Need Help and Advice Please

[Clintonb]

If anybody could help me out that would be great thanks.

ive been doing tons of research since august last year and would like to get my training going ASAP but yet you forking out a lot of money its always best to first get an idea of what schools are out there and what qualifications you need to get accepted into an airline. got friends who are pilots for airlines and they told me even to take the time know what the schools are about if they fully credited schools etc as theres a lot of schools out there that will promise you the world.

im a British citizen got zero hrs of flight training would like to become an airline pilot and was wondering by the professionals what is the best and quickest way, i know there might not be a quicker way but theres schools that you train for 2 years and others you train for 4 years. I've been looking into flight schools across Europe, America and Australia i tried a month ago to get into the flight school SFA in Brussels but missed the pass mark on the selection test to be accepted in the academy by one point sucks but owell no point crying over spilt milk. i can go back in 6 months and try again but id like to get started with training ASAP, no point on waiting around for one school when theres loads more out there just thing is you need to find the descent ones out there out of all the other thousands that you could be wasting your money on and get no where.

im somewhat pretty familiar with the industry in europe on what schools offer and what airlines are looking for im at the moment in the states and been in contact with some schools here and getting to know how it works here where you do minimal theory work but need to work on your flying hours and get 1000hrs before an airline here in the states will hire you compared to europe where a lot of schools do 750hrs of theory work and 250hrs of flight time and dont need to have a CFI rating and in the states they say you dont really need to have a frozen ATPL like in Europe, looking into australia its pretty similar with the states.

thing is im still just trying to figure things out properly and get the right facts.

so if anyone can tell me what qualifications you really need for an airline to accept you in the states and australia. i know some airlines ask different requirements like you need a 4 year college degree maybe need 1500 or 3500hrs etc but the important qualifications that one needs to be accepted. like i saw a school which had an air traffic control course part of the airline pilot training program so what does that help just more money to waste.

also ive heard here in the states that a lot of pilots once they graduate they go straight into the corporate jet businesses and flying private jets before they go into the airline industry is this true? i know in europe theres no chance you can go in the corporate industry instead you can go work for an airline as a FO in a 737,300 , as no insurance company will insure you or the corporate company with minimal hours flying a gulfstream or learjet etc unless you have connections like so much in life its not what you know but who you know.

plus does anyone know if they hiring pilots in Europe or is it still on hold?
are they hiring in America and Australia?

also does anyone know of any good schools that can get to where i want to be an airline pilot?. either in america, australia or europe. i know people tell me i have to ask myself where do i want to be based and flying really i dont care as long as im training in a great school and know im getting the best qualifications and i get to where i wanna be and flying.

these are the schools i been looking into in the states
https://www.deltaconnectionacademy.com/programs/traditional.aspx
Become An Airline Pilot (http://www.pea.com/imd/become-an-airline-pilot.asp)
ATP Flight School: Airline Career Pilot Program (From Zero Time — Includes Private) (http://www.atpflightschool.com/airline_training_programs/airline_career_pilot_program/private.html)
Flight Training Department Home, Daytona Beach, Fla. campus Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (http://www.erau.edu/db/flightdb/) 4 year deal :(

and here is a school i looked into thats in Australia
About Airline Academy of Australia (http://www.airlineacademy.com.au/about.htm)

Thanks for your time and really appreciate any help.

Take care

[ThrustClimb]

Hi Clintonb,

In my opinion, if you want to get into training ASAP what you may do is goto the US spend $.40,000 for ab-initio training including CFI rating teach for 12 months (try PEA in Florida) after 12 months of internship you will get 700-900 hours , you have to spend another $.12,000 for a jet type rating (A320/B737/E-jets/CRJ rating) for this you may want to try Flight Training International (Denver) or PremAir (Seattle) or Simcenter (I forgot where it is based) . Once you return to your home country do the conversion.

Airlines are hiring in other parts of the world.
So, you will have to spend roughly $ 55,000 plus living cost but in return you will earn your CPL IR/ME + 700-900 hurs + Jet type rating.

I got my pilot license in the US back in 1997/98 so I knew what it was like to train there.

I hope this may help.


Safe Flight!

[redsnail]

Australia.
You do not need a degree to fly for the airlines in Australia.
Some airlines (eg Qantas) require HSC level physics and maths. (Bridging courses available)
You'll need a CPL + Multi Engine Instrument rating + ATPL subjects completed.
That's the minimum.

In reality you'll need an ATPL and ideally turbine hours with at least 500 hours in command on multi engine aircraft. Most get into the "airlines" in Australia with a couple of thousand hours.

However, the big thing you'll need is either an Australian (or NZ) passport or a VISA giving right to work and live.

[Pilot Positive]

ClintonB,

Embry Riddle is one of the highest training academies in the USA. If you have a USA passport and get accepted by these guys it will be a lot easier for you to get a job on completion. Its also where cadets for the USAF get there pre-military training so standards are exceptionally high.

