Training in SA or US

[stretcher]

Hi People

I have had a quick look through this forum but cannot find exactly what I am after… I have just returned from OZ [been travelling for a year] after doing about 16 hours dual and a few hours solo at bankstown, that’s it now, what I expected has happened.. I need to fly - allways have.

So, basically I have not done any work for 1 year so I am skint but I am considering a massive loan and going to south Africa or the US to learn to fly… is it true that it is a lot less expensive to train out there, also I was aiming at getting CPL and instructor rating and then returning home. Does this sound like a good plan??? Im willing to travel anywhere in the world to get a job flying.

Cheers
stretcher

[jar-dk]

I just spent a litlle over a month doing some IR training there- 800rand for an instructor lesson, and the food is great and the beer cheap.
http://www.flighttraining.co.za
One factor that you have to count into it is the weather - summer is gone in SA now, and beginning US, except that I would any day prefer SA.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Winter on the Highveld in South Africa consists of cloudless blue skies and mild days for three months. Mornings and evenings can get chilly but it warms up by lunch time. It doesn't rain on the Highveld in winter, with the only limit to visibility being a slight haze.:ok:

[silverknapper]

Better Wx now in SA for training than in Summer. Never seen Cb's like it than Feb in JHB. Would also say that it will be cooler and less humid than the US.

[birdlady]

Hi Stretcher

The US is a good option BUT South Africa will work out cheaper in the long run. Flying is cheaper in the States but if you factor in living expenses etc SA is definately cheaper. As said, the weather is great here in the winter as there's no rain but viz can get a bit hazy and their can be some real nasty cross winds - so good practice. For PPL and hour building its great but forget CPL. No jobs and if your lucky to get a job a work permit is very difficult to obtain. All you really need is a student visa to do PPL and hour building and maybe a Multi IR. I suggest you try this website for more info www.avcom.co.za

SK is going to accuse me of working for the SA tourist board again :rolleyes: :ok: :ok:

[porridge]

Birdlady is correct, at the end of the day training in SA will work out cheaper than in the USA, mainly due to the cost of living.
Weather – well wherever you go in the US you are going to find al sorts of weather, in SA one can go desert – i.e. no weather , coast – variable weather, highveld, haze winter, CB’s in summer – it’s your choice
Next preference for SA – training syllabus mainly identical to ours
Then:
RT – again similar in all respects to ours, god help us with the pathetic standard (or non-standard) US phraseology.
Ground subjects/school – same as ours
Language (apart from accent and local idiom) same as ours
With reference to IR work – loads of procedural approaches – same as ours
As for work permits etc – then the US is about the worst for this, so SA is no different – but on the plus side:
No special visas, no TSA etc – basically you can rock up and go in SA, unlike the US where if you don’t get TSA’d you are dead in the water before you start.
Finally all those I’ve converted from SA CPL/IR to JAA CPL/IR have far less problems in the tests than do the FAA trained people, it’s not all a difference in the standard of training as much as a difference in aviation culture.
BTW I’m not biased against the FAA system, I have all the FAA qualifications, it is just that the SA licensing and training is much more in line with our own.

[silverknapper]

You took the words out of my mouth Birdlady!!!:ok:

These are all excellent points. I still wonder why more people don't go to SA to train. Especially now when you have to practically plead with the US to be allowed in to contribute to their economy. And I defy anyone to describe a more scenic place to fly in the world.

[birdlady]

SK - ;) ;)

All the points porridge made are spot on :ok: :ok: The only thing you have to be carefull of is the student visa situation. The CAA, the bright sparks that they are, have now decided that if you dont have a student visa they wont issue you with a PPL. For CPL you need a work permit or residency. This has all been mentioned in my above post but what I seem to have omitted is that its not that easy to get a student visa. If your based in the Uk Im sure its just a case of tootling down to your local SA embasy and obtaining one. If, however you have to renew it here, which Ive had to do a couple of times, its a real pain in the ass. Im trying to sort this issue out at the mo as Im in the process of doing my CPL so will get hold of someone in the licencing department tomorrow and enquire what the story is. Will get back to you shortly.............BL :) :)

[stretcher]

Great stuff, thanks everyone for that. I think i will try and get over to SA and do as much as pos.

