ggn thanks for taking to time to come on this forum and answer some questions. I have a few if you don't mind? For what it's worth I think this program could prove to be an excellent and expedient path to Air Canada for those who are interested in joining, but based on past precedents with 'flow through' arrangements there are several things which should concern those about to sign up.
Unfortunately not everyone who sets out to become a pilot is able to successfully do so, Air Canada currently does not conduct simulator evaluations in its hiring process as the pilots hired all have thousands of hours of experience and only a very small number of pilots don't successfully join the line after being hired. Will the hiring process used in this program contain some sort of flight testing prior to being hired? Or will the flight training be conducted in more of a military style, whereby pilots are 'washed out' if they cannot meet training requirements as their training progresses? Which raises questions about the $60,000 commitment...
Frosty wrote:Personally decided not to pursue this program for a variety of reasons, and I felt I should post some of them on here so to help others make their own decisions. This program is definitely not for everyone.
1. Previous flight training isn't credited, meaning I would have resultantly wasted $15 000.
2. Flight training is done in the US, meaning that a conversion is necessary, plus I wouldn't experience some of the adverse weather conditions I found in Canada as a PPL student.
3. Going directly from 250hrs to right seat on a 705 ops means I would be missing out on a lot of good experiences.
4. Hand-flying skills won't be as proficient as someone who went up north and knowledge won't be as proficient as someone who instructed.
5. This route is very limiting, meaning that I would be stuck in 705 ops for the rest of my career and within two specific companies.
6. Industry is in very good shape right now, with guys getting on at ACA with relatively low time, so if I decided to go that route, it wouldn't take too much longer in comparison to this program, while I'd have better experience and hand-flying skills to show for it.
7. Agreement illustrated on the cadet website has many possible loopholes; these companies aren't trying to do me or anyone else a favor.
Frosty thanks for sharing your reasons with us, insight from those with 150 hours is just as valuable as that coming from pilots with 15,000 hours, but if you don't mind me being critical, I think that some of your points aren't very valid.
1. It might be, have you asked?
2. Licenses transfers are cheap and easy, and you'll get all the weather you can handle after rejoining GGN. Generally it's advisable for sub-200 hour pilots to avoid marginal weather as much as possible. Sunny clear skies in FLA will allow you to complete your training quickly and avoid all of the delays in your training you've no doubt come across thus far.
3. For sure, if you like washing, towing and fueling airplanes around in -40 this isn't the job for you, I'm not being sarcastic if you wish to contribute to the 'Pics from a swamper' thread in the near future this is not the right path and you've made the right choice.
4. Do GGN's 1900's have autopilots? Once again, not sarcastic.
5. You can always quit, but why would you plan to do that from the start? But there is some logic here, absolutely not the most interesting career path.
6. You can probably count on your fingers and toes the number of pilots at Air Canada who've joined in the last 2 decades who made it on board 4 years after they started flying for pay, and none of them had jobs waiting for them.
7. ABSOLUTELY CORRECT
Rudder,
I agree, it's a shame that there isn't a competitive program available in Canada. But I hope you can agree that it is not Air Canada nor GGN's civic duty to utilize a domestic FTU.
). You will fly in some of the busiest airspace in Canada as well in some uncontrolled, shorter runway aerodromes. 
