I was called and invited to attend the January 3rd Standardization course at Sierra Academy in Merced, California. I asked the Chief Flight Instructor about the conditions of being hired, housing, and the standardization course it self. If I leave within 6 months of completing the course (which is the condition to be hired) then I would have to pay the $1,200 back that it costs Sierra to standardize their CFIs. I'd like to know if anyone has insight of what the standardization course is like, so I can prepare myself to pass it and finally get a full time job. Would like to know what is necessary to complete the course. Trying to figure out if it is justified that I spend my last $200 to get out there. I'm at 500TT and am anxious to finally fly full-time. Thanks for any input.

 

be very careful i heard some bad stories

 

I am currently a CFI at Sierra. PM me for more info.

 

Try Iasco in redding best flight school I have ever worked at. PM me for more infromation.

 

I think they spent about $12.50 standardizing my class and most of the pilots were just straight fired before even reaching 6 months. Seriously...you're flying an Alarus ...not a Cirrus. If you're in Florida that $200 would be better spent getting some more resumes printed out, a shoe shine and gas to canvass the state door knocking. Lots of places hiring or will be soon in the Mickey Mouse state.

 

If you are dead set on building some time, you can do that there. But be prepared to go several weeks or even more than a month without pay and like others said, there are plenty of alternative places that are much better.

 

be prepared to make $3/hr for the actual work you do. ( I computed this number from one student I had)

Life is a poor lifestyle. i.e. Atwater, CA. No money. I went two months without a check, and that is working full time. I had great credit before that job, now I have poor credit.

Management has no direction and makes decisions that affect your life at will.

Airplanes, yes you can build some time. Time in old 152's and the Alarus, one of the worst planes I've ever flown. If you have your MEI, then good for you, because this may be the only reason I stuck around. You can get some serious multi time quick. I got over 200 in 3 months.

I can't believe they are charging people for a standz class... My standz was a .7 flight in a 152 and about a 20 minute run down on the company.

All in All be very careful. Do NOT trust the Chief pilot or owners, they will lie right in your face.

 

Here is my issue with this~ If you've been offered a position no doubt you've passed an interview which included a demo flight where you demonstrated that you have the ability to be an effective instructor.

You've already been trained as a CFI and a government official certified that you spent countless hours and thousands of dollars doing so. Sierra isn't providing you any additional training or certification but rather hiring an employee. I recognize that there is a cost involved to them to standardize you but that exists in every profession.

Without instructors they can't get contracts and train students. They have no other option than to hire you or another CFI. They can't hire bus drivers, cooks or rocket scientists to fill your role. You of course want flight hours but you don't entirely need them when everyday there are many other places seeking out your skills. You have a choice whereas they do not.

It costs them nowhere near $1200 for standz and seems more like a number pulled out of a hat. Others have said the process was about an hour. Even at five hours it's still less than half. So basically its a windfall to them and a financial penalty to you. What do you get out of it except a job? Theres no SIC type, no promise of something in return. Is it prorated? What if you have a family emergency or become ill/lose your medical? What if the week after you start they announce a huge pay decrease? How will you handle your finances if they don't have a student for you or the ones that you do have are grounded because their airline hasn't paid? Will you be forced to sit for 3 weeks without pay, unable to make decisions about your future?

Its designed to prevent you from leaving. Why would they think you're going to be a hit and run CFI? You invested in interviewing with them, your experience level is such that it's reasonable to think you'll stay for 700-1000 hours and depending on how far you're relocating from it's obviously not cheap to move back and forth across the county after just a few months. Would you really go through all that just to "cheat" them out of a few SE hours?

There may be a reason to ensure you don't leave abruptly and if you look you'll find out why. I gained alot of hours at Sierra but there was a cost and as absurd as it sounds, Moonwolf wasn't the only person who basically worked for free with a student. I finished a student on a contract that paid a lump sum after the checkride when I was informed I would only be paid hourly from the last stage check..the difference being over $1300. Because the first payments for completing stages were very small it worked out to about $6 per flight hour.

No one will fault you for choosing to teach for them but everyone wins when pilots at all levels make informed decisions about their career.

 

I applied, stay far away very. If your lucky you could get 4.5 hours of flight time a day, not bad. However if you have ever instructed be for you know you'll spend at least .5-.7 for to adequately evaluate a flight. Then there is always down time between students/fueling/guys running late/ etc..
In short 9-10 hour day for a total of 5.4 billable hours $91
these guys prey on young low time flight instructors, if we want to change the industry we all need to hold these guys to a higher standard.

Just a thought!

 

I'm thinking of going out there. Does anyone know how much time I can fly from now to Jun?? Do you get any multi-engine time??

Thank

Jason