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Dear Student Pilot,
I wish to thank you for your interest in CDA and our Professional Pilot Training Programs. I firmly believe that CDA is by far the very best school for any individual who wishes to become a Commercial Pilot, and the absolute best choice for foreign students.
The CDA policies, procedures, and practices are all designed around the individual student. In fact everything we do here at CDA is based on your needs and requirements as a student pilot, that gives you
what you need to achieve your goals in aviation, not ours. Hopefully the
following will help you understand what I mean and what you can expect
as you train here at CDA.
First of all the training we do here at CDA is all one on one. This means that the
same instructor that gives you your ground school will also do all of your flight
training. Two very important things happen here. First you get 100% of the
instructors’ time and energy because you are not just one of the students in the
classroom, you’re the only student. Secondly you and your instructor develop a much
more personal relationship that will make his teaching and your learning much easier
and smoother. For a foreign student such as yourself, this means you can learn faster,
with better understanding, and saves you huge amounts of time and money.
As with most foreign students, English is a second language. The three main FAA
requirements to receive a pilot’s license, besides the minimum training is the
ability to read, write, and understand English. The language is one of the biggest
problems the foreign student will face. Our one on one training policy means that
you and your instructor will know and understand each other better and faster and
make it easier for you to learn.
CDA has a policy of only 3 full time students per instructor per day. This way your
instructor is not overloaded with students and can give more personal attention and
higher quality education to each of his students.
CDA offers it student’s lots of choices. Choices in aircraft, choices in schedules, choices in courses, and choices in cross country destinations during your training. CDA has a wide choice of aircraft with a good mix of both new and older aircraft, all expertly maintained by our own in-house maintenance staff. You and your instructor determine your training schedule not the school. You are allowed to decide which training courses you will take and when you will take them. CDA will work with you to suggest the best way to obtain the training you want and need, then you make the final decision. During your training you are required to take longer trips, what we call cross-country flights. Some school limit you as to where you can fly to on these flights, but at CDA, the whole of the United States is there and available for you to explore and enjoy.
I personally have been involved in aviation in one form or another all my 48 years.
I have seen a lot of good school, companies, and airlines over those years and have
tried to incorporate the best from each in creating CDA. We chose Daytona Beach,
Florida to locate the school due to the fact that we enjoy and average of 350 days
a year of good solid flying weather. There are 8 airports and plenty of designated
training areas to offer our students the experience of every type of airspace and air
traffic control exposure you need to be able to fly anywhere in the world All of these
factors add to the total quality of you flight training experiences that you will
not find at other schools.
There are some very important factors to take in account, and questions you should
ask when searching for a flight school and here is why;
#1. Flight training is unlike most school experiences.
In flight training there are 2 parts. There is the ground school, which gives you
the more traditional classroom study, and the actual flying of the aircraft. Both
require you as the student to reach and obtain a minimum level of knowledge and
skill to achieve your license. This is extremely important to understand that no
two people learn or developed this knowledge and skill levels at the same rate.
#2. All schools advertise their training programs costs based on the FAA's MINIMUM TIME REQUIREMENTS!
The minimum flight training hours under an FAA Part 141 training program for a Private Pilot is 35 hours in an airplane. The national average in the US, which is lower than most countries, is 58 hours. This is important to know as it has a direct effect on the cost of your training and is the best indicator of the QUALITY of the training a student will receive. The average here at CDA is 45 hours. MAKE SURE YOU
ASK WHAT THE AVERAGE HOURS THE SCHOOLS STUDENTS FLY, TO RECEIVE THEIR PRIVATE PILOTS
LICENSE! Remember that the LOWEST ADVERTISED PRICE IS USUALLY NOT THE BEST TRAINING
OR VALUE. Over the last 8 years and hundreds of students I have only seen 3 students
really ready for a final check ride in the minimum hours required by the FAA.
#3. First Time Pass Rate for students.
Each training course includes a two part final exam and a written test. The
written test is just that, a written test to examine you on the knowledge you
obtained in your ground school lessons. The oral exam is where the Designated
Flight Examiner questions you to test your knowledge, and finally the flight
test in the aircraft. The first time pass rate for the students again is an
important indicator of the quality of the training and the overall cost the
student must pay. Its easy to see why additional flight or ground lessons
needed to retake a failed test will cost the student more time and money, so
be sure you ask this question: WHAT IS THE AVERAGE FIRST TIME PASS RATE FOR
THE SCHOOLS STUDENTS ON FINAL CHECK RIDES AND WRITTEN TESTS?
