100LowLife

Hey all, I'm a time-building CFI at a flight school that just contracted with Spirit for the Pathway Program. I know they've partnered with multiple schools like ATP, but just curious to know if there is anybody on here that has gotten a CJO through this program.

If so, couple of Q's for ya:
- Was your interview similar to that on the gouges on aviationinterviews.com or was it more softball questions because you were a CFI?
- Best way to study for the interview?
- If you've gotten through training already (with no previous turbine time), did you feel that training was difficult? Or not because the 320 transition course got you up to speed?

Thanks in advance!

RemoveB4flght

I’m about 25 years too late to help you with questions about the program you are in. That being said, the important thing to remember for pilots in your shoes is not how difficult the Spirit training will seem, but how much you still have yet to learn on the other side of it.

To put it into context, compare the knowledge level that was expected of you on your CFI ride to what was expected on your Private. You are flying the same plane in the same airport/airspace, but under much different circumstances and responsibility. Coming off your private, you had only the most fundamental understanding of both the plane and how to operate it. This is where you will be at the end of your Spirit training. I’m sure you have had discussions with freshly licensed students to be wary about how much they bite off as they slowly expand their experience. You won’t have that luxury as the very next day when you get line qualified you can be sent to the biggest/busiest/or trickiest airports in the most challenging conditions.

If the training at any point seems easy, it’s because you aren’t aware of how much you don’t know. The same goes for your first few years on the line.

CincoDeMayo

Excellent advice, it really is.

Ill add 1 thing: As an instructor, your student is your customer, and its your job to find different ways to help them learn how to fly the C172 (or whatever), you job is to instruct. Once at a 121 airline, and you are signed off to the line, it is not the CAs job to instruct. The customer is not you, the customers are in the plane behind you. This is also what RemoveB4Flight was saying, training wheels will be off, you are expected to do the job as a qualified 121 FO, operating in the busiest airports, dangerous airports, all hours of the day.

You challenge will not be learning flows or limitations of the A320, the challenge will be staying afloat with the operation and the realities of 121 line flying.

Not to discourage anyone, but the learning curve is steep, way steeper than the steep turns youre current teaching in a single engine piston (sorry, couldn't resist). Its just we had a new knucklehead on this forums a few months back who was convinced the CA is supposed to hand hold all of our new hires, as if they were students and the CAs are CFIs.

sioux8ships

On the bright side, looks like English isn’t this persons second language!

Russs

Agree on this...particularly the learning curve. I've been 121 for 8 months or so and still have times where I feel behind. The firehose of info during training becomes a firehose of experiences on the line that you have never seen before. It can be a lot. It certainly can be done, but there is nothing easy about it.

kjrocka

I came to spirit via a pathway program. Learning curve is steep indeed and while I certainly don’t expect the CA’s to be CFI’s, most are happy to help if you have questions about something. Good bunch of people working here. Recommend!

SoFloFlyer

I was sub 200 hours on the plane and sub 500 hours of 121 when I was called on reserve to fly to Costa Rica with a fully loaded, topped off A321 in the hot summer with nothing, but red and purple on the radar and controllers who don’t know how to speak English. I was sh%#+ing myself.

It’s not easy, but it’s fun! The CAs certainly are not instructors, but they’re usually willing to help out if you go to them humble, hungry, and ready to soak up what they got to tell you. Nothing, but top notch crews here at NK!

onedolla

Now this has the makings of a good story. Can you tell us more? I can’t believe any captain (or you) would fly through red on the radar, and it’s hard to imagine SJO has gotten rid of English speaking controllers…

RemoveB4flght

Just because it’s on the radar doesn’t mean you’re flying through it. The presence of severe weather still makes life interesting, especially when you are maneuvering down low with terrain around.

onedolla

We wait with baited breath for the exciting story.