de727ups

"go to any bar in Sanford you'll see what I mean. You just don't get that at your local fbo."

Sorry if I don't agree. You can get any style of whatever you want at an FBO. You pay for it. You ask the CFI to follow a syllabus. You want to pay for it, ask the CFI to wear a uniform, maybe it will cost extra, but you could even wear a pilot uniform, too. How cool is that....

"You don't get introduced to airline style manuals, uniforms, scheduling, etc. either."

All hogwash. None of that is needed to progress in the biz, nor is it worth paying extra for. Give me a break....

Joe's FBO can prepare you to get to the same place as DCA. It's not rocket science. It's about hard work and motivation. Come on people.....

Pilotpip

What you guys don't understand is that many local schools have 141 programs and don't come with the academy price tag. A lower loan tab is a lot easier to pay off and the flight school doesn't really matter when you get furloughed.

resetjet

Maybe I should have approached that post a little differently. All that stuff worked for me. de727ups is right, you don't need that stuff to progress but it makes drinking through a fire hose a hell of a lot easier when you've already done it once. Again, it was a good foundation.

flightmb35

so true...

200SR20

I completely agree with what your sayin...

I'm not one to say that DCA is the best school around but from what I have seen with aircraft rentals and just checking out 61 schools I'm sorry I was SHOCKED at what I saw and alot of FBOs... Aircraft flying without proper documentation and even after bringing to their attention they didn't care, zero care for checklist usage except for GUMPS lol gzzzz. I know that not all 61 schools are like that but DCA is so strict with there training the thought of not following procedures or flying un-airworthy puts me into a position I never want to be in again!!!! Its expensive, yes but the training, I'm sorry, is awesome & you can get a student loan though them which is a route I had to take and the facts on the $$$$ are off and have been...

The school is been in a constant change since they started with the FITS and cirrus so until its hammered out the price can't even be discussed other than what you yourself have spent because I know for a fact CFI and II have dropped more than 50% than what it was. Its back to reasonable. I love the training and I love the atmosphere.

AmazonChitlin

Hate to say it, but if you think switching from a Cessna fleet to a Cirrus one is going to drop the price, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you...

PLTwnab

You know, I was directed to go to that site once by someone on here...guess he was pullin my leg? Didn't even seem like such a bad idea at the time, though I was a little apprehensive about the idea of being able to get all of the training needed to become a CFI in 95 days...How can you teach others with so little training under your belt?

de727ups

"How can you teach others with so little training under your belt?"

I think you get the "training" at ATP. The question should be "How can you teach others with so little "experience" under your belt....

Stryker

You definitely get the training at ATP, but learning how to teach comes with experience like was said before... I didnt feel completely comfortable teaching until about 150 hours of dual given... You cant teach experience, you just have to attain it....

PLTwnab

So you guys would recommend the program then despite the experience factor? Did you go through it yourselves? Or just know people that have?