Sounds like a solid plan. I flew for ExpressJet (when it was Continental Express) out of EWR for 9yrs and it was awesome. I was 30min from the parking lot and did some amazing trips. One of the nicest perks being EWR based is unless you’re from the area, most people don’t want to be there. Which means if you do, you’re golden. I got EWR as my base right off the bat, built seniority very quickly (again people who aren’t from there want out ASAP), fast upgrade, offered instructor positions, the works. Honestly if it wasn’t for my desire to get out of Dodge for some warmer weather I would have stayed forever.
Get crackin’ on those writtens and keep is posted.
I am glad that you are planning on taking the leap here and am especially glad that you are planning to work on the written exams prior to starting the program.
I am based in EWR with United. I feel they are a great company to work for and as Adam said, you can build a lot of seniority quickly there.
Please keep us updated and let us know if we can help you in any way.
Matthew,
So glad to hear you’ve got your next steps are in place and a start date in sight! Good luck with your studying for those writtens. One at a time! Let us know if we can help with anything else and of course touch base with updates along the way!
Yes, one negative is the weather, the last few days here have been coldddd! but with family and my roots here I think it makes sense, although Los Angeles does seem attractive haha
Brrrrr, I feel that cold windy weather over here in Pennsylvania…we’re anticipating more snow.
Glad to hear your admission flight went well with Steven, always enjoyed my flights with him. I still remember my first evaluation flight in my IFR stage with him in August; I could tell you everything that went down, haha. Did you get to check out the Cirrus G1000 simulator or the FRASCA at all? Hope you got a few biscuits before the flight or on the way out, we refer to them as “Delta Cookies.”
Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the simulator or get the biscuits! We did the flight first and afterward we met back up with some of my family members in the office and chatted for a bit. I think Steven had a lesson with a student after and we were just about at 2 hours. No biggie!
Just got off the phone with Tom and I am officially enrolled! Start date is April 12th at Trenton, NJ!
I know I have some time, but can anyone recommend a few headsets and which size iPad?
I’m super excited today! Looking forward to getting started when my bundle arrives.
I’m old and when I trained an IPad was something you used to train your new puppy but I do know about headsets. Bose, Bose and did I say Bose?!? They’re light, stupid comfy, and quiet (oh and they look cool). Yes they’re pricey but they’ll last you decades. Wayyyy too many people buy something inexpensive to start then end up kicking themselves and buying the Bose later. You’re going to have some very long days training followed by long days instructing followed by long days of Regional flying. Having a cheap headset makes it difficult to hear and after an 8hr day feels like a vise on your head. It’s actually physically fatiguing.
Others will disagree (ie, Chris but he’s just angry he never got them). They also have great service. Years after my warranty expired mine crapped out I sent mine in for repair. They not only repaired them but totally refurbished them all at no charge. I’m a fan.
Matthew,
Yay! That’s a big step! You’re all set, now just the fun part getting prepared! So for the iPad, the mini is the most loved by students as it is the perfect size for an already small cockpit. However, not so great to study on so you may need a second decide to do that. Or, buy the regular size iPad (10.5/11”) and deal with it being a bit big in the cockpit but perfect to study on as well. I went that road, simplicity in what you have to carry and got used to using it in the cockpit. Also, when you become an instructor, you’ll appreciate the bigger iPad for scheduling, teaching on it, typing debrief notes, etc.
The headset debate is sure to get heated here as Chris is very spirited in the anti-Bose camp haha The Bose headset is expensive but it’s a one time purchase and you can use it for years and years. It offers Bluetooth (helpful to call clearance delivery on the ground at non-towered airports through your headset) and top notch noise canceling which is important when you get to the instrument phase hearing ATC. Bose is also great about their warranty and service. You can add the cost of your headset in to your loan if financing is an issue. Or you can get a cheaper headset for now, David Clark headsets have been the go to for years and are a solid alternative. A little heavy on the head and no noise canceling but a great headset nonetheless. I’ve also heard students use lightspeed headsets but there are almost as expensive as Bose but not as good, so I wouldn’t recommend those.
I’m with Chris here on the debate with headsets, I’ve used my “non-Bose” (aka David Clarke’s) for three years and have tried a Bose on, but something about the price tag right now I can’t bear to spend that money when I’m not earning any. I also feel that Bose will soon be developing a brand new pair, it’s been some time for a revamp and they’ve been focusing on the Pro Flights for the last few years. Plus once you’re an instructor and start receiving a 1099-MISC at the end of the year for your Schedule C on a 1040, you’ll want to find anything to use for a tax write-off. Don’t get me wrong, Bose are comfy, light, and sporty, but the price seems a bit crazy right off the bat.
Also to Hannah mentioning syncing the Bluetooth, not to get you into bad habits, but most upgrades on planes today have modern avionics such as Garmin or Avidyne which you can pair your phone up to and get those features through.
For iPads, I sported a 5th generation iPad Mini and loved it, I found getting a yoke mount during the IFR stage helped me greatly as I was limiting the distance looking at charts and publications to my flight instruments while at critical stages of flight. I rocked a kneeboard for some time prior and started getting into almost what seemed like disorienting myself. If you got a mini and found a nice yoke mount you could plant it right between the open handles on the yoke and sits right out of the way overall. That was just a short description of what happened to me and I found a quick solution which helped greatly…plus allowed airflow to the iPad reducing the chance of overheating while my thigh generated tons of heat.
This is the hardest part of starting your training! Being a consumer in a new market trying to figure out what you want is the real struggle, the best advice I can say is try and find shops like Sporty’s that allow money-back guarantee if for some real you don’t like something.
Congrats Matthew on scheduling your start date! On the headset debate, I actually have all three - bose A20, lightspeed Zulu 3, and an old David Clark headset. While the DC’s only set me back $50 for a used pair, by far the bose A20 with Bluetooth is the best between the high and low end of the market. The noise canceling is incredible, and noticeably better in my opinion than the Zulu 3. If you’re looking for something long term, bose is the way way to go. Otherwise a used DC set should be pretty cheap for the short term until you can upgrade.
Bose does have some corporate discounts (or at least they used to) depending on your current or prior employer (I worked at General Motors and there was 20% off). Doesn’t hurt to call a bose factory store and ask!
Rumor is that Apple will release new iPads mid-March, with both the mini and the base iPad possibly getting slightly larger screens. You may not want to wait that long though if you also plan to use the iPad to study for your written exams.
Thank you everyone for your recommendations and input! I will certainly do my research on the various headsets (although Bose seems to be in the lead) and iPad. I never had one before so I’ll have to visit a store and hold them and compare.
Quick question, for studying for the exams will that be done thru an app on the iPad? I have a Mac book and was planning on using that, but if I need the iPad for studying then ill have to make that purchase soon.
Also, has anyone tried the Bose ProFlight series 2? It looks more like ear buds.
Matthew,
Yes, for all your written exams after your PAR, you will be using Sheppard air which is typically used on an iPad app. On the website it says the software is supported for laptops (Windows and Mac) but you can only have the software on ONE device. So choose wisely. King schools for your ground study will work on either a laptop and/or iPad app.
A friend of mine just got the ProFlight 2’s. He says they’re great. For me I don’t like buds or things other an Q-tip in my ear. Totally personal preference.
