Flight Instructor Jobs in the US?

[eikido]

How does the market for Flight Instructors look in the US ? Is it difficult to find FI jobs?
Is it more likely that a school hires a student as a flight instructor?
Because the school i want to attend does not seem to hire FIs at the moment! Does that mean i'm doomed?

Eikido

[Keygrip]

If you had both a JAA instructor rating and a VISA then America would bite your arm off just now.

Canada would, too - and visas are easier there.

This is all assuming that you have some experience of instructing, as well as holding the rating.

[comfortably numb]

I am a current UK instructor with with 1500 instruction hrs

Am ex BA TT 8000+

Looking to live and instruct in Florida USA, I would be very interested to learn of any schools who would " bite my arm off"

[polohippo]

So how do you get a visa?

[mcgoo]

If your English, with great difficulty!

[Keygrip]

Try a US Immigration website?

[eikido]

I was thinking of getting a FAA rating in the US and then train as a CFI.
I would like to work as a FI later that's why i'm asking.


I will then convert it back to JAA but that is another story.

Eikido

[Duchess_Driver]

"So how do you get a visa?"


.....marry an American!

[eikido]

Darn.

No real answer yet.

Edit: I heard you should avoid american women :}

Eikido

[BoeingOnFinal]

By my understanding you are not able to convert instructor ratings, so you would have to do it all over in a JAA approved school to work as an instructor in a JAA country.

[Capt Loop]

It seems from what I understand from LASORS is that if you hold an ICAO FI rating. You need to do a "minimum" of 15hrs dual flight training in a JAA school and 30 hrs classroom theory. Then a flight test with an JAA - FI Examiner.

Still need JAR - FCL commercial theory exams passed, and appropriate JAR-FCL licence, PPL or CPL. Long X country flight, minimum flight time etc etc..... as per a new JAR FI Rating

I am a JAA instructor and I am out in Florida for a month in 2 weeks time. I can instruct at a JAA school. However, I cant get paid as I am on a holiday visa. And there is no way I can get a US visa to allow me to work out there.... I have tried.

[jez d]

You could apply for a J1 student/work visa.

However, according to AOPA US, the Department of State is planning on binning them come June 2010.

See: AOPA Online: Work-study visas for flight students set to end (http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/articles/2008/080717visa.html)

jez

[EvilKitty]

I can instruct at a JAA school. However, I cant get paid as I am on a holiday visa.

Thin ice.

Not getting paid doesn't mean that you are not working.

You might be able to do some real volunteer flying with one of the aviation charities on the VWP or B2 visa - but I'd check first.

[Sweptwing21]

Get a visa some other way. Good luck marrying an American Women, they suck anyway. All they care about is themselves.

I am an American, and I married a sweet and beautiful tica from Costa Rica. I love women from all over the world, Europe, Australia, Latin America. They are all great. If you want a Paris Hilton wannabe, come here, we have plenty of them.

[Sweptwing21]

Some good schools to instruct at here in the US are:

Flight Safety Academy: Vero Beach, FL
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Daytona Beach, FL and Prescott, AZ
ATP Flight school: various locations
University of North Dakota: Grand Forks, ND
CAPT: Palm Coast, Florida
Oxford: Goodyear, AZ
FTI: Bakersfield, CA

All of these locations have new aircraft, good bay and bennies, and most are in good locations for flying, except UND in ND ... it's cold and icy.:}

Hope this helps

[Capt. Spock]

So where do the JAA flight schools in the US get their JAA flight instructors? Wouldn't they sponsor you a visa?

[mcgoo]

They use FAA instructors for the training and have their own in house JAA examiners for the test and no, they wont sponsor you, I've tried lots of times.

[coolio545]

I wanted to ask that for doing CFI course with JAR licence,i have first to convert my JAR to FAA and then get the CFI rating.If so,how long it will take to convert and if there are written or only practical examination for that.
And once completed CFI,then what is the scope for working there as Flight Instructor as I have Spanish citizenship.
Some one told me that need sposorship to work there,some that i can work only 1 month for 4 of training.
Here its quite difficult.
Dont know if to do CFI in spain and then go to usa,if so what i have to convert and how or to to CFI in USA??

[tbavprof]

To do a JAR-FAA conversion, it would be helpful to know what JAR certificate you hold.

To get a US CFI rating, you need to have a US CPL and an IR rating. You can convert any JAR PPL or CPL to an FAA PPL.

If you have a JAR IR, the rating can be placed on your FAA PPL (subject to category and class restrictions), after you have passed the FAA IR written, and been certified by the FSDO as English proficient (your Euro credentials for language proficiency don't count for obtaining a US license).

Then you have to meet the required hours, written, and practical test for the CPL. That would include a minimum of 3 hours of instruction in preparation for the CPL practical.

If you have a JAR ATPL, you can take the US ATP written and practical test (as long as you meet the hours and age requirements), and get the English proficiency sign-off from the FSDO.

Once you have the US CPL-IR or ATP you can then take the instructor writtens, required instruction, and practical tests.

As far as working, I don't think you'll get that without sponsorship or enough of a business investment to get residency.

Will you answer one for me? I'm a US CFII with a lot of hours, so I don't want to time build (also gave up on wanting to fly the shiny jet a long time ago). But the extraordinary sums (mortgage houses?) being paid for flight instruction in Europe has me wondering how I can go about getting around the Euro rules that restrict employment to Euro citizens. I figure for the amount of money to be made, the FAA-JAA conversions would be pretty painless.:E

[1Bingo]

Recommend you subscribe to 'climb to 350' website as they have scores of flight jobs worldwide offered every day to include numerous flight instructor jobs in US and worldwide.

