A question for Britavia et al

[conair]

Hello mate,

I'm hoping that you can give me some pointers if you're flying in the USA. I'm doing my PPL-Commercial over about 6-8 months starting in Oct this year. I'm emmigrating to the USA (my fiancee's a US citizen) and will be based in VA. Do you have any advice on flying schools in the VA area? Also could you give me some realistic idea of the job opportunites afterwards? What route did you follow? Anything would be helpful.
Thanks!!!

[britavia]

Hi Conair,

I dunno about schools in the VA area. I've been mostly based in FL although done some time up near Boston and LA. Just take a look around when you are here.

As to how you do it, is up to you. I started 11 years ago with a large pt141 school in MO. It went bust quite quick and I finished up with a company called Airgo in IL which was a small pt61 "pay as you go" type of deal. Pt61 is more flexible and pt141 is more structured. Airlines seem to hire both although some might prefer ex-pt141 people.

It almost doesn't matter as to how you do all you ratings, more the number of total hours and particulary the multi time. Many go and do the instruction route (myself included) to build the time. You should aim for the IFR pt135 mins (1200TT) with about 100 hrs multi time.

Given the bouyant pilot market here right now, you will easily qualify for most regional airlines and cargo operators with that kind of time. Regionals run about $17,000 in the first year. Pay For Training is all but dead with most operators. One or two still exist..avoid them!

Instructors are in heavy demand so it should be easy to get a good position almost anywhere. Pay is not good however, but is supposed to be improving, typically $10-15ph maybe more with a larger school like Embry Riddle.

Hope that helps. Good luck with the immigration paperwork. Are you applying for a K1 visa?

[conair]

Britavia,

Thanks for the reply. I actually have 3 schools earmarked in the VA area, Dulles Aviation, AV-ED and Central Virginia Aviation. All seem to offer the right courses for around $25,000. I have the K1 visa which I'm told will permit me to work after we're married.

[britavia]

Dulles Aviation sounds familiar. I flew into Newport News last summer. Solid IFR from NC onwards..fun! Yes, the K1 allows you to work. I believe you will get a 90 day work authorisation when you enter the USA (and must marry within 90 days of arrival). You have to get a one year one afterwards ASAP. INS take ages to do stuff over here. It took me 4 months to my work authorisation.

[conair]

Britavia,

Forgive my ignorance here, but I've been reading some of the posts about the new JAA system and how it may be applied to some schools in the US. Is this mainly an issue for UK guys training in the US who then plan to return and fly in the UK? I only ask because I don't want to waste money training under 141 then have to "convert" later. As for the solid IFR, sounds like my plans for the instrument rating will be sooner rather than later!

[britavia]

Conair,

All I know about the JAA system is what I read here. There are apparently, rumours that Western Michigan University (where BA sends their cadets) have opened their doors to self improvers, albeit at great cost no doubt ;-)

I believe that there are no US schools approved for JAA Comm/ATPL training at the moment, other than the above mentioned and the Luthansa school in Arizona.

Again, rumours are the FAA and JAA are in talks to create an official conversion route for flight training, in a similar way to that of the maintainance side, i.e. FAR25 compliance.

However, with so much invested interest from European training organisations/airlines in the US, I'm sure eventually, some kind of agreement will be found.