:ok:

[Whirlygig]

I got my pilot license in the US back in 1997/98 so I knew what it was like to train thereThings can change a lot in 13 years including J1-VISA availability, work permit requirements in any country, JAA/EASA regulations etc.

Cheers

Whirls

[Clintonb]

thanks for your help guys

appreciate it. safe flying to you all.
:ok:

[Clintonb]

i know i posted this on a new thread but maybe you guys can shed some little on this.
was wondering what would be best to hold JAA,CASA,CAA,FAA license???
i read that if you hold a FAA license or CASA it be harder to convert to any of the European licenses is this true? are you disadvantage by holding one license over another? so confused...

also to go in the corporate side do they want you to have a college degree? I also hear once you have finished training people go into the corporate side to gain hours in jet before getting hired by regional or major airlines in the states? finish training and go into corporate? COOL flying gulfstreams etc but is this really true not even in south africa will they let you, you better off working for an airline like SAA as FO on a 737-300 and gain hours before you even think of flying CEO's of multimillion businesses around the country.



Thank you.

[Whirlygig]

was wondering what would be best to hold JAA, CASA, CAA, FAA license???
The best licence to hold is the one for whose country you have the right to live and work. British citizens would be best off with JAA.

Cheers

WHirls

[redsnail]

Do not under estimate how difficult it is to get into corporate flying.
No, you don't need a degree. You do need contacts and (usually) a lot more experience than the airlines request.

Whirlygig's hit the nail on the head. Get the licence that is appropriate where you can work.
You're a british citizen, therefore JAA/EASA lic is appropriate.

You'd need a visa for the US and Australia. So you can train there but may not be able to work.

If you're looking at Asia, then all the licences are appropriate as you'll convert them.

[Clintonb]

thanks for your help guys its helping me along the way to making a right decision to where i should train. i under stand i cant work in the US as im not a citizen unless i get married but it is cheaper to get your license here than europe plus most academies in the US you dont need to take a selection test to see if you pass and get accepted.

so i was thinking of doing my training in the US get all the qualifications, if airlines in europe after that are still not hiring i would then stay and instruct and build my hours etc if they do start to hire by the time i end my training then i would convert my license to a JAA. but by the sounds of it, it sounds like a long process and expensive but isn't converting any license going to be expensive?
i can also do my training in south africa at Pilot Training School - Learn to Fly at 43 Air School, Port Alfred (http://www.43airschool.com/) its cheap there but south africa isn't a big country longest flying you'll do maybe in a 737 if you get hired is 3 hours compared to other countries plus there aren't that many airlines there to choose from plus pay is crap as the currency sucks so you working for peanuts compared to what you earning overseas which dont get me wrong is peanuts also right now but im talking about exchange rate.
but from what i hear from other pilots getting training down there isn't considered top notch, so other airlines will not really accept you.

also say a pilot for iberia in spain decides to hand his CV in to Qantas would he be hired. lets just say hes got 10 years experience flying in the airlines, i understand he would be then put to the bottom of the food chain if he changed airlines and be starting from scratch due to seniority and converting his license. but i want to know would he be hired in australia even if he doesn't have a citizenship couldn't you get a work permit/working visa.? if he does get hired wouldn't the airlines pay for the conversion of his license? it sounds like airlines only hire their own country men/women. True or False?

thanks again for your replies they very helpful and giving me a better insight and understanding into the industry in different areas.

safe flying

[Whirlygig]

i would then stay and instructYou need a visa for that and the J1 visa is no longer issued.

you dont need to take a selection test to see if you pass and get accepted.You don't need a selection test for many schools in the UK either; only if you want to go on an integrated course.

getting training down there isn't considered top notchI've always held the training in South Africa in high regard.

Cheers

Whirls

[redsnail]

OK, just a tip. Before posting, read what you've written so it's understandable, not just a stream of consciousness.

Righto. To tackle your question of an person from Iberia applying to Qantas.
He/she would not get a start unless they had permanent residency in Australia.
Unless he/she was being hired for a specific role that no one else in Australia could do, they would not get a start. Yes, QF is a strict seniority airline. It doesn't matter what you have in your log book, you will start as a SO.

Most countries want you to do the hard work of getting visas for permanent residency yourself as well as the licence conversion. In other words, you have to qualify. For sure, the Asian airlines will generally sort that out but if you have something dodgy in your past, you won't be able to stay. Note, I am talking about Cathay, Dragonair etc, that's not a starting point for most people.

I would concentrate on getting a licence that gives you the greatest opportunity to work in the short term. Africa or Europe is where I think you have the greatest opportunity (assuming you do have British citizenship as well as SA citizenship). Also, don't always equate cheap with bad, expensive with good. Get the best value you can.

Good luck.
Remember, there are no guarantees