New Hire Ground School @ MESA?
 

Just got hired at Mesa. Dont have a class date but most likely Early July. Would anyone that has completed Mesa's ground school and Sim training have any advice on prepping for this? Where should i invest my pre-ground school study time?
What is it like?
Thanks

If you already know what airplane, that would narrow it down a bit.

Otherwise read the Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual if you don't have previous turbine experience.

Also, if you have no FMS experience, it wouldn't hurt to get on MS Flight Sim and play with an FMS equiped airplane...just put it on autopilot and try to get the basics of the FMS programming and navigation down. Also there are FMS training software packages that run on a PC that are available for various FMS models. Most students buy or "acquire" a copy for the FMS they will be using.

Re:
 

Unfortunately, you dont get to know your aircraft assignment until two weeks into ground school!. Although from what a gather it's mostl likely Dash 8 or Beech 1900....

Don't sweat it too much. Too much pre studying can mean that you learn the wrong info or techniques. There's a reason why they teach you in indoc. Once you get your books, thats that time to learn and study. If you find out what plane you're going into, try to get a copy of the company limitations for that aircraft. Learn those and the memory items and you'll do fine.

In the mean time, start off by increasing your daily intake of cheap foods, such as rice and ramen noodles (the generic kind). Cuz, unfortunately that's what you'll most likely be eating for the next year or so on FO starting pay...

The 1900 has no FMS or autopilot, some D-8s have an FMS, but you will not use it in sim training so it sounds like raw data instrument navigation is in your future. MS flight sim could help with that if you're rusty; keep in mind that they will not train you to fly instruments, you need to arrive able to do that. Traffic watch and pipeline patrol pilots usually fail out...

The biggest problems I saw in 1900 class were in the sim. No your instrument rules, hold entrys, when you need to go missed. Use MS sim Rickair777 said and shoot lots of non precision approaches. Other than that its cake, grab a beer in the resturant and study with your other classmates, don't be a loner.

Drinking from the firehose
 

If you have never been through a 121 ground school, when you get your a/c assignment, see if you can get a hold of MESA's limitations (not Piedmont's for the Dash-8, for example... they may fly it differently) and memory items. Get that rote memorization done before you head to ground school. Once you get there, it will be like trying to drink from a firehose with all the info they are going to give you. If you have your memory items and limitations down, you will just have to review them, and not learn them on top of everything else in class.

Otherwise, the only other advise that I can give you is to find your top three regionals that you WANT to fly for (Horizon, SkyWest, Pinnacle, Express Jet, etc...) and as soon as you pass IOE, SEND THEM YOUR RESUME! Get your seniority where YOU want to be, not at the first airline to offer you a job.

Also, if they give you a flow study sheet along with a poster...that will help out TEN FOLD! That is where a lot of people fail out too. They can fly single pilot no problem, but stick them in the cockpit with someone else...and they don't know their head from their butt...

Good luck to you!
lax

Seems strange that they didn't give you a class date or tell you what airplane you'll be flying. They told me both when they called to tell me I was hired.

As far as studying goes, as some have already said, start memorizing the limitations as soon as you can. It can only help.

I just got done with ground school at Mesa in the CRJ. I was lucky, in that I already have a CRJ type, and that's what they gave me. So ground school was just like a big review for me. I've heard that they're hiring mostly for the Dash 8 right now, and a new class for that starts on Monday. Hopefully you get a class date soon and that it's for the CRJ so my seniority improves :)

Good luck!

Well, I know there has been quite a few vacancies coming up in the past 2 or 3 weeks in the 1900. However they cnx the last class for some reason but I see another one in the very near future as they are starting to dip into the reserves quite a bit.

XtremeF150

I've posted this one here before, but here's a good read about surviving airline training, written by a good friend and former coworker of mine who used to be a checkairman/sim instructor.

http://aviation.crosswindlanding.com...ingthegame.htm

Great write up, thanks Josh :D .

Oh this is gold. . . and entertaining.

A/C assignment is after the 1st week. That first week is all Gen Operations, which is common to each "airline." Freedom, Mesa, and Air Midwest are all considered "different" for this purpose, but they have the same senority list. If you go to Kansas City, that will be Air Midwest, and the 1900.

I wouldn't study that much ahead of time, but make sure that your life is together for the next couple months. Bills paid, dog taken care of, whatever. You don't need "at home" stress while you're in class. Remember that if you're pretty senior in class, you may not get a break for 2 months or more.

If you get the CRJ, I recommend crj2.com. No matter what, make sure you actually LOOK at the training maneuvers tab in your CFM before you get to the sim. It has all your callouts and flows. My sim partner didn't. He had a REALLY hard time, and that's before they throw double engine failures and rapid decompressions at you.

I was in the Sept CRJ class, so if you have questions, I'll answer what I can.

Good reading, but I disagree on one point: Stay out of the jumpseat until AFTER sim training. Sim and the real world are largely unrelated animals and you don't want to bring the real world into the sim.

After you finish sim, THEN go do a few jumpseat rides to prepare yourself for IOE, which is the real world phase of your checkride.

Re:
 

Thanks to all for the wealth of information! Will put it to good use!
Would anyone know where i can find online some schematic of Beech 1900/Dash 8 systems? I have found a couple sites that sell the information for a bloody fortune!!! Dont they know pilots are broke???????

Hey Saltrs just wondering where you worked before you got hired at Mesa? If this is who I think it is you would know me. If you don't want to post and you can't PM me then shoot me an IM as listed on my profile.

