Calgary FTU...

[mathias_now]

What is the most sought after FTU to have trained at in the Calgary by employers? My goal is to instruct and eventully end up making a career flying medevac/charter(Sunwest, Bar XH, Sprint, Kenn Borek) or Tier 3(CMA, Perimeter, bearskin). Any suggestions?

Thanks in trust,

MN

[FlaplessDork]

They are all equally crappy.

[MorganAirCFI]

I don't think it really matters what school. I've spent time with most of the schools out here, and I know people form each school who found a job with the companies you listed. The major differences between each school are the individual instructors.

[matt777]

I have only been with Springbank Air Training College. For the first half of my training, it was great but then they took on way too many students and it was nearly impossible to get a flight at the time you wanted. This was last year so it may have changed, not sure though.

[spinjob]

Employers are more likely concerned with a pilots experience, I.E. flight hours, and aircraft types flown, than they are concerned with where you were trained. (unless you had military training, or some form of advanced training. Non of which you'll get in Calgary)

All the schools you've listed are going to give you the same basic thing. Approx 200-250 hours on a C152/C172. What you need to be more concerned about is availability of the instructors, cost, and quality of training. There are many instructors around Calgary and Area, go to the schools and have a chat with them. Determine how much time you, and they have available for training. This could be a big factor in which school to choose. I can only speak from what little experience I've had training in Calgary, but I've heard a lot about the different schools, by word of mouth, and Avcanada.

Springbank air training college is a good school, it's had some negative comments from some people on Avcanada, but things are much different now. With the addition of a new CFI and several class 2 instructors it has drastically improved. The school offers a discounted rate to full time students, it's got good full time instructors, 6 C-172's and a Piper Senica. If you are considering full time training then this will be one of the least expensive schools in the yyc area.

The CFC is also a good School operated in Springbank too. The club has a better social atmosphere that SATC, but it charges a little bit more for the aircraft, approx $10 per hour.
They do have newer C172`s, and also offer Diamond DA-20 for training too.
The Club has more renters than SATC, so i would take a guess that aircraft availability is more limited.

Flyright is just across the street from the club. I can`t comment about cost, or availabilty of Aircraft or instructors. One thing i can tell you is that you will get excellent instruction, but only if you are willing to be on the ball. Word has it that the school demands alot from the students, the timid and or lazy should not be considering Flyright.

I don't know much about Morgan air, only that you`ll end up spending a considerable amount more $$$$$. They operate out of the international airport, this means a lot of taxi time, take-off and landing fee`s as well as flying to other airports for circuits (and you`ll be doing a lot of them)

Keeping in mind that you want to fly commercially, then i would have to recommend that you pick a school that operates out of an airport like Springbank. A busy control zone can be intimidating at first, but if you can handle the control zone at YBW, then uncontrolled airports will be a breeze and Terminal Control Area`s will seem easy and less intimidating.

As a student pilot you choices are often limited by $, so you`ll have to pick what you can afford. But remember it`s your $, so spend it wisely.

Good luck in your training.

[trey kule]

i cant speak for all employers, but where you took the training means little to our company, with some specific exceptions, both good and bad.

What is important to our company.

1. That your abilities are what we would expect with your experience. It is actually easy to determine on an evaluation flight what is a fault of training and what is just a poor pilot. Generally you can teach a pilot if they have the right attitude.

2. Previous work experience so you actually understand this is a job and not a play time, or log building exercise, where we pay you.

3. Things like puncuality, honesty, the ability to get along with others. Spelling and grammer...not so much.
Some of the indicators....honest log book entries
Employer references
Appropriate dress and deportment for the job interview
Clean drivers abstract

4. A history of nothing but positive posts on AvCanada.

Seriously, too many new pilots seem to think that employers only look at flying skills. Just aint so. I have seen one flight school set of graduates who can copy Wx shorthand faster than I can read it...but they really have no indepth understanding of what the heck it all means..Given a sample briefing on the entrance tests they will look at a GFA as gospel and totally ignore the TAFs/Metars which are saying something completely different. (just an example...it is not a trick question BTW...it is intended to see if a pilot understands and can think.)

[mathias_now]

Thanks for all the great advice. What I want is the same quality of training I would get from a flight college since I'm more than 3/4 of the way done my degree (which I plan to finish down the road) and don't want to go to an actual flight college to avoid taking boring filler classes. From the posts FlyRight will give me this level of training I require, since I'm a person who enjoys structure with discipline, and am willing to work hard to achieve my aviation goals. Judging the poll above it seems like CFC is the most desired among avcanada posters.

Why?

Thanks again,

MN

[I Я Instructor]

Mathias,

The poll in this thread has less to do with quality and more to do with volume. CFC has the biggest fleet of aircraft in the Calgary area. There are many people going through the doors because they are a club. Of course you're going to have people vote for what they know.

No matter which school you chose you're going to get instructors that care and ones that don't. That's the nature of the beast. Personally, I believe that having a good relationship with your instructor is key. Don't get FlyRight mixed up with Doris. You know the old saying, when the cat is away, the mice play. Most of your PPL training will probably not be done with Doris.

