Which flight school in USA on F-1 Visa ?

[scottscale40]

Hi aviators, :)
I'm a glider pilot at my home country (Poland) and I always wanted to become an airline pilot. Right now I am 23 years old and ready to start my aviation adventure. I decided to train in USA, unfortunately I am not sure which flight school to choose.
I have been searching for months for the best flight school for Professional Pilot Program. The most important conditions are: school must have the ability to take students on: F-1 Visa, not inflated expenses, almost guaranteed job as an instructor after the program.

From the beggining the school of my first choice was Aviator College. More than a year ago I visited it during my holidays in Florida, it seemed to be quite good. Few months ago I spoke with one of the graduates and I learned about the shortcomings of the school (hidden costs, race between students about the position of instructor and problematic management of the school). That prompted me to consider other schools... I was whinking about Aerosim (it's very expensive and I corresponded with a person who seemed unpleasant), then Phoenix East Aviation (I have heard only negative opinions). Afterwards I spoke with 2 very helpful pilots who did their training at Hillsboro Aero Academy and were very pleased with their choice of flight school. :)

To be honest I always wanted to apply to a school in Florida (especially because my realtives live there) but right now I'm confused. I would love to live in Florida but I am afraid schools over there are too confident of their position due to the location and candidates' interest so they don't care about quality of training and students satisfaction. That's why I guess Hillsboro could be the best choice...
Could you please share with me your knowledge and experience about these flight schools?

The next problem I've got is making a choice between Part 141 and Part 61 training. Which path would you recommend? I have heard the best option is to do your PPL + IR Part 141 and Commercial + CFI Part 61. Would you agree this is the best way to become an airline pilot?

I know this subject/thread is quite common but none of them have solved all of my doubts. I am hoping some of you were in a similar situation and are able to give me the right advice.

Thank you in advance! ;)

[peekay4]

FlightSafety is another obvious candidate. It is considered among the best and not any more expensive than e.g., Aerosim.

[HEMS driver]

Other than FlightSafety, I can't recommend any flight school in south Florida.

There are three schools in north Florida that have a good reputation:



epicaviation.com
florida-aviation.com
florida-flyers.com

There are many discussions in this forum about flight schools in Florida.

[scottscale40]

Thanks for your answers :) I never thought seriously about Flight Safety Academy. How do you know that Flight Safety is one of the best schools in Florida? What are their advantages over other trainig centers? What about a job as a FI over there?

HEMS driver, unfortunatelly I'm looking for school with a possibility of having F-1 Visa and working as a Flight Instructor ;)

[peekay4]

FlightSafety is considered one of the best aviation training organizations in the world, not just in Florida. The Vero Beach location has provided the highest levels of professional flight training for 50 years.

Of course reputation is only one factor in selecting a flight school. Cost, location, student life, personal fit/preferences, etc., are all important. Some FlightSafety students dub Vero Beach "zero beach"... not exactly the party place, but maybe that's a good thing if you actually want to study!

Another option, if you're at all interested in getting a full 4-year aviation/aeronautics degree (not just flight training) is to apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. They are also globally recognized, and they have a campus in Daytona Beach, FL. As a degree student you would be eligible for an F-1 for the duration of your degree plus the 1 year OPT afterwards.

[Jetblu]

With respect to the opening post, here is a thread about AeroCadet which promotes Aviator College.

http://www.pprune.org/north-america/534337-info-aerocadet-academy.html

Judging by their personnel, I would steer well clear from both and go to FlightSafety. A very top school.

[scottscale40]

I guess my main concern is still whether it is true that students in FlightSafety find it hard to find instructors to schedule? A lot of their students complain about that aspect of training.
What about level of aircrafts' maintenance?
How possible it is to get a job as CFI in FS? Are there requirements like passing all exams more than 90% etc? Could you estimate how many % of non-Chinese students get that CFI job offer?

[custardpsc]

Consider that for any school offering you 'almost guaranteed job as an instructor after the program' it will almost guarantee that you are taught by last months graduate... And these days, you will need to go to a part 141 organisation in order to get a visa.

