Nah, ORU didn't actually go under. They're still alive and kicking, and the college actually seems to help out with the quality of life on this part of town. But interestingly enough, I think they became a bit less hardcore on their preachings... Still very much a christian college but I don't ever get badgered by the students. Most of them seem pretty level headed to me.

DCA back in the mid to late 90's might have been a good gig. It was the Comair Academy and I think the total cost of the program was in the 25k something range (if you could believe that). It got a budy of mine a f/o position on a Brasilia with Comair based out of CVG with very little time and at a very young age. Back in the days when you had to have 1000 + tt to get a job like that.

So I checked the place out recently and what a complete disaster. You're looking at a loan of 100k for training. Now hearing about the CFI issues and cost for the Cirrus I don't understand how anyone could or even consider accumulating that kind of debt.

Why in the world did they purchase such an expensive trainer for primary instruction? It makes no sense.

It seems like poor finiancial planning on their part. The story was the markup on the 72's and 52's all these years would help subsidize the cost of the SR20's. Either that was a lie all along or they need cash, I believe it is a little of both.

The SR20's are not that expensive based on the deal DCA has with Cirrus. DCA is now a Cirrus retailer and the Sanford base will even have a SR22 on site, for students? No, for prospective buyers. So if you want to buy a Cirrus head on down to your local flight school and take a test ride in one.

DCA has even pimped themselves out so much that they are going to do a uniform change where on the left sleeve of the shirt will read "Delta Connection Academy" and the right will read "Cirrus." There was even talk about having the student and instructors pants labeled Delta Connection Academy by the pocket in PINK!!

ha
 

The guy that pushed for the cirrus's to be purchased by DCA did so because he "liked him"..This is a direct quote. DCA bought this said person a Cirrus all to his own, which he flew around to the bases and paraded like a superbowl trophy. This particular individual no longer works for DCA.

It would've made leaps and bounds more sense for the academy to buy the C172 with the G1000s. The SR20 IMHO is NOT a proven training aircraft, it has composite skin that you cannot put direct pressure on. I'm not so sure the landing gear can withstand constant pre-private student landings. The chairs cannot have direct pressure put on them due to the wafers in them (that prevent your back from snapping in two in the event of a parachute deployment..where you hit the ground at 1500' a minute).

DCA has been flying C172s forever. All the students are familiar, it's a proven training aircraft, a FANTASTIC training aircraft and all the manuals are already written. I think it's going to be a dumb short term decision, but eventually pay off. All the students currently there will be ****ed because of the increase in training costs. (I heard around 350 an hour for them).

Those stupid uniforms are too much anyways, they're nice..but they're way too much for what you're flying. I don't wish to recall all the times i'd walk into an FBO on a XC and got asked, "what you fly in here?" and pointed to an absolute POS, 152, 172, 172RG or PA44.

But if they want to wear pink, more power to them..maybe they'll put the pink song 757 on their ads now, and claim they have access to that like they do with DLs Sims. (students have to pay thousands to get a tour and an hour)

DCA has to be having bigger problems than I care to know about. I'm paying for a service, I'm a client not an employee and just want the training I was promised, sold, and paid for ... in the equipment I was told I was going to fly.
I'm almost finished with multi and along with so many other friends, none of us have ever seen a glass cockpit. (I'm feeling really prepared for the future with that.) None of my class have been able to get into the new upset spin course because first, it took DCA forever to get a plane delivered and by the time they got it my class was already in commercial. Now they tell me and my friends we either don't fit into the plane they bought or the class is too full because they only have one plane and two instructors.
What's with all the Cirrus on the ramp that only instructors seem to fly or maintenance work on? Will I have to pay for those too and never train in them.
Has anyone ever tried getting money back from DCA? I think their in breach of contract. Does anyone else in Sanford/Orlando offer upset/spin training? I really don't want want to have to do this in 152's. Do I even need to do it at all?

"Do I even need to do it at all?"

I don't know, but I wouldn't worry about moving on without seeing a glass cockpit. It's not that big of a deal.

Spin training for me was an absolute blast, definitely a good experience for me as an aviator. Will this experience help me if/when I move on to the airlines? I don't think the actual spin recoveries will, but the confidence that I gained in the airplane while putting the airplane in to a very unusual/unsettling situation and then overcoming the awkward motion and visuals to recover safely probably will.

And just so you know. If properly loaded a 172 is considered a Utility class airplane and is perfectly capable of legally performing spin training. Out here we have our heftier students that don't fly 152's do their spin training in properly configured 172's. You might consider presenting that to your instructor or even pursue a flight with a local FBO for some spin training... Just a thought.

Don't worry about that man, I did my entire student career at DCA, including instructing without ever seeing or using one and it's really not that hard of a transition to glass. I think a harder transition would be from glass to analog, so be glad you do have those analog scan skill down.

In DCAs defense (yea, they won't normally get that from me) as far as DCA is behind the "glass curve", the cirrus's are supposed to relieve the lack of glass technology to the new students. While too late for you to train in unfortunately, you may get the opportunity to teach in them, and will probably do so at almost any flight school you go to. (If you take the CFI route).

Thanks for the advice and information. I do enjoy the skills I've learned from flying steam gauges and a few of the planes are in fair shape. I think I'll be doing spins in a 152. The upset spin course DCA now offers is done in a little aerobatic plane called an Extra 200. The course covered far more than spins including basic aerobatics and some more advanced upsets and spins. I was just looking forward to taking it ... especially since I coughed up 3G's for the course. I've heard good things from those that have gone through it here already ... that its opened some doors and reduced many fears of the unknown. Now I think its a bait and switch.

Doing my research today I found Air Orlando offers training in a Decathlon. I called RAA and found they are working on getting Extra 300's and doing it but who knows what size pilots that will take. They stated it wasn't an issue. There's also someone here at SFB who offers aerobatic training ... does anyone know a name or contact? I want to experience this ... I'm hoping it will do some good and be a break from studies ... any ideas?

As for now I think I'll finish my current rating and move on from DCA. I've had enough of false promises. Any time you can't get straight answers or get double talk ... someone is trying to BS and screw you. Not cool when you've written one hell-of-a-check. My current instructor is so overburdened that I feel lucky I get to fly three or four times a week.

Thanks for easing my fears about glass cockpits.

Alright it is about time someone got in here and topped all the misconceptions and wrong info:

Cirrus was not the only plane tested. The C172 with G1000 were considered. and no, No one got a CIRRUS to ride along and parade around the bases. That plane N469DA is in St Augustine and has been there for a few months as it was used to collect data for the level 6 FTD's.

No change in uniform is going to happen any soon.