ECHO ECHo ECho Echo echo

No, the FAA requires all CFI-A initial tests be done at a FSDO. It is the rare exception (eg: FSI) that is permitted to be self-examining for the initial CFI-A. Many other 141 schools are not self-examing for the CFI-A as is FSI. There's many ways that the quality and reputation of FSI shines through...this is one of them.
 
Perhaps thats a Florida FSDO thing and not an FAA requirement? Two friends of mine did the initial CFI ride with a regular old examiner, one in Maine and one in Vermont (Both in the last two years). In each case the examiner was most certainly not from the FSDO.
 
It is not uncommon for DEs to give CFI-A exams.
FSDOs normaly perfer to do these but due to large demands in some areas selected DEs are permited to give the rides. I talked to one of the DE's that commonly does 61 rides for FSI about this. He said the FSDO asked him if he wanted to give the exams and he said no way. His reasoning was that a CFI ride takes soo long that he could make more money and save more time by not doing them.
 
ok, I go to pan am so dont shoot me chunk. At Pan Am, whether you are 61 or 141 you still fax a request to orl fsdo. They then fax back whether you will go there for your initial or will give you 3 DPE's to choose from. Not sure if FSI is the same, or if this is just a FL thing.
 
I'm afraid I must agree with diver and lump. I'm in Instrument ground with those two and just starting Step IVA, and when I first started here in September I had resolved to do my CFI here and more importantly, instruct here. But the waiting list that was supposedly shrinking only keeps growing, the burnished image of CIME students being able to transition seemlessly from Step V to CFI to instructing has now tarnished incredibly.
If I had to do over again, or more realistically, advise someone else about training, I would tell them to get all their basic ratings, the CIME, elsewhere at a good FBO or at a more resonably priced though less reputed school like ATP or one of the smaller 141 schools. And then, if they really want to overpay for the CFI (no matter how good the training is, that's a pretty penny with no guarantee of a job and such a long waiting list), I would recommend doing the CFI at FSI.
I think I need to reinforce the feeling of one of the current FSI IPs that he posted on another thread a few weeks back, FlightSafety needs to restructure same as most air carriers are doing. You don't raise prices when times are bad, you cut them. And they really need to put a cap on how long instructors can continue here when times are bad.
They should retain a select few exceptionally good instructors and restrict the rest to maybe a 1000 hour contract (I'm being generous over the current 800). Most students like yours truly expect to be able to instruct at the same place they learned, especially when that place is FSI. I sympathize with the plight of the squatters among the IPs, but some of them just want to stay here indefinitely until they build up a magic number of hours that will get them in the door with a target company, say, NetJets (2500TT) and that just shatters all hopes of current and prospective students, which will only hurt the IPs and FSI in terms of enrollment.
For my part, I am considering getting all three CFI ratings for half the cost at ATP or another 141 school then trying my chances somewhere in the lower 48. I'd love to come back and instruct at FSI, but of course even qualified newly minted CFI grads from FSI are falling through the cracks in the selection process, so I know I woudn't even have a shot at interviewing if I get the CFI ticket elsewhere.
I was one of those people who got a liberal arts degree and chose FSI over grad school, which I believe is one of the things FSI is now trying to officially do to market itself. Well, if things don't improve in terms of flow through, then I would ward off those poor, confused chaps from considering this place as an option unless they are loaded.
I know this place is the best money can buy, at least in the States, but I don't want to be on food stamps and a bachelor repaying loans on a Walmart job until I'm 40. This is especially a concern for those of us who don't have affluent relatives or inheritances/savings or the GI Bill paying for a big chunk of our training expense.
Those people aren't nearly in as deep as fully self-financed students like me. Here's hoping things get better or at least more normal sooner rather than later. Hope I haven't offended, this was a heartfelt critique of our school. We have ardent devotees like Chunk and Baronman and the rest of us who freak out when we think of those loan payments coming due.
 
I finished up last August with CFI. After a couple of months off I started teaching at my local FBO. Like you I am self-financed and my payments are now in full swing ($470.82 a month!). I’m not the least bit worried and I’m still 100% glad that I attended FSA and I’m 105% glad that I did my CFI at FSA. Yeah the money is a bit tight right now and it will probably be tight for a few years, but what is there to do about it? There is no guarantee no matter what training route you pick. Even if there was a demand for IP's at FSA right now, what was your backup plan if you blew the interview? I don’t think you can enter any flight academy with expectations of a guaranteed job or a certain route to the flying job of your dreams. All you can hope to do is be a really good student and get the most from the school and then get out in the real world and make it work. Granted the market is particularly tough right now, but unless we can suspend our payments and cryogenically freeze ourselves we are all stuck with it.
 