XtremeF150

Re:
 

How about E.R.A.U in Prescott, AZ (IP 192)? I would spell it out but there is so much "hatred" for this school hahaha It was a great place to work!!!!

Agreed! Some airlines fly differently than taught.

Ms Flight is absolutely correct - focus on getting your life at home in order so it won't be a distraction or interruption.

Also, I've said this for years.... instruments, instruments, instruments. Remember that they will teach you how to fly THIER airplanes, not how to fly. Make sure your scan is up to snuff and instrument procedures are second nature.

Probably the best advice. Every day after ground school I didn't do ANYTHING related to class for at least 30-45mins after getting back to the hotel. You've been in a class room all day already and it pays to take some time to clear your head. You'll retain more if you're relaxed for studying at the hotel. And study with others in your class. You'll learn a lot from bouncing questions off each other. If you don't know something, chances are someone else has a slightly better grasp or a different way of explaing/understanding something that makes sense to you. Remember, most of your classmates were probably CFIs at some point and have experience explaing complex things. Just remember, everyone else is learning just like you are so don't expect them to be the end-all-be-all and don't rely on just their word, back it up with what you can find in your manuals or learn from instructors.

If you stay with the crowd at the residence inn, be wary of the free beer they serve every night (no joke). It's basically a keg party every weeknight, and once you get started... :eek:

Starbucks is at 44th & Indian School.

Class date coming up
 

I have a class date in a couple of weeks at Mesa. For those that have been through it, how do you judge their ground school / sim with others? I have heard they have a pretty large failure rate but that may be just rumors. I appreciate all the posts on preps..Sounds like 121 refresher, instrument refresher and general advanced systems review. Any other suggestions?

Mesa implied all the suggested hotels have shuttle service to the training facility. Is the set up reasonable enough to not need a car and just fly in/out.

Thanks in advance for all the help and advice.

Texdog

Their failure rate is typically about 10%, which should be the same for most regionals that hire lower-time pilots. Most of the failures occur because of poor attitude or effort; few people who get hired truly lack the innate ability to succeed.

Call the hotels and confirm the shuttle service, but most should provide that. Try to talk to some of your future classmates, find out who's staying where.

You would need a car to get to starbucks, gyms, and movies, but everything else is walkable.

Did Mesa get a raise???
 

Holy crap! A Mesa trainee knows where the Starbucks is? What did that cost you? two months pay? I didn't think they paid you enough to even smell the starbucks coffee beans. I mean, heck, they would't even pay for airline seats for the guys that were going to Hawaii for training.

Re:texdog
 

TEXDOG, My class date is June 19th? when is yours? Staying at the Marriott Residence Inn which is supposedly 5 minutes away from the training center??
let me know

Hey guys,

I'll see you on the 19th. I got the call early this past week. I just got done talking to a buddy who recently finished CRJ class...he said that the rumor is that it is a Dash class. Guess we'll see. Anyway, can't wait to meet you guys a week from tomorrow!



Rob

I'm not a trainee, moron. I just happen to live near the training center.

Why don't you lay off the antagonism...especially since you you obviously don't know your @ss from a hole in the ground.

As long as we're guessing about people's circumstances, I suspect you're a frustrated ex-PFT student, mayby MAPD, who failed out or couldn't even get hired at mesa. The rejects are usually the first and loudest trash talkers...go figure.

Yeah, I'm headed out to Phoenix for a class date on June 19th. I've opted to stay at the Extended Stay America place - approx 10 mins away (so I'm told). I don't know if it's a popular place with the folks that go out to Phoenix, but at $35 a night I thought it was alright. Can someone from the area please tell me if it's too far from the training center or is it ok. Thx.

It's about a couple miles from the training center. Probably too far to walk when it's 112 degrees outside, but they have a hotel van that will drop you off and pick you up. Lots of guys from my class stayed there.

I will likely be staying there too. I think I have found a roomate to split costs. Anyway...see you soon

Does Mesa make you pay for your own hotel in training? If they do, what a bum deal. ~8 weeks @ $35/night = $1960!!! WOWZA:eek: And thats just for a place to sleep! What about food and incidentals! Wow, guess I never realized how good we have it at XJT...

The 1st year FO pay is low enough to write off the $1960 off your taxes as a business expense if you itemize.

some clarification:

the 6/19 class is CRJ/ERJ/Dash combined.

New hires need only pay for 4 weeks of hotel, which can be split (double occupancy as skywest does) for less than $35 a night. Mesa picks up the hotel once the sim starts.

The residence inn on 44th used to give a mesa discount...single room for $30/night, plus free food & beer. That was a few years ago, but I heard they still do it.

Aircraft Assignment
 

Does anyone knows where the CRJ/ERJ/ Dash 8 are based?
Thanks

A perfect opportunity to get your money's worth!

ERJ Bases:
Orlando, New York (JFK), and Dulles (IAD)

CRJ Bases:

Dulles (IAD), Phoenix, Chicago, Houston, Charlotte, Nashville, and Hawaii(which has about 4 outstation bases.)

Dash 8 Bases:

New York, Denver, Grand Junction, and Phoenix

1900 Bases:

Too numerous to name... :rolleyes: and constantly changing

Hope that helps.

Re:
 

Thanks for the info! It helps to know a little where you are heading haha:)

Yeah right, You won't even know which plane your flying for the first couple weeks. The have a habit of switching classes that first week or switching the certificate you will fly under all the way through training. I can honestly say they have a tendency to be a little disorganzed. Just make the best of it and hope that your one of the people that gets a couple weeks off before or after the sim. :)

XtremeF150