Internships in California including visa

[Check 6]

I hope it is OK to post this. This information might be helpful to some of you struggling pilots out there. I am not affiliated with SAA, just passing this along.
Sierra Academy of Aeronautics

Are you having trouble getting on with the airlines? Is a lack of professional training, and quality flight experience preventing you from getting that well-paying airline job in Europe? If the answer is 'Yes' then speak to us about our 'DIRECT TRACK INTERNSHIP programme. We are Sierra Academy of Aeronautics (SAA), a 35-year-old aviation company. SAA is one of the oldest and most respected names in the US aviation industry. based at busy Oakland international Airport, SAA currently employs 250 and has over 700 students in various training programmes. We offer two-year professional career enhancement opportunities. You can fly as much as 100 flight hours every month. This will greatly improve your career prospects when you return home. Training will be provided to successful applicants to meet US FAA standards and licensing. The new hires will enjoy an attractive package including wages, and healthcare benefits, as well as arranging the necessary visa formalities. To apply, please fax career details, including Curriculum Vitae and recent salary history to Camillus Byrnne.

Phone: 510-568-6100
FAX: 510-568-6116
e-mail: [email protected]

Good luck,
Check 6


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Kick the tires, light the fires, first off is lead, brief on guard.

[JJflyer]

If it sounds too good to be true it usually is...
Looked like the exact text from SAA,s add in several aviation magazines.

I have many friends working there as CFI´s... What I hear is that you´ll be lucky to get 70h a month and a constant fight with most of the airplanes being grounded at any given time due to the old age and amount of use of the fleet.
But flying 70 is better than not flying at all so it is worthwhile to stop by and have a look and talk with the instructors while having a beer.

JJ

[jabbadfatt]

What are Embry-Riddle like?
I'm an aussie with a CPL and a Grade 3 Instructors Rating (I don't know the american eqivalent - can anyone tell me)
I'm looking to complete a degree with them if they can give me a student visa (then maybe a working one). Are they any good? Will I be exempted from some classes or am I already 'over qualified' to be admitted?
Thanks

[Cypher]

heheehhe 70 hours a month is so much better than what I'm getting... zip per month...
heck planes unavailable for flying because they're in engineering.. at least they're in engineering and not being flown around!

[Ozgrade3]

I went over to have a look at the school in May last year, for a possible conversion of my Aussie licence to the US equivalent. The facility is quite ok, a bit old(was the original airport hotel).

They seem to be be quite busy but the aircraft look like they have a lot of hrs on them, and there dd seem to be a lot of aircraft in the maintenance hangar.

At the rate of pay they were offering at the time ($13 USD per flight hr), 70 hrs a month is simply not enough to survive. Rents in even the bad areas of Oakland are eye watering.

[JJflyer]

Did my US CPL there...

Planes are old instructors mostly at the time very inexperienced. School expensive to the point where people have to obtain additional loans to complete training. I for one was not stisfied with what they where offering. And what I have heard an seen things have all but improved from my times. I do visit the are quite frequently so I have an idea what is going on there.

Just talked with a couple of my friends that are instructing there. Now great deal of the instructors are foreign, should I say most of them, as regional grab locals or ones with greencards in a heart beat.
What I was told that the airplane situation has improved considerably, but he was wondering for how long would that be as airplanes are not getting any newer and are used a lot.

Instructor pay has also increased to the point that it is actually better what most commutter airlines offer for their F/O´s during the first year of flying. This obviously inorder to keep an experienced instructor for a little longer. Seems that it is also difficult to find 2 year CFI´s
( One that can send a initial CFI candidate for flightcheck ) Most of these being from outside US as well.

Still If you are interested I am more than willing to give some contacts there so that you get the scoop. As for prospective students... I could never recommend Sierra Academy as their pricing is higher than similar schools. ( Not what you see in brochures but hidden charges )This combined with the very high living expences in the San Fransisco Bay area make it a worthwhile option to have a good look at schools located in South Africa and even in EU.

JJ