Transpac flight academy
 

Hi guys,
I am a CFI&CFII graduating college at the end of this year, and I am thinking about start instructing at Transpac flight academy in Arizona. now,I have heard some pretty horrific stories about Chinese students over there and how they are all terrible at english,but I don't think it would be as much of a problem as I am happen to be fluent in Chinese myself. My questions are, 1. how many hours do you guys average over there? and 2. Is it a good place to work at in general? I appreciate your answers!

First of all you CANNOT speak Chinese at the workplace or encourage it or you will be reprimanded. Yes reprimanded... In general they need the English practice anyway so I agree to that degree but that's that. Secondly, how many flight hours goes up and down very dramatically depending on the course being taught and what team your on (the instructors are on 1 of 3 different teams for the various airline classes going through at any one time)... If your lucky you'll start with standardization flights within two weeks of a start date and then hopefully be flying "line" within a few weeks of that. I'll tell you that there has been many instructors that actually didn't fly for 2-3 months after getting hired. I was one of them and simply they didn't have any classes for us to teach because the contracts were delayed etc.. You will be standardized most likely for "duty instructor" in the meantime where you'll sit at a desk and do solo sign out paperwork all day for $9 an hour at best if you break down the salary to the hours worked on average. The planes are getting pretty heavily dated but as far as I saw the maintenance was relatively decent most of the time.. If you want to know if it's an "ok" place to start then sure... Is it a good place to start as far as the CFI industry right now, I say not by a long shot.

Flyboy is right, speaking Chinese will not help them since you will need to teach them to speak to ATC and a DPE in English. Also I started there about a 1 1/2 years ago in DVT and then transferred to CHD. If you can get CHD right off the bat, you won't have to be a duty pilot. FWIW, I worked in DVT for about 6-7 months and never had a duty pilot assignment, but it just depends on the workload at that time I guess. Hours will fluctuate, my lowest month was 45 my highest 125. Average I'd say about 85.

Thank you @flyboy, sounds like I should probably keep my language skill to myself then. I really hope that I won't ended up waiting couple month just to fly. after all, I am moving all the way from maryland because I have heard that contract mills like Transpac in Arizona are quicker ways to build time. Any other ones in Arizona you might recommend to me? Sounds like the problem at Transpac also happens to other contract mills as well. Can I PM you if I have more questions?

Thank you @atpcfi, I have not previously known that they have multiple campuses. 85hs a month sounds like a ideal amount to me. So people actually build time faster at CHD than the main campus DVT? interesting. I will definitely try to get a spot at CHD then.

I don't really think it will make much of a difference in where you go in terms of logging hours but you will have more actual time in flight at CHD. The two biggest flight schools in the valley are both located at DVT and that leads to longer delays waiting to take off or land. Also the practice areas around CHD are closer and a little bit less congested. You'll be fine at either one, though. Good luck, you'll be at ATP mins before you know it!

There are new classes coming in so you won't be sitting around for long. Hours are pretty good, but I've heard you get slightly more at CHD. Hours will fluctuate though. The biggest thing you need to have is PATIENCE. These kids are tough to fly with, mainly because of their atrocious English skills. While taxiing, i usually have to tell my students to stop two or three times before they actually use the brakes. Management is ok, but get ready to be a Duty CFI and babysit other people's solos at 6am. Overall, there are worse places to be. The way I see it is get your hours as fast as you can then leave and never look back

I am about to start there. I am coming in with a ton of military UAV time (MQ-9 2000+) and a PPL. I am concered that this academy will be wrapped around the axel with academy flying guidelines more so than the FAA practical tests.

Someone with experience there could you let me know. How strict are they with domestic students? Do I train to the practical as in Part 61 just with more structured class and flights? Or simply put, is it like flying for an airline where I have a bunch of extra policies to comply with that make flying much more difficult than it really is.

What more could anyone possibly teach you? You will go far.

Gotta love this guy's attitude