Ran into this today. According to Gulfstream Academy's website, you're completely guarenteed a job if you complete their program versus the usual "interview opportunity" - http://www.gulfstreamacademy.com/

What do you guys think about this?

Three words for you......DONT DO IT! Take a look at places like ATP, or a local mom and pop FBO.

Airline pilots generally despise "pay-for-training" (PFT) programs, which is where you pay for the cost of your airline training (this does not refer to paying for your initial ratings and certs which is normal). Various airlines have been guilty of this in the past (COMAIR, XJET, etc) but very few still do. Mesa does in a round-about way, and SWA sort of does it also.

GIA takes this one step further...after paying for training, they actually make you PAY for the "privilege" of flying as a first officer at their airline carrying ACTUAL passengers! This is very, very wrong on so many levels...a qualified professional pilot should be getting paid to fly those passengers

Some ignorant or unscrupulous people do GIA, but they are not well regarded in the industry. The stigma associated with GIA may or may not damage your long-term career prospects, but you will not be able to hold your head high with your peers. I'd recommend another route.

BTW, there are no guaranteed airline jobs. They may say there is no "interview", but if they don't like you for some reason, you will NOT pass their training program...they will see to that.

No, no, don't worry here guys, I'm not even considering the place; I'm an FBOer. I just noticed that yesterday I thought I'd see what you guys thought about it (if you could actually guarentee a job like they're saying) but Rick answered it for me. Sounded a little fishy to me.

jetuniversity.com has this same program has anyone become aware of this program?

My old roommate just went through Gulfstream and his "guaranteed" job has him flying once a month... not much of a job if you ask me. He's the only person I've known who's gone through GSA so maybe he's just unlucky... anybody know for sure???

I can't believe there is even one person out there still considering this option. Especially now with places like PNCL hiring 250 hour pilots. It always was completely rediculous to PFJ/PFT. But now you can just apply to some regionals once you have the commercial certificate, given the current state of the industry. This fact makes it even worse for the people that are doing PFJ/PFT.

I know that Gulfstream happens to be unbelievably short pilots at the moment....why? Because all the pilots are getting hired elsewhere. Pinnacle, express jet, sky west, Republic, ASA etc for FO's...and Southwest, Continental, FedEx, UPS, Air Tran and Spirit for Captains. I'd be very shocked if your roommate is flying only once a month....Everyone besides your roommate is flying around 100 hrs per month.

As far as Rickair's comment about GTA forcing you out of the program if they don't like you...there were 3 drop outs in 2006. One got a DUI while in training, another hadn't flown in over 5 years, so his money was refunded and he was instructed to get current before trying to return, and the third left for personal reasons (death in the family). Of all the people who came through the program in 2006 only 1 is currently not employed by a 121 airline.

As far as PFT goes...

Tell me that military guys don't pay for their training...you're trying to tell me that 10 years of your life isn't worth 30 grand???

Flight Instruct...maybe you'll get hired some where...maybe you won't...Average washout rate for instructors is 10-20%. GTA grads is less than 1%...not to mention the cost of your Commercial single, your CFI, CFII and MEI...that’s a lot of extra ratings and training to pay for....

[As far as PFT goes...

Tell me that military guys don't pay for their training...you're trying to tell me that 10 years of your life isn't worth 30 grand???

PFT is a pathetic act because you are paying for a job that someone else should be getting paid to do. Military guys on the other hand are getting paid to fly. Pretty sad that you would even think both are the same.

Most of the people that go there for PFT do so because they are so terrible that they cannot get hired at a real airline. The only reason those idiots at Gulfstream have not crashed anything is because they fly in VFR weather conditions 98% of the time. I would think more than twice about allowing my family to ride on that airline.