I have completed the multi-Engine Rating at DCA

[SengaB]

For those of you that might care.
I have completed the Multi-Enging Course at Delta Connection Academy here at SFB.
The ME rating takes longer at DCA. The average is about 30-35 hours or so. I did it a little more than that. As most ofm you know I have been in FL for the last few months working on this stuff at DCA.
Time to move on to bigger and better things now.
Instr
CAX
Single
now Multi

Senga

[HPNPilot1200]

Congratulations and good luck on your future ratings!

Safe flying,

[MarkLawrence]

Congrats Senga!

[cancidas]

congrats senga, welcome to the club! now we've just got to get you flying something with a spinning wing.

[mirrodie]

Congrats Senga! Wow were your ears ringing?

I was just discussing with my wife last night, telling her that you were down south racking up hours.

How ironic!

[engine46]

Congrats, what aircraft did you do your training in?

[PhilDernerJr]

Congrats Senga! I knwo how important this is for you.

Now get back up here and start shooting planes again!

[nwafan20]

Congrats Senga, that is one step closer to your final goal!

[SengaB]

Thanks guys,
I guess its time to trade in the blue shirt for a white one- we will see.
Matt C., Helicopters are cool but I prefer fixed wings :)

Mario yes I have been down here since January. My ears rining? what do you mean?

Phil,
I will be in NYC sooner than you may think :twisted:

Engine 46 I flew the Piper PA-44 Seminole.
Heres a shot I took a few days ago on the DCA ramp of one of them (N177CA)
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/n177ca.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/pa44-01.jpg
To run the PA-44 at DCA it costs 10 Cents a second YES 10 cents a second.

[mirrodie]

were your ears ringing, meaning we were talking about you flying down south ;)

[NIKV69]

Congrats Senga, your avatar rocks too BTW.

Wait till this crap wx is over to come up here. Summer sucks for shooting!

[Informant]

DCA?What made you choose them? How much did that set you back?

[SengaB]

Thanks Nick :)
Her name is Yoruichi Shihouin.
Series: "Bleach"
Occupation Ex-commander of the shinigami special forces
http://cekirdek.pardus.org.tr/~meren/pics/blog/wallpaper-elkayam_yoruichi.jpg

Informant,
I needed a good program and there were not many good Multi Engine schools in the NY area and I needed a program to get me back up to speed. It ran around 40k I didn't get set back though..it was last years xmas present from the parental units..yummy
Senga

[engine46]

Great choice, The PA-44 is a wonderful aircraft to do multi-engine training in.

[AAGold]

Yes, congratulations to you on the rating. Now go get a job so you can do what you love to do :lol:

art :mrgreen:

[SengaB]

Art Brett!
I'll be seeing you soon :twisted:
Art fix your avatar..

engine46,
Yes its a nice plane although not very fuel effecient and underpowered its a nice flying aircraft.
Senga

[Informant]

It ran around 40k
???
I hope this got you at least
Private-Instrument-Multi and Comm SE/Comm ME

[SengaB]

I already had the,
Private-Instrument-Multi and Comm SE/
I just needed the ME addon as they call it.

DCA is a very expensive program. Many people drop out becuse they run out of money. If you are a transfer student you have to take a pilot proficiency course witch consists of ground classes and flights before you start your program. For me I had to take all the manditory proficiency courses since I had all the ratings already accept the ME. Its to bring you up to DCA standards.
That also is part of that cost along witht he ME raiting.

Senga

[AA 777]

It ran around 40k

Senga,

Please tell me that was a typo and you only meant 4K for the Multi add on? Or was 40K for all the ratings?

[SengaB]

Matt,
Opps sorry about that it was actually 24k.
I was looking at the wrong set of numbers

Things are different at DCA than ERU and many other schools. The average flight time for a multi engine rating at DCA of 30-35 hours of training for the Multi. You just don't go up and do a few manuvers and get signed off for a ride and say. It was like I was becoming a whole new pilot!

Keep in mind that this is also including the manditory pilot proficiency course and flights.
What do you epxect with an aircraft that costs 9 Cents a second to run? knock in a couple of thousand for the books and pilot supplies.

