Help me!.....pleeease!

[Farrell]

Hi Folks

You have always given me great advice in the past, and i can safely say that without it, I wouldn't have even got this far.

I can get a CAA Class 2 medical, but not a Class 1 (I have uncorrectable amblyopia in my right eye)

However, I CAN get an FAA Class 1 with a SODA. This appears to be no problem at all!

So.....herein lies my question......
I have the first installment of my training loan sitting in my bank account and want to make a training choice this week as time is running out (I'm 31!)

Should I......

Book a Fast-track JAA PPL in Florida with EFT and then build hours here in France in the hope of the CAA giving me a break in the future?

Or....
Book an FAA Private Pilot intensive course and go all the way to ATP with them......

My dream is to fly for the airlines.....but would love to fly bizjets first.

You've always been right with your advice in the past - so I'm putting my trust in your collective experience again.

What do you think I should do? JAA, FAA ....or is there another way?

Thanks

Wayne

[porridge]

Here you go Farrell
Best advice you'll ever get:
1. Forget JAR
2. Go to the US and enrol with a University programme - e.g. University of North Dakota/Embry Riddle, get a degree and FAA CPL/IR
3. Get an American girlfriend - marry her, get the green card
4. Work your way up as Instructor, Corporate Pilot, Commuter Airline Pilot, Airline Pilot FO - then Captain.
5. Divorce first wife, dump kids on her, sh**g as many cabin attendants as you can, marry one two or three, give them all your money, then go back your original wife when you're flat broke paying all the alimony.
6. Die poor on a park bench somewhere in the land of the free!
Sorry for the cynicism - you could prove me wrong and die happy!

[Farrell]

Uhhhhhh....so is that a cryptic way of saying that the JAR route is the better option?

[redsnail]

G'day Wayne,
Before you spend any cash, are you able to work in the US? No point in spending all that cash if you can't use the licences.

WIth regards to getting your medical reviewed back in Europe. Sit down and have a chat with the medical branch. Speak to them about reviews after X hours experience etc. If your eyes are outside renewal tolerances then it does get harder to push your case. If it's a condition that is an out and out no, seriously rethink spending all that cash.

[Farrell]

Thanks Redsnail - nice website btw!

It freaks me out that the FAA will allow me the chance to fly for a living and the CAA won't!

Bizarre!

[Farrell]

I'm was talking to a pilot this week who has every FAA bell, knob and whistle on his licence. Full ATP, IR CFI - the works, and the CAA are refusing to recognise him!

[George Semel]

Well it looks like you may have a problem here. Your country France will not issue you a Class I Medical do to an eye problem. Good old Uncle Samuel says no problem, you just need a SODA. And they will give you one for the asking. Uncle will allow you to come here for up to two years on a students Visa, they will allow you to work as pilot/ flight instructor to build up some flight time, as long as you fit in that 24 months time frame. Since you want to fly for an airline and in europe, with what you have said, I would not bother doing it, it costs way to much to go all the way thru, convert FAA to JAA or what ever, and not be able to ever get a Class I medical you need. Besides for some reason France is mad at Uncle. When I started, I had some eye problems myself. I didn't start anything till I could get at least an FAA Class 2 medical. It took time to get all of the paper work done. Since then the FAA will issue a Medical for things that the would not, when I started some 30 years ago. I would exaust every avenue you can to secure that Class I. With out it, you are dead in the water as far as a profession goes. Flying is very addictive, or the Idea of it. People get real tunnel vision over it and the real prospects of long term employment.

[Farrell]

Thanks George.

Am off to the CAA to find out once and for all if I can get the Class 1.

Wayne