[SHARPPOINT]

Having had the benefit of flying in both parts of the world in my flight training there are good aspects and bad aspects of both.

In South Africa Initial PPL training is excellent the really do ensure that when your first solo comes you are ready and generally they will cut you very little slack in terms of the quality manouveres and especially final approaches and landing techniques.

Fact, in South Africa average student gets his solo on 62hours, FAA flight schools bang them out at 45hrs, where really the individuals in my opinion are not sufficiently trained.


Johannesburg and the high veld, to me I found one of the most boring undemanding places to fly, outside the Johannesburg TMA it is all the same, pretty dull, you'll find the instructors will try to worm there way out of the cross-countrys.

The most interesting airfield is the old one at Nelspruit.

Los angeles on the other hand is a lot more demanding, Head in to the high desert at night, get vectored over McCurran over the numbers down over the strip into Las Vegas North. The Hoover Damn, Grand Canyon, San diego, San Francisco, lots of Commercial and GA Traffic, a friend of mine ways actually queing behind Harrison Ford at Van Nuys.

Ask yourself what you want from your flight training, the easy way or the demanding way, whats going to serve you better in the long run.


Beyond that in CPL wise there is not much different in the skills test.

In examinations, well you could pass the FAA CPL Writtens in about 4 weeks pu**** it with one exam for CPL & IR, whilst in South Africa what? 4-6 months. If you get your head down. Think of cost where will you be your studying, It can be awfully lonely at times and a glass of castle beer is an easy option

The FAA IR well, 1.5 to 3 hours of intensive interview to make sure you know your beans, then you are told what aprroaches you will be "shooting", then 20 minutes for a cup of coffee then its a walk to the plane.


Where as the South African IR I hate to say it the same as the JAR one, there is no interview plus you get a pretty good idea what what the flight plan is going to be for the day and you can practice them religiously in the sim.

Only trouble is NDB Approaches and holds, generally the FAA FTOs do not cover them adequately if at all.

These are my experiences its your money your life, what do you want is up to you, no one can tell you what.

Most of all enjoy yourself and make the most of it

[gulfstreamII]

Why South Africa?

The standard of training in South Africa is known, world-wide, to be extremely high.
We have some of the best weather conditions for flight training in the world.
The favourable exchange rate provides for relatively inexpensive training,
accommodation and living expenses.

South Africa is a top tourist destination offering students exciting attractions for off-
days and for partners that may be travelling with student pilots.

They comply with the highest standards in accordance with the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the CAA.

Their aircrafts are regularly and well-maintained.


You will never regreat the experience if training in South Africa.:) :) :)

[rons22]

i've been to S.A. recently and have been told about loads of new requirments for medical and other things. These are new rules so dont know how much will they affect the training.

[oompa loompa]

Stretcher,

I'm over in SA at the moment at 43 airschool in Port Alfred, (got here a month ago) and planning to do SA COM and convert to JAA ATPL afterwards; if you decide to come to SA PM me and I may be able to help with the logistics (insurance, visas, etc!). Don't expect a quick reply though - internet here is not what it is in the UK!

With regard to 43; it's a great school with a good atmosphere, but quite expensive - you won't save a lot with respect to flying in the UK.

I've also been to schools in the US and NZ so can compare. The US way of doing things is quite different to the SA/NZ way; there seems to be more emphasis on aircraft control, and rather less on groundschool. The JAA way is more similar to the SA licences, so conversions will (hopefully) be easier.

Anyhow, good luck deciding - jacking the desk job in and coming flying was the best decision I ever made!

OL