I'm looking for a phone number to contact American Eagle for questions. Can anyone help me?

 

ask away!

 

well i know this is an anti-flight academy forum, but i'll try anyways, i'm currently at DCA transferring to Regional Academy here soon. This is what they told me...I have 200tt right now, no multi. My goal is to be a FO for AE here soon. They told me i could get my multi rating, build some multi hours, go get my ERJ or CRJ type rating and interview for a job. And most likely get the job with less than 500tt. How accurate is this?

 

This actually a professional pilot forum...the professional pilot group as a whole is generally against academies because they attempt to place dangerously unqualified pilots into the airline business.

And to make things worse, when they are finished with training and $100K+ in debt, they are so desperate for a job that will gladly roll over for any sort of abuse and undercompensation dished out by management thereby undercutting everyone's opportunity to make a living...that's why management is willing to accept them in the first place...

To answer your question, the academies have been historically unreliable in placing their graduates (MAPD is the exception that I am aware of, but you are then doomed to work at mesa). You are certainly rolling the dice...and if you don't get hired by the target airline, now what? Be advised that eagle has very low minimums for actual pilot experience and ability, but they have an EXTREMELY rigorous background check and medical exam...the medical takes longer than all other aspects of the interview combined! Are you in pristine health? Do you know your blood pressure and cholesteral? Is your vision better than FAA requirements?

Some regionals are currently hiring at a high rate...for the amount of money you are proposing to spend, you could get all of your instructor ratings and reach a 1000 hours fairly quickly. Then you would have options at numerous regionals, not just one or two.

BTW eagle is dead-end for your career (unless you are looking for a regional "career"). Also, based on ASA's current movement into LAX, eagle should be losing some flying soon...perhaps hiring will slow or stop?

 

Eagle is so short staffed right now I don't think hiring will slow any more than it already is.

 

What is the point of a type rating in a CRJ before you get to the regionals, it doesnt make u exempt from the same training you will go through when you start with the company? I called RAA one time just to joke around and ask questions inquiring about the program. The idiot actually told us that you would not have to go through training with everyone else.

 

I don't think you should spend your money on a type rating with such low total time.(It would also be restricted commercial pilot, No ATP) I think you could take half of that money, earn your multi-engine and then on to your multi-instructor rating, buddy up with another instructor and rent a cheap multi-engine plane at some podunk airport and start flying around the states. You'll get a lot more experience and you can both log the time. At about 650 tt with 200hr of that multi-engine, I'm sure Eagle will give you an interview. If given the opportunity to interview spend another $400 (guessing) on a sim prep for the SAAB 340 (I think that's what Eagle is checking in now). By doing it this way you'll have saved a lot of money and have your choice of regional airlines. If it doesn't pan out right away, you can fall back onto flight instruction. Where as if you have the EMJ type you have nothing and nobody in the corporate structure is going to hire you without experience on that plane (actual flight time in plane not simulator, a catch 22) unless you have an in with a good friend, relative, bla bla bla.
Also if your going to go any route do not..I repeat do not give a lump sum payment. Pay as you go or in sections to get a bit of a discount. I've heard of a few fly by night places that just pack up and go after getting all your money... Unless of course your going to a very reputable company and the saving for upfront money is worth it. What I sugested will take you a little longer but more options in the long run. Just my 2 cents, good luck

 

Personaly I can't stand these schools where people come in with only 500 hours and get to fly for a regional. Its unfair on those of us that did our time either in the flight instructing ranks or flew cargo. Furthermore I think that its unfair on the pilots fellow crew members and pax. I can remember when I was fresh out of flight school with 300 hours! I thought I was all that but looking back I knew ****** all.

What does everyone else think????

 

I agree. I started instructing with about 350 hours and quickly figured out that I, in fact, did not know a whole hell of a lot. 900 hours later, I am still learning every day. On the other hand, I have flown with guys with umpteen bazillion hours that had a hard time telling their head from their ass whenever an unusual situation popped up. Quality trumps quantity any day but having said that, you just have not had the oppurtunity for much quality of time in just 300-500 hours of flight time.

 

as soon as you start to learn more youll realize that making it to a major is all based upon turbine PIC, with AE it is 7+ years to upgrade to PIC, most other regionals are 2-5 years, that puts you significantly behind the curve.

your goal should not be to work for AE, it should be for FEDEX UPS or southwest

i hope your not a bridgewater DCA program grad, man those guys raped half of the students who fell for their program