Flight Schools?

[swaphx99]

I have not had the opportunity yet to post on this forum and with a recent decision, I thought it is a great place to start.

With the year 2006 in site, my wife has granted her blessings to start back up with school, flight school that is. In my research, I have really looked at two options, the Delta Connection Academy or Airline Transport Professionals, which is the front runner.

Obviously each has its pros and cons and each has different methods.

A couple of very important points that will be very important to me. The first is mainly the cost, Delta seems to be a bit wishy-washy and it is very hard to determine the exact cost. ATP on the other hand is a fixed price. Another point, and this would be the reason ATP would win out, is that I could train at ARR(Aurora Airport) 15 miles from home, granted it would be a 10 month program, it would allow me to continue working and I could stay in my own home.

What I am looking for are any thoughts or opinions?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Kevin Mc

[Van Hoolio]

Check out jetcareers dot com for informative discussions about these schools.

I went to ATP and recommend their product. I got my private pilot license on my own before going to ATP for the 90 day program. At Aurora you can do the 10 month program faster as long as you make youself available. You could even do it in 90 days if you made youself available to come in and fly every day.

Mike

[chrisburns]

The last thing you want to do is go to Delta Connection Academy, many people that have gone there regret it, its sad that they hire more pilots from outside the school then they do within that program. Second ATP is a bit wishy washy with going anywhere with the airlines or corporate.

Recommendations:

University of North Dakota- you also take normal classes and more then just ground school, a degree in something over just going to either of the two schools you mentions is essentually a 4 year degree, which in term will give you better chances if you were to enter a pilot career. Also im sure this applies to Embry but the amount of total hours needed are far less then many schools.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical- albeit very expensive

Those are the two very well established schools, there is also Flight Safety which is a good one but is for more of jet training and such.

[Crunk415balla]

My neighbor went to the Delta Academy(at the time it was the Comair academy), and he was really disapointed and came back home not long after he left. He ended up just going through school taking regular classes along with aviation at San Jose State University. I don't know how much its changed since then(about 5 years ago) and he didnt specify on what he didn't like about it, although he did say "Its nothing compaired to what they make it out to be".

As for ATP, it seems like the better choice in your case, but I don't know much about what they do there so I can't tell really tell you anything about ATP.

[DeltaASA16]

Why not go to a local FBO to train?

[screaming_emu]

I'm with adam, I'd do it at a local FBO while going to your local college/high school (whatever your age is). If I were to do things over again, I sure wouldn't go to such a big school, and I certainly wouldn't have combined my flight training with my college degree, entirely too complicated.

I've heard 2 things about ATP, one is that they're really good, but I have heard that because of the accelerated speed at which all the training is done, some people question how thorough it is. While not as widespread as some other rumors/opinions of schools, I've heard some people dont like to hire people from ATP because of how quickly all the training is completed. On the other side of that token, there are far more people who graduate from there and are extremely sucessful. Just showin both sides of the token.

I'd highly reccomend you check out the forum at www.jetcareers.com they have forums for both of the schools you are considering and you can read something other than the glossy ads you see in flying magazine. I really do question DCAs marketing, to me it seems to be purposely misleading, so I'd recomend reading what specific people who have gone to those schools have to say in the forums.

Good luck and definately let us know if you have any questions.

[Van Hoolio]

ATP isn't really that accelerated. When all you are doing is flying and learning what you need to know, 90 days is actually more than enough time.

When looking at various flight schools, look at the length of the program, how much it costs, how many total hours you will have when done with the program, and how many total multiengine hours you will have at the end of the program. It's your money, spend it wisely.

Mike

[flyingbosshog]

The last thing you want to do is go to Delta Connection Academy, many people that have gone there regret it, its sad that they hire more pilots from outside the school then they do within that program. Second ATP is a bit wishy washy with going anywhere with the airlines or corporate.

Recommendations:

University of North Dakota- you also take normal classes and more then just ground school, a degree in something over just going to either of the two schools you mentions is essentually a 4 year degree, which in term will give you better chances if you were to enter a pilot career. Also im sure this applies to Embry but the amount of total hours needed are far less then many schools.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical- albeit very expensive

Those are the two very well established schools, there is also Flight Safety which is a good one but is for more of jet training and such.

Another school you might want to talk a glance at is Middle Tennessee State University..... I am an Aerospace Administration major there... It is a very nice state funded program that offers everything from Commercial Pilot Majors, to ATC, and Maint.

One of our biggest things is the College Training Initiative for ATC... We are one of like 9 colleges in the nation that offers this jump start program into ATC.....

Check us out.

https://www.mtsu.edu

[JordanD]

You can look on www.beapilot.com
Just punch in your city and all that jazz and it'll give you a list of flight schools. Another thing is, if you can find out, try to go to a school that is run by an airline pilot or a former airline pilot.

[Van Hoolio]

You can look on www.beapilot.com
Just punch in your city and all that jazz and it'll give you a list of flight schools. Another thing is, if you can find out, try to go to a school that is run by an airline pilot or a former airline pilot.

Hey, just like ATP!


Mike

[PortColumbus]

One of our biggest things is the College Training Initiative for ATC... We are one of like 9 colleges in the nation that offers this jump start program into ATC.....


12 if you include the one in Puerto Rico. The one in Minnesota shut down recently, IIRC.


Beaver County has the best program.

[flyingbosshog]

One of our biggest things is the College Training Initiative for ATC... We are one of like 9 colleges in the nation that offers this jump start program into ATC.....


12 if you include the one in Puerto Rico. The one in Minnesota shut down recently, IIRC.


Beaver County has the best program.

Thanks I knew it was somewhere around 10

[Van Hoolio]

Hey, one of my co-workers just left and is going to do the ATC program there at Beaver County. He has over 1000 hours and over 200 multi and yet he decided to be an air traffic controller. It will pay off I guess!


Mike

[PortColumbus]

Great choice in career and school.

[chrisburns]

Definately i have heard good things about that school. Now UND will likely getting direct school-job placement with the ATC program, we already have the new computers that the FAA is to begin using and such! Both fine schools!