J-1 Visa schools

[GOT]

Can anyone recommend a good J-1 Visa school in the U.S which have a great price on R22? A lot of schools I have found have prices at $275, is there any cheaper schools?

Thanks!

[HillerBee]

There are only 2 schools who can issue the paperwork for a J-1 visa. Look at South Africa, cheaper and no VISA required.

[GOT]

Hold your horses, i'm just looking to hourbuild up my hours after my CPL. I already have a JAA PPL-H =)

[Ewe Turn]

If you have a CPL you are not eligible for a J1 visa.
If you are going over to hour build then you do not require a visa.

ET

[HillerBee]

"As I said on another thread. What are you going to do with these foreign licenses?! YOU CAN'T WORK IN EUROPE ON A FOREIGN LICENCE. YOU NEED A JAA LICENCE. Please do the research before going off to do a licence in another country. This has been covered on many other threads in the past. Licnece Conversion costs etc."

Maybe people who are not RICH or have wealthy parents. (or where trained with taxpayers money)

[GOT]

Okay, so no visa, but how long can I stay on vacation?

Lets change the topic: Any good and cheap schools to recommend where I can fly 100 hrs fast? :ok:

[Gordy]

GOT...

Are you sure?

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j35/helokat/funnies/f4wyah1192169476.jpg

[Ewe Turn]

With the fuel surcharges most US schools seem to be charging you will be lucky to get a R22 for much less than $300 per hour. Factor in your flights over there plus accomodation, car hire and living expenses and you won't be saving that much more, if at all, than compared to the UK.

example $300 per hour x 100 hours = $30,000. If you have to pay local taxes factor in another $3,000 or so. The flight school/operator will also want to check you out and do some local area flights/procedures. So say $35,000 for the flying. Thats approx £18,000.

Flights to the US are going to be around £500 with the taxes etc and six weeks accomodation will probably be another £1000 or so. Then you have car hire at say £500 and food/drink (on your days off, you need them:))/spending money another £1000 at least so another £3,000 there.

Total for your 100 hours done in the US £21,000 ish

As you want to buy 100 hours I suggest if you did a bit of research and rung owners/operators you could probably get a R22 here in the UK for the £180- £200 mark which works out less than doing it in the States.

If you are doing the hour hour building for the grant of a CPL you may also be in a position to claim the VAT back. **** Disclaimer: I am not an accountant **** I am aware of several individuals who have done this and am am also aware of those who have been told no way by their own account/tax officer etc.

I was in the same position as you ten years ago and did all my sums and ended up doing it for less money here in the UK.

A quick google search shows a company here in the UK offering SFH in the R22 for £166 plus vat per hour. I reckon as you want 100 hours £150 plus the VAT would be achievable

[Ewe Turn]

Oh yes one other thing:

DON'T PAY ALL YOUR MONEY UP FRONT!!!!

[GOT]

As I'm aiming for an instructor job in the future I need 300 hrs in Sweden to apply for the course. After my CPL I will have 200 ish hours. I'm right now doing my hourbuilding here in Sweden and I have approx. 90 hours so far. I do it very serious and I'm not just wasting these hours.

However, those addtional hours I intend to fly in the states should go fast as these are only to meet the requirments. As I see it I will do my training as sufficient as I can here in Sweden, so I won't miss out on any training just because I fly 100 hours in a month afterwards in the U.S.

I have found a school which offers R22 solo for $210 / hour!

[MartinCh]

I seem to be unable to see why you'd want J1 visa. First of all, hour building could be done on visa waiver. Secondly, you'd have to show funding for J1, do the tedious paperwork and then you're likely to fly lots of dual due to school's policy and let's face it, more profit into their coffers as the instructors get only part of the hourly instructor's rate. J1 is meant for people coming over to do training up to CFI/FI and then instruct. If you don't need J1, don't do it as it's taking place someone else really needs.

Sure, you can find helicopter schools that could do a deal with you for some big chunk of hours. Then, there's the thing with risk of paying loads of dosh upfront, ie should be paid be credit card,escrow or some kind of deal paying along or what.

Sure you can have good time doing fun XC flights in the US.
As the guys count here, it's rather for guys living in the UK, namely rather England, for cheaper block hourbuilding. You will have to pay for living, landing fees etc, so..

Check out if that 210 dollars is all in. Even Bristow Academy started doing base rate, instructor and fuel surcharge. Therefore dual in both J1 heli schools is around 270-290ph all in, if doing 'JAA programme', then touch more in Bristows. Again, Bristows combined JAA/FAA isn't really what you need, so no point JAA 'rate' towards CPL or hour building.

