New at Flight Safety Academy

CLR4ILS

CLR4ILS

Well-Known Member
Good news at the academy...

1. Found out recently that we have a new ERJ Level D Sim coming soon.

2. American Eagle has signed on for a "Direct Track" program like ASA's.

3. ASA direct track starts back up this month.

4. There is another airline in negotiations for a direct track program.

5. From what I understand all of the direct track programs will use the ERJ SIM.

6. Another thing I think is pretty cool is that every studnet gets 1/2 hour free in the SAAB Level D for basic intro to glass after passing their instrument checkride. it is all hands on flying... Pretty cool for a new instrument student to be able to get a "taste" of what lies ahead in their career.
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7. Wait to be an instructor at FSA is almost gone
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. The list is down from 120 to "approx" 30. Expected to be history by June
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.

I am excited to see this kind of movement at the academy. There were slow times, but things are starting to look good now
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...ILS
 
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6. Another thing I think is pretty cool is that every studnet gets 1/2 hour free in the SAAB Level D for basic intro to glass after passing their instrument checkride. it is all hands on flying... Pretty cool for a new instrument student to be able to get a "taste" of what lies ahead in their career.

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Can I have my 1/2 hour retroactively? hehe

When is that sim scheduled to show up?

Later,
Dave
 
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What does it take to get into those direct programs and what do you get out of them?

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To get into the bridge programs requires succesful completion of FSI's commercial/multi-engine instrument course along with succesful interview and conditional offer of employment for a FO position with either ASA or American Eagle. After that you enter a 10-week training program which combines a TON of ground school, a number of hours of ATP-level instrument flying in the Seminole, more ground school, followed by a number of hours of glass cockpit/FMS/autpilot/advanced systems training in the Level D Saab 2000 (or the ERJ sim once they get it on campus). All that extra training costs $22,500 and upon completion you will be put into a ground school for either airline.

Hope that helps
 
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Glad to hear it! I was filling out my admissions app while I was reading this. Even more of a reason to choose FSI. Thanks for the info.
 
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Where exactly are they gonna put the sim??? From what I remember they don't have any room for it!!!

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The King Air SIM and the Citation SIM will be relocated to another building. Then the SAAB has to be moved 13 inches forward (yes, 13 inches
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) so the ERJ can sit beside it in the large SIM bay. It will be a pretty nice site seeing those two level D's sitting side by side.

Can't wait...ILS

BTW: I guess American Eagle will be asking for around 20 students per month when the program starts and ASA will start back up with around 2-4 students per month.
 
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BTW: I guess American Eagle will be asking for around 20 students per month when the program starts and ASA will start back up with around 2-4 students per month.

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If AE and ASA are still picking up this amount of people 9 months from now, does it mean a person starting the academy this month with 0 time and finishing nine months later will have the opportunity to work for one of these regionals???
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Seems a little quick to me.
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I don't want to start one of those PFT battles/debates, but does the direct-hire program equate to PFT? You aren't building your hours taking the seat of someone who should be getting paid, i.e. Gulfstream. But, you are dishing out $25,000 to get training that will put you directly in the right seat and by-passing several potentially more qualified direct-applicants in the process. Yet in the same respect, it isn't much different that buying your 737-type rating for Southwest after being offered employment with them (since you have to interview to get into the direct-hire program).

I'm just still trying to clarify what is PFT and what isn't.

Plus, can anyone rationalize paying $70,000 to get a job that pays $20,000?
 
It's a fine line but here is the main difference...

In a pay-for-training scenario you are essentially buying your job. As long as you have the money and the necessary licenses they will hire you whether you are qualified or not. Some PFT outfits actually require you to pay them for the time you will build.

The FSI scenario is a little different. The airlines have determined the FSI program to be good enough that they will hire graduats (sp?) with low time. The graduats then get the opportunity to apply for the program. The airlines are very discriminating and based upon your application, grades, letters of reference etc... you may not even get an interview. There is absolutely no guarantee of interview or employment. Just because you have the money and want to do it means nothing. The airline can and has turned away many people who they did not feel were up to par. Only after that and succesful completion of the training program are you given a pilot slot. Also the money that you spend for the extra training goes to FSI and not the airline.

Again it's a fine line but there is a difference.
 
That makes sense...thanks.

And Doug, great idea to recognize those sponsoring schools who sponsor JC with their own section in the forums!
 
A couple of quick points about Flight Safety's "Direct Track" program.

1. You interview first, and when you do, you get the same interview that a candidate that met the mins received. After that you are given a Conditional Offer Of Employment (COE) which is exactly how it sounds "conditional"

2. The 80+ hours of ground school on the FMS, Flight Director, High Altitude OPS, and Advanced Systems combined with the 30 hours of advanced IFR/LOFT in the twin, and the 36 hours in the SAAB level D, are all designed to take the "lower" time pilot to a proficiency level that will enable them to fly well in the "Commercial" IFR environment.

According to ASA, the "lower" time pilots have done exceptionally well in indoc and the program has proven to be a success. This is why American Eagle has now signed on and another airline is looking at the program.

Hope this helps...ILS
 
Anybody want to volunteer who the "other" airline is....

My two guesses are either Chataqua or ExpressJet
 
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Anybody want to volunteer who the "other" airline is....

My two guesses are either Chataqua or ExpressJet

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hhhmmmmmm.....you might be on to somthing there.
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Anywho, I'm gonna go check out the Vero Beach campus on May 7th. Anything imparticular I should check out while i'm in the neighborhood?
 
Bushmaster,
give me a PM and let me know when you will be at FSA. I can answer any questions you might have. Another good thing to do is talk with the students. Any questions let me know...ILS
 
<From what I understand all of the direct track programs will use the ERJ SIM.>

Um, I heard ASA will continue using the Saab and ERJ get's dedicated Eagle work and that was from one of the Saab instructors.

Oh and I got to fly the Saab durring my last CRM class, it was sweet!
 
My guess is Express Jet will start a program w/ FSI, but I don't know anthing about Chautaqua.

Maybe I'll see some of you guys at the Flight Safety campus on June 7th as I have an interview in Atlanta for the ASA program Monday the 3rd.

I'm glad to hear that the regionals need people and that the instructor wait list is dwindling. Now, if the majors would just start hiring we would have an attrition fest on our hands!
 
I think that it is better to be an instructor first, but the direct track has nothing in common with TAB/Gulfstream.

If you pay your money and go to Gulfstream, you are actually paying to fly in their aircraft and occupying a seat that they would otherwise have to fill with an employee. You are actually taking a job from someone. In addition after your 250 hours, you are given a pat on the head and shown the door. You have paid $25,000 for a few hundred hours in your log book.

The FSI direct track does not guarantee you a job. You interview first. They you do the training. If you pass, then you go to the Airline and are trained just like all the other pilots they hire. You have to pass this training or you are out of a job. After training you are no different than any of the other pilots. You are paid to fly. The only thing you have done is to bypass the year or two you would have spent building time to meet minimums.

I question the wisdom of spending an additional $25,000 to get a job that pays about $20k a year, but to each his own. It is also true that if you get furloughed early in your career you are screwed, since you probably won't have your CFI ratings.

One misconception is that the airlines actually get part of the money paid to attend this program. They do not. FSI keeps all of it. The advantage to the airline is they get a low time pilot who cannot leave for a better job for another year or two, compared to a higher time pilot who can jump ship as soon as something better comes along.
 
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