Please help: JAA or FAA route.

[tom775257]

Hi there,
I am afraid this is a fairly selfish question purely for my own interest, however I would be very thankful if people would add a few personal comments.
I will explain the situation I am in currently: I am an American citizen living in the U.K. from birth, interested in training to hopefully become a commercial pilot. Currently I am training in the U.K for my PPL. I am in the second year of university, obviously planning to finish my degree, and then hopefully continue training. My question is one open for debate. Do you think I should train in the U.K for a JAA licence, or go to America and complete FAA commercial training. I have the ability to work without any special work permit in Europe or the USA, which do you think would offer the best opportunity? A few other considerations that perhaps are relevant: I was educated in the U.K., the money to pay for this is in U.S. dollars, and all my friends and close family live in the U.K. (however am willing to move anywhere to chase a career) Thanks for any comments.
Tom. :)
Edited for spelling...

[ 12 December 2001: Message edited by: tom775257 ]

[englishal]

Hmmm...well if I was in your shoes, I'd go to the US. Its a case of $20,000 as opposed to £30,000.

I'm in the opposite situation to you, Brit, but living and working in the States is no real problem, so I have chosen the FAA route, with a view to convert to JAA once I have my ATP. This leaves the door wide open, two independant licences / medicals, for not much more than a JAA ATPL.

The reason I chose the FAA route is

a) cost
b) JAA don't know what they're doing yet, and there seems to be ever changing goal post sizes
c) in the future, the JAA and FAA may come to some arrangement making conversions easier

Good luck

EA

[tom775257]

Hi englishal,
Thanks for the reply. I must admit that due to cost, the FAA route does seem attractive. I think if I went that route I would probably try to seek employment with a U.S. airline/ cargo transportation rather than immediately trying for JAA licence (which I could do at a later date). The only worries I have with this are I) Will they understand that a U.S. 4 year degree = a U.K. 3 year BSc/BA as effectively the first year of uni in the US = last year of A-levels. II) Will they recognise U.K. academic qualifications. My only hope I think is w w w . w e s .o r g /e v a l .h t m l(remove spaces) This was recommended to me to allow conversion of foreign grades to U.S. recognisable grades. I hope that companies readily accept this.
Thanks for the comments,
Tom.

[DesiPilot]

Hi TOm,

You do not need a degree to get a job with a major airline here in the USA. Most of the majors prefer that you have a degree, and I am sure that the 3 year degree from UK will do the job. You do not need any degree to work for a charter, commuter, regional or any other part 135 operations.

:) Jatin

[flying albatross]

Initially, FAA is the way to go. Once the industry gets back in full motion, you will have much more employment opportunities available to you.

Set your sights on becoming a pilot with a US Airline, obtain your FAA ATPL and about 500 hourrs of MCC Experience, and you will be able to easily convert to JAA. And, by then the conversion process may be even easier as JAA & FAA have been working on harmonizing licenses.

Wishing you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Flying Albatross :rolleyes:

[tom775257]

Thanks for the replies, interestingly all suggest FAA. There is no reason why if I went the FAA route that I should want to try for JAA, as I said I am willing to go where the work is. However that said it is nice to keep options open.
OK, now for the big question. If the going recommendation is learning in the U.S. for an FAA licence, any thoughts on where I should learn? I would probably be leaving university (hopefully – medical pending in a few weeks) with PPL and a number of hours… any flight school recommendations. The flight schools I have considered so far are Comair and Flight safety if going the FAA route. Any comments?
Thanks again for your thoughts on this matter,
Tom.

[DesiPilot]

Tom,

I wont touch Comair with a barge pole. I did my training there. They had the highest drop rate and too many hidden costs.
I would recommend Naples Air Center but they don't offer J1 Visas. I heard they are working on it. Other place to check is North American in Conway, SC www.naiasc.com (http://www.naiasc.com) I have had many instructor from that school and everyone seem to be happy with the management and school. I was pleased with thier quality of instruction.
If you want their (instructors from NAIA) email address, email me and I will be more than happy to email it to you.

:) Jatin

[ 14 December 2001: Message edited by: DesiPilot ]

[hvassk]

Let me just give you some more advice. First, I am in the same situation as you, only opposite. Dual citizen, living and flying the US. I never wanted to return to Europe, until I started flying commerically in the US. Just a change of heart, I guess. If you plan to have a career over here, you are going to need a university degree. They don't care what it is in or where it is from, the company just wants to be able to verify that you completed your degree. Unlike the other post, some major airlines do require a four-year degree. And even though it is not stated in many applications for the regionals, it is also required. You can argue all you want, but look at the numbers on the recent new-hires. 98% of all new-hires had a 4-year degree (from the US where most take 4 years for a Bachelor). As far as getting your ratings, I personally think that's a tough one. I think in Europe it's maybe quicker to get a job with a major. My opinion comes from all the "cadets" that companies trained. However, that may change, as it currently has and may not be reinstated soon enough. In the US the road to a major is a longer one, however, there are more jobs available here. Flight instructing, charter, cargo, sight seeing, pipeline, all sorts of jobs requiring an airplane and pilot. The pay in the US at a major is higher, but the quality of life (in my opinion) is better in Europe. These are all things you must consider. As I tell all aspiring pilots, always have a backup. Don't get a degree in aviation. A career in computers does not require a medical exam, line checks, proficiency checks, surprise FAA rides, and so on. Remember, airline pilots have a lot of time on their hands and usually have a second career on the side.