Moncton Flight College?

[EastCoastAvStudent]

Hi,

I'm debating flight school and wondering which flight school to choose.

I like the idea of the "Life in Flight" program with Moncton Flight College that guarentees you employment with one of the EIC regionals post graduation. However, I've heard mixed reviews about MFC.

Some say its one of the better schools in the country while others seem to think it is too busy, too expensive, and hard to get in the air. I'll be 26 years old at least before I start so really I'd like to get in and out of the door and instruct for 1500 hours as quickly as possible.

Any advice is much appreciated!

[Carson22]

Well as an MFC Student (Just graduating) I can tell you that as far as I know its true. MFC is a well respected school amongst the industry for a long history of flight training, the diversity in what they offer and the inclusion of SOP's from day one. There are students that I have personally seen who have had a bad time at MFC but the common trait amongst them is they are not putting the required effort in. I never had an issue with MFC and if you are ready to work, and study hard and constantly its a good choice. Being a student pilot is a full time job and you'll likely feel the pressure of that should you start to fall behind. Other than that, in terms of flying MFC is based at YQM. Since it is a towered airport it tends to be extremely organized both in the air and on the ground (as a new student this might be helpful) They fly diamonds and they are the best training planes to fly.

If you have any other questions just ask.

[GetAGripen]

MFC is a good school, has it's pros and cons like any. Life in Flight is..probably not worth it in my opinion.
Do you have a degree or diploma already? Do the 12 month ICPC. Don't? Maybe consider Diploma or Life in Flight.
Start the instructor course when you're on the tail end of your program. MFC is really good about hiring their own instructors and the upgrade to Multi-IFR instructing is very quick nowadays, but don't expect to make much money doing it.

In reality you can start applying at any regional airline around 750 hours, which is roughly a little over a year of instructing if you work your butt off. Get some Multi PIC under your belt and you're basically hire-able anywhere. So, the mentoring and a ticket in the door at an EIC airline isn't all that valuable. But the industry is always changing so you never know if you may want that in your back pocket.

Weather can be challenging there, lot of IFR days. It's a very busy school but they have lots of planes and instructors. Maintenance is top notch, and they have a good safety culture. Generally it is not hard to finish your course on time if you work hard and fly lots when the weather's good. The programs are much more expensive than they used to be but it seems pretty competitive with most other major schools. The sooner you get into the industry, the sooner you can tackle those awful loans!

[EastCoastAvStudent]

Well as an MFC Student (Just graduating) I can tell you that as far as I know its true. MFC is a well respected school amongst the industry for a long history of flight training, the diversity in what they offer and the inclusion of SOP's from day one. There are students that I have personally seen who have had a bad time at MFC but the common trait amongst them is they are not putting the required effort in. I never had an issue with MFC and if you are ready to work, and study hard and constantly its a good choice. Being a student pilot is a full time job and you'll likely feel the pressure of that should you start to fall behind. Other than that, in terms of flying MFC is based at YQM. Since it is a towered airport it tends to be extremely organized both in the air and on the ground (as a new student this might be helpful) They fly diamonds and they are the best training planes to fly.

If you have any other questions just ask.

Thank you! I guess another question is what is the ground school schedule like? I know the goal is to get in the air as much as possible. Did you/most students have time to juggle a part-time job? I know loan (and hefty ones) are inveitable, but did you have any time at all to work here and there and help youself with some pocket change?

[superbilly24]

As stated above, the 12 month ICPC might be a better option at your age if you have prior education. That's what I did. I was able to complete the ICPC and instructor course all in 14 months, but did not work part-time and was 100% focused on getting it done. Instructed for a year then moved on. Having a part-time job is definitely doable, but might slow down your progress. You have to be flexible and ready to fly when the weather is nice to stay on schedule. When I was there, ground school was mostly in the evenings (1800-2100) since you can only fly during the day at first.

