Waiting List

[RDU]

Is there a waiting list at FSA. I know there used to be one.

[pavelump]

I was told that there is no longer a waiting list. No word yet on when the next standardization class will be though.

Dave

[YVpilot]

Just finished CFI ground school. They told us that probably the next std class will be in September.... they probably returned to the policy of std classes every other month.

[Snow]

Plus not all the 'new' instructors here are low time, many having instructed elsewhere while waiting for 'the call' so there still should be some hiring due to higher time guys getting hired.

[RDU]

In reference to the higher time new instructors getting hired sooner because of their hours. Don't they still have to fulfill the 800 hour contract whether they have 300 hours when they start instructing or 1000?

[Snow]

Yes, but you can always break the contract, sure you have to repay your CFII / MEI training fees (company discount rates) but that doesn't seem so bad when you have a CRJ job waiting for you.

[RDU]

Wouldn't the CFII and MEI cost at least 5,000 to pay to get out of your contract? Correct me if I'm wrong. I guess it just depends how much you want that CRJ job.

[Snow]

Actually closer to $3000 I think, plus they only pay for the min time, any extra is paid by you, plus remember it isn't really a 'fine' persay, just having to pay for somthing that was orginally given free of charge.

[cime_sp]

Not necessarily free. The students have to pay for their rating out-of-pocket and are then later reimbursed for the minimum amount once they go through standardization. If you were a thrifty fellow you could just hang on to the checks that they give you and not spend the money.

Also, I believe you pay out on a pro-rata basis. ie if you complete 400 of the 800 hours you are only responsible for half the cost. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong though....

[Visceral]

It is definitely NOT pro rated. That hasn't stopped those with nice job offers from leaving however.

[Snow]

I have heard they sometimes make exceptions to the 800hr rule on occasion, like when some CFIs got job offers but were still on their contract when things were slow, ie they didn't have many students. I wouldn't worry too much about it, the fact they pay any of it at all is kinda nice.

[RDU]

I have heard that the waiting list had disappeared a few months ago. But now its back up to 30 some people again.

[cime_sp]

They haven't run a class since July 19th....and I haven't heard of anything in the future either. I would be in that next class.

[ananoman]

If you are a new student, I would not worry too much about the waiting list. You will not complete training for 6 months to 1 year, with 1 year being more realistic. You cannot predict what will happen in that time. The people who went to flight school after 9/11 when things were at their worst are the ones who are instructing now, ready for their first job flying jets.

In addition, FSI offers internships which are unmatched in the industry if you have any desire to go corporate. I have posted this before, but will repost it here, because I think it is relevant to this post.

[ QUOTE ]
FSI also offers internships at their Sim centers. Instead of paying $7000 to go play in a CRJ Flight Training Device (I will not mention any names), you can get paid $14 an hour to work at a center as a 'sim co-pilot' (*) and get hours of experience in level D sims. At present there are two ways you can accomplish this: 1. If you are hired as an instructor and the Academy has a waiting list to instruct, you apply for an internship and go work in a learning center. You will have to work some in the various offices initially, but will spend about half your time in a simulator. Usually most of the interns spent the majority of their time in the simulators after completing the initial ground school and sim training, as before you can work with clients you have to complete the same training customers do to get a type rating. Low time interns are not type rated, as FSI usually will not type someone who has less than 1000 hrs, but you get the same training as a paying client who gets a type rating. This internship is supposed to last 3 months, but when there was a waiting list to instruct, most interns stayed at their center until being recalled by the Academy for standardization. 2. If you have completed your contract as an instructor, you can go to a center and get type rated. You are supposed to stay 1 yr, but most centers would probably type you if you received a job offer prior to this. Besides great training, and decent pay (although it is part-time), you will make alot of contacts if you want to go corporate. It is better to spend 2 weeks in the sim with someone looking for a pilot than just send your resume to someone who has no idea who you are. There are even a few interns who who were hired as contract pilots and got 25 to 100+ hrs in a jet while they were on the CFI wait list. They are now instructors at the Academy.

(*) You might be asking your self, 'what is a sim co-pilot?' so here is the answer. Most jets require two pilots, so if there is an odd number of pilots in an initial or recurrent class, the training center has a problem. They can have a regular sim instructor act as co-pilot, which means they have one less sim instructor available to instruct in the sim, or they can have an intern act as the second crew member.

If the person is doing a recurrent, then they usually do three sessions in the sim, each one being two hours long. If you are a sim co-pilot, you will not get to 'fly', but will sit right seat (which is really harder than being in the left seat). You will have to run all the checklist, set up the FMS, talk to ATC, etc.

Initials, which result in the client receiving a type rating usually consist of about 7 sim sessions including the check ride. Each session is usually 3 hours long, and the customer spends 2 hours in the left seat and 1 hr in the right. This right seat time allows the customer to act as a co-pilot and run the checklist, program the FMS, etc. You will get to 'fly' in the left seat for about an hour during this time. The last sim session is the check ride and is about 2.5 hrs long, with the intern being in the right seat the entire time. It is really important to do a good job here, as you have a real influence on the outcome of the checkride.

[/ QUOTE ]

[RDU]

So all things aside, you are saying that there is a waiting list again and it is getting bigger.