PDA

View Full Version : FAA ATPL Employment


hixton
2nd Jun 2005, 15:48
I am thinking about getting my FAA ATP with 500 hrs on turboprop experience.
I am thinking choosing this over the rip off JAR licence as I would have a lot more hands on experience and hours.
Am I right in saying that this is an icao ATPL?
My question is, which companys hire (worldwide) except for the US as I dont have a green card, and which would be willing to take on a Brit with 1500hrs?

Cheers Guys!

Solid Rust Twotter
3rd Jun 2005, 05:55
1500 hour ATP with turbine time would be enough for a validation and possible employment in some African countries. One would have to demonstrate ones agility in leaping through the numerous hoops placed in ones path and the salaries are nothing to write home about, but always good experience.:ok:

hixton
3rd Jun 2005, 14:47
I was thinking of this route because I personally know 6 Oxford intergrated students, 2 of which are 73 type rated and still not found jobs. some even have 500hrs and are 80k in debt!

Some of the middle east airlines offer around $6k per month tax free, that sounds liveable

-IBLB-
3rd Jun 2005, 14:53
2 of which are 73 type rated and still not found jobs. some even have 500hrs and are 80k in debt!
a type rating and 500hrs? is that total time? or time on type? Either way, 500 hrs is not that much. and a typerating really doesn't mean that much, unless you have some decent time on type.



I am thinking about getting my FAA ATP with 500 hrs on turboprop experience.
I am thinking choosing this over the rip off JAR licence as I would have a lot more hands on experience and hours

why not do both?

Get your FAA CPL and CFI first, do some instruction, then go back do the theory, do a little flying and the exams.

Saves you a heck of a lot of money...

Finding a job on a N-reg as a european with around 1500-2500 hrs, i won't say it is unduable, but the saying "needle in a haystick" comes to mind.

hixton
3rd Jun 2005, 17:50
[qoute] a type rating and 500hrs? is that total time? or time on type? Either way, 500 hrs is not that much. and a typerating really doesn't mean that much, unless you have some decent time on type.[quote]

500hrs total time, none on type.
That is what I am talking about - £80k worth of training and still under qualified with no job.
Its ok if you are a mummy and daddys boy but if you are paying for it yourself it just doesnt stack up.

Cullear1
3rd Jun 2005, 23:12
for my tuppence worth hixton, I have the FAA ppl and was considering the FAA route but i have spent the last 18 months approx in the states (not all doing my ppl) and having talked to a lot of guys and girls I think the best prospects are with the JAA ratings, you could always do your theory in the UK and only do the flying in the US. I am not knocking the FAA route or belittling anyone with FAA ratings an ATP is an ATP and damned hard work required to get it either way.

hixton
4th Jun 2005, 14:12
The way I see it is that you could spend around £60k getting your JAA, and you still dont have an ATPL untill its unfrozen, just a cpl, ir, this limiting you to fight for the few european jobs along with the massive pool of others.
At least if you had the FAA ATPL you would have around 1500hrs with a full ICAO ATPL which is what most jobs require.

-IBLB-
4th Jun 2005, 14:56
At least if you had the FAA ATPL you would have around 1500hrs with a full ICAO ATPL which is what most jobs require.outside of europe, yes. in europe, no.

The FAA ATPL i think is a valuable license to have. But if you don't want to get your JAA licenses, you should plan on most likely not working in europe, which can be great, as long as you don't have a personal problem with it.

I've worked in the US for several years, but i am now converting my things to the JAA system. I would have loved to have stayed in the US, but i wasn't allowed to work there legally anymore, and in other parts of the world it isn't that easy to find a job, since i don't have that much turbine time.

about the ATPL
Be careful also, that for the issuance of an ATPL, you don't need "just" 1500 hours. There are requirements as to the "type" of hours aswell. For instance in the JAA you need 500 hours of multicrew time, and for the FAA one you need 500 hours cross country time (cross country here being a flight to a point atleast 50NM from the point of departure, with or without landing) and other requirements aswell.

So it might be possible, to have 1500 hours but not meet the requirements for the ATPL. Especially people who are instructing in the US, run into the problem of not having enough xc time, even though they have 1500 hours.

And a little off topic,
The added bonus i think of going to the US (or in europe for that matter), and instructing there to build hours is that you learn alot more about flying than you would when bannertowing, sightseeing, (buying hours), etc... It wasn't untill i finished my instructor training that i had the idea i understood everything about the plane, and flying it.