I'm currently enrolled at ATP DAB, but I haven't started. Lately there has been a few setbacks, but here is my question, DCA says that they are hiring their students to be cfi's once they complete cfii, and ATP says that they are doing limited hiring... How true is this...? I'm currently a pvt multi instr ticket holder, and both schools are offering me around the same price, plus my va benefits which is not bad... Any insight would be appreciated.

thanks

I'm sittin here with one of our FO's who attended DCA, and she says she will ask here friend who cfi's there. Ill let you know when I hear something

Thanks, appreciated

Dca will give anybody an interview that completes their CFII. Most get hired.

Be prepared to be treated like crap as a DCA instructor. I instructed there for 6 months and it was not fun.

Examples of when I was there....

Forced x-country routes for private students. All routes went through a restricted area. I was not a big fan of having a private student do this flight. Was told by group manager "Private students should be able to contact controlling facility and see if it is hot, if it is they should deviate around." Do you want this on your ticket?

Many hours spent coming in for no money.

Good luck getting a day off for something that is personal.

As long as the student has money on acct be prepared to continue to fly with him. There is no such thing as "some people should not be pilots." You will have students who refuse to study and do homework and you can not do anything about it. I had a student tell me his mom says he no longer has to do homework.

Many have been threatened with negative reviews if they leave DCA for an airline job before their "contract" is up.

Basically DCA wants their instructors to bring them the money. You are used for as an endorsement stamp for their students, nothing more.

Keep in mind that DCA is quoting you a price and its not a fixed price. ATP is a fixed price.

Its just a trickle of hiring at ATP. No jobs for people to leave for and low student count. A few of my freinds who had been instructing in PHX got on with AmFlight and a couple other instructing gigs, so there were some new hires. But they hadn't had a new instructor out there in apx 8 months before that.

Thoughts from an MEI:

If they can't call ATC then they shouldn't be getting an endorsement

Why? Did you ask Dispatch if you could pick up flights? Get to know the guys in Maintenance and ask them about picking up Mx flights?

That really depends on how much time in advance you're asking, no?

So, you're not OK with going in to work and not getting any time (money), but when you have students with whom you could be paid to do ground work that's not OK either?

There is no contract that binds you to them. Now if you want to complete the Professional Pilot program and do Bridge, then you need to stick around long enough to qualify (800 dual minus whatever academic credits from office work, ground school instruction, etc.).

While it's true that you are there to bring in revenue, ask yourself why you are in any job for any employer. If their program gets you to the point where you can build the time you are seeking to qualify for a jet job, isn't that a valid endorsement that their program does what it is supposed to?

Sounds like sour grapes from someone who is just there for building time, making money, and has no interest in actually learning to teach someone something in a way they can learn it. Being a CFI is not just about doing it your way. Anyone who really paid attention to the FOI book and has done some real time teaching can tell you there are always different ways of teaching "the unteachable" so that even they can get it. Yeah, I understand if you just want to get to the airlines. You wouldn't be the first CFI who just wanted to survive the time-building process so that you could sit up front on a 121 flight. However, in a 141 school as an employee you have to have a lot of flexibility. It's just the name of the game.