Angel City Flyers

[MrBrightside]

Hello

I am thinking of heading to Angel City Flyers, Long Beach California, in a few years to obtain an FAA ATP. I am from Europe and would obviously need a visa. With talk of the J-1 visa going out the window in 2010 I was wondering what visa I would need to stay within the states for this amount of time (approx 24weeks)?

Any Americans on here that have any experience with this organisation?

Thank you in advance
MrBrightside

[velj]

I recently got my CPL/IR/Multi there doing the same course. If still interested in this info, e mail me back

[MrBrightside]

Velj check your PMs

MrBrightside

[BHenderson]

Was there in Feb 2008 if you need any more info.

[mcgoo]

Mr Brightside, do you already have a few hours under your belt? if not to complete the FAA ATP hour requirements in 24 weeks, you would be flying about 9 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sec. 61.159 Aeronautical experience: Airplane Category rating.

(a) A person who is applying for an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane category and class rating must have at least 1,500 hours of total time as a pilot that includes at least: (1) 500 hours of cross-country flight time.
(2) 100 hours of night flight time.
(3) 75 hours of instrument flight time, in actual or simulated instrument conditions:
(i) An applicant may not receive credit for more than a total of 25 hours of simulated instrument time in a flight simulator or flight training device.
(ii) A maximum of 50 hours of training in a flight simulator or flight training device may be credited toward the instrument flight time requirements of paragraph (a)(3) if the training was accomplished in a course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142.
(4) 250 hours of flight time in an airplane as a pilot in command, or as second in command performing the duties and functions of a pilot in command while under the supervision of a pilot in command or any combination thereof, which includes at least:
(i) 100 hours of cross-country flight time ; and
(ii) 25 hours of night flight time.
(5) Not more than 100 hours of the total aeronautical experience requirements of paragraph (a) of this section may be obtained in a flight simulator or flight training device that represents an airplane, provided this aeronautical experience was obtained in an approved course conducted by a training center certificated under part 142.

[MartinCh]

You don't need J1 for flight training that is for the purpose of being trained only.

All you need is M1 visa as long as the school can issue I-20 form which you need for application for M1 visa. J1's going down fairly soon, but that DOES NOT mean M1 visa will be scraped. Imagine the problems for US companies dependent on students on M1 visas. Anyway, M1 could be issued up to 12 months and extended again for another 12 months if you're thinking of time.

So, whether you have some flight experience or not, as long as you don't need to work as an instructor in the USA (main reason J1s are popular, especially in rotary world) for the rest of the 2yr period, you should be just fine.

ACF didn't have M1 options in the past, but I've read on PPRuNe that they're sorting it. So it should be fine. I bet you'd change your mind as to which school to go to, many times over.

Whether smaller or bigger school, Florida, Texas, California etc, it's all up to you.
Check out the threads on flight training in the USA and visa issues if you need more detailed info. What I wrote pretty much covers your fears and shows it's no prob.

Yeah, I'd be interested to see if there's 'replacement' visa category/class in the making as I've read in one newsletter from one US flight school (that's what US govt presumably put into ether). Otherwise playing around with F1 visas doing college or Uni degree etc. I won't have the rest of my funds (slaving away) anytime soon and don't have time right now anyway..

[MrBrightside]

Cheers for the replies guys.

I do indeed have a few hours under my belt, 5 to be precise. Nothing substantial so yes my 24 weeks prediction is most likely incorrect. I was just tallying up a few figures from their website as to the time the course would take.

Is there much difficulty in obtaining an M1 visa? Time scale etc.

MrBrightside