[Hudson_Hawk]

If your purpose is to study, then get a job as a flight instructor to build time, then progress to a more advanced type of internship, flying light twins and turboprops across Atlantic, I recommend to look into this company: they have contracts with F-1 visa FTPs and third party internship providers in the US. They are not charging students for their services - all paid by the contacted companies.

[HEMS driver]

Another PFT outfit. Don't work for free! Ferrying aircraft across the ocean is very risky. Don't do it for free.

[Hudson_Hawk]

Who said its for free? Nothing is for free. Flight instructor internship pays $20 per hour for both domestic and international students, and they can work for 18 months or 1500 hours, whichever comes first. Max allowable flight time per month, in accordance with F-1 visa restrictions, is 80 hours. So, $20x80=$1600 per months.

Ferry pilot internship is paid per trip, approx $50 per flight hour. A regular ferry trip from US to, let's say, UK is around 35 hours in a light aircraft. So, $50x35=$1750. Pilots can do 2 trips per month, on average. No restrictions by visa, as all flights depart US with intent to arrive at an overseas destination. Pilots can do this on business visa.

So, not exactly free, is it?...

[HEMS driver]

Thank you for the clarification. That is better than free, but methinks people are still being taken advantage of. $1,750 for a N. Atlantic ferry flight is a single? Seriously?

You are using foreign labor to cut your overhead and are thus doing two things: Screwing the foreign pilots as you are not paying them the going rate for ferrying; and giving flying gigs to non-Americans while profiteering.

But it's south Florida, so no surprise.

[Hudson_Hawk]

I guess my main concern is still whether it is true that students in FlightSafety find it hard to find instructors to schedule? A lot of their students complain about that aspect of training.
What about level of aircrafts' maintenance?
How possible it is to get a job as CFI in FS? Are there requirements like passing all exams more than 90% etc? Could you estimate how many % of non-Chinese students get that CFI job offer?

FlightSafety is a safe school, but:

1. Internship positions are extremely limited

2. Internship time-frame is very limited.

3. They are not accredited as college

Why do this, if you can get a lot more flight time and guaranteed advanced internship placement with a third party company, as well as airline employment support in Middle East, S America and SE Asia? Also, if the school is accredited as college, you can transfer academic credits you've earned there, approx 48, to any online university in the US and get a BSc in Aeronautics once you gain another 60 academic credits. You can study and fly as FO, gaining valuable jet time.

[Hudson_Hawk]

Thank you for the clarification. That is better than free, but methinks people are still being taken advantage of. $1,750 for a N. Atlantic ferry flight is a single? Seriously?

You are using foreign labor to cut your overhead and are thus doing two things: Screwing the foreign pilots as you are not paying them the going rate for ferrying; and giving flying gigs to non-Americans while profiteering.

But it's south Florida, so no surprise.

The offer is there, they can take it or not take it. It's an option. No one is forcing anyone to take this job. Many people, including myself (a while ago) took this option in order to build flight time and develop aviation career. I would not be able to succeed without it.

[HEMS driver]

Good for you. I am glad that you survived and moved on.

Did the "employer" provide you with: 1. Unemployment insurance 2. Worker's compensation insurance 3. Pay the employer's portion of the IRS taxes (including Medicare)??

If they didn't, they are violating U.S. law. IRS rulings have stated that this type of work is not as a contractor, but as an employee.

[Hudson_Hawk]

OBVIOUSLY, pilots are working as independent contractors.


Good for you. I am glad that you survived and moved on.

Did the "employer" provide you with: 1. Unemployment insurance 2. Worker's compensation insurance 3. Pay the employer's portion of the IRS taxes (including Medicare)??

If they didn't, they are violating U.S. law. IRS rulings have stated that this type of work is not as a contractor, but as an employee.

[HEMS driver]

That's what I suspected. :=

[Hudson_Hawk]

That's what I suspected. :=

Okay, I'm not going to continue this pointless discussion.

It is unarguably better to have an option to work there, then not to have one. No one is forcing anyone's hand. It's an option, not an obligation. Let the pilots decide what's good for them and their careers.