Opps sorry about that it was actually 24k.
I was looking at the wrong information.
Senga

[Informant]

Things are different at DCA than ERU and many other schools. The average flight time for a multi engine rating at DCA of 30-35 hours of training for the Multi. You just don't go up and do a few manuvers and get signed off for a ride and say. It was like I was becoming a whole new pilot!

Keep in mind that this is also including the manditory pilot proficiency course and flights.
What do you epxect with an aircraft that costs 9 Cents a second to run? knock in a couple of thousand for the books and pilot supplies.

30-35 Hours for a checkride that doesn't even require a written exam?
Basically the Multi checkride is to show you can fly with one engine?
Were you doing Dual cross countries?Because going up and doing maneuvers would be just fine.
Pilot proficiency? Is fancy for Intro-flight, I can't believe they would charge a few grand just to evaluate where you are you can do that in 1-2 flights. Crazy!
You say you spent a few thousand for books and supplies? Please say you didn't buy them through the school because from the looks of it you got taken for a ride! A very expensve one, considering you could have gotten this for ALOT less.

[SengaB]

Informant,
We had Ground School and written exams for the VFR/IFR proficiency flight and ground- after witch you take a stage check- in-house checkride. This is NOT a "Intro Flight"

We had a ground school for the multi engine rating as well and several tests along with stage checks for the the rating. Like I said things are different at this school.
Of course I could have gotten it for less but you have to look at the quality of the training.


They over prepare you at DCA and you pay for the training they give you. The manuals I used are identicle to the ones the Delta Connection actually uses to train their pilots. I had my first chance to actually see me Piper Seminole and the ERJ 145 side by side the other day when a ERJ145 pilot showed me hers. They are layed out identicle.
Operations Manual, Standads Manual, Flight Manual.
The experience I got in the CRJ100/200 Sim at the school won't hurt either.
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/crj01.jpg

The flightschool's goal is to simulate an airline enviornment as close as possible- rigorous and intense. They train you and treat you like a professional pilot from the day you walk in. You get the the negatives and positives that go along with it. Having to wake up at 4:15am for a 6:315am flight....it happens at DCA. They tell you when you show up....and you only find out the night before what time that will be. You better be there 1 hour before your flight or you get a "No Show" (don't bother showing up cause your "Flight" left) Passing for the FAA is 70 passing for DCA and many airlines is 80.

ERU, FSI DCA Pan AM and several others.. You pay top dollar for a good education at schools like these. When you apply to the airlines several of them actually knock off several hundred hours from their minimums if you went to one of these schools as they are aware of the quality training you recived.

Theres a reason why Air China, China Airlines, Air India, Thai, and Brazilian carriers and several other carriers ship their cadets to DCA every year. Within 2 years they will be back home flying for those airlines.

From what you have said It seems you are not familar with operations of DCA and similar schools that have instruction of this type.
PM me and I will explain it to you in greater detail there about DCA.

Senga

[SP-LPB]

Congratulations, always something special when you get closer and closer to your wings.

[USAF Pilot 07]

So what's the next step after DCA?

[SengaB]

Thanks SP-LPB,

USAF Pilot 07,
The next step- Resumes

Senga

[Informant]

We had a ground school for the multi engine rating as well and several tests along with stage checks for the the rating. Like I said things are different at this school.
Of course I could have gotten it for less but you have to look at the quality of the training.

Everyone gets ground for their multi.And as for quality of training, DCA claims to have all the connections since they are owned by the airlines, but really they don't. They overplay that detail too much, and it deceives people into thinking that they will have a better chance then most when really they wont.


They over prepare you at DCA and you pay for the training they give you. The manuals I used are identicle to the ones the Delta Connection actually uses to train their pilots.

They are just dressed up POH's with the Delta logo.


The flightschool's goal is to simulate an airline enviornment as close as possible- rigorous and intense. They train you and treat you like a professional pilot from the day you walk in. You get the the negatives and positives that go along with it. Having to wake up at 4:15am for a 6:315am flight....it happens at DCA. They tell you when you show up....and you only find out the night before what time that will be. You better be there 1 hour before your flight or you get a "No Show" (don't bother showing up cause your "Flight" left) Passing for the FAA is 70 passing for DCA and many airlines is 80.

