mjt2147

I am hesitant to post as I have found that these forums are mostly utilized by disgruntled people and others who are not able to be satisfied. For some reason there is no shortage of people who bash every regional, major, flight school, etc. that anyone asks about. Having said that, I have a little bit of time on my hands and hope that some level headed people might weigh in. Here is my situation:

-My veteran status allows me to complete R-ATP programs from Liberty University, etc. at EXTREMELY low cost. Low cost up front, anyway. The 2.5-3 years of training that is slave to the college semester schedule is the equivalent of a huge cost in time/seniority, missed years of potential future earnings and the like. That same veteran status brings in some monthly income and my wife makes good money, so the low up front cost isn't as attractive to me as it might be to some people in a different position.

-There is one part 141 school in my area that doesn't get good reviews and has been extremely flaky when I have reached out to them. There is another mom and pop school, but they don't have a lot of airplanes. The ones that they do have are 1960's and 1970's 172's that get flown basically nonstop and are always in maintenance. I don't even think you can do ME through them.

-I my options for relocating to do an accelerated ATP-type school are limited. I need to be back on most weekends, at least Sundays so that my wife can work and I can take care of the kids. That leaves ATP's in either Greenville SC or Charlotte NC, or Blue Line Aviation in Smithfield NC. I have heard that ATP is basically 7 days a week, if that is the case it is out. Blue Line advertises 5-6 days a week with 5 being the ideal but weather and maintenance can necessitate a 6th day.

-I have seen a lot of stuff on Reddit about policies from 2020 peak Covid at Blue Line. These just aren't reliable as that was such a unique time and peoples' brains were turned to complete dog**** by the whole pandemic. I have seen other things that people think the owner is a jerk, etc. Honestly I don't care.

My question is, if there is anyone out there who can help, does Blue Line Aviation in Smithfield NC provide what they say they will provide? If I plunk down the $, will they get me through the training on schedule and safely? I don't need to hear about other schools in other locations and how much better they are. I have explained why those aren't an option. I also understand that places like Blue Line and ATP are expensive, but given my situation i.e. the lack of quality training locations in my area, my inability to relocate, etc. I think that they are the best way for me to achieve my goals. Does anyone have any thoughts? Thank you!

JohnBurke

This, with your very first post. Do you make a point of insulting everyone in the room when you walk in the door, everywhere you go, or just here?

You're right. Your case is very unique. Nobody here has ever faced the same or similar circumstances, demands, or unique challenges as you. Certainly none of the numerous, myriad disgruntled aviation professionals who post here.

I'm really looking forward to your future posts. You're off to an outstanding start.

mjt2147

I'm not insulting everyone here, at least I don't think I am. My outlook is that the majority of the people reading this are normal, level-headed people who agree that most of the actual typed-out replies tend to contain a lot of negativity from people who have been, or at least perceive themselves to have been, done wrong. I was hoping that if anyone like that is tempted to get on here and speak about how they clashed with their instructor, or they don't offer enough CFI jobs afterwards, or if the owner has political beliefs with which they disagree, etc. or if I should forget about that school and instead go to some better one far away, they'll save themselves the time of typing a response.

Whether or not anyone is or has been in the exact same circumstances as me doesn't matter to me. I was just trying to describe why and how I have narrowed it down the way I have to save anyone the time of suggesting a course of action that I simply can't do.

DashAviator

First of all, you need to understand that getting to the R-ATP level is going to be a time-consuming process that requires a lot of study and training. I've been flying for almost 40 years, and I've never met anyone who's gotten to the R-ATP in less than about two years. Last year I flew with a First Officer who had gone from 0 hours to a regional airline in 2.5 years, and I thought THAT was pretty amazing. Second, I expect that airline hiring will be pretty good for the next five or ten years. Instead of worrying about "career progression" and "seniority", your focus should be on getting through your basic training and acquiring some quality flight experience.

If I was in your position, I'd take another look at Liberty University. Once you get your Private, you can get rental privileges at some of the local flight schools. This will allow you to build some additional flight time, and one of those schools might be willing to hire you once you get your CFI (flight instructor) certification. It's never a bad idea to save some money. You might need it later.

