The Flying Turkey a CFI?

Re: The Flying Turkey a CFI? -- just wanted to congratulate him, and HAD to respond--

We were in there with an assistant cheif around 2:30 - 3:00. He was showing us the instructor station on the Frasca 142.

The Turk.
 
Re: The Flying Turkey a CFI? -- just wanted to congratulate him, and HAD to respond--

Its been a while so I thought I would let you all know what I've been up to.
I finally had my last indoc. flight with the assist. chief, and he was satisfied that wouldn't kill any students, so as of October 1, 2003 I was hired as a Pan Am flight instructor. Now I am officially on the wait list, and I think I am # 16. It feels like my very first furlough! I hope to be instructing by November/December, but I wont be surprised if I am waiting through January. It all depends on the Chinese contract.
In the meantime I have fallen back on my great paying trade of air conditioning repair. After making good money doing this it's gonna really suck to live on instructor pay, but thats the way it is. Find a rich girlfriend, right?
If any of you are kind of sentimental like myself, getting hired by PAIFA has gotten me my very first pair of "real" aviation wings. Now I can ditch the cheap plastic pair I got as a kid on Eastern Airlines back in 1978! I will always keep my PAIFA wings, and they will be a reminder of how hard I worked, and what I gave up for this dream we all share...

The Turk.
 
Re: The Flying Turkey a CFI? -- just wanted to congratulate him, and HAD to respond--

Hey Congrats dude !!!!

Keep on Truck-in

Keeps us updated too !!
wink.gif
 
Re: The Flying Turkey a CFI? -- just wanted to congratulate him, and HAD to respond--

Yeah Turk, congrats!

Maybe it should be "keep on Turkin'!"
 
Re: UPDATE

[ QUOTE ]
The update:
Still waiting. The end of this month will make it 6 months now. No end in sight. Sucks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Turk,

Any outlook on a rough start date? Also, are you able to maintain some currency with flights or sims...anything like that?

Keep on truckin' and keep the faith......

MD
 
Re: UPDATE

Turk,

When you chose Pan Am, did you have the feeling that you you would be hired as a CFI after finishing flight training? I think that Pan Am needs to change part of their ads. One statement is no longer true. Here it is and do you really think it still applies?

"Choose an Academy whose only goal is to get you hired at an airline - sooner than possible ANYWHERE ELSE."

The reason I bring this up is other Academies have the same misleading ads.

TAB Express International advertises: "TAB guarantees employment at 250 hours to those who complete training. At 500 hours Officers are hired by bridge partners. Training takes approximately nine months."

GULFSTREAM TRAINING ACADEMY ADVERTISES: "Over the past year, Gulfstream has successfully placed approximately 90% of its 220 graduates into Part-121 Airline First Officer Positions...."

ATP ad statement: "Owned & operated by major airline pilots dedicated to providing YOU the FASTEST, SAFEST and MOST ECONOMICAL route to an AIRLINE CAREER."

Westwind School of Aeronautics: "The RIGHT SEAT DIRECT program can get you to that airline job in as little as eighteen months."

My point, magazine ads and website information can be very misleading. Future students need to understand that not all that they read is correct.

I, along with the other readers of your messages and progression at Pan Am, thank for giving us an inside view of what it takes to make it to the CFI ranks. Keep up the good work.
 
Re: UPDATE

MikeD:
I am #16 on the wait list. There is another group of Chinese students arriving at the end of this month which should take 9 or 10 off the list. So I am looking at being #5 at the start of February. I could sit there for another 6 months. As far as currency goes I can use the Frasca at Pan Am to keep up with IFR, but you can't rent the planes. I was thinking of getting my tailwheel endorsement and renting a Cessna 140 once in a while.
 
Re: UPDATE

ERJ-135:
Yes, I did have the feeling I would be hired as a CFI right away. I even asked the marketing guy if there was a waiting list for CFI's and he said no. That was what I based my decision on, as Flight Safety already had a wait list of over 1 year. Granted that was over a year ago, and when I came to Pan Am there was no list. But as time went on, the list was created.
If I really wanted to I could move and start instructing somewhere else. But I have personal reasons why I am waiting it out. Mainly financial. At times I get discouraged. But then I talk to my Cousin who flies for ACA and he sets me straight.
 
Re: UPDATE

[ QUOTE ]

Westwind School of Aeronautics: "The RIGHT SEAT DIRECT program can get you to that airline job in as little as eighteen months."


[/ QUOTE ]
In defense of Westwind, I will say that I had a student within 2 weeks of finishing and 2 students within 1 1/2 months. They will hire you immediately and try to get you a student as soon as they can.
 
Re: UPDATE

Keep the positive attitude Turk. We are all pulling for you. Thanks for the update. If you get a chance to do a

TheTurkeyTeachesOthers everyone would love it. You did a great job with your journal!
 
Re: UPDATE

Here's the latest...
The second group of Chinese has arrived. I think the # is 19. They have a month of English class then Pan Am will call 9 instructors off the list so that moves me up to #5 or so. Another 14 regular FAA students are starting this month, but they will be given to current instructors. I may be sitting at #5 for another 6 months.

What we need is some hiring to take place...
 
Re: UPDATE

I have heard that 3 of our instructors at DVT have been hired by Am. Eagle, and a bunch more have interviews. Has there been any "movement" in Ft. Pierce?
 
Re: UPDATE

3 more instructors got hired! Two went to Continental Express, and one got hired by Aloha/Hawaii Im not sure which.

I am movin' on up the list...
This is what I am hearing. Pan Am is calling 9 instructors for the Chinese (which are here but in English class). They called 3 more for the new class of regular FAA students, then 2 more for FAA students. (I guess due to the hired instructors.) Thats 14, so I should be #2 on the list now.

Shouldn't be too long now!
 
Re: UPDATE

*Revised update*

I spoke to the person who would know and I am actually #4 on the list. The better news is there is a very good chance I will start instructing 2 Chinese students after the first week in March. We had a few instructors get hired at airlines, a few more instructors on the list are not returning, and more regular FAA students started. This has made some room for me start instructing soon. I hope. We'll see how it goes!
 
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