What was interesting about it?

Here's a link for his article

Florida’s ‘pilot factory’ – amFIX - CNN.com Blogs

Seems like a fair description of their program to me.

By Allan Chernoff and Laura Dolan

(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) – A recent plane crash in Buffalo New York that killed some 50 people led to questions about the training of those in the cockpit. Those questions led CNN to The Gulfstream Training Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Academy promises to train amateur pilots who aspire to fly for a commercial airline in just three months. Students pay $30,000 in tuition and in return, the Academy provides cheap, co-pilots-in-training for Gulfstream International Airlines as they work to increase their hours of flying time.

Gulfstream promotes this part of their training on its website saying, “Gulfstream Training Academy’s First Officer Program offers airline-bound aviation professionals training and experience at an actual airline flying real flights for Gulfstream International Airlines.”

After 12 weeks of training, students serve as First Officers, also known as co-pilots, on Continental Connection flights in Florida and the Bahamas that are operated by Gulfstream International. They get 250 hours of paid on-the-job-training, in addition to the 300 hours they need to qualify for the program.

That’s a red flag for veteran pilots like Pat Moore who find the training tactic questionable. “I don’t know how they can market that as training for these co-pilots while at the same time providing revenue service for paying passengers.”

Most major airlines require co-pilots to have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time. That’s three to five times the amount of some students entering Gulfstream’s First Officer program.

“I really don’t want somebody in the right seat that’s just learning, that’s gaining experience, said Moore. “I want an experienced crew. When I buy an airplane ticket, that’s what I’m paying for.” He compares it to going to a medical student for healthcare instead of a doctor.

Continental Airlines told CNN, “We expect our partners to adhere to the highest safety standards.”


But, there have been other recent plane crashes involving pilots from Gulfstream Academy, including a Colgan Air crash that killed 50 people as their plane neared Buffalo, New York. In 2004, two pilots, both graduates of Gulfstream Academy, died near Jefferson City, Missouri after taking a Pinnacle Air plane on a joy ride up to 41,000 feet. They crashed after losing control of the plane. The National Transportation Safety Board blamed “the pilots’ unprofessional behavior” and “poor airmanship.” And in 2003, a pilot of a private airplane, who was still training at Gulfstream, crashed into another plane off the coast of Deerfield Beach, Florida, killing all five people aboard both airplanes.

“The one thing that ties them all together is poor airmanship,” said Captain Jack Casey, Chief Operating Officer of Safety Operating System, an aviation consulting firm. “You cannot build sophisticated airline pilot skills on top of a soft foundation.”

This “pilot factory” as some veteran pilots call the academy, is a quick ticket into the cockpit, which can be very attractive to prospective pilots who want to fly but don’t want to spend years building up enough hours flying private planes.

One pilot, who did not want to be named, finds the process alarming. “The captain has to work as a captain and an instructor. It’s troubling that they don’t disclose it to the public.”

Gulfstream Academy defends its program, telling CNN, “Gulfstream does an outstanding job training commercial pilots, and it has done so for nearly two decades and thousands of pilots in an FAA-approved program. Every U.S. commercial carrier has pilots who’ve received their training here.” Indeed, the Academy says over 1700 pilots trained at Gulfstream found work with commercial airlines.

And, graduates of the program speak highly of it.

Still, long-time pilots warn their career path should not be rushed because they believe that could ultimately compromise safety.

“We’re talking about lives here,” says Pat Moore.” “This is not, ‘Gee, I like flying airplanes, I think it’s cool.’ This is – if I make a mistake and I’m not trained properly or my crew is not trained properly people can be injured or die. And I don’t know if we’re taking this seriously enough in this country anymore.”

On Monday, June 1st, Allan Chernoff will report further on Gulfstream International Airlines. Tune in to American Morning for that story and on cnn.com/amfix for more details.

Very well done....

Just saw the report on CNN. It kinda came off as a "scathing" report. I really believe that this is the beginning of the end of schools such as Gulfstream.

Btw, I personally know one of the pilots they showed by one of the companies a/c during the story.:)



atp

And you know he is very professional and a heck of a stick, and I just spoke with him this morning between flights and he is not happy about the scewed rediculous reporting any more than I am. The truth will come out in the response though, watch Monday Morning.
Might be the begining of the end of anyone period that has less than 1500 hrs continuing to fly, or getting to a regional airline. They may be focused on the sensationalism of GIA right now, but I guarantee ultimately these people are out to destroy the career of any pilot that wasnt Military trained with 1000's of hours turbine ever sittting in a 121 aircraft. Most regional pilots have joined a sensational witchhunt because they dont like GIA, but if you think the media isnt ultimately after any low time (read less than 2000 hrs) regional pilot you better wake up. The public believes that if the crew of 3407 both had over 2500 hrs, the capt at 4000 and can crash anyone less than that will crash also...once again dont turn your back on the media...they will bite you....

You're right!!! He's one helluva guy and a stick & rudder type pilot. He's former USMC as well, so I know that his **** is tight.

You know TPROP, you just may have a point there. I believe that in the not to distant future, the FAA/NTSB will push for those wishing to operate a/c at the regional level have attained certain minumums in terms of TT, TPIC, ME time. This time though, it will be industry wide.

JMO.


atp

He is that, I have flown with him and he has flown with me. Thing has always been there are a few of us, he is a good representation, of us (Vets) that work here, and that is why I tell people to quit knocking GIA, we have some very good professional pilots here. Ill trust Him at the controls any day over some on here...The public is just as safe on 3M as any regional aircraft. When the industry breaks and He upgrades Ill bid a line with him anyday...Now im not saying that GIA hasnt had some of the same problems that other regionals have had, hence the 1.3 mil fine, but hopefully that will entice management to do some house cleaning and we can get back to business..

A little off topic, but this checkride issue is being presented a little too simplistically. No body has mentioned that in 135/121 operations that captains take checkrides every 6 months. It's different when somebody has taken 70 writtens/orals/practicals over 20 years and failed 4 of those evaluations when compared to somebody who failed 4 of 10 in 3 years.

Better open up those 141 training folders. Those will become part of PRIA, next. Also, the structure of the 121 is (until Congress tells us otherwise) is much more rigid/structured than inital private-CFI training. The practical test standards is suppose to make everything, well, standardized, but they don't. There is way too much subjectivity in the evals. One poster mentioned FL DPEs in the mid-90s who failed people so they could charge again for the re-test. Heck even the POIs aren't standardized.

One THAT point, this latest prclaimation be the FAA that "we must insure those little regionals are complying with our training regulations." I assume it will be the same POIs who approved and monitored their programs. The same ones who would get in trouble IF something was found. Sad. As Colgan management commented time and time again. Their program complied with the FAA guidance. Hello? The FAA is the problem. When they lower the bar, that lower standard will be achieved because it's CHEAPER!

I'll kick the soap box to the side, now. Good day, all.