Originally Posted by milehigh1976

I did accept the position. I have mixed feedback.
The chief flight instructor is awesome. The flight instructor cadre is very solid. The mechanic knows his shiznit.

The aircraft are old. C152 for pvt, The alarus for Inst and the PA44 for multi-comm. I'm not gonna lie, I hate the fleet. The fleet sucks something fierce.

Operations are very organized and they have their sights on the ball. The owners seem to be bean counters and cripple the entire organization from maximizing potential.

The fleet sucks something fierce. We do have a King Air 90 which is in great condition (that is the exception to the ****ty fleet)...but get your hopes up not...the chief and the assist. chief are the only ones to teach in that bad boy.

The airport kicks butt...it's the old castle air force base. The feds have dumped so much money intothis airport. Very well maintained class D airport. I am pleased to be instructing in a towered field.

The students are sharp and the only drawback is a language barrier. This flight school contracts with Chinese airlines who send their new hires with zero time over here for their initial training.

We send them back to China with a brand new 250 hour commercial multi ticket, they get typed in the A320, B737...and in some cases the A340 (seriously...an FO on a wide body right out the gates? Remind me not to travel to China...ever!)

The Chinese system is different. For the FO's first year, they are the NFP for every leg. Their position is a junior FO. After a year of probation, they upgrade to a full flegged FO and then touch the flight controls and fly legs, acting as a true SIC...not just FMS/radio operator.

As as instructor for someone who has their career all planned out for them, it is a great challenge.

The jury is still out if I am content here. The living conditions are in the old NCO dorms leftover from the air force. Why they don't have instructors in the old officer quarters is beyond me, but I think it has a lot to do with not spending money.

Did I mention the fleet sucks? It's bad. If I leave before I get out of this job what I intend to earn, it will be because the fleet wasn't worth the risk. I question the aircraft every day.