.
 
mshunter said:
mine are prime +1/4%, and my credit score is in the upper 700's. SLM is a variable. I'd try to find one thats fixed as SLM isn't.
Click to expand...

I'd only owe em' about 7 grand for CFI school, which I could potentially pay off within the next several months after getting back.
 
ppragman said:
I'd only owe em' about 7 grand for CFI school, which I could potentially pay off within the next several months after getting back.
Click to expand...

do you need all of them, or just a few. I'd rather see people go to American Flyers. The price is a little cheaper, and they have a better pass rate. I went to ATP's CFI school, because I did the career pilot program, and most people don't do that well. Even if you show up prepared, it's still a tough course. You may not get the MEI @ AF, but you can add it on at that point with little pain. I am anti AF for anything else. The guys who busted out of ATP's cfi course, went to AF's and passed it. you get a whole bunch more instruction at AF, not just some stupid pre-test that you have to have done before you go. I have experince with both of them, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM.
 
mshunter said:
do you need all of them, or just a few. I'd rather see people go to American Flyers. The price is a little cheaper, and they have a better pass rate. I went to ATP's CFI school, because I did the career pilot program, and most people don't do that well. Even if you show up prepared, it's still a tough course. You may not get the MEI @ AF, but you can add it on at that point with little pain. I am anti AF for anything else. The guys who busted out of ATP's cfi course, went to AF's and passed it. you get a whole bunch more instruction at AF, not just some stupid pre-test that you have to have done before you go. I have experince with both of them, so if you have any questions, feel free to PM.
Click to expand...

I would, but I don't have a month to spend at American flyers waiting to take my ride.
 
UPDATE:.....I thought I would give you guys an update at CFI school in ATL. I can honestly say that I know why I didn't make it in Vegas. I wasn't ready, but getting the opportunity to give it another shot in ATL was awesome. I am now a MEI, CFII, and CFI single instructor. The atmosphere was alot more laid back, which was a good thing. The instructors were all good too. They really made an effort to help me along the way. The CFI ground school in Vegas was alot more thorough but the instructors in ATL in my opinion were better. All in all it feels great to be done with ATP and I appreciate all they did for me, but now I'm looking forward to that first paycheck from flying no matter how small it may be. :rawk:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top