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Old 2nd Nov 2005, 17:15
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raysalmon
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: USA
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There are now several flight schools in the U.S. that do ab-initio style training. Among them are Embry-Riddle, FlightSafety, Delta Connection Academy, Panam Academy, Mesa Pilot Development, the list goes on and on. Most of them also have agreements with entry-level airlines to offer interviews after the successful completion of their ab-initio course.

Beware though, the "traditional" route to becoming an airline pilot in the U.S. has been to acquire your license and ratings to include becoming a flight instructor, and then build hours by instructing, flying parachute jumpers, banner-towing. You work your way up the ladder to getting a job with a regional airline and then finally get hired by a major airline. The "shortcut" ab-initio direct to the right seat of a regional airline has attracted a lot of skepticism from the old-school airline community.

On average, unless you are part of the ab-initio program, you will need around 1000 hrs total time and 100 hours of multi-engine time to meet the hiring minimums at most regional airlines. A caveat with the ab-initio programs is that if you complete the program successfully, you get ONE shot at an interview with a regional airline. If you fail, then you will not be able to re-apply there or anywhere else until you have met the standard hiring minimums.

Ab-initio training does not have anywhere near the universality of recognition in the US as it does in Europe. In the U.S. you can go from Private to ATP without touching an "approved school". The commonly held view is that you end up with the same piece of paper at the end of the day, so how you get there is not important. Everyone has to meet the same standard in the end.

There are several message boards that cater to the U.S. pilot market. www.jetcareers.com and www.flightinfo.com would be the two the I would start with.

Ray
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