[Hudson_Hawk]

Scottscale40,
The Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) could be a good option, depending on your financial situation of course. FIT is quite expensive, but they have an excellent 4-year Bachelors of Aeronautical Science Program (degree and commercial licence) with the option to work as a CFI for 1 year, and you would attend on an F-1 Visa. It checks all your boxes of Florida basing, F-1 Visa, degree, licence, instructor work, and quality. Very expensive though.....but you get what you pay for. FIT is located in Melbourne, Florida which is a very upscale city 1-hour's drive north of Vero Beach.

Good luck.


Extremely expensive. Prepare to spend over $150k!

[Hudson_Hawk]

Extremely expensive. Prepare to spend over $150k!

By the way, if you have that sort of money, why not just go to Embry-Riddle. BSc program sticker price is $175k. Plus CFI and basic living expenses (like campus accommodation) , study materials, etc.... Looking at $200k+. I never met anyone who has not regretted getting a degree in aviation. What you want to do, is get an F-1 visa, get some academics and get a lot of flight time working as CFI. Get a degree in something else, like engineering or whatever you like. Don't get a degree in aviation!

[B2N2]

It is unarguably better to have an option to work there, then not to have one. No one is forcing anyone's hand. It's an option, not an obligation. Let the pilots decide what's good for them and their careers.

Independent contractors hey....:8

Let's see...


(1) The extent of control which, by the agreement, the business may exercise over the details of the work.
If the employer retains the right to dictate how the work should be done, the worker is an employee. If the employer decides what work the worker will do and how the worker will do it, then the worker is considered an employee. When an employer hires an independent contractor, the employer is normally interested only in the end result, not in the details of how the contractor performs the work. An independent contractor is not subject to the will and control of the employer. The employer can decide what results are expected from the independent contractor, but cannot control the methods used to accomplish those results. This factor is the most important of the 10 common law factors.
(2) Whether the one employed is engaged in a distinct occupation or business.
A person engaged in a distinct occupation or business is more likely to be an independent contractor if the occupation or business is separate and distinct from the employer's business.
(3) Whether the work done in a certain locality is usually done under the direction of the employer or by a specialist without supervision.
If the work is usually done in that locality under the direction of an employer, then the worker is more likely to be an employee. If the work in that locality is usually done by a specialist without supervision, then the worker is more likely to be an independent contractor.
(4) The skill required in the particular occupation.
The greater the skill required for the occupation, the more likely the worker is an independent contractor. A contract for labor only will normally be considered a contract of employment while the hiring of a licensed professional is more likely to be considered the hiring of an independent contractor.
(5) Whether the employer or the worker supplies the instrumentalities (for example: equipment, vehicle, materials), tools, and the place of work for the person doing the work.
Independent contractors are generally expected to provide or purchase everything they need to do the job. Employees are not expected to provide their own workplace, materials, tools, and supplies, or to otherwise invest their own money in the business.
(6) The length of time the person is employed.
The more long-term, continuous, and exclusive the relationship is, the more likely it is to be employment.
(7) The method of payment, whether by the time or by the job.
Independent contractors generally perform their work one job at a time and are paid by the job. An employee is paid for his time.
(8) Whether the work is a part of the regular business of the employer.
If the service provided by the worker is an integral part of the service the employer provides to the public, the worker is more likely to be an employee. If certain services are so essential to a business that it will succeed or fail based upon how well those services are performed, the business will often want to exercise enough control over the services to ensure they are good. That can make a business the employer of such workers.
(9) Whether the parties believe they are creating the relationship of employer and employee.
If there is a written agreement between the parties describing the relationship it should be honored, unless other provisions of the agreement, or the actual practice of the parties, show that the agreement is not a valid description of the status of the working relationship. If the actual practice of the parties shows an employee relationship, an agreement which describes the worker as an independent contractor will be disregarded. How the worker is treated, not the language of a written agreement or the issuance of a 1099, determines whether the worker is an employee or an independent contractor.
(10) Whether the hiring party is or is not in business.
If the hiring party is in business, it is more likely that the worker is an employee. If the hiring party is an individual, the worker is more likely to be an independent contractor.


