Comair and ASA....121 or 135?

"but it does prepare you for the airline when your all said and done"

My humble opinion is that one is prepared for an airline when one works his way up into an airline job. Not when one graduates from a certain academy. The fact remains that if you were really prepared for the airlines you wouldn't have had to ask that question here.

It's nothing personal DeltaConnection. I have no beef with you and I'm sure your school turns out a fine product. I HATE the way your school advertises and the way it makes it's claims...sounds like you are no fan of it either....

I recently had a chance to fly with two low time CFI's as part of a job interview of sorts. One was UND and the other straight 61. The UND guy was great on theory but weak on real world experience. The 61 guy couldn't hold a candle to the UND guy when it came to a lot of book knowledge (I probably couldn't, either) but he had the chance to experience some things in his first 300 hours that the UND guy would never get a chance to see. Both were good CFI's and both has strengths and weaknesses. Both were better CFI's than me when I had 300 hours. But you couldn't say that the academy grad was a better pilot....and that's what they want you to think....
 
DE727UPS,

I don't want to derail this thread from the Delta Connection bashing (just kidding) but that is really interesting. Could you give us the examples of how the two CFI's differed? What were both's strengths and weaknesses?
 
[ QUOTE ]
gradiated dca, and since when is knowing what regs a certain airline operates under part of the pts knowledge areas?

[/ QUOTE ]

Spelling Police! please pull over to the curb Mr DCA gradiate.

tongue.gif
tongue.gif


I would like to comment on DCA being a Comair dropout I feel that I'm qualified. The fact of the matter is this, Comair/DCA does no better or worse at preparing someone for the airlines. The difference is Comair/DCA has a carrot to dangle and that carrot is a interview with a airline. If they did'nt have that carrot Comair/DCA would just be another overpriced aviation school and I suspect attendance would be quite low. Those that make it thru the entire ordeal and get the interview have more than payed their dues physically, emotionally and monetarily.
 
[ QUOTE ]
DE727UPS,

I don't want to derail this thread from the Delta Connection bashing (just kidding) but that is really interesting. Could you give us the examples of how the two CFI's differed? What were both's strengths and weaknesses?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll tell what my opinion on the differences were since I attend UND. Flight Operations doesn't allow a CFI/student to make the decision whether to fly or not. It is all done by someone else. We don't get to experience anything with bad weather, terrain, airliner traffic, etc.

The reason the guy had tons of book knowledge, we take many groundschools that border on the riddiculus side. There is a 5 credit ground school for the ppl, which has 10 tests, two 3 credit ground schools for instrument training with another 10 tests, two 3 credit classes for commercial training, and a 2 credit ground school for the multi course. That is 19 credits which is over 300 hours of ground school, and that doesn't include the ground briefings with our instructors, which is a waste of time/money.
 
acutally 172 captain thats my redneck coming out in me....meant to do it...graduate...see i can spell! haha...i agree that no one academy is either better or worse when it comes down to the big scheme...yes there is some carrot dangling going on, but where isnt there? everybody has an aviation goal be it the airline or your own 172 for recreation. Thats called motivation...
 
[quoteThe difference is Comair/DCA has a carrot to dangle and that carrot is a interview with a airline

[/ QUOTE ]


Um yeah...spelling police

an interview with an airline


don't know if it was on purpose

i couldn't resist
grin.gif
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
...that carrot is a interview with a airline.

[/ QUOTE ]

Spelling Police Strike Back (Episode V)

I believe the correct grammar would be aN with aN airline.
grin.gif
Just playing with you. Anyhow, I would bet that the quality of the ratings at any 141 school are going to be pretty good, as the FAA has to sign off on them.

Ethan
 
What Iruppert said about sums it up. Another weakness was the UND guy had never flown a Cessna 152. Now, you'd think a great school like UND would have a few old beater Cessna's around so they could at least get some time in one so as not to embarrass themselves when they enter the real world. After an hour I felt the CFI was good enough to solo. The UND guy had a great attitude and was great at talking and flying....plus, he probably spent more time in various classes than I have in my whole career.

