Training In Florida

[STEVEHH]

Hi All

I'm looking for some advice on what i'm intending to do next year (probably october 2006).
I currently have a PPL with just over 80hours. I want to get to ATPL however as most of you will appreaciate this is going to cost alot of money. At the moment i work in London for a canadian bank in the equity markets, this is not for me anymore and i have always wanted to be a proffessional Pilot since i was young (i'm 31 now).
I have the chance to live in florida for zero accomadation costs as my parents have a house at a place called Spruce Creek which is a fly-in community about 15mins from Daytona Beach.
I have just returned from a 2 week holiday there and during that time i flew a cessna 172 a few times out of spruce creek (so i know what its like to sit in the cockpit when its 90+ degrees. I also visited Phoenix east Aviation at Daytona international airport.
To me they sounded like a very good flight school and sort out visa's etc for you.
I'm now planning to start their FAA Professional Program III next october. (i know this will involve a conversion to JAA if i want to try and get a job back in England)
I spoke with them about which was the best course for me to do and above is what they suggested minus the PPL part of the course. The total cost of this course minus the PPL is going to be about $30,000. To be able to afford this i will be selling my house (which i 50/50 own with my younger brother), something we have be planning to do next year anyway. With the profit i will take from this i will use some of it to pay for my course and living expenses whilst in Florida. The reason i want to do the Florida route is 1, due the cost and 2, becuase of the free accomadation for the course duration. If i was to do my ATPL in england it would 1, be alot more expensive and 2, i would have to pay for accomadation or rent and i would need to have a job to pay for that (working and doing my ATPL is not something i want to do as i would need to have all my effort and time dedicated to studying) .
I have seen a similar post to this on this web site and most responses were that florida was not the best route, i hope you can see why i think it is for me but i would like to hear as many of your thoughts and advice as possible. This is the only way i can see me achieving my dream of becoming a Professional Pilot.

thanks in advance for any responses.

Steve

[HappyPilot]

Hi STEVEHH,

there's nothing wrong with the route you are taking as long as you understand the advantages and disadvantages of that route i.e the time it will take you to convert, costs, etc. I get the impression from your post that the present job probably pays you more than most f/o's will get, so also be prepared for that drop in pay.

My Advice to you is this, make good friends in your workplace and the industry you are in at the moment cos when the going gets very tough, in other words, when all is done and dusted, and you are waiting for that flying job, it is those people you can turn to for a job whilst you are waiting.

A close friend of mine took the very same route you are about to take, and he did well when he came back to the UK, first time passess etc. Have you thought about distance learning at a school in florida whilst you are doing your flight training at Phoenix east? That way, at least you are flying and getting parts of the ATPL exams done, a lot less to do when u get back theory wise. Just my thought. Either way good luck with it.

HP

[cjd_a320]

Hi STEVEHH,

Interesting post, my "career" went the other way round. Always wanted to be a pilot, went the normal ppl way( solo on 17th birthday) ect, then progressed up the "ranks" via florida got the ATPL(CAA) via the Old Instructor route & was happy on heavy metail.

Then I lost my licence through a debiltating ilness which when all said & done left no hope of ever getting a "class One" again..

So by chance I came a cross a guy who showed me the skills of trading the "ES" intraday which opened my eyes to a diffent world..

Now ,years on, I still ask myself why the hell did i want to fly for a living, its not a patch on what I do now, in both life style & $$ rewards. But theirs the old "avitors voice" inside most pilots which is hard to switch off. If you have the voice follow it, you will find the best way just listen to it. (its not an NLP ad )

I will probably be shot down for this especially coming from someone who went "modular" / fligh instructor route,in the days of CAP 501. But if I had my time again, I would seriously look a the interagrated way at one of bigger outfits, rather than the FAA way, which would probably mean adjusting your outlook.

Again just a "imho" & a chance to waffle to a trader.