Hi, i am planning to join the AF program in Dallas or PMP... I saw your post. And wondering whether you can give me some advise on this. I am with SEL and MEL commercial right now and planning to take the written test in Jan 22 and head to AF to join the 30 days program.
What do you think of their program? and How much does it really take to get both CFI and CFII ( one of my friend told me he paid like more than 8000 actually...)?
And what I should prepare for right now?
AF was great to me. Made lots of great friends in ADS and in my class. Sometimes wish I would have stayed to instruct there for all the friends I have in ADS. Anyways, the program was great for me. I spent 7 days a week at the airport for about 10-12 hour days studying. Expect that and plan that for your success there. Total cost at the end the day with checkrides, extra flight time, charts, writtens etc. was $7400. Took me 45 days and I had both my CFI and CFI-I in hand and had an interview the next day.
I highly suggest it. Bring all your books and just plan to study your ass off. If you can do that, then you'll be in good shape. DEFINITELY get your writttens done BEFORE. ALL 3 of them. I had both my sign off's for my checkrides in 2 weeks and some kids in my class could have also, but didn't have a written done. Hopefully the weather is okay in ADS right now so that you don't get backed up for xrides. I was there in August and it was the summer but the examiners were still backed up from March and April when they had all the rain.
If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or ask on here. Use the previous posts as some suggestions from guys who helped me out. Start making lesson plans now, and studying everything from top to bottom. Just grab a PTS for CFI and start at the front to back. Go to the tasks and know EVERY task and EVERY line item....to CFI knowledge. Teach a room full of no one or your significant other or whatever. Good luck.
We also had 3 people transfer after 2 weeks from PMP. I cannot speak on that school but each one is structured a little differently. I heard at PMP they hold your hand and force a lot more where as at ADS, they give you a class time each day and you can show before and study and stay after or just show for class and leave the airport. Those who didn't stay and interact, didn't get as many flights scheduled as I did. Just by being at the airport, many opportunities opened themselves up and I could go fly and get my sign off faster. Some in my class only showed up for the 3-6 hour class and never stayed or showed up on an off day. They flew maybe once or twice in a 2 week span and took some of them 3 months to finish...and some just dropped out. Either way, just plan to come down here and commit your time. Don't have a side job. It's a full time job studying for this if you want to get it done. Also, I think they raised the price of the academy $500. My class was the last old rate, so tack on $500 to my cost...but they will give you the automatic CFI renewal for life (free) in the academy now, I believe. After it's all said and done, I thought it was a great deal.