Hi all, Im new here - thanks for having me. I'm hoping for some educated advice should you all be so kind as to read my novel here....
Here the scope... My wife and I are unsure where to start out with my career changing to aviation.... It is my goal to work for an airline and fly a jet. Please don't take my assumptions or semi educated guesses below as arrogance, we all need something to work towards and I believe in having a clear goal of where you want to be. I understand it is a huge commitment and a culling procedure, only the most committed and lucky too make it
.
I'm a New Zealand citizen, 30 years old, married to a US citizen, living in NZ. I have a Oil and Gas career already, it pays well and is stable, but it doesn't fill the soul. I hold a New Zealand CAA (civil aviation authority of NZ) PPL and I have 100 hours TT. I have 3/6 CPL exams completed all with +90% results. I woke up at 5am every day to study before work and sell studied the lot so far. My wife is open to living in NZ, Australia or moving back to the US.
Here are the options - that we know of:
1.Move to the US (my wife's home) mid 2018 (green card required - about 9 months process time. Undertake training to complete all certification including MEIR instructor at ATP flight school in the 6 month fast track Airline Preparation Course. Current zero to working for a regional is 2 years (18 months of instructing). I have a lot more info and have poured over forums for days to make sure there wasn't a typo, yes 6 months and this is the largest training fleet in the US. Cost $65k USD.
Upside: training is very fast, straight to Jet fleets, jobs a plenty (apparently), very nice family in the US, the wife would get to be with family (we want to start one soon too). It would be one heck of an adventure
Downside, Its a long long way home and a major cost. To get to a US major airline you need a bachelors degree, so would need to complete one part time (licences cross credit around 25% of the course). Add $50k USD and a lot of study in hotels, so takes total cost to $115k USD.
2. Remain in NZ (my home), finish up work, find a full-time course to finish my CPL studies (3 exams to go) then instrument, MEIR, instructors ratings etc. Cost, likely around $100k NZD through Christchurch Av institute or similar or maybe go to a Mom and Dad school and pay less? Total time, 18 months to 2 years...
Upside: I'm halfway there with the CPL studies already. I know the CAA system. I'd love to end up working for the countries airline, or even just flying for an airline here in NZ. I have NZ Electrical licences and could work part time if I had to to support if things were slower than expected.
Downside: The weather.... Shocking winter in the lower North... The aviation job market here is barren from what i read and am constantly told. I'm afraid of making such a big commitment and nothing coming of it in NZ.
3. Sell up and move to QLD Australia. We were there last week and visited Airways Aviation in the gold coast, took a trial flight (although I have a PPL already) out of the GC airport. Plan would be to get the PPL converted and train with Airways Aviation for Diploma CPL and Diploma IR. They have a program with SC University which allows you to credit your flying licenses completed with them as 1/3rd of a Bachelor of Business in Aviation. I would need to find an instructors course and finish that (perhaps 1 hour north in Brisbane). Total time 18 months to 2 years training. Cost is roughly $125k AUD including the degree.
Upside: I read that the Australian airlines are much nicer to work for than the US airlines and feel if i were lucky enough to get on with a company such as VA then there would actually be a chance of using the benefits of getting my wife up to the US to see her family (the US benefits are harder to use since the planes are jammed packed full nowadays). We love the climate in QLD, we love the beach and surfing.
Downside: I'm really unsure as to how hard the job market is, people say its bad to get started in Australia - is that still the case with the booming Asian aviation market? We would both be orphans (no family in Aus). We do have friends in the sunshine coast.
I think long term it would be better to aim for the NZ or Australian airline. However it takes a long time to get a start down here compared to the US at the moment.
Can anyone give me some help please?
Thanks a lot if you made it this far!
