Hello!

[KelseyL-NC-509]

Hi Roger! My name is Kelsey and I am 21 years old. I will be graduating with my 4-year degree next May (2010) and want to get involved in aviation. I've basically wanted to do that since I was 12. My dad is a pilot but flies small aircrafts (Cubs, Cessnas) and so I have flown with him a lot but never got any formal instruction. I also am looking more for a career in aviation rather than flying as a hobby. After I graduate I wanted to start at a training academy or get involved with ATP. I read another of your posts and you had said that you would do the academy and then a University -- but I already have attended a University so what is a path you would reccommend?

Look forward to hearing from you! Thanks!

[ExpressJet Roger]

Hi Kelsey, it is my pleasure to meet you. With a dad already taking you up to experience the high life, you sound like you are really going to enjoy this career. What is your degree? Have you started taking your degree classes yet? That was actually the point that I actually started to enjoy school, guess I liked it so much that it took me ten years to finish school ha ha ha.

Kelsey, as far as my advise to get your certificates then attend a University, it is mainly for the guys that haven’t even started school (let alone expressed a lack of interest in attending college). I guess the really big thing I try to get across to these guys when giving that advise is to get the degree, it really is that important. You’re almost done so for you we can move right along to the next step, where to train?

There are a lot of benefits to both of the paths you mentioned. I have written down some questions that you want to ask the flight school you are looking at attending.

Are your airplanes owned or leased?
What resources are available to me to assist with career planning an placement?
Do you offer Jet training? Is it in-house our outsourced?
Is maintenance in-house (full time maintenance employees)?
How many airplanes do you have? Are backups available to me if one breaks?
Is the fleet standardized?
Do you rent airplanes? (competing for resources)
Do you require payment for the entire cost of training up front?
What if I decide to quit during my training. How much will I get back? (What is your refund policy?)
Is housing included in the price?
How much will housing cost me?
Must I sign a lease?
If I leave before the end of the program, am I released from my lease?
How long does your training take?

Questions for the school:
1) Do you have set pricing?
2) Do you have a set time frame?
3) How much multi time is guaranteed in the program?
4) Is that multi time received as a student, or received later down the road when working as a Instructor?
5) How many students?
6) How many Instructors?
7) Student / Instructor ratio?
8) How many aircraft?
9) Do they own their aircraft or are they on lease back?
10) Are their mechanics company employees?

Questions to ask the prospective flight school's current and previous students:
1) Did you pay the price you were quoted?
2) Will they give you an exact quote on pricing, or will they only tap dance around a ballpark price?
3) Did you finish in the time frame you were quoted?
4) What was the quality of the instruction you received?
5) What was the quality of the aircraft, were they often broke?
6) Did you have to wait for aircraft to be fixed for longer time frames?
7) where did you fly to on your XCs?

One other thing I would like to recommend you think about doing, taking all of your written tests this summer. As soon as you get back from where ever you plan on blowing off some steam this summer (always headed up to the mountains of California for a few weeks of peace and quite), seat down and study for those written tests. The tests are good for two years so you have plenty of time. Trust me, finishing them now will allow you to focus on the check ride and oral later.

Really hope I didn’t overwhelm you with too much info all at once. Talk to you more soon. Roger