Bingo

[sapperkenno]

I'm a UK citizen studying for my CFI/II at a flight school in Arizona. They have offered me work and will sponsor me for a visa. Has ANYBODY at all managed to do something similar. I haven't started the process yet, and I'm not looking forward to it as it seems like a bit of a slog...
There must be someone who HAS successfully gone through the whole process here who can shed some light.
And, if you weren't successful, could you please explain why?
Thanks

[BigGrecian]

They use FAA instructors for the training and have their own in house JAA examiners for the test and no, they wont sponsor you, I've tried lots of times.

European Flight Training has European insturctors who are all JAA qualified.

They use J1 visas for their instructors.
There other visas such as H3 but they cost circa $5000 and only valid for a year etc etc.

I know of schools who will arrange for you to come over here, if your willing to pay the cost....and give the commitment for circa $20 an hour! So it's not normally worth the cost for most people.

[172_driver]

Guess it's different all over, where I work they normally hire CFI:s and train some instructors (with JAA certificates) to JAA FI in house, to fly with the JAA students.

[echapement]

Hey guys. i have an australian CP+IR( with 239 hours only) and im a lebanese citizen and im planning to maybe come to the states to find job as a flying instructor.i know it is hard to get the Visa to the states since im lebanese, but in case i manage to get there and got my instructor rating from there what are my chances to find a flying instructor job? can anyone please help me with this? thank u all:)

Joseph

[BigGrecian]

know it is hard to get the Visa to the states

Zero chance.

what are my chances to find a flying instructor job?

Zero.

Probably thousands of US flight isntructors un employed right now. Most schools are laying off staff.

You'd also need FAA licences.

[michael95u]

I agree with BigGrecian. There is little to no chance of getting a Visa to work as an instructor in the US (unless you are talking about working for some place like Flight Safety as a sim/ground instructor, as it IS possible in that case; but then we are talking about having many hours in a jet aircraft).

There are so many instructors who are US citizens that are looking for jobs right now. If I were to put an ad out looking for a CFI today, I would get 500 resumes in less than a week.

So to reiterate, there is really no chance to get a CFI position in the US if you are not a citizen. And be VERY careful if a school promises you a position! If you come here on a M-1 Visa, working is not an option!

[gavinv174]

I have a FAA CPL (225 hrs ) with CFI and im going to USA to do a bachelors degree. Can i find a job to work as an instructor there for part time so that i can build some hours as well as complete my degree ? What visa will i have to get . I am Indian. Can i work there ?

[ReverseFlight]

I am Indian. Can i work there ?No.
What visa will i have to get.Green card. Your best chance is to try the lottery.
Can i find a job to work as an instructor thereNo. Many instructors already sitting on the ground for over one year.

[gavinv174]

Then where can i get an instructor job ? Is there any other way i can build some hours in India ? I tried the jet, spice jet exams.. but never got through

[proudprivate]

I have a FAA CPL (225 hrs ) with CFI and im going to USA to do a bachelors degree. Can i find a job to work as an instructor there for part time so that i can build some hours as well as complete my degree ? What visa will i have to get . I am Indian. Can i work there ?

Then where can i get an instructor job ? Is there any other way i can build some hours in India ? I tried the jet, spice jet exams.. but never got through
A few questions spring to mind :
1) What moved you to study for and achieve an FAA CPL/FI, both professional qualifications that are not without cost to achieve, when you seem to be unsure about elementary circumstances that surround exercising this qualification ?
2) What do you want to achieve in your professional and personal life ? Is the bachelor's degree linked to aviation ? Do you want to become an aeronautical engineer ?
3) What do you need / want the hours for ?

And, out of intellectual interest,
4) If you have 225 hours with an FAA CPL/FI, how did you obtain an exemption from 14 CFR 61.129, which requires you to have 250 hours for the CPL alone ?

A US Immigration Officer would have a field day with you ;).

[mcgoo]

4) If you have 225 hours with an FAA CPL/FI, how did you obtain an exemption from 14 CFR 61.129, which requires you to have 250 hours for the CPL alone ?

The 250 hours is for part 61, if you do part 141 you can get the CPL in 190 hours.

[usualguy]

Is the bachelor's degree linked to aviation ? Do you want to become an aeronautical engineer ?

right, if you study in aviation and you can not get a job as a pilot, you wont get a job as a flight engineer.

I know many guys who have a useless business managment master in aviation at Embry riddle and have no job.

now they work in a office selling CCTV cameras of fastfood...

[proudprivate]

you wont get a job as a flight engineer


That was not to advocate him pursuing a flying career, just gauging his interests in life. The last thing you want is push a newbe towards another CPL/Gas attendant or ATPL/Delivery van driver career.

As far as SoCal's suggestion to try India, I believe the DGCA is pretty cool on converting FAA CPL's. Dunno about the FI-license. Maybe he should try Carver Aviation in Mumbai ask them what it takes to convert his CFI ?

Of course he could just be a troll, having fun and games with us...

[gavinv174]

Hi i have converted my FAA license to DGCA also i would be going to do an economics degree in USA because i can't wait anymore to find a job here in India. That's why since i am going there i thought i could be an instructor and come back with some 1000 hours and then try my luck. I have been looking for a job since 2 years and couldn't get any where.

[gavinv174]

And btw my cousin wanted to know about Flying Vikings. Is it good. CPL cost $36000. Many Indians train there.

[gavinv174]

So is that a bad option. Because he wanted either that or Dean International Flight School