Nowhere in the CARs does it state that you have to stay at a particular school. A suggestion to you might be to buy a PTR and go on discovery flights with the schools you interviewed that passed your criteria. This will give you at least some baseline. Generally speaking you'll get assigned an instructor that will stay with you for the duration of your training.

I stress the fact that you don't have to stay with any one school. Too many people feel that once they start at a school they have to finish the training there. That is not the case. Keep that in mind.

[WayDownTown]

Getting a job is all about being at the right place at the right time. When a company has a seat to fill they need to fill it now, they aren't going to waite around for some guy to finish his schooling. Companies are in the buisness to make money, not dreams. Go to whatever school is going to get you done first, then move north, east or west to whoever will give you a job pumping fuel, toilets or whatever they want. Look for companies that have lots of entry level positions, that fly lots and if they are in the north have a way out for you or at least a way to get fresh milk and cheese in, ie run a sked. Then when you get into that ho or cessna fly lots cause that's going to get you into your beech. Fly that beech untill the cows come home cause that beech is going to give you the hours so that you can come back to yyc as a captain. Captains make more money so don't leave one place untill you have the experience to fly as a captain for another company. If you want to be a good pilot, learn as much as you can from everyone you fly with, pick and choose the quality of pilot you want to be. Learn to work hard and learn to not complain unnecessary. Don't chase miles, don't chase planes and don't have enevy of other pilots, remember that there is someone somewhere wanting the spot that your in so enjoy it while you have it. The stories that you'll be telling for the rest of your life are probably going to be comming from your first 3000 hours so make them count.

[mathias_now]

Very good, thank you once again for the great words of advice. Now could anyone provide me with a list of instructors along with the school that they had a great experience with, or if you are an instructor and think you can meet my criteria. Either way feel free to PM me and I will go from there. I'm looking for someone who is not just instructing for the hours but because they love you teach, learn, and see people accomplish their goals. I want to be pushed to the highest level of their knowledge as I would rather be over prepared than just reaching the minims. I want to be the best pilot I can be, and know without hesitation what to do if the unforeseen is to occur since I have lost friends, as I'm sure many on here have, due to plane accidents. Safety is the most important thing to me, like it should be for any pilot.

Once again I would like you thank you in advance as your advice is greatly appreciated.

MN

[mathias_now]

Anyone?

[I Я Instructor]

I could be wrong but with my limited experience in the aviation industry I have found that people will only do so much. For example, a company will give you the SOP's but alas, you have to read it. If that truly is the case, you might actually have to get out here to do your own research.

[C-FKLY]

Um, Mathias, I don't think asking for instructors on a forum is your best course of action. Instead, come out to Springbank, poke your head in the doors of SATC, FlyRight, Mount Royal and the Calgary Flying Club, ask for a tour of the facilities and aircraft, meet some of the instructors, find out the prices... and base your decision that way. If you can, try to do it on a weather day, when the business is slow -- there's always instructors and dispatchers kicking around with little to do on these days and they'd be happy to help you out.

Frankly, employers generally don't really care where you trained -- simply that you have the hours they want. What matters most is picking the club that fits into YOUR schedule, and YOUR budget -- worry about the job when you have the hours.

[mathias_now]

Thanks all. Now, would going to a flight college give me an advantage at the level I wish to fly at?

[Shiny Side Up]

In terms of getting hired after getting your licence? No. Later on after your second or third flying job? Maybe.

As an employer, who you took your training with only has bearing on your suitability as an employee if possibly the school - usually more specifically instructor - was particularly bad. Though to be fair, I usually don't count that against someone, if their attitude and work ethic is good.

[I Я Instructor]

Mat, you have been researching this for what? 6 months now? I think you're over thinking this. When you first start flying, you're going in for a private pilots license. That's it. You have absolutely no obligations to stay at a place you don't feel comfortable in.

You will find that good and bad instructors are available just about everywhere. Each persons definition of good or bad is different. The key thing is to go out there and meet with these people.

I think a general consensus on this forum and in the aviation world is that going for an aviation degree may not be the smartest idea. This time is a perfect example. It is my understanding that the training you get is focused on aviation so when pilots get laid off.... you think the mechanics and/or administrative staff are far behind? You want to get a peace of paper, do it in a different field so you have something to fall back on.

Again. DO SOME LEG WORK AND VISIT THE FLIGHT SCHOOLS!

[MorganAirCFI]

I don't know much about Morgan air, only that you`ll end up spending a considerable amount more $$$$$. They operate out of the international airport, this means a lot of taxi time, take-off and landing fee`s as well as flying to other airports for circuits (and you`ll be doing a lot of them)

The Taxi Time being longer is a myth at Morgan Air. Having flown out of Springbank for 8 years and the international airport for 1 year, I find the wait at Springbank is often then same as the international. Often at Springbank I am waiting to find a hole in between the circuit traffic and can be waiting on the ground longer then at the international. Rarely do I have to wait athe CYYC, I actualy usually get airborne quicker then I would have at Springbank as I have more runway options.

We may have to complete circuits at remote airports, but the transit time is used efficiently to review or practice previous or new exercises. The nice thing is we do not have to worry about being denied circuits when its busy.

You will find good things about every school, and you will find issues at every school as well. They are all pretty much at par, the main difference is the individual instructor, and I believe we have a great team a Morgan Air. Come and meet one of our instructors, and see if they are right for you.