Finally, you should consider how your "inability to relocate" may affect your future flying career. I've been pretty lucky. I've only had to move four times in the last twenty years for my airline job.

mjt2147

I should have clarified, and I apologize for that. I realize that I won't actually have R-ATP in hand at that point. It will take that long to do the mandatory coursework to qualify for R-ATP after taking a few years after that to complete the hours.

I have looked extensively at Liberty, and I like their program. There are just a few snags for me as far as that goes. First and foremost, renting planes in my local area while in the Liberty program for additional hours is going to be difficult. I will be mid-career change and budget will be at a low-point. My time will be limited as I need to be a dad while my wife is at work and when she is not at work I will be completing a second bachelors degree to qualify for the reduction in hours. Between the money and time, that would not be ideal. Secondly, even doing the Liberty program, I can do the curriculum online but the closest flight training affiliate with whom I could actually fly is over 2 hours away in Savannah GA. (This is really annoying because I don't live in the sticks. There is an Air Force Base and a Navy base in my town and it is rapidly growing. The main airport is class C, and it is about 7 minutes from my house.) Lastly, with the way Liberty sets up the curriculum with one course being a prerequisite for the next and so on, It will still be 2 years before I will have CFI complete through the Liberty program.

I really don't mean this to be offensive and if you could hear the tone of my voice instead of reading what I have typed, you'd realize I am not trying to be a wise-ass, but it it easy for someone who has been flying for 40 years to tell someone like me that they shouldn't worry about "career progression" and "seniority". Reading most of the posts on this forum, I hear a lot about seniority being the name of the game. I'm interested in getting the training done thoroughly, safely, and efficiently. I want to be the best and SAFEST aviator possible, but I want to make sure that I am not taking years off of my career to save a little bit of money up front through Liberty.

TransWorld

Most of the people on this forum are good and try to be helpful.There are a few that grouse. But it is much, much better than other forums, such as FB.

Come with humility. Be eager to learn. You will get some good help, along with a bit of garbage. My grandmother said you will catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.

DashAviator

As an experienced pilot, I would never claim that seniority is not important. However, experience has taught me that you may NOT have as much control over your career as you think you do. My own career has been disrupted by 9/11, several recessions, SARS, Covid-19, and business decisions by upper-level managers that have never touched an airplane. You have to make the best decisions that you can with the information that you have available at the time. I was only (respectfully) suggesting that IF you want to become a pilot, then LEARNING to be a pilot needs to be your first priority.

It sounds like you've already made your decision to go to an accelerated program. Nothing wrong with that. However, I'd strongly recommend that you get your Private Pilot certificate before you commit to a full-on professional pilot program. If you don't like the school, then it's easy to switch. You also mentioned that you live close to a couple of military bases. Have you checked to see if they have a military flying club that you could join? I belonged to one such club for several years (and I wasn't even in the military, just a contractor). The club was pretty heavily regulated, but it was very inexpensive and they had some fantastic instructors.

Good luck!

mjt2147

Thank you for that! Yes, I am about 30/35 hours into PPL now and will complete it prior to any accelerated program. And I do realize that the career might have me move around, but moving for paying jobs is different than moving my family and kids for a school that will last less than one year, only to know that we are moving again.

I have an appointment with the part 141 program in the area and am really hoping that they are a viable option. Best case scenario is that they have seemed flaky to me as a prospective client because they are bending over backwards for their actual paying clients. (a long-shot, I know)

I agree that learning to be a pilot is not a step in the process to be taken lightly. If I felt that the training at the accelerated program was sub-standard, I would definitely stay away. It doesn't seem that anyone has any experience with that school thus far.

mjt2147

Thank you! People are definitely more helpful on here. Maybe I came in a little too hot there after being on Reddit or something haha. Everyone is mad on there, everyone is out to get them, every school is awful, every employer hates their employees, etc.

TransWorld

Couple of things I picked up in my decades of life.

You can learn to disagree without being disagreeable.

You can state something is bad, and have a discussion, without slamming it in other’s faces. Set the problem on the table in front of you. Discuss it thoroughly. Disagree. But don’t insinuate the other person is an idiot.

General wisdom for dealing with others, for everyone, in almost every situation. Class dismissed.