Sounds like ATP.


When you apply to the airlines several of them actually knock off several hundred hours from their minimums if you went to one of these schools as they are aware of the quality training you recieved.

Wow they really got you. When it comes down to it, I ave a friend who ons a flight school, he uses old Piper Seneca's, and an old 182. A few months ago recruiters from AMerican Eagle as well as TSA approached him and said to him "Yea tell any of your commercial, CFI's to send in a resume, we'll take 100TT off the minimums".
These days they will take down minimums for anything at TSA right now the minimums are Commercial-multi. DCA was the first I believe to have guaranteed interviews, but now everyone can guarantee you the interview.And as for ERAU being a fine school, no, they just overcharge, and jump through more of the FAA's red tape to get certain recognition from prospective students.



Theres a reason why Air China, China Airlines, Air India, Thai, and Brazilian carriers and several other carriers ship their cadets to DCA every year. Within 2 years they will be back home flying for those airlines.

Yes there is,and its called a pilot shortage. All those airlines have Ab-Initio programs where basically if you have a degree and some flying experience within a few months you can be flying something heavy, then when you get home to your country you have to buy your type rating.Within 2 yrs?


From what you have said It seems you are not familar with operations of DCA and similar schools that have instruction of this type.

Not true I wanted to get my ATPL with them, when I saw the price of it I stepped back. I wasted money on visiting that school, they claimed to have the connections,but yet, they cant fly you down to Atlanta?
My children are going to school right now, we did tons of research asking my friends about their training. DCA, Jet U, Pan Am, are all rips!

Oh and by the way, in this industry its not always what you know but who you know.

[SengaB]

Informant,
Other than regurgitating a few obvious facts in that last post here and there I get the feeling you didn't read much of what seemed like ages that I spent typing out.

I had created this thread to share my checkride passage with those who might be interested in knowing my progress,sucess and why I have this temporary stay in FL and thats all.

I have said all I'm going to about that issue in this thread.
Like I said a few posts above PM and I'll tell you about DCA and the ME raiting there.

Let it go.

Senga

[mirrodie]

Wow they really got you....

we did tons of research asking my friends about their training. DCA, Jet U, Pan Am, are all rips!

Oh and by the way, in this industry its not always what you know but who you know.

Perhaps I am misinterpreting and perhaps Senga is as well, but is there a reason why this comes across as so arrogant and smug when it need not be?

Senga, all the best of luck with the resumes! Please continue to keep us abreast.

[Nonstop2AUH]

A few months prior to 9/11, I was considering attending one of these academies and drove around Florida, visiting DCA (then known as Comair Academy), FlightSafety Academy, the CATER program at ER, the Gulfstream Academy and another one at Orlando Executive the name of which escapes me. I also visited some traditional flight schools in DAB and some other places, including the one in VNC where some of the 9/11 hijackers trained (my friend was a pilot for one of the owner's other companies). I came to the conclusion that the real value of the academy approach, and what you paid a premium for, was that it trains you to function in a professional airline operating environment, it's not just about passing the licensing exams. I suspect in this regard it helps put students into a certain mindset that perhaps military pilots would get through their standardized training but that would not really be acquired with your friendly local CFI. IMHO it's not a question of which is better or which is a better value, it's more about what your objectives are in aviation. The academy approach is quite popular in Europe where, lest anyone not get the point of such establishments, there is even one called "The Pilot Factory." The academies offer a valuable option for those who want to train full time in a structured environment with the goal of getting hired by a regional airline. The regionals recognize this customized training and seem to prefer hiring academy graduates over non-academy grads, even over those who have more hours. I suspect this is why Senga (and alot of other people) found it a good choice. I ended up doing neither (bad timing, other priorities, kind of intimidated actually) but have much respect for anyone who pursues this career through an academy or any other means. So people, please don't argue about it!

[SengaB]

Mario, Nonstop2AUH,

I couldn't have said it better msyelf (both posts). Thats a good explaination Nonstop2AUH. It was a HARD choice to make for me too and fairly intimiating enviornment at DCA until I got used to it. When I visited the school back in March I kept thinking "am I ready for this" I was like "What have I gotten myself into!" It worked out ok in the end and have no regrets in any way.
Senga