Diver Driver

Go somewhere else... 100K is way too much to pay for flight school. I got Pvt-Comm ME at Sportys and two college degrees for 60K. Still a great education for a fraction of the price even though Sportys is still overpriced IMO. I wouldn't necessarily go to a hole in the wall flight school, but pick one where you will get good quality flight training for a fair price. DCA is overrated, overpriced and a guaranteed interview means nothing in today's hiring environment.

200SR20

That school is what you make of it and the management there will treat you with the same respect you treat them. I don't see what so many people grip about... I'm there all the time & I haven't had 1 instructor that has pushed me off or not helped me if I asked for it... If an instructor I don't care where it is can see a student who does not put in the time and effort, your going to get treated like that no matter where you are... On a second note it doesn't boe well for a student to walk around griping about DCA to everyone that walks in the door and not taking it up with someone in management, instructors & anyone who has eyes can spot that person in a second.

rjpurgatory

I can't believe I'm actually going to put this on the table, but....

Mesa has an ab initio program as well called Mesa Airlines Pilot Development. If you finish "The Program" you are guaranteed an interview, and you don't have to pay for instructor ratings. You don't need to be a CFI (CFII, MEI) to be an airline pilot. And, like everything else at mesa (mgmt. labor expenses, mgmt. mentality) it's fairly cheap. Last I heard, 2-3 years ago, it was $60k (plus living expenses) for private, commercial, and Multi-Comm-Instrument ratings, which is the bare min to fly at the regional level. Training is done in Bonanzas and Barons and there is a CRJ sim on the campus as well.

Probably the best thing is this...if you get your mulit-comm-inst. and build your 1,500 hours away from the training program you can come in and just do your ATP with MAPD and get the same guaranteed interview.

One other scenario is to go to the DCA and get your instructor ratings AND THEN come teach at mapd. After two years of instructor you to can become a regional pilot at mesa.

Here's the problem, Mesa is THE WORST airline in the U.S. as far as mgmt. goes. The people you will work with are great, but get your 500-1,000 RJ hours and then run away as fast as you can. AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!! to another regional that will treat you with some respect.

I believe the web-site is flyingcareers.com or something along those lines, and there is also a link on the mesa-air.com website. Training is provided through San Jan College in Farmington NM and through the ASU East campus at Williams Gateway in Phoenix.

I'll say this one last time...mesa is NOT!! a place you want to spend 8 1/2 years like I did. However, mapd will save you five years of building time as an instructor in trying to become an airline pilot.

250 or point 65

God forbid you should get some actual experience prior to being and airline pilot. Just in case everyone forgot, when you get hired by the airlines, you will have anywhere between 2 and 70+ people's lives in your hands. You are not sitting in the right seat to get instructed. Yes, you will learn a lot, but you are not there to fly and screw up under the umbrella of the capt's ATP!

Flight instructing/flying cargo etc. is NOT "time building". It is probably the most valuable experience of your flying career.