Pro's and Con's of Flight Schools

[Texas_Toyman]

I'm reviewing commercial pilot flight schools and qualify for 1st officer on Regional Jets.

I have a big concern about who might be less than forthright about the training and opportunity just to get money from me. Some will say they have been in business for 25 years or more so that is the testimony. Well, I've dealt with companies in the past that had been in business for a long time because they found ways to legally get your money w/o keeping their end of the bargain.

I live in the Dallas area (Duncanville, TX. SW Dallas County). I would like to find a school here as I have a home to take care of. I know there are schools in Arlington, Addison, Denton, and North Fort Worth. I would really like testimonies other than what's on the schools website.

What is the minimum amount of time that I should consider investing in a flight school to become a Regional Jet pilot?
How soon am I likely to find a job after being licensed?
Who are the best schools to consider?

-Thanks! Michael

[gtlyon]

Originally Posted by Texas_Toyman

I'm reviewing commercial pilot flight schools and qualify for 1st officer on Regional Jets.

I have a big concern about who might be less than forthright about the training and opportunity just to get money from me. Some will say they have been in business for 25 years or more so that is the testimony. Well, I've dealt with companies in the past that had been in business for a long time because they found ways to legally get your money w/o keeping their end of the bargain.

I live in the Dallas area (Duncanville, TX. SW Dallas County). I would like to find a school here as I have a home to take care of. I know there are schools in Arlington, Addison, Denton, and North Fort Worth. I would really like testimonies other than what's on the schools website.

What is the minimum amount of time that I should consider investing in a flight school to become a Regional Jet pilot?
How soon am I likely to find a job after being licensed?
Who are the best schools to consider?

-Thanks! Michael

Texas,I can only give you an opionion coupled with some experiences of my own.

First, I see that you have discovered the ATP forum here on JC.Great place to start if you are curious about them. I personally have no experience with ATP as a flight school.Although from what I have read and talked about with other ATP guys and gals,you get what is promised.The trick IMHO is you get what you put into it.The same could be said going to your local FBO.I picked the local FBO route,I have a great and very experienced instructor.

What is the minimum amount of time that I should consider investing in a flight school to become a Regional Jet pilot?

Tricky questionn there.I would say there isn't really a time limit.You can go as slow or as fast as you want,again its about how much you put into it, your motivation,dedication,learning process and so on. I fly 3-4 times a week.Works out great for me. I can work,be home with the family,have time to study and still fly!

How soon am I likely to find a job after being licensed?
If you become a flight instructor, you probably wont have to wait too long for a postion. Becoming a regional pilot,well that depends on what state the industry is in. You will find that it changes really fast.Lots of opinions on that here on JC as well. Do a search you will see. To sum up this answer,50/50 again. Half say instruct/half say take advantage of an opportunity.Ultimately it's your decison.

Who are the best schools to consider?
Lots of things to consider,not in any particular order:cost,plane/instructor availabilty, condition the planes are kept the list could go on and on.These are things you should consider at any flight school.

I hope I have helped some! I am sure you will receive more answers and responses.Jet Careers is a great site and filled with a ton of info.Keep and open mind and dont give up on your dream!

[Texas_Toyman]

Originally Posted by gtlyon

Texas,I can only give you an opionion coupled with some experiences of my own.

First, I see that you have discovered the ATP forum here on JC.Great place to start if you are curious about them. I personally have no experience with ATP as a flight school.Although from what I have read and talked about with other ATP guys and gals,you get what is promised.The trick IMHO is you get what you put into it.The same could be said going to your local FBO.I picked the local FBO route,I have a great and very experienced instructor.

What is the minimum amount of time that I should consider investing in a flight school to become a Regional Jet pilot?

Tricky questionn there.I would say there isn't really a time limit.You can go as slow or as fast as you want,again its about how much you put into it, your motivation,dedication,learning process and so on. I fly 3-4 times a week.Works out great for me. I can work,be home with the family,have time to study and still fly!

How soon am I likely to find a job after being licensed?
If you become a flight instructor, you probably wont have to wait too long for a postion. Becoming a regional pilot,well that depends on what state the industry is in. You will find that it changes really fast.Lots of opinions on that here on JC as well. Do a search you will see. To sum up this answer,50/50 again. Half say instruct/half say take advantage of an opportunity.Ultimately it's your decison.

Who are the best schools to consider?
Lots of things to consider,not in any particular order:cost,plane/instructor availabilty, condition the planes are kept the list could go on and on.These are things you should consider at any flight school.

I hope I have helped some! I am sure you will receive more answers and responses.Jet Careers is a great site and filled with a ton of info.Keep and open mind and dont give up on your dream!

Thanks for the skinny gtlyon!

I'm not familiar with the acronym IMHO.
"The trick IMHO is you get what you put into it.The same could be said going to your local FBO.I picked the local FBO route,I have a great and very experienced instructor."

Why did you decide to go the FBO route? What do you gain or lose with FBO? I've read other posts on going to FBO over a ATP school, but I'm really not seeing the discrepancies. Many say FBO is cheaper, but by how much? I don't have the money to front training, so I would need to finance.

[gtlyon]

Hehe sorry about the IMHO.

IMHO= In My Humble Opinion.

To answer your question, I got real lucky with picking the FBO route.It was close to my house(less than 7 miles) I met the intructor before even taking a lesson.Awesome guy,been teaching for 15+ years,tons of experience and knowledge and just an all around fun person to fly with.With an instructor like that it makes learning very easy(atlest for me). The cost isn't the greatest but its definately not the worst.The planes are decent and well kept, although they are gettin' old!