Yeah right.....FL Dept Rev - Classification of Workers for Reemployment Tax ? Employees vs. Independent Contractors (http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/taxes/rt_employee.html)

[Hagop]

Hi Scottscale40,
As you are from Poland, why don't you consider doing your EASA training in your own country? I've heard some good stuff about Bartolini Air in Lodz, the prices are extremely competitive as well, one of the lowest prices we can ever find that's for sure.
I've been looking into Aviator College as well, the prices seemed to be very reasonable when compared to others, in addition to the guaranteed flight instructor job that they offer upon successfully completing the training on time. However, I haven’t visited them personally so I can’t give any direct reviews about the school.

Feel free to share any other options you came up with!

[fleigle]

http://www.pprune.org/north-america/577745-global-air-ferry-warned.html

Just to circle the loop.

[peekay4]

Thanks fleigle. Caveat emptor.

[BAe 146-100]

Unless you have the rights to live/work in USA, being a European and getting only FAA certs is rather pointless, its an option if your experienced already as FAA is accepted anywhere (except Europe) but for newbies I think its not an option you should even consider, you will have to convert to work back in Europe and that's also a costly and time consuming process.

[doggymyth]

hi scottscale40,

did you make any decision about which school to go?

i firstly want to do the training in austrilia, but that's quite expensive there. then i switch my destination to the us. i also want to stay in florida or at least california just for the weather, but i also fund hillsboro seems more trustworthy (just feel their web are more clear and professional...)

really want to know your decision, im so confusing at this moment...

any way, good luck! and safe fly!

[HEMS driver]

American flight schools are a great way for the cartels to launder money.
I have not met many satisfied students from any Southern Florida school.
At 1.2 to the British Pound, America is not worth the money at present.
I would only go there at 1.75 or above.
Canada is a equally depressed currency as the Pound.
Try Harv's Air in Winnipeg.
Honest people.

If your Polish, then first go see Bartolini in Lodz.
Ask them if you have an American, Canadian or South African PPL and 150-200 hours, can you finish up there?
Your home boys will steer you straight.
I trust Florida schools about as far as I can throw them.

That's an awful wide brush you are painting with. := There are two excellent schools at KSGJ, which is in NE Florida. Florida Flyers and Florida Aviation Career Training.

[UncleRuss]

Greetings all.

Having visited three schools recently with a view to selecting one to be the "right fit" for my niece to being her studies towards a career as a commercial pilot, I'd happily receive critical or other comments from anyone with experience or knowledge about these three flight schools, which I hardly ever see mentioned in this forum.

COASTFLIGHT operates out of Montgomery field in SAN DIEGO
ENDEAVOUR operates out of Opa-Locka in MIAMI
ADF operates out of Tamiami in MIAMI

Any thoughts, most appreciated.

Thanks,
Uncle Russ

[HEMS driver]

Greetings all.

Having visited three schools recently with a view to selecting one to be the "right fit" for my niece to being her studies towards a career as a commercial pilot, I'd happily receive critical or other comments from anyone with experience or knowledge about these three flight schools, which I hardly ever see mentioned in this forum.

COASTFLIGHT operates out of Montgomery field in SAN DIEGO
ENDEAVOUR operates out of Opa-Locka in MIAMI
ADF operates out of Tamiami in MIAMI

Any thoughts, most appreciated.

Thanks,
Uncle Russ

I am not familiar with any of these schools. But in general, be very skeptical regarding "south" Florida flight schools, and general aviation in general in "south" Florida.

[Daniel Vasconcellos]

Does anyone recommend a good flight school in the Northeast US?

Thx a lot

[Pravein98]

FlightSafety is a safe school, but:

1. Internship positions are extremely limited

2. Internship time-frame is very limited.

3. They are not accredited as college

Why do this, if you can get a lot more flight time and guaranteed advanced internship placement with a third party company, as well as airline employment support in Middle East, S America and SE Asia? Also, if the school is accredited as college, you can transfer academic credits you've earned there, approx 48, to any online university in the US and get a BSc in Aeronautics once you gain another 60 academic credits. You can study and fly as FO, gaining valuable jet time.
can you tell me the name of the third party company that guarantees third party internship after graduation. It would be helpful for me. My email id is [email protected]