Army Aviator Looking for RTP help
 

I recently retired from the Army and got the job offer from Envoy. I am working with Coast Flight right now for start dates and time for the RTP. I am looking for someone who can help me with a few questions.
1) Is Coast Flight backlogged on setting up training? Hoping for someone who recently finished the RTP to help with this.
2) I have 1470 hours of helicopter time, most in the Blackhawk. Is this going to help me in any way? Captain transition, ATP vs restrictioned ATP?
3) What aircraft should I attempt to select to hub out of DFW? I will commute from BHM for the next 15 years no matter where I end up.
4) What timelines should I honestly expect to: transition to get off reserve, transition to captain, flow to AA? I think the wife’s good for only one more sales pitch. “Honestly honey, if we can get through this last hurdle in life we be ok.”
5) When do I start accruing time with the company? When I start the fixed wing training or week one of indoc at DFW?

Can really only speak on the last 3.
3. If you can, select the 175. It’s a lot of luck, as the classes pick by oldest first then work down. There’s often a mix of choices of aircraft. There is a lot of growth on the 175 right now.

4. The fleets are polar opposites in terms of reserve. 175 DFW FO’s are getting off reserve in a few months. 145 FOs are at least a year on reserve. Time to upgrade right now is as soon as you get your 1000 hours. Roughly 2 years. Again depends on aircraft and when you can hold a line to start flying a lot. Flow is about 8-9 years right now. There’s a lot of things that change it, so just know like anything else in aviation, it’s very fluid. If AA is your primary goal, then stick it out until your time comes. If not, keep it as a backup and try to progress outside of the flow.

5. You start day one of indoc.

If you are on facebook you should look up the group rotary to airline group. It is a much better forum for the questions you are looking to get answered and there will be a bunch of peers going through the same transition that can help you along the way. The 175 should be the aircraft you try for so you dont spend as much time on reserve and can build your hours quicker. As far as Coast is concerned word lately coming out of there is that they are moving people along pretty quick in about 4 months. As far as your hours are concerned you wont need a restricted ATP as you will have over 1500 when you finish at Coast.

If you have 1500 hours TT when you finish your F/W training you will get the unrestricted ATP as long as you meet all the other requirements (cross country, night, instrument). Do you have a personal log book? Not sure how they verify cross country time either way, but that is certainly not on your 759. I don’t think goggle time counts as night either. Just make sure you are smart about how you log your time and what you are flying at coast so you meet all the sub requirements of the ATP. Practice your instruments and learn the Jepp charts. Best way is to take a NOAA chart you are familiar with and compare it to the same chart from Jepp. Use the Jepp users guide available online.

Your R/W time counts nothing towards captain upgrade. You will need the full 1000 hours of 121 at Envoy before you can upgrade.

1. No idea.
2. Nothing notable.
3. 145 or 175 both fly out of DFW. Might be a while for you to get there, might not. Timing is everything.
4. Reserve... varies. Could be 2 months... could be 18 months.
Captain... right now, it is taking guys about 2 years to build the required time to upgrade, though many don't want to.
Flow... right now, looks to be about 8 years to flow.
5. there are a few benies that start at RTP, but everything that matters starts at indoc.

It is hard to project what the best overall path is. The worst regional this year is just one LOA away from being the best one next year. Case in point, PSA's new agreement.

Other companies with RTP programs will get you hours faster and pay more for the first couple years. If you are ok building time, and pursuing traditional hiring considering LCCs, fractionals, cargo, that is the way to go. If you are okay waiting 8 years to get to AA... welcome to Envoy.

Coast (San Marcos) isn't backlogged, but scheduling with an instructor to get any instruction done can be a lengthy process. Refer to the course matrix they sent you....instruction can drag, so the best advice I can give is to come with as many of your add-on's as you can manage while you're at home. CP just left and they don't have an in-house multi instructor yet. Basically, just go to Coast for your time building....250 hrs PIC, if you can swing it. They're still going to make you do the BFR/IPC no matter what....even if you had your last checkride yesterday. $4400 waste of time. Once that's done, you can smash out the rest of the time building as quickly as you want.

I’ve been flying with a bunch of RTP fo’s lately and they pretty much say the same thing as above.

Essentially Coast is basically an aircraft rental/short term lease company.

The BFR and IPC are $4400? Wow. I am getting my ratings done elsewhere for faster and cheaper but if they're charging $4400 for two checkrides even if the ink barely dried, it's gonna cost me more to get it elsewhere.

What's more discouraging is that the BFR/IPC aren't checkrides. They're "company mandated" checks. Basically a mandated $4400 check to make sure you're capable of flying their aircraft. Any other company/flight school would check you out in 2 hour max to be able to fly their aircraft. Havick mentioned that Coast is a leasing/rental company. True to an extent. They're a premium priced "pilot factory" with sub-par equipment. 23K is what Envoy will put up. Work backwards with that and make sure you come to Coast with all you can, to make sure you don't have to give them dime. Envoy really needs to audit these guys.

[MENTION=83791]rabbo[/MENTION] shot you a PM

BFR and IPC aren't checkrides. You could hire a pizza-face CFI kid from your local flight school to do those for $120 plus costs for 1.5 in an airplane. 4.4k for that is beyond extortionate.

They quoted 5400 for the instrument rating add on. And a 500 program fee. It's absurd that they'd get away with charging that much for a couple flights with an instructor.

For those who are curious: Coast confirmed the BFR and IPC are both required if you have your ratings already. They are a "local area orientation" and aircraft checkout, required by Coast and Envoy "based on events in the past." The quote is for 10 hours ground, 15 dual. A BFR only is 10 hours ground, 8 hours dual at a cost of 2720. Their costs are a bit ridiculous but at least they are upfront and forthcoming with the information.

This was something I posted in one of the other threads:

The RTP has been huge for Envoy. But the reality is the $22K Envoy adds to the pot is rapidly consumed by some of the Coast fees and the program stretching out. Add that to having to pay for a place to live and being unemployed, most people would be ahead to just knock everything out while they still are in the service or otherwise employed. Strategically using vacation and days off, putting in a flight three or four nights a week you can get your ratings and time just as quickly. If you can find someone to partner with to share time as “safety pilot” even better.

There are whole forums dedicated to RTP, not just at Envoy. All interested should search for them.

I personally know about a dozen guys that did the Envoy RTP. Some have been happy, some wish they had done it another way and not come to Envoy, and one of them quit the Envoy RTP and went to another airline.

Rotary To Airline Group is the best resource. Their website isn't updated very often, the forums are pretty basic but they both contain good information. The facebook group is pretty active.

https://rotarytoairlinegroup.org/