FAA training & career

[Adub737]

Hello fellow aviation enthusiasts,

I've been going through PPRuNe's forums for quite a while now and I've seen a lot of interesting stuff, a lot of you guys have a lot of knowledge and experience and I was hoping that you could forward all of that my way and hear what you've got to say about my situation and my goals.

I am 24 years old, living in Belgium and working as an Operations and Loadcontrol supervisor at EBBR (Brussels Airport). I was born in the US from Belgian parents so I have dual citizenship. Always wanted to become a pilot but was freaked out by the financial aspect of it and kind of "abandoned" the idea when I finished High School. But in truth, you can't block a feeling that deep in you, a passion, and I ended working around planes at the airport. This feeling keeps growing on me everyday and I am now convinced this is what I want to do. I live near what used to be the Sabena Flight Academy and now is CAE Brussels. The integrated program there was and still is around a 110k€ investment. To be honest, that is just to much for me. So, like a lot of people, I am looking towards the US and the FAA route. Like I said earlier, I am a US citizen, so it isn't a problem for me to move there and eventually pursue my career in the US. The question is where, and that is why I am posting this thread.

Living close to CAE Brussels, I obviously first took a look at their academy in Phoenix. The program they offer there is the US Professional Pilot Program which is about 60k$ excluding housing. The course includes PPL, IR, Commercial SE & ME, CFI SE ME and intrument.
To me, it looks like a much better route than the integrated programs here in Europe, especially because I have the luck of having both citizenships.

Unfortunately I haven't heard a lot on the internet about CAE's US Professional Pilot Program, and was hoping somebody here had any insight. Or if you have any other schools that would maybe be a better option, I am all ears. I don't want to rush into it...

Thanks for your time everyone ;)

[morley846]

Hey Adub,

I'd kill to be in your position with the US citizenship. I don't know about CAE but I trained at ATP Flight school and it was excellent. They offer you a job once you qualify as a CFI and even though pay isn't great they have excellent contacts to get you started flying jets. Most of the CFI's interview with US regional airlines and have a guaranteed job up to 1 year before they get their 1500 hours.

Here is the link
https://atpflightschool.com/airline-career-pilot-program/index.html

The great thing is you can train at any location and then instruct at any location so flexibility is excellent plus you also have the option to change location once you are instructing. You get to do some awesome cross country flights which not many other flight schools offer. I'd highly recommend it.

As i am foreign they couldn't offer me a job but if they had i'd have taken it straight away.

Hope that helps

[P40Warhawk]

You have also Bachalor Degree? Something which is mandatory in most airlines.

But you are in a Luxury position to be able to work in USA. Would love to have same situation. But saddly I will never be able to work there.


Good luck.

[banjodrone]

Check out Mazzei Flying Service in Fresno

Mazzei Flying Service - School of Aeronautics (http://www.flymfs.com/)

[turbopropulsion]

OP- As previously mentioned, you're in an incredibly lucky situation having dual citizenship.

To echo the thoughts of my extensive research over the last 5 months, go for the US route. Conduct your training wherever you feel the instructors will look after you best. You can then flight instruct and are not bound to any particular school and have no subsequent visa issues. From there, you can steadily climb the ladder of aviation.

What a fortunate situation you've found yourself in. Can't say I agree with the US immigration policy of allowing citizenship for merely being born there but nevertheless enjoy :-)