Career Instructor Advice?

[mikeyk01]

I was hoping to get some advice from any of the career instructors on here. Does anyone have experience of doing the FAA flight instructor qualifications (e.g. CFI, MEI, CFII etc) as part of a "proffesional pilot programme" in the states. In general these courses comprise of a series of ratings/training and then a period of working as an instructor at the said school.

Would anyone know, if you completed one of these courses if it was possible conevert the FAA instructor ratings to JAA ratings and also if the hours/experience would be valid in europe. This with a view to being a career instructor teaching CPL/IR etc.

Any advive or opinions greatly appreciated

[AlphaMale]

I 99% sure you can't convert a FAA CFI to a JAA FI like you can a FAA CPL to a JAA CPL.

You'd need to take the full FI course. I'm not sure if you'd be an FI(R) though? You'd have say 500+hrs of instructing CFI / MEI / CFII under your belt, and no doubt the experience you'd have built up in the states will help you through the JAA FA system.

Good luck

[BlueRobin]

Rubbish! Checks out LASORS. There is a conversion route in H1.10 (2007 edition) for transferring a FI rating from a non-JAA state. Essentially it says 15 hours dual, 30 hours ground and a flight test.

[AlphaMale]

Hmmm ... Interesting.

I was told you can't convert it. I've seen adverts at US flight schools where you can get a CFI/MEI/CFII for $12,000 with the opportunity to stay and work for them and get $5,000 back after working 6 months.

How much does this conversion cost? The cost of an FI course in the UK seems to be around £7k so it would be cost effective to train and work in the states for 6 months and then convert surely?

Thanks Robin

[mikeyk01]

Thanks for the replys Alpha and Robin, very interesting. I'm guessing you would still need at JAA CPL/MULTI/IR though. But i imagine the cost to convert FAA CPL/IR ratings would be less than doing the JAA CPL/IR outright. A couple of good ideas to be looked into.

Cheers guys

[AlphaMale]

Mikey, I see the route you're looking at and it's very tempting. BUT the reason I'm going to do my CPL/IR in the UK is the same reason why I'll not be going down the route your thinking of.

From what I have heard and read on this forum and having spoken to a couple on CFI's from US schools is that the difference between FAA and JAA and quite different. And it's back to the old line of "If you want to work in the UK do your licence in the UK"

I'll be finishing work with my current employer after completing my ATPL exams to sit the CPL/Multi IR followed by a FI course. I guess the cost of an JAA CPL and FAA IR > Converted to JAA Multi IR and CFI MEI CFII in the states could be done a lot cheaper than the usual JAA route

Food for thought I guess - let me know how it goes Mikey

[BlueRobin]

On-Track quotes £2900 for a conversion. I'm guessing the 30 hours ground is the "core course"

[mikeyk01]

Its definatly something i'm thinking about, but as you say "train in the uk to work in the uk" You would still need the FAA multi/IR/CPL before you could do the FAA flight instructor ratings and i think the cost would be $35-40k. plus the JAA Conversions. EFT were qouting $63k plus expenses etc for the PPL right upto the ratings and an instructing position afterwards.

The only real advantage i can see is that you would be building instructing time for CPL and instrument. However this would only be of benefit if the CAA recognised this time and took it into account against the requirements for IR instructing (200hrs instrument/800 IFR).

I realise that theres no shortcuts and it would probably just as difficult as going doen the JAA route. I imagine that you would start as a FI once back in the UK. But i could also see that it would be very difficult to build the instrument time needed for IRI unless you went down the AOC route for a few years (no bad thing).

if anyone has comments i'd be greatful to hear them

[clear prop!!!]

There seems to be a suggestion here that you (a Brit) can do your FAA instuctors rating etc in the US then work off some of the cost there. That is NOT going to happen! The FTO might let you but uncle Sam will not unless you marry someone while you're there!

The advice 'train in the UK to teach in the UK', is good advice...Take it!

Even when desperate, UK FTO's will go for a UK trained instructor over a US trained one, EVERY TIME!

If you do your FI course in the US you will have to 'unlearn' a lot to instruct well here. It is very different over there....not bad, but different.

[mikeyk01]

Thanks for your post clear prop. I would indeed prefer to train in the uk, i think it would be beneficial. What would your advice be to a PPL instructor who is looking to progress to instruct CPL or IR. How would you suggest they build the appropriate experience needed to teach CPL/IR? For that is surley the main reason why someone (myself included) would find the american route attractive. However it would seem that several major FTO's are being quite naughty in offering these packages if what you say is true. I had made the naive assumption that there would have been some sort of temporary working visa involved, but i know very little about such things.