BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

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Kenton
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BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by Kenton »

Hi there

I’m considering the BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot program? Has anyone completed it or heard any feedback on it – pros/cons?

http://www.bcit.ca/study/programs/1005dipts

Thank you.
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icosco
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by icosco »

I graduated from the BCIT program a year ago, and I would highly recommend it. I had a blast, met some amazing people, and got a job a month after our grad ceremony flying King Airs. It definitely includes some BS classes, but its pretty much 50 percent flying, 50 percent classroom stuff, most of the classroom stuff being groundschool and interesting, all classes are aviation related at least.

It is pricey, but you can go in never even having seen an airplane and come out 18 months later a commercially rated multi-IFR pilot.

If you have any questions shoot me a message, I'd be happy to help.
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Last edited by icosco on Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
tipsails
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by tipsails »

To be fair if I'm not mistaken part of the reason you managed to get that King Air job because you had nearly 500 hours and lots of private time flying the family aircraft, am I not correct? Just so the OP knows that's not necessarily going to be the norm for everyone. Lots of guys from the same BCIT class are hucking bags in Norman Wells right now.

BCIT is great for like icosco said, go from no FT to full CPL in a short time. It's very structured so great for those who need a schedule and one of the best programs on the west side of Canada.
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icosco
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by icosco »

This is true, I also got lucky as hell to get my job in any case. But two of my classmates who were hucking bags at NWA are flying now, one on the twotter and the other on the 1900. Another two of my classmates got on with Orca straight out of school and are bangin out hours like crazy. Those four would be better examples of post-grad BCIT students than myself.

Either way, having this diploma definitely aided all of us in getting our jobs. I think NWA might even require a diploma/degree nowadays, but I could be wrong on that.
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Last edited by icosco on Fri Dec 04, 2015 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SuperchargedRS
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by SuperchargedRS »

Just get your CPL as cheap and as fast as possible. Fresh CPLs with all their time in trike trainers are all one and the same, no one cares where you went to school.

Minimize debt and money out of pocket, minimize your time to reaching the job market, everything else is just static.
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tipsails
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by tipsails »

icosco wrote:This is true, I also got lucky as hell to get my job in any case. But two of my classmates who were hucking bags at NWA are flying now, one on the twotter and the other on the 1900. Another two of my classmates got on with Orca straight out of school and are bangin out hours like crazy. Those four would be better examples of post-grad BCIT students than myself.

Either way, having this diploma definitely aided all of us in getting our jobs. I think NWA might even require a diploma/degree nowadays, but I could be wrong on that.
Yeah there's a lot of people from your class that got started flying pretty fast. Who up in NWA are flying now? The person who was at TWA and moved? If you know who I'm talking about.


I think the big thing to take away for the OP is you get what you put in. There are a lot of BCIT grads who made it pretty fast and a lot who don't fly anymore. Then there are also alot of normal flight school grads who also found jobs quickly.

The industry is bumpin' right now. Sooner you get your licenses the sooner you can get in on the action.
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awitzke
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by awitzke »

I am an ex PFC grad. Not BCIT however we had the same instructors and a slightly adjusted curriculum. I was very happy with the training I received and was able to completed my PPL through MIFR in just under two years privately. This was with a lot of breaks (both summers I took 2-3months off flying and 2 months off near the end mainly due to money issues).

I was lucky enough to find a job right out of flight school. Coming up on 750 hours now, 8 months after finishing training. I'll be going captain soon and hopefully by my one year anniversary from starting my first job I'll have my ATPL.
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Kenton
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by Kenton »

Thanks for the comments. What I like about the course is that you follow a structured plan, so you know, OK, in 18 months from now I'll be in a position with X, y & z to my name. Then you take things from there. I'm thinking that way down the road when you apply at airlines like jazz, porter etc that diploma allows you to tick another box on the application form and might just give you an edge for a job. I might be wrong though.
Did you guys know of anyone that went on to instruct at PFC? Cheers.
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SuperchargedRS
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by SuperchargedRS »

Kenton wrote:Thanks for the comments. What I like about the course is that you follow a structured plan, so you know, OK, in 18 months from now I'll be in a position with X, y & z to my name. Then you take things from there. I'm thinking that way down the road when you apply at airlines like jazz, porter etc that diploma allows you to tick another box on the application form and might just give you an edge for a job. I might be wrong though.
Did you guys know of anyone that went on to instruct at PFC? Cheers.

This is not special or unique, you can make and execute a structured plan with any flight school, or even (better option) with a freelance instructor. I've never met a instructor who didn't get a job where he got his instructors ticket, it's kinda a part of the deal 9/10 times.


The biggest factor I've seen with my students, when it come to time to completion, is THEIR availability and commitment.

