Path to Becoming an Airline Pilot in the Philippines
Hi guys, I'm a Filipino citizen, about to graduate from university in a few months and I'm opting to enroll in a flight school afterwards. I was just wondering what path I should take in order to become more attractive to local airlines once they start hiring. So far, I have two options:
1. Hillsboro Aero Academy - Its an accelerated flight program in Redmond, Oregon which takes around 6-8 months. The program consists of Private, Instrument, Commercial Single/ Commercial Multi/ CFI/CFII/MEI ratings. Since they offer an F1 visa, they allow their international graduates to do flight instructing for up to 1500 hours or 2 years. So I would return to the Philippines in 2 years and 3 months at the latest with 1500 hours of flying in single and multi engine planes.
2. Omni Aviation in Clark - I'll take up flight training in my hometown for 200 hours and go to Philippine Academy for Aviation Training for an A320 type rating right after. Training in Omni takes around 20 months while PAAT takes around 2-3 months (not too sure about this).
Given that I don't have any connections to anyone in the aviation industry, I believe I can meet people in Omni and PAAT who will be able to help me land an interview in CEB or AA. But at the same time, taking up flying school in the USA seems to be better in terms of quality. Additionally, studying in a different country also appeals to me. I'm just afraid of investing in studying in a flying school in the US and end up not being hired because I do not know anyone in the industry.
I know that in the past, airlines tend to hire those who have a type rating even if they only have 200 hours. But taking up flying school in the US and then doing the A320 type rating in PAAT seems very excessive in terms of cost so that is out of the question. So which option will allow me to become more competitive in the pilot job market once airlines start hiring?
Also, if I do take on option 1, would I encounter problems when converting FAA licenses to CAAP? Would I incur additional costs?