gtpilot
Well-Known Member
Training at DCA is excellent, but is the atmosphere really worth it? I trained from 0 hours to my CFI at DCA cutting my losses. I realize that few DCA members read Jet Careers but if you do, make a clean break! Now, before anyone calls me a hater, see if you can refute what I've seen.
On the plus - training is high quality, the students are generally a fun bunch and the majority of the instructors are top notch.
But.....out of the nine flight instructors I had, only one was truely happy working for DCA. He and PlaneDiveGuy are two of the three instructors that I knew that actually liked working for DCA. So, I ask Ron Lewis why so many instructors seems unhappy. He says its an attitude problem with the instructors. Nice, huh?
Asked about the current promotions (5k back when you complete your ratings, free CFII if you sign up now), Ron Lewis replied that getting a rating at DCA was like buying a new car from a dealer. Sometimes the rebates and incentives are better than other times. DCA = Car Dealer? Anyone else see a problem with running a flight school like a Car Dealership?
For one rating, I waited over eight weeks to receive my temporary certificate for that rating. When I asked Ron Lewis, I was told that a new department with several extra staff members was created to aleviate that problem. Well, that's great, I said, when were they hired? Three months ago he tells me. Hmm, more useless overhead, increase in rates.
So, I started looking at the DCA management. Where did these people come from? Ron Lewis - DCA Dropout. Susan - airline washout. Several group leaders and most of the recruiting staff - airline washouts. This assessment was vital in my decision to leave. DCA is topheavy with managers that have little clue as to how to actually lead.
So, I wondered how many other academies suffer from similar problems...seems PanAm does but FSA and ER don't.
Anyway, just my 2 cents...that ballooned to 80k.
BTW, finished my CFII and MEI at All ATPs in 5 days for less than half the cost of doing CFII at DCA. Not that I would recommend All ATPs to many people because the training quality is terrible but it was fast, cheap and cost exactly what I was quoted.
Regards!
Marc
On the plus - training is high quality, the students are generally a fun bunch and the majority of the instructors are top notch.
But.....out of the nine flight instructors I had, only one was truely happy working for DCA. He and PlaneDiveGuy are two of the three instructors that I knew that actually liked working for DCA. So, I ask Ron Lewis why so many instructors seems unhappy. He says its an attitude problem with the instructors. Nice, huh?
Asked about the current promotions (5k back when you complete your ratings, free CFII if you sign up now), Ron Lewis replied that getting a rating at DCA was like buying a new car from a dealer. Sometimes the rebates and incentives are better than other times. DCA = Car Dealer? Anyone else see a problem with running a flight school like a Car Dealership?
For one rating, I waited over eight weeks to receive my temporary certificate for that rating. When I asked Ron Lewis, I was told that a new department with several extra staff members was created to aleviate that problem. Well, that's great, I said, when were they hired? Three months ago he tells me. Hmm, more useless overhead, increase in rates.
So, I started looking at the DCA management. Where did these people come from? Ron Lewis - DCA Dropout. Susan - airline washout. Several group leaders and most of the recruiting staff - airline washouts. This assessment was vital in my decision to leave. DCA is topheavy with managers that have little clue as to how to actually lead.
So, I wondered how many other academies suffer from similar problems...seems PanAm does but FSA and ER don't.
Anyway, just my 2 cents...that ballooned to 80k.
BTW, finished my CFII and MEI at All ATPs in 5 days for less than half the cost of doing CFII at DCA. Not that I would recommend All ATPs to many people because the training quality is terrible but it was fast, cheap and cost exactly what I was quoted.
Regards!
Marc