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Hope I haven't offended, this was a heartfelt critique of our school. We have ardent devotees like Chunk and Baronman and the rest of us who freak out when we think of those loan payments coming due.

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I'm freakin' out, but it's because I've more due than student loans....more on that later.

Hey man, everyone has to do what is best for them and no one answer is right for everyone. The CFI training here is good, but you are going to have to tread water in the pool. Smart money instructs elsewhere until your number is called. By that time one of two things will happen....you'll either have the time you need and won't come back, or you'll really need the multi time and you'll head to Vero.

Chunk <-----ardent devotee!?!?!?
tongue.gif
 
>>Smart money instructs elsewhere until your number is called. By that time one of two things will happen....you'll either have the time you need and won't come back, or you'll really need the multi time and you'll head to Vero

I agree completely, but that assumes you will get hired. From notes I took on my first tour here in 2001, 80-85% of a CFI class were hired and sent into stan. I don't think anywhere near that percentage is being hired now. I agree that everyone is different and might not be IP material, but everyone who finishes their CIME here is a FSI product, and should have similar ability. To hire fewer from a CFI class is simple flow control.

On another note, I met a few guys from Comair on a trip to Orlando this weekend. Seems their instructor pool has dried up, and they were very curious why we had such a long wait to instruct. I had no real answers, but many questions.
 
You are right in saying everyone is a CIME grad and a FSA product. The problem arises with different personalities and the desire to be a good instructor. FSA wants friendly people who are easy to get along with. Students coming out of FSA may have great piloting ability, but a crappy personality and that is probably what prevents them from getting hired. The other thing is the CFI presentations. Some don't prepare for them and that becomes evident to anyone who is grading it. If you have the desire to work here, the desire to be a good pilot, and work your a$$ of during training, you will get hired.
 
Comair doesn't have a wait list because you're fired after your contract is up. 800 dual given (only 100 multi) then SEEYA! And in this day and age, that means finding another CFI gig (probably).
 
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Comair doesn't have a wait list because you're fired after your contract is up. 800 dual given (only 100 multi) then SEEYA! And in this day and age, that means finding another CFI gig (probably).

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Chunk you are dead wrong!!!! At 800 hours you are released for your interview with the airline. Within a week of that interview you are in class. No one is fired. And not all leave at 800 if they don't want to. Many stage check pilots and group leaders stay on after 800 hours until they are ready to make the move. 100 hours ME is a min. amount. Many I've seen get 150-200 or more. Who really cares how much it is when it's enough to get you hired flying a CRJ?

I'm glad you love your school, but don't go blasting other schools that you are clueless about. It really makes you look like an idiot. Plus if you ever do make to a real airline, its a good chance your captain will have gone to a school you've blasted over your years at Flight Safety, and they will remember that.

You know what really cracks me up??? All theses "FIRED" IP's will be flying jets while your still learning how to float in Flight Safetys pool. The Kmart up the road has a great going out of business sale. You might want to go look for some floaties to wear in the pool!! Don't you think it's a bit sad that flight safety "allows" you to seek employment elsewhere while awaiting a slot as an IP? It's horrible that they had to put such a policy in place to begin with. Come on... a two year wait??? Thats alot of seniority lost!!!

Comair Airlines is here at the academy yesterday and today talking about the numbers of pilots they're hiring, new aircraft, new domiciles, all Comair Academy gradutate classes and more!

Hmm..Getting "Fired" into a CRJ dosn't sound like a bad "gig" to me.

Yes Chunk, I do work for Comair!
 
Isn't it ironic the subject of this post "echo echo echo"? It seems that's all Chunk does. His thrashing of other schools (apparently not just Pan Am) continues to echo through this message board. I can't believe he continues to take hearsay for fact.

Hey Chunkie boy, are you getting the message yet? Shut your freakin' mouth! Enough is enough. Flight Safety is a great school but damn dude, get a life. Take some of that wasted energy and put it towards your flight training so that you can hurry up and wait to not become a CFI for Flight Safety! That mouth of yours isn't going to get you anywhere in this business. I hope nobody finds out who you really are because you have burned so many bridges that it's ridiculous.

Like I said on the Pan Am forum, that's cool if you want to drowned in that CFI pool while I'm building close to 100 hours a month in the Seminole (Chunk, that's twin time).
 
The purpose of a message board is to communicate information and opinions. Chunk has strong opinions and he is not shy about sharing them. While I don’t always agree with Chunk or lots of other users I still value the input. Though this last post was communicating an opinion, it is also a personal attack which I find to be extremely repulsive. Taking it to that level is in very poor taste.
 
