de727ups

I wouldn't recommend it. There is a whole forum devoted to ATP at Jetcareers.com - Welcome Check it out.

200SR20

It did, because what came with the cirrus was the new FITS program and simulators... Instead of a private course then an instrument course they combined them into one course with quite a bit of sim time to keep the price down.

AmazonChitlin

Could you outline the FITS program for me? I have an instructor friend at the Ft. Lauderdale campus, but he isn't doing the Cirrus thing since he's going somewhere else.

What is the hourly rate for the SR-20's there? I flew a SR-22 a couple weeks ago and it was $250/hr.

I'm not saying your lying or anything like that, and I'm not trying to get into a mud slinging match. I'm just curious how they can afford to start swapping out their fleet, changing the sims, training the instructors, changing the syllabus, etc, without increasing the price substantially.

ryan1234

I have not personally flown a Cirrus...

I was wondering how it does as a primary trainer?

200SR20

I love flyin the cirrus, I think there great planes but they weren't designed for the amount of work and strain we give them. It's not like there breaking down all the time or anything its just they have corky little issues. At DCA its 120hr and 50 for instruction in the cirrus.

People bad talk the SR-20s all the time along with the pilots that have started there training in them. I use to get ridiculed all the time because I have now approx. 110 hrs and the private/instrument course I finished in 81hrs and its all SR-20 time. When I would talk about renting planes all I was ever told was that I am just a cirrus pilot and I can't fly anything else... WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP a planes a plane I h ave flown different planes and guess what a planes is a plane.

DCA is the only 141 school that does FITS training. It stands for Faa Industry Training Standard which is a scenario based training. Its great for instrument training because instead of just going to the closest airport and shooting the same approaches you have 3 routes to choose from for each scenario. I like the structure behind it.

AmazonChitlin

I don't think it makes a good primary trainer...I think it's to much airplane for private students.

I hear DCA has also been having problems with the nose gear on them. It's understandable I think, since it's free castering. The shimmy alone on my landing made me think the gear was going to vibrate right off the plane, until I got weight on it!

AmazonChitlin

I love the Cirrus. I just don't think it's a good plane to use in a flight school. I don't think they were built for the abuse, and as I said in my response to Ryan1234, I think it's too much airplane for private students.

The instructor I flew with on the Cirrus said that it takes students who get their PPL's longer than students who fly in traditional planes such as Cessna's or Piper's. Whether that really is the case, I have no clue. But it would make sense.

I've flown with two people that went to DCA, and neither one has made me feel nervous in any way.

I'll see if I can't get a look at the FITS syllabus from my friend there. I'm really curious about it!

200SR20

Yeah the noise gear problem is a manufacture problem. Cirrus is right now beefing up there SR-20 noise gear and a recurring 50hr AD inspection is out now. DCA is the only flight school flyin the crap out of the SR-20s and were pretty much the ginny pigs. The SR-22s have a much better gear its the 20s that have the problem and after 1 DCA 20 went down the fleet was grounded and inspected. Found cracks on LOTS of our 20s.