Training In Florida
Hi All
I'm looking for some advice on what i'm intending to do next year (probably october 2006).
I currently have a PPL with just over 80hours. I want to get to ATPL however as most of you will appreaciate this is going to cost alot of money. At the moment i work in London for a canadian bank in the equity markets, this is not for me anymore and i have always wanted to be a proffessional Pilot since i was young (i'm 31 now).
I have the chance to live in florida for zero accomadation costs as my parents have a house at a place called Spruce Creek which is a fly-in community about 15mins from Daytona Beach.
I have just returned from a 2 week holiday there and during that time i flew a cessna 172 a few times out of spruce creek (so i know what its like to sit in the cockpit when its 90+ degrees. I also visited Phoenix east Aviation at Daytona international airport.
To me they sounded like a very good flight school and sort out visa's etc for you.
I'm now planning to start their FAA Professional Program III next october. (i know this will involve a conversion to JAA if i want to try and get a job back in England)
I spoke with them about which was the best course for me to do and above is what they suggested minus the PPL part of the course. The total cost of this course minus the PPL is going to be about $30,000. To be able to afford this i will be selling my house (which i 50/50 own with my younger brother), something we have be planning to do next year anyway. With the profit i will take from this i will use some of it to pay for my course and living expenses whilst in Florida. The reason i want to do the Florida route is 1, due the cost and 2, becuase of the free accomadation for the course duration. If i was to do my ATPL in england it would 1, be alot more expensive and 2, i would have to pay for accomadation or rent and i would need to have a job to pay for that (working and doing my ATPL is not something i want to do as i would need to have all my effort and time dedicated to studying) .
I have seen a similar post to this on this web site and most responses were that florida was not the best route, i hope you can see why i think it is for me but i would like to hear as many of your thoughts and advice as possible. This is the only way i can see me achieving my dream of becoming a Professional Pilot.
thanks in advance for any responses.
Steve