At CDA our students first time pass on all written, oral, and final flight tests
has remained over 90% for the last 8 years. In our Flight Instructor Training
programs our first time pass rate is over 95% as compared to the FAA's reported
average of 70%.
#4. Transfer Policies
As a foreign student in the US, your Visa allows you up to 6 months to transfer
to another school if you are not satisfied. Unlike some other schools, CDA feels
it is important for you to understand that you have options. As a student you need
to feel satisfied with the training you are receiving.
#5. Deposits and Payments for Training.
When applying for your Student Visa you are required to show proof that you have
the ability to pay for the purposed training. THERE IS NO LAW THAT SAYS YOU HAVE
TO PAY THE ENTIRE COST OF YOUR TRAINING UP FRONT!
Make sure the school you choose allows you the flexibility to pay for one course
of study at a time if you wish, and they have a clear and written refund policy in
place. The last thing you need is to travel thousands of miles, pay thousands of
dollars, find that you’re not satisfied, and come to find out the school has a NO
REFUND or partial refund policy. Remember you are not just a student but also
a customer. You are paying for a service and should expect to be treated as such.
Be sure you ask the right questions and feel comfortable with the school you
choose. Then you will have a better chance of getting the education that you
want and need.
No matter where you go in the world, the airlines all look at the same thing
when hiring a new pilot, and that is Multi Engine P.I.C. (Pilot In Command)
time. There are those schools that offer all kinds of extra programs such as
Cockpit Resource Management, or 737 Simulator training, or maybe even flight
training in a King Air. It all sounds good, but believe me if you’re a US pilot,
it wont really help when it comes time to get hired for that airline you want to
fly for. European and many other airlines around the world hire new pilots at a
much lower total time and experience. There are times that when these other
trainings courses can be more helpful, so you must be very careful and understand
the advantages and disadvantages before you go spending thousands of dollars you
might need to spend.
Each and every airline in the world has its own training programs designed to
train you on their aircraft and using their procedures. As a new low time commercial
pilot, the airline is looking at your licenses, total flight time, and your total
Multi Engine PIC time. The airlines all know and understand that transitioning from
one airliner to another is 90% learning the systems and procedures that they use,
not flying that airplane
Multi engine P.I.C. time is flying as the Captain on the airplane. You are responsible for every aspect of the flight and are actually doing more work as a pilot in a small twin than you would be in a 747. It may seam hard to believe but it’s the truth. This is why no matter your total hours the airlines all have a minimum multi time requirement separate from your total hours. Western European airlines require a minimum of 50 hours multi. Others like here in the United States require a minimum of 100 hours and in times where pilots are not in demand, that minimum may go as high as 500 hours. So it is important for you to know that you are getting the best value for your training dollar, which are the hours and training that will need to ready you for your first flying job.
I would be wrong to not admit that Turboprop or Turbine time would not give you a
slight edge, if the total multi time were the same, but when you conceder the
costs difference of 3 or 4 times more money per hour in a King Air as compared
to a Piper Seneca, all you end up doing is spending more money than you need to,
or end up with less hours than you could of had. Do the math, 50 hours in a king
Air will cost average $500.00 per hour that comes to $25,000.00. A Piper Seneca
costing $145.00 per hour would give you 172 hours of multi engine flight time
for the same money. Which do you think would look better on your resume, 50 hours
multi time or 172 hours?
I truly believe you would be very hard pressed to find a better flight school,
that gives you the options, choices, and quality education that you will receive
here at CDA. At CDA, the quality of your education, the safety of flight, and
your dreams and desires come first.
Once you have decided on your courses and costs, you will need to complete our enrollment application. This application must be returned along with a $350.00 processing fee. The fee can be paid by credit card, wire transfer, or certified bank funds. At that point we will send you your I-20 form, which you will take to the closest US Embassy. There they will complete your application and issue you your Student Visa. Once the Visa is issued you may contact CDA and we will make the final arrangements for you training and arrival.
Thank you again for your interest and I look forward to meeting and flying with you very soon.
Sincerely,
David Alber
President
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