Well I guess that it is your opinion aca dia and I have mine. I too am very vocal about how I feel about people who clearly have misinformation and decide to spew it out when it is not true. Chunk has been told time and again that he has misinformation but he still continues to tell it. It is offending to me and to others that he continues to bash other schools when he doesn't have his facts straight. If Chunk continues to spread these rumors, I will be the first one to call him on it. I'm sorry if you find this REPULSIVE. Frankly, I don't give a damn.
 
(Imagine in a monotone Homer Simpson voice)

"Must fly C-R-J....Must fly C-R-J....Ca na dair Re gio nal Jet...Mmmmmm.......Donuts.........Must fly CRJ"
 
Well, I don't know exactly what to say here. There are some people who just shouldn't open their mouth. Whatever was said about CAA is untrue. The DO make their IPs leave after the contract and NO they are not going to the airline. My Private IP was there for a while and was asked to leave after the contract. So, as we see once again, CHUNK WAS RIGHT!

Learning to float in the FSA pool huh....NOPE! Chunk will find a way to fly and make good use of his time as a CFI. Unlike others on this board that go to other schools, Chunk has a brain on his shoulders. He's not stupid and as though I like to argue with him, he's usually right. Damn Chunk...I hate admitting that!

Before these Pan Am'ers or Comair'ers come bashing Chunk or anyone else at FlightSafety, get the facts and get them right. There are many great schools and Comair may be one of them, but they aren't having every IP get hired when the 800 hour contract is over.
 
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The DO make their IPs leave after the contract and NO they are not going to the airline.

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Almost right, Most IPs leave after the 800 hours, but as I said, not all. They leave and get their interviews. And on one point you are correct. They don't all get hired. Same at Flight Safety, Pan Am, ERAU and every other school in this world. Who would want to fly for an airline that would hire everyone that applied. Scary thought there. I can speak for Comair and say that 97% get hired. Lately I've heard it's 98% . Question for you. You mentioned you PVT IP that left and didn't get hired. Was he teaching PVT when he left? if not do you happen to know what group he was in? Who knows why he didn't get hired. I hope he's had luck elsewhere.

Everyone is trying to get to the same place. The same goal. And everyone has or will pay quite alot of money. As someone above mentioned voicing an opinion is something that everyone is entitled to, and he's correct. Praise your schools all you want, but its not right to bash another school with lies. I'm sorry for taking myself to Chunks level, but I for one am sick of his s#?t.
 
Frankly, I couldn't care less about what panamguy thinks about me. I find it funny that he follows me around this board trying to flame me. I've burned bridges where....Pan Am? That's okay, y'all probably won't be in business much more than 12-36 months anyway.

What I said about 800/100 @ CAA is factually true. If you care to believe that everyone goes on to fly for Comair, go on with your bad self. Frankly, I don't care.

If you'll notice, I've stopped going into other school's forums because I don't really care anymore. I don't care where you go...I don't care where you train.

As far as being your first officer or whatever fantasy it is that gives you shower material, keep strokin wonder boy. Because that's the closest you'll ever be to flying in a cockpit with me. Not everyone's fantasy is a CRJ flying MLB-ORL-ATL-ORL-MLB four times a day. I'm quite sure I've logged more green ink than you have TT.

Chunk
 
Oh he does speak. It always takes you awhile to own up to what is being said. I'm not going to step down to your level Chunk. I'm sure you're a great guy and I'm sure you have great intentions. Just watch what you say about other people and about other schools. Just because one person didn't get hired on with an airline or just because one student is disgruntled with the school doesn't mean every single person feels that way.

I like to go into other school's forums to see how everyone is progressing and to see what everyone's experiences are. Unlike you though, Chunk, I keep my mouth shut about what I think about their school. I only decided to speak up in this forum because it aggravates me that you not only bash Pan Am but you bash every other school that doesn't have the initials FS.

Since when did I ever say I wanted to spend the rest of my days in a CRJ? Where the hell did that come from? And if so, what is so wrong with that. I don't have to fly the heavy metal to compensate for a small package downstairs.

Enough said. Sorry for the flame but you have just pushed the wrong buttons. And apparently I'm not the only one.
 
I thought these forums were for third parties to discuss, yes sometimes heated, whatever we wanted! It's not very constructive to read post with personal attacks. On another note, am I the only one getting sick of reading more marketing BS. Most people came here to get away from it! Comair sent me enough paper to start a barnfire bigger then Texas A&M's, not to mention the phone calls. I for one regret ever giving them my name. Last time I posted an opinion on JC about my visit to the school they called me at work and asked me why I posted my comments. Now we are subjected to their biased business practices on a forum that was created to get away from it. If they would like to make personal comments and contribute to discusions fine but please keep you marketing and buisiness agendas out. I feel like your some kind of secret police invading my life. Above all else, please everyone stop with the statistics, Doug can we have a forum where the word "percent" and the "%" symbol are banned!!!
 
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