View Full Version : Instructing USA
Does anyone have a view on the validity of training with a US school in order to obtain a CFI rating?
Flight Safety International claim you can get an FAA ATPL with them and then instruct for them for a year afterwards. It sounds like a bloody good way of building around a 1000 hours quickly to me. What isn't clear is whether Flight Safety pay you to instruct, and, if they do, how much?
Any ideas anyone?
Cheers
Birky
Onan the Clumsy
6th Apr 2005, 20:20
Well I don't want to rain on your parade, but I don't see how you can instruct for them without a work permit and I wouldn't have thought that would be too easy to get. Under the 1986 Immigrationreform Act, you'd have to provide evidence of the eligibility to work. If they were to turn a blind eye to this (which, cos they're fairly big I think, they won't) then what other rules will they feel free to break?
Even if you didn't get paid, you'd still be out of status, plus, can you really afford to live for a year without pay?
Do they mention anything about this?
'I' in the sky
7th Apr 2005, 09:34
The way you instruct without a work permit is to go to a school which can offer a J visa and I would think someone 'fairly big' like FSI can do this.
As for the pros and cons of their particular program, I haven't been there so couldn't say but generally with these type of programs you do get paid, quite often not very much and as a non resident might suffer an above average tax rate.
If you go down this road, don't just look at it as a way of gaining a quick 1000 hours there's a lot more to be got out of it than that - assuming you basically like it over there.
PicMas
7th Apr 2005, 12:12
Do you already have 1.500hrs?
Otherwise even FSI will find it difficult to train you for an FAA ATP.
FSI is very expensive, and if you don't have the right to work in the US afterwards, it's a lot of money to spend on a name. Nobody in Europe will care where you did you training.
Regarding validity of training: I'm sure the training is valid, but you got the sequence wrong. Unless you already have 1.500hrs, you need the CFI -> work -> pass ATP written and practical exam.