There will always be people willing to go to GoJets because of these pilot academies (Regional Airline Academy and the worst of them all ATP) These places take thousands of dollars from kids who are just out of high school and want to fly a jet and wear the uniform. For this and only this, GoJets will always find pilots.

 

I would say that ATP and the likes contibute to the number of people, but there are other feeders too. Hang out with some Daniel Webster, ERAU or other Aviation College guys and all they think about is jets. Most of them would give everything but their left nut to fly a jet. And the only reason that they wouldn't give their left nut is becuase the college that they went to already took their right nut, and if they gave up their left one, they wouldn't be able to beat off to the poster of the CRJ (or even worse a 1900) they have hanging in their dorm room.

There will always be someone that lacks the self respect that will fly there just to do it....

 

I just cannot stand ATP's 90-day wizz kids. They're just not ready. Anyone can pass a checkride that they have a gouge to. That's just me.

 

"I will be an airline pilot in four months with ExpressJet." I heard this more f*cking times from a ppl student that I had a while back, a student who had no place in an airplane in the first place. He will soon be one of a million totally inexperienced, over cocky, shi**y flying ATP grads sharing our skies. I can't say all ATP grads are terrible, but I can say that it is impossible to be a good pilot after being zero time and getting three months of training and some ratings. After some instructing experience is gained, most turn out ok.

 

You are barking up the wrong tree if you are looking for support on that one. I am one of those, as you so eloquently put it, "90 day wizz kids." I don't wish to hijack this thread, but take a look through the Flight Training forum and you can see what I think about ATP.

The problem is that they (ATP and others) take the airline thing to seriously. I never wanted to get into the regionals and all the convincing that they did still had no effect on me. But that's just the thing, is they push you to act like an airline pilot, CRM, checklists for wiping your butt, parading Airline guys through the office, etc. etc.

The point(s): Garbage in = Garbage out, have a good head on your shoulders and some good training behind you and ATP will be an excellent choice. There are people in their program making a career change, and if that person is already 40, then they are running out of time and are looking for the fast track. If other people want to take that fast track, fine, but then there is the rest of us that just love flying. Personally, I have a few more things to do in aviation before I am ready to worry about holding a line or wearing epaulets.

 

"There is a roll associated with Vmc? I have never heard of that! I thought that was another stall speed!" ATP Guy, Seminole PPL - MEL

 

I know that there is the potential for that crap, I've seen it. Someone that is there just to go through the motions would say that. Other people take as much as they are offering and then take it uppn themselves to get more over and above, these people are the ones with the self respect and aren't just in it for the letters they can put after their name.

I went to ATP with 180 hours and an instrument rating and have logged another 2200 or so since I left there. 1400 has been dual given, 32 checkrides and only 1 failure, and it wasn't even one of the 6 that went to the FSDO. I know others like me, and I know they would like this category that you are putting us in no more than I do.

 

I'm also just a 19 year old kid, and I had the choice to go to the aviation pilot factory or go to the local flight school at the FBO. I chose the latter and it was by far the smartest thing I did. I have recieved some really awesome flight training from some awesome flight instructors who have been around long enough to know what it takes to make a good pilot. I have been flying for 3 years and will go to a regional when the time is right and no sooner. There is more to life than a jet. Also, while I'm sure there are some good aviation schools out there, the one closest to the local FSDO where I live has a bad rep for always failing checkrides. I just want to let people know that not all of us kids are spoiled brats.

 

An airplane doesn't care if you're 19 or 45. Being older is no excuse. 90 days is barely enough to train a private pilot, let alone Commercial/CFI/MEI.
All the ATP grads I talked to admitted being "pushed" through the course, whether or not the had the required knowledge and skills. And the scary thing is after these 90 days, these guys start TEACHING OTHER PEOPLE TO FLY!

AVIVIII, I'm sorry to say, but I think these fast-track "schools" are a MAJOR contributor in the "race to the bottom" of the airline industry. I'm sure we all remember how not too long ago some were comparing the job of airline captain at a major with a medical doctor. Now, I personally never really agreed with that analogy, but it tells you how well respected this job USED to be. Thay was because at the time to become a pilot you had to go through throrough flight training (usually with the military) which took both time and a lot of effort. Now, I'm not saying we should all have master's degrees to fly for an airline, but 90 days of training? C'mon, lets get real! It takes almost double that to get the license to cut hair at Supercuts!! In fact most of those guys/gals have an associate degree in cosmetology.....2yrs of training

How do we realistically expect to raise the bar if we continue to have there guys "pumping out" jet FOs in 90 days of training ?

IMHO, ATP is a cancer in this industry, and I consider it almost on the same level as the "pay-to-fly" programs.

 

By the way, to keep true to the thread, I have learned enough to not go to Gojets just to say I can fly a jet.