[Carson22]

The ground school schedule will be posted far in advance so it is easy to know whats coming up and when. Initially it will be a lot of classes especially in the ICPC route. As you progress through your training the ground school will become less and less hectic. The issue is the flying, the flying makes having any sort of normal schedule impossible because flights are constantly getting pushed back, cancelled, rearranged or more (and thats weathers fault not MFC). At my current level (finishing IFR and in ATPL) a lot of kids have part time jobs but even so some of them lose them because the unpredictable schedule and the amount of dedication. One of my friends recently was let go of their job because they had to fly and call in to work despite them letting that employer know this would be the case on some days. Also in regards to superbilly24s comment, what he is saying is true. Maybe you could manage a job but you will likely find yourself overwhelmed or lacking the attention to the school. Additionally he is right saying ground school is at 1800-2100 except thats only initially and as you progress and new classes come in they move you up in times. I started in the 1800-2100 time slot then 1500-1800 slot then 1200-1500 slot and then 0900-1200 slot. You if you think its manageable go for it!

[EastCoastAvStudent]

As stated above, the 12 month ICPC might be a better option at your age if you have prior education. That's what I did. I was able to complete the ICPC and instructor course all in 14 months, but did not work part-time and was 100% focused on getting it done. Instructed for a year then moved on. Having a part-time job is definitely doable, but might slow down your progress. You have to be flexible and ready to fly when the weather is nice to stay on schedule. When I was there, ground school was mostly in the evenings (1800-2100) since you can only fly during the day at first.

Thank you! I do have prior education (A Business degree) - Just to clarify, doing the ICPC is a better option, bececause it is quicker?

[EastCoastAvStudent]

The ground school schedule will be posted far in advance so it is easy to know whats coming up and when. Initially it will be a lot of classes especially in the ICPC route. As you progress through your training the ground school will become less and less hectic. The issue is the flying, the flying makes having any sort of normal schedule impossible because flights are constantly getting pushed back, cancelled, rearranged or more (and thats weathers fault not MFC). At my current level (finishing IFR and in ATPL) a lot of kids have part time jobs but even so some of them lose them because the unpredictable schedule and the amount of dedication. One of my friends recently was let go of their job because they had to fly and call in to work despite them letting that employer know this would be the case on some days. Also in regards to superbilly24s comment, what he is saying is true. Maybe you could manage a job but you will likely find yourself overwhelmed or lacking the attention to the school. Additionally he is right saying ground school is at 1800-2100 except thats only initially and as you progress and new classes come in they move you up in times. I started in the 1800-2100 time slot then 1500-1800 slot then 1200-1500 slot and then 0900-1200 slot. You if you think its manageable go for it!

Thank you. I really appreicate your insight!

[GetAGripen]

As stated above, the 12 month ICPC might be a better option at your age if you have prior education. That's what I did. I was able to complete the ICPC and instructor course all in 14 months, but did not work part-time and was 100% focused on getting it done. Instructed for a year then moved on. Having a part-time job is definitely doable, but might slow down your progress. You have to be flexible and ready to fly when the weather is nice to stay on schedule. When I was there, ground school was mostly in the evenings (1800-2100) since you can only fly during the day at first.

100% agree, best way to do it! ICPC is the fastest program with the least amount of extra BS.

[superbilly24]

As stated above, the 12 month ICPC might be a better option at your age if you have prior education. That's what I did. I was able to complete the ICPC and instructor course all in 14 months, but did not work part-time and was 100% focused on getting it done. Instructed for a year then moved on. Having a part-time job is definitely doable, but might slow down your progress. You have to be flexible and ready to fly when the weather is nice to stay on schedule. When I was there, ground school was mostly in the evenings (1800-2100) since you can only fly during the day at first.

Thank you! I do have prior education (A Business degree) - Just to clarify, doing the ICPC is a better option, bececause it is quicker?

The ICPC is quicker, gets you working sooner, and also a bit cheaper. I don't know too much about the life in flight program, but since you already have a university degree, I wouldn't bother with the diploma for sure.