Confederation course load question

[luzzbightyear]

I was looking over confederations website again and noticed a small note advising of the summer semester which I know is the float rating and other stuff, but then it said its a seven day a week course. Does this mean you have class on weekends, or just flying on weekends? Or neither and your weekends are free? I know the course load is heavy and quick moving especially first year, but classes on weekends seems like a lot to me.

[Slappy the Squirrel]

My experience is a few years old with them. To say that you'll have classes during the summer is a bit misleading. They do a couple ground schools in May during the week for transferring to the other model of 172, as well as float flying. Beyond that, there is no other ground school during the summer. Summer consisted of flying Monday-Friday, with weekends off. You'd go out to the float base for 3 or 4 days at a time throughout the summer. I have heard that they'll fly on weekends if the class is far behind in flying, but I think they try to avoid it. When I went through it most students were done around the beginning of August, and so had the rest of the summer off.
I'm pretty sure they just tell you 7 days a week because it is possible that it could happen that way, but I don't think it's the norm.

[luzzbightyear]

Oh i see so if need be theres floats on summer weekends, which is just fun anyways. But theres absolutely no school on weekends during the normal school year? thats a bit misleading saying "b) Be aware that this is a seven day/week program"

[AUGER9]

During the non summer semesters it is definitely 6-7 days a week, with flying on weekends. Generally first year included 2 or 3 flight bookings during the week with another 1-2 every weekend. Otherwise classes usually ran 8am-5pm monday to friday with one evening class per week.

[luzzbightyear]

ok thanks for clearing that up auger

[luzzbightyear]

another quick question: Is it a good time to enter the industry?

[Colonel Sanders]

It's a great time to have 1000TT.

[luzzbightyear]

well guess I better get started...saw an ad on facebook promising my ppl in 4 days! just kidding.

So the answer is no?

[Colonel Sanders]

How soon do you need an answer? I'm pretty sure I
can tell you for certain in another 5 years or so.

But seriously ... I've said it before, and I'll say it again ...
what determines whether or not you get hired as an
airline pilot, is the year you were born in.

Some years, you can have perfect tan, perfect teeth,
20,000 hours, a type rating on the Space Shuttle and
you won't be able to get a job because the industry
has tanked and they aren't hiring anyone.

Other years, if you can see lightning and hear thunder,
you're in, because the gates are open and they're booming -
right until the moment you get laid off.

Try to understand that the airline industry is a capital-intensive
commodity industry, which is a fancy way of saying financial
suicide. It's highly cyclic.

[Slappy the Squirrel]

The Colonel is right, but maybe not very clear.

Right now? Yes, I would say it is a good time all things considered. But that is apt to change, and usually does change, on a dime. It is anybody's guess what it will be like in a couple years when you are entering the job market.

Another thing, good times means you have a decent shot at finding an entry level job. This doesn't necessarily mean the job will be well-paying...

[Colonel Sanders]

What you need to do, is understand things around you a little
bit more, so that you can make a better decision. Play heads-up
hockey, in other words.

Is there demand for pilots right now? If so, why? What are the
forces creating that demand? Are those conditions likely to continue?
If so, why?

I'll give you a little tip about the deceptiveness of the industry. Let's
say you hear that 4 pilots were hired this month. That's a lie. Only
one pilot got hired - at a major airline. He left his job at a T2 airline,
which created an empty spot, which was replaced by a guy at a T3
airline, which created an empty spot, which was replaced by some
long-suffering rampie with congenital body odour and halitosis, or
a MIFR instructor with gel in his hair.

See the rippling? It drives the non-T1 operators nuts, as pilots are
always ready to jump upwards.

So when you hear "100 pilots hired in Canada this month", you know
it's a lie - 25 pilots were hired at AC, WJ and the rest is rippled movement.

If there's one thing I can teach you, is that 99% of everything that
everyone will tell you is utter garbage. You will learn that in the decades
to come.

Open your eyes. Read. Get your own information and make your own
decision. Don't just ask other people what to do.

[luzzbightyear]

well, hopefully 2015 is a good year for low timers. thanks for your replies guys.

[Big Pistons Forever]

The industry is cyclic. The best I have seen was 2007 with guys going left seat on the 1900 in 704 Ops without an ATPL courtesy of a TC exemption. The worst was the early 1990's with operators requiring 5000 hrs TT and 2000 hrs Multi PIC for a 703 Ho job,....because they could.