Lost and slightly confused by it all!

[acw350]

I have a current PPL with TMG and SEP ratings. Now i want to go on and further my career. I have a good friend in the US offering a place to stay and cheap flying to build some hours. Does anyone recommend the FAA CPL & ATP as well as the Multi before returning to the UK to do a conversion course or just stick to the hour building and attmept the CPL modular course then do the JAA I/R & multi? I have around 700 hours mostly on the TMG which damn those CAA people will only allow me 30 hours towards the total req'd for CPL course.

I am off to the good old HSBC to see what funds i can manage but just looking for some comments to see which route is more worhtwhile and which is more likely to get me into any sort of employment after the training and the money!!

Any comments welcome.:ok:

[birdlady]

Hi

If I were you, I would just do my hour building and then return to the Uk to complete your atp and cpl/multi ir. You can do your multi Ir over in the states but you will have to convert from an Icao or if you do the Jaa you will still have to do some training in the Uk as from what I have heard their procedures are slightly different. I will warn you that if you do the course in the states choose your school very carefully as there are a few JAA schools which are not really up to scratch according to uk companies. This is really based on rumours Ive heard so I would do some further reserch.

Ciao bl

[minus273]

Hey there

Well if you have 700 hrs you could always come to the US on a J-1 visa that will allow you to work for 2 years (minus time of training) once you have completed your conversion/training. Do the CFI/CFII/MEI and build your hours that way.

If you are really brave you could attempt to do the JAA written exams via distance learning in your days off and sit the exams at the school in Florida that has the exams monthly.

You could then to the multi and single commercial in the US before returning to the UK to do the IR.

As said there are differences between the two systems, not as many as people would like you to believe and by having the FAA ATPL you will only have to do 15hrs versus the 50hrs for the IR on your return back to Europe.

By doing the FAA route you will have more hours overall and experience by having both licences, flown in different airspace and you will also be able to laugh at the people who comment in the FAA/JAA debate even though they have never flown in the FAA system.

You will have to be careful about schools, like anywhere. Depending on what you want to do,you could do all FAA and then convert or do JAA in the US and then just do the IR back in Europe.

If you want to do just JAA for cheaper I would recommend Moncton Flight College in Canada.

If you want the FAA and to instruct for awhile you should look at schools that do the J-1 visa and what the chances are of getting work are afterwards. (this will depend on economy, you as a person etc etc)

There are many ways to skin this cat.

The main thing is for you to do your research as to where you want to do your training and what is on offer.

If it was me in your situation:

I would look into Moncton Flight College, do the Canadian and JAA at the same time and then head back to the UK. This is under the assumption that you are not legal to work in the US or Canada.

If you want to build more hours and have the FAA ATPL, go to a school with a J-1 system and get your instructor ratings and go from there. You should easily make the 1500hrs required for FAA ATPL, although some of the other requirments maybe harder to get.

A word of warning there are a lot of schools who will sell you the dream and also a lot of false advertising. Such as you must do all your training with us or no one will hire you. Just be very careful where you put your money and what guarentees they have in place if they go bust.

From my limited experience how you present yourself at an interview is going to be better than which school you went to.

Anyways sure people will add positively and negatively to this.

Safe flying

-273