The 61 guy got his ratings a local flight schools and went to a quickie CFI course....about a week long. He got his ticket and jumped right in. Now, this guy has a great attitude, too, but he just never spent the time in a structured learning enviornment. I know he studied his butt off to get his ratings but it's just not the same as doing it in an academic situation. At the same time, I think he was fully qualified to be a CFI after doing the quickie course and passing the ride. You can't learn to be a good CFI in some class....you got to get in the seat and start doing the job. That's the best experience.

My 61 guy has landed on beaches, flown in gawd awful weather to include being stuck places, and landed on a highway with an engine failure. He's got seaplane and tailwheel time....so he's done a lot of stuff. Those things make him a better pilot and potentially a better CFI.
 
So what would be your advice to the 61 guy so he can get up to speed? I know you never stop learning in this industry but sometimes the time to learn gets whittled away. I seem to be a great example of that 61 guy you are talking about, hence the interest (although I didn't do anything in a quickie course).
 
I look on the jobs available board and search other jobs most places want you to have thousands of hours with thousands of hour turbine time, our instructors are leaving here 1200TT to sit on a jet and fly for an airline. I honestly dont know to many places that are doing that, especially post 9-11. And this is not just one or two instructor a year, this is actually a good many. I know several who are waiting class dates or are in a class now. Not saying our pilots our the best in the world, not saying your guaranteed to be hired. But im saying a motivated student is more likely to interview and get hired by the airline sooner than anywhere else. I think its true if you give 110% anywhere you can go anywhere and any airline will see that, i think my school gives you the chance to show the airline more soon though. Somewhere else it seems youd be looking at 2 or 3000 hours just for an interview. And thats not even to be competitive!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I look on the jobs available board and search other jobs most places want you to have thousands of hours with thousands of hour turbine time, our instructors are leaving here 1200TT to sit on a jet and fly for an airline. I honestly dont know to many places that are doing that, especially post 9-11. And this is not just one or two instructor a year, this is actually a good many. I know several who are waiting class dates or are in a class now. Not saying our pilots our the best in the world, not saying your guaranteed to be hired. But im saying a motivated student is more likely to interview and get hired by the airline sooner than anywhere else. I think its true if you give 110% anywhere you can go anywhere and any airline will see that, i think my school gives you the chance to show the airline more soon though. Somewhere else it seems youd be looking at 2 or 3000 hours just for an interview. And thats not even to be competitive!

[/ QUOTE ]

Going the "lowly FBO instructor route", two of my friends just got hired at the regionals in the 1300-1500 hour range, not too far off the time you quoted and a whole lot cheaper so it can be done either way.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
UND= University of North Dakota?


Matthew

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

[/ QUOTE ]


Dear God people actually live in North Dakota???
tongue.gif



Matthew
 
[ QUOTE ]
Dear God people actually live in North Dakota???

[/ QUOTE ]


I am not sure how many states have a declining population , but we're one of them. My guess is probably only one or two more.
 
Well it is very flat in the plains states you guys should build,build,build and have more larger cities or actual cities.

Look at any airline map and they avoid the plains states like the plague.


Matthew
 
I wouldn't really do anything special to "get up to speed". Be a serious part 61 student and, even if you go to a Sheble's, work hard and give it your best effort. Then, once you get the ticket, you jump into instructing with both feet. Have a good attitude and bend over backwards for your students. You'll learn a ton in your first 200 hours and be a great CFI. I don't care if your an academy grad or not....being a good CFI has a lot more to do with experience doing the job than it does with how many ground classes you took.
 
I learned more in my first 50 hours of instructing than I think I learned at ERAU.

It's your first captain position, no training wheels and you figure out pretty quick that it's all about preparation and communication.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NewsBot
  • Locked
JSFirm Pilot - Part 135 Charter
Replies
0
Views
65
NewsBot
NewsBot
NewsBot
  • Locked
SkyJobs Bell 121 Helicopter Captains VFR
Replies
0
Views
59
NewsBot
NewsBot
NewsBot
  • Locked
JSFirm ATR First Officer (Part 121) - AFW
Replies
0
Views
67
NewsBot
NewsBot
NewsBot
  • Locked
JSFirm Part 135 Learjet 60 SIC
Replies
0
Views
61
NewsBot
NewsBot
NewsBot
  • Locked
JSFirm Chief Pilot - Part 91/135 Operation (Naples FL)
Replies
0
Views
59
NewsBot
NewsBot
Back
Top