AFAIK, isn't UK CAA requirement 250TT in helis to start JAA FI? So you'd be able to do JAA FI in Bristow Academy in Florida (on M1 visa)after your hourbuilding deal (check out their start dates and availability well in advance and plan accordingly).
You can't change visa waiver to student visa, but you can get regular B1/2 visa for your hourbuilding (say you need more than 90 days for your hols and it'll be fine) and mention the possibility to change to M1 (going to check out school in person whether you like it, as a reason). You then buy yourself time, may or may not do the change of status, depending on need.

If you have enough dosh and your plan is to do JAA FI, having done ATPL (H) theory beforehand, you might be able to sort something out regarding CPL skills test with Bristow Academy before starting their JAA FI. Not sure if the exemption of having CPL for FI rating (with ATPL theory credits) is only UK CAA thing or the same all around JAA land. It's discussed in FW instructing in the UK all the time, probably just UK thing. After UK CAA FI course in BA you'd have almost 300 hours anyway if that's what you need to secure instructing job. Plus you'd have the rating already.

All this probably sounds too complicated anyway.
People who advocate hour building in the UK usually point out travel and living cost. Unless you have really good rate (airplane non-equity syndicate, not sure which heli school/owner would do block hourbuilding, I don't see into this one) and live in the UK, you'd still pay for living here. Plus if you can't get rid of UK VAT.. Hmm.

Don't forget weather. Helis have it better, but still.

[HillerBee]

You can do a FI(H) in Germany with only a PPL. (You still need 250TT though) Then you can instruct but not get paid.

Another way would be as I mentioned before South Africa, where you can do some real nice flying, not only cheap but also very cheap cost of living. There is a company where you can do Helicopter Safaris.

However flying around for a 100 hours seems really really hard for me, I would find something useful to do.

[Whirlygig]

GOT, if it's just hourbuilding you're after and not any ratings or licences, then I would seriously consider South Africa! I went to NAC in Durban a few years ago and found them to be very professional. The hourly rate (after conversion of the Rand) was about half that in the UK.

Cheers

Whirls

[MartinCh]

However flying around for a 100 hours seems really really hard for me, I would find something useful to do.
My line of thinking.

GOT, You're saying you only need the hours, so that indicates you don't need to improve your maneuvres etc? FW pilots, OK, they don't have awful much to do after getting to grips with PPL, presuming their navigational and instrument flying is at high standard, so they opt for extended XC flights daily in Florida to meet requirements to do CPL course, pronto.

I'd get bored doing so many extended XC flights in helicopter in a row (at least in R22 with sissy trim) to have 100 hours out of them.
I'm not sure the school would allow you to do all sorts of maneuvres incl autos flying alone without their CFI.

When I asked one guy doing his training towards CPL, in the lines of 'why don't you fly lots of solo XC to get more time in fast', he replied he'd rather pay bit more for instructor as there's always things to learn. Besides doing all the maneuvres to proficiency for CPL and CFI later on. Much more solo XC than required, hmm, not sure many actually do that around here.

At least in Hillsboro Aviation, renters aren't supposed to do bunch of maneuvres that are practised with CFI in pattern. Maybe I remember what solo flights towards PPL should/shouldn't do. Not ar**d to check the limitations in logbook.

Someone mentioned elsewhere that Bristows aren't likely to accommodate renters wishing to fly bulk of hours solo with their busy aircraft. Fella I know who just started his J1 at BA wrote he's glad he's got his PPL done in R22 earlier so he doens't have to compete for time in Bristows busy Robbies (after all, US CFIs need 50h in R22 and 200TT to instruct in line with SFAR73)

EDIT: Whirly I checked out NAC and Starlite yesterday after you posted something about them in different thread. I looked into SA in the past, but unless someone wants the environment, the strength of Rand in recent years doesn't help. I ran the SFH rate incl fuel in R22 from one of their website and it's actually more than dual in most US schools. Flights aren't likely to be less. Maybe they've got better deals for 100h 'block', but as of now, it's not really cheaper than USA. Just like OZ or NZ regular rates..

[HillerBee]

Helicharter, John Huddersfield is £154 per hour for a R22

[GOT]

I really appreciate your views, keep them coming!

Right now, and always since I started my training for CPL, I could see myself in the left seat instructing and think I would be pretty good at it.

The optimal would be to get a job in Europe after completing my CPL and then work and get paid to build up my hours and then apply for the FI course, off course. Looking at todays market for pilots I have to have some kind of backup plan, because I don't count on getting a job directly after my CPL.

I'm I totally nuts going to the U.S to build up my hours? It will cost, but probably less than IR and/or another typerating...

If I should do the FI course in the UK I would need to convert my license into a english one. That will take about 3 months to get it done, I have been told.

First of all I thought that maybe if I applied for a J-1 visa school I could take their CFI course and hope for work, and when I get back to Europe I could convert it, but would that be too much hassle? Second of all, if that wouldn't work I could just go there to build my hours up and that's were I am right now, but if the price will land at $300 I better be doing it back home as it would probably end up around the same cost in the end anyway. In Sweden I can get a R22 for $370.

