International Aviation Academy of New Zealand

[Shiny Side Up]

Hi all,
I am a 33 yr old kiwi based in Los Angeles, slowly going through the PPL as time and cash allows. My ultimate aim is to fly relief missions / bush flying ( I realize it may take many years to acheive this )

I currently qualify for a student loan in NZ, which I could use to study at International Aviation Academy of New Zealand in CHCH. I would more than likely go for a commercial and instructors rating which I could then convert to US licenses for use here in LA to build hours and make a little cash for stale bread and water meals.

I have done a search of the forums for info on the school, some posts were informative, but I would really appreciate hearing from an ex student about daily life at the school, how your days were scheduled etc, and your overall impression of the training.

I CAN borrow funds to study in the US, but the rates are crippling and there are a lot of restrictions for foreigners here as you can imagine.

BTW I am not going into this blindly, so please, no lectures on the sad state of aviation and that I would be better off training as a lawyer / doctor / hamburger flipper etc etc.
I'm not in this for the money, but for the love of flying itself.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post.

:ok:

[27/09]

I've not studied there myself. I do know some of the staff and also know people who did their training there.

I've not heard anything bad about the place. The people that come from there seem to have good attitudes and do very well.

[Shiny Side Up]

Cheers 27/09, thanks for your input.

Anyone else care to comment?

[NZDP]

Am a member and have done quite a bit of flying out of the aero club which is the same place, same system of flying,- all good.

However, I found that getting into the "Acedemy" is quite a hard task. They are only interested in people who will do the Whole Pro Pilots course from start to finish. They do advertise other courses such as the Straight CPL and straight MEIR but I have never heard of anybody doing them. Getting a student loan is a different story as well. You can only get it on the Pro Pilots course if you do the whole thing and even then you'd be very lucky. You can't get it on any other course (except C-Cat only if you have done the pro pilots and only if you're lucky) although advertised.
So bottom line from me,- If you have previous flying experience, they don't want you and, they will and do turn people away. That is why I have done my studies elsewhere. And it wasn't just me, I know two other people in the same boat.
You can do anything through the aero club but no student loan. Other flight schools are much more accommodating e.g nelson aviation college and mainland air. You can do anything, any time (within reason) and on a student loan.

[pakeha-boy]

mate!....also a kiwi here in the states.....pm me for a phone#.....based in phoenix,commute out of Auckland/portland Oregon.....may have some info that would help you get to where you are going...tough ride for sure,but if there is a will there is a way...kia kaha

[Shiny Side Up]

Thanks NZDP for the excellent gen. Exactly what I was looking for by posting, and gives me a better idea of future plans. Mainland looks good.

As it stands, borrowing in NZ on the student loan and training there makes a lot of sense, especially if I can convert to FAA licenses and work as a CFI in the US to pay back the loan in NZ.


Pakeha-boy, glad to hear from you. I'm what you might call a Pakeha Overstayer in the US, I cant actually leave the States and come back with my visa situation the way it is. And thanks to the new training rules the TSA set up, I am now grounded because of my immigration status (hope no INS spooks are Ppruners). So its now a waiting game until I get my visa sorted out which sucks.

Cheers to all for your time and input, really appreciate it.

[pakeha-boy]

mate...be real careful....the 2 things the feds are watching are DUI convictions and false paperwork....with both being licence revoking .,..for good....they are not taking this lightly......I still have a green card and just to do my 6 month sim sesions is a major pain in the arse!!!!!....get your basic cpl/inst stuff and bugger off to Alaska to get your time,spent 10 yrs up there and had a blast.......kia kaha