For the record I never really considered ATP,no reason really.At the same time I have met a few ATP'ers and they are great folks. Some say its impossible to learn all that flying ''stuff'' in 90 days.I agree, a good pilot is always learing!

When it comes to paying for flight training, thats a big hurdle. You could take out loans,hence schools like ATP help with that. Sadly, going the FBO route there isnt much on financing options other than credit cards or a rich uncle lol. If you have a decent paying job and time, you could always pay as you go to off set any debt.You will find out soon enough that the regionals dont pay all that well,so having lots of debt with little income can be bad news.

[Texas_Toyman]

Originally Posted by gtlyon

Hehe sorry about the IMHO.

IMHO= In My Humble Opinion.

To answer your question, I got real lucky with picking the FBO route.It was close to my house(less than 7 miles) I met the intructor before even taking a lesson.Awesome guy,been teaching for 15+ years,tons of experience and knowledge and just an all around fun person to fly with.With an instructor like that it makes learning very easy(atlest for me). The cost isn't the greatest but its definately not the worst.The planes are decent and well kept, although they are gettin' old!

For the record I never really considered ATP,no reason really.At the same time I have met a few ATP'ers and they are great folks. Some say its impossible to learn all that flying ''stuff'' in 90 days.I agree, a good pilot is always learing!

When it comes to paying for flight training, thats a big hurdle. You could take out loans,hence schools like ATP help with that. Sadly, going the FBO route there isnt much on financing options other than credit cards or a rich uncle lol. If you have a decent paying job and time, you could always pay as you go to off set any debt.You will find out soon enough that the regionals dont pay all that well,so having lots of debt with little income can be bad news.

Are you doing any professional work now? I've read on some sites that Regional FO's make anywhere from $20-50k/yr. I can deal with a pay cut for the first year or two, but I'm concerned about what to expect that 3rd year.

[DE727UPS]

"Some say its impossible to learn all that flying ''stuff'' in 90 days.I agree..."

I agree, in fact, I was probably the first one to say it....hehe.

In some cases you can do better than ATP at a local FBO, in some cases you can't. In any case, going from an 85 hour private pilot to practicing CFI in 90 days is a bit much. Some have done it, and are successful in the end, but I don't agree with the practice and hope it somehow comes to a screeching halt one day.

The big academies programs cost big bucks. That means you'll need a loan. They know this and have it all figured out how to make it work for you. Often the big draw, I think, is that they have a pipeline to take you from zero to hero, and you can pay if off until 2030, no problemo....just sign on the dotted line.

[chrisdahut1]

Originally Posted by DE727UPS

Often the big draw, I think, is that they have a pipeline to take you from zero to hero, and you can pay if off until 2030, no problemo....just sign on the dotted line.

2030 sounds a little optimistic on those 100K+ loans...but possible if you pay more then the $500/month minimum payment! all while living on $1500/month take home first year regional pay.

Of course, the pro is there will be the almost instant gratification of sitting in an RJ that gives a feeling of euphoria that lasts a few months. Then the excitement and novelty of the job wears off and the financial reality sets in. It's tough to live on less then $900 a month!

[RICHARD5]

"What is the best school?"

That is the age old question that no one can definately answer. The reason is because no one has knowledge of all the schools so they can only say what THEIR experience was at the school they went to. On top of that, you may have conflicting pos and neg reports about the same school. It takes the wisdom of Solomon to discern the valuable replies from the chaff of anecdotal opinion.

A better question would be, "What characteristics and qualities should I be looking for in a school to determine if it's right for me?"

-Pay as you go. NEVER pay up front. Progess payments are okay.

-Standard of instruction. What is the caliber of the CFIs? Can you reasonably expect the same level of instruction from one CFI to the other?

-Type of commercial syllabus. Is it complete and reasonable in respect to student progression? Does it fulfill the FAA requirements? DO THE CFIs ADHERE TO THE SYLLABUS?

-Does the school aid you in lodging? Until you get food, shelter, and transportation knocked out, you will be distracted from your training. That can be a major source of stress which will manifest in your training.

-Dedicated study area. Does the school provide a bona fide quiet study area? Some put a couch in the corner and call it a study area. Some have cubicles with multimedia outlets.

-How does the syllabus allow for training hardships? Most students have difficulties somewhere in their training. How does the school/syllabus allow for the slowdown when this occurs?

-Problem resolution. You need to anticipate problems before they occur. But when they do occur, who is in the position to provide resolution? I'm talking management level.

-Key personnal. This became a huge problem for me during my comm training. The key person of the 141 school became unavailable for 5 weeks due to personal issues. The Chief CFI had moved on to another company. The school had to close for 5 weeks.

-The Fleet & Maintenance. Self explanatory but there is nothing wrong with old equipment if properly maintained. In fact, that could be a price point for lowering cost of instruction, hopefully passed on in instruction pricing.

There are other key points but the more of these you receive a positive response to, the better.

[Texas_Toyman]

Thanks for the feedback Richard5

[Flying Ninja]

Originally Posted by chrisdahut1

2030 sounds a little optimistic on those 100K+ loans...but possible if you pay more then the $500/month minimum payment! all while living on $1500/month take home first year regional pay.

Of course, the pro is there will be the almost instant gratification of sitting in an RJ that gives a feeling of euphoria that lasts a few months. Then the excitement and novelty of the job wears off and the financial reality sets in. It's tough to live on less then $900 a month!

I'll be done paying my flight training debt by the year 2021 (15 year loan on a variable interst rate currently at 8.5%). I'm paying about $1000/month, living with the parents. Good times...