More thoughts? =)

[anti-talk]

Can you guarantee flying at least 4 hours a day, every day in Europe, the cost of living here in the US is far cheaper than europe, our flight hours are cheaper and you wont be sat around in poor weather wishing you could get done.
We charge $265 per hour dual and $245 solo for R22's, factor this in with the far better weather in Florida, accelerated time frame for getting the hours flown and the cost argument with flight expenses and accomodation really doesnt float!
Geoff

[Ewe Turn]

At the risk of repeating myself. You can forget about the J1 visa if you already have a CPL. You can also forget about it if you have more than 50 hours post PPL issue.

If you don't have a CPL and more than 50 hours post PPL with the J1 visa coming to an end in 18 months you can now totally eliminate that option as well all the courses at Bristow are fully subscibed to and they are the only FTO who do JAA licenses.

As to getting a job in Europe with a fresh CPL and no experience your chances would be somewhere between slim and non existant.

You also talk about heading to the UK to do an FI course and needing to convert your licence. You mention that you are training for your CPL presently. What CPL licence are you doing ? Are you actually on a formal course? In what country? Sweden? If it is a JAA one as I assume (you state you will be looking for a job in Europe), then you wont need to convert it to do a FI course in the UK.

[GOT]

Yes starting ATPL in september. So not yet actually training for the CPL. I'm doing all my training in Sweden. My instructor did his FI course in UK and had to convert his license into an english one. Even though it's JAA.

As I said before, let's change the topic to Helicopter schools in U.S. I have understod that I don't need a J1 visa.

[Ewe Turn]

Right then. Have you checked out boatpix ?

[GOT]

Have emailed heliacademy but not yet recived any answer...

[mikelimapapa]

boatpix is cheap for a reason, they spend as little money as possible maintaining their aircraft:=

[ToTall]

Why go to the US?

I did my PPL in South Africa and then went to the US to do my Comm and CFI. If I had know then what I know now I would have stayed in Cape Town and done all my training in an R44 for the same rate I did it here in the US in a S300CB (I did it on the west cost)

Check out Heli | Sales . Charters . Training (http://www.heli.co.za/) and contact Janie.

Cape Town and South Africa is fantastic and a lot of Scandinavian down there.
Good food, cheap wine and nice scenery :}

PM me if you need more info and you can do it in Swedish.

Good luck

[MartinCh]

MLP,

I don't see into Helicopter Academy's maintenance, but your comment's smelling of libel unless you have it solidly backed up (no idea how and here).

As for why they're 'cheap'. They take advantage of folks being desperate for extra time (be it JAA mins for FI, SFAR 73, heli add-on CPL (H) with sub-100TT helis, etc) and let them pay for flying for them on commercial operation (=Boatpix get paid for taking pictures, ie business).

Talk about flying for free. This ain't even so. It's flying comm ops and still paying for it. As long as you're light (170lbs and less) and have FAA CPL(H), you can get in touch with them. You'd fly intensively. There's plenty threads on Boatpix. Guys taking pics with FAA CFI can log the hours too as I presume and everyone's happy...

What matters, is that in the end it's win-win situation.

ToTall, I won't mind being wrong about prices of heli flying in SA with current exchange rates. What I've seen didn't convince me. Better than Europe, but against US.. Going to SA on a gap year won't hurt at all :-D

HillerBee, is that inclusive of VAT? Not everyone could/would pull off the self-employed paperwork and convince HMRC. Anyway, for SFH it's OK for UK.
The prices of dual incl VAT in UK look much worse than this.

[SVEK28]

Can the hours at boatpix be logged in a JAA logbook, or do they only qualify as FAA time?

[HillerBee]

Prices I mentioned are inclusive VAT.

[MartinCh]

Svek28, people have been using boatpix for JAA land as far as I deduce from past posts. Other two 'hourbuilding' options way below were/could be hassle.

Helicopter Academy wants people to have CPL, right? so you're legal to do comm ops. Well, since you're ain't getting paid, you don't have the issues of working without authorisation. Or if so, it's very grey area due to no income..

AFAIK, the guy taking pics is their CFI, so they can log hours in all flights they 'instruct' in. You should have PIC as sole manipulator of controls.

There were the discussions on traffic watch either Commander Chuck (who logs time and lets you fly... so not really PIC in JAA terms if he's not CFI) or HeliClass' (or however it's called, too tired now) which is tad different.

HB That's damn good deal in the UK then. I googled the co. and it looks like in Kent. No working website at the mo. Thanks for the info for future reference.

[TJF97]

HillerBee,
was you talking about HeliCharter at Manston? I rang them this week and they don't do SFH or training any more??

I was under the impression that Tiger at Shobdon was the cheapest in the UK for SFH??

[HillerBee]

I was talking about helicharter.co.za only a few miles apart.