As for the degree, first off worry about your first and second job before you worry about airlines. Second you can get a degree online in your spare time, getting a BS degree just to have a degree is something you should only do if you really need to and should be done as cheaply and quickly as possible.
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Kenton
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by Kenton »

Ok thanks. This is all really useful information. Ok, so you can hook up with an instructor and set up your own structured training plan.. I like it. I'm 31 so there would be no time to waste. The plan would to quit my job and just go for it.
I already have an accounting degree, which I suppose is related to aviation from the bottom line side of things.
Cheers
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tipsails
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by tipsails »

Aviation degree, accounting degree... doesn't matter. When it comes to the airlines a degree is a degree. If you can quit your job and commit full time to flying, you will be done faster than the BCIT program. You can go from PPL-CPL-MIFR in a year if you treat it like school. For example on bad weather days, still go into the club and sit in one of the study rooms and study your brains off.

Another benefit from doing it privatley is no need for the overly extensive groundschools that the uni programs have. You can do your PPL, CPL ground schools online with Harvs Air (PilotTraining.ca) and the Sharper Edge book. The online course fulfills your groundschool hours requirement. I did my CPL, MIFR groundschools on that site and passed with great marks.

Then you can focus on flying. Once you have your Student permit you should be flying twice a day. Once dual in the AM and once solo in the PM. I went from 15 hours and student permit to PPL licensed in a month and a half. Then spend a summer time building and studying for your CPL exam. Write it at 100 hours and at about 130 hours you go back into the plane with an instructor to prep for your CPL flight test. Finish that about 150-160, move into the multi. You can do your multi in a week. I did mine in 7 hours, including the flight test. Then it's IFR. You can get ahead of the game and study for your INRAT well in advance. One month tops to get your IFR rating (weather usually comes into play especially if you're doing it over the winter months) and bam, you're done.

Lastly, the next intake for the BCIT program is this spring. So if time is really an issue for you (as in you want to get started and finished ASAP) you could start your PPL training tomorrow if you wanted to. You would be working on your CPL time building before the next BCIT class even touches an aircraft (May usually).
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SuperchargedRS
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by SuperchargedRS »

Kenton wrote:Ok thanks. This is all really useful information. Ok, so you can hook up with an instructor and set up your own structured training plan.. I like it. I'm 31 so there would be no time to waste. The plan would to quit my job and just go for it.
I already have an accounting degree, which I suppose is related to aviation from the bottom line side of things.
Cheers


Than you don't need a degree program, as you actually have a real degree.

I'd go down to the local airport and ask around and find a good HIGH TIME instructor, maybe also post it in here, ask on this thread with your location, maybe also post it in the jobs section.

Many of the university instructors have VERY little REAL WORLD flying experience aside from instructing, higher time freelance guys, especially ones who are retired from the airlines or something are a WAY better bang for the buck, just find one who meshes with your learning style and who's schedule fits yours and get it done!
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tipsails
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by tipsails »

While I don't fully disagree with your comment, my instructor had 500 hours when I started (and 1500 when I did my MIFR with him) and I couldn't have been happier. I have heard good things from CP's in the past mentioning they liked the way I was trained so lower time can't be all bad. Focus on the time they have as well as their personality and way they hold themselves, an if they can actually teach. I'd rather be with someone I get along with who maybe has a bit lower time than a high time guy who thinks he is god's gift. Remember you're going to be spending a lot of time in the plane with this person. Personality conflicts happen and that is just as important as hours and experience.
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SuperchargedRS
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by SuperchargedRS »

Thing is as a student there would be a good chance you wouldn't know if you were getting good instruction until after the fact, personally I wouldn't waste my money on a 500hr instructor, not as long as there are high time (is in thousands of hours and industry experience outside of instructing) guys out there, many of which will end up being the same or less money than a big box flight school/university.


As for being gods gift, you see that MUCH more with the low time guys, once they become a instructor they are now the big guy at the flight school, they haven't worked the line with coworkers guys who have decades and thousands of hours on them.

Just find a high time freelancer who you get along with, ain't rocket surgery, plus that high time guy is going to have WAY more connections and WAY more real world knowledge he can share, everything from slow flight to how to break into the industry and work your way up.
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mixturerich
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by mixturerich »

icosco wrote:Either way, having this diploma definitely aided all of us in getting our jobs. I think NWA might even require a diploma/degree nowadays, but I could be wrong on that.
Can confirm. NWA requires an aviation diploma. It's a good, safe company and one of the fastest ways to get on a plane. Lots of opportunities, especially on floats, to get to do some pretty authentic bush flying, or at least as close as you can get in this day and age. It's a fun group of people here, too.

Reality is, there aren't enough flying jobs for every 200hr guy to get one right out of school. Some may get extremely lucky, but most people are going to have to huck bags for a year, or maybe more. It is what it is.

As for BCIT, and I'm sure icosco would agree, it's well structure, taught professionally, and gives you good opportunity to instruct afterwards if you want to. The instructors at PFC continue to progress along into great careers. You can also bridge your diploma into a degree with online courses in short time afterwards. Great if you don't have a degree already.

My advice to Kenton is to work hard, don't complain, keep your head down, and most importantly, stay humble. It really is about the journey, not the destination, and if you put in 110% now, it will pay off later. PM me if you want to know more on the BCIT program.
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shailee
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Re: BCIT Airline and Flight Operations - Commercial Pilot

Post by shailee »

Hi, I am actually considering the airline pilot program at BCIT and would like to know if the PPL and CPL are already included in the tuition fees or will they be at an additional cost?
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