Advice please
Good day, everyone!
After having looked on this forum anonymously for a while, I decided to join so I can introduce myself and engage in conversation.
My name is Wanchi, I am a 32-year old female human rights lawyer from the Netherlands. Flying (fighter jets) was a dream when I was a kid but when my eyesight wasn't perfect anymore at age 10, I decided to work for a more just world. After having worked for the UN and understanding the realities of the systems we work through, I lost faith and no longer want to work in my field.
I decided to travel, which led me to skydiving, which led me back to my initial dream of flying again.
I would like to do my flight training, ab initio to CPL/CFI, preferably in the US. I would like to work as a bush pilot in Africa, Asia or South America.
I understand my plans are against all odds, but I want to give it everything I've got and see if I can get there. And if not now, when? I can always reassess how things are going after having obtained the PPL and decide then if I want to leave it at that or continue with the rest of the training.
I have contacted several schools. I liked FlightSafety Academy for their reputation, but the school only provided a standard email and is not responding to my questions unfortunately. Oxford Aviation seems to be good too, but they don't offer ab initio programmes.
So, after this bit of background, I would like to ask you advice with the following:
Which SEVP certified flight school do I go to? I prefer the south for the weather and somewhere where living is not too expensive. I will do it fulltime and want to eat, sleep, breathe aviation. Where do schools offer personal training rather than assembly line training? And where do they hire a majority of their graduated CFIs?
Looking forward to receiving some valuable input. Thanks in advance!