Airline Captain starting FAA/JAA flight school in the USA.

[Coraghessan]

Good day,

Having just gone through the entire JAA ATPL conversion and looking at my classmates and the trouble they are in financially, all the while obtaining very low quality flight hours with low career opportunities, I decided that this can be done much better.

It is my purpose to start a flight school within the next year that offers fully integrated training for both FAA and JAA licenses, starting with M1 visa's and continuing with J1/H1 visa's to offer the possibility to continue building flight time in the USA.

This school will be started under FAA Part 141 and have very close cooperation with Bristol Ground School, the CAA and have EASA instructors on staff.
Training will be very high quality and done in modern SEL and MEL aircraft with a course total of 210 hours, including 80 hours Multi of which 20 in a turbine powered aircraft.
The total course would take approx. 10 months at a total cost of less than one would pay for instance at CTC.
Every effort will be made to guide you through the next period in your career

The set-up has been initiated and I want to gauge the amount of interest via various websites first before I continue with obtaining aircraft and office/learning space.

Regarding my qualifications: I am an MD-11 Captain with approx. 12000 flight hours and an excellent training and safety record.

As said, my purpose is to improve opportunities for new pilots and provide them with better options than are available now.

ANY feedback is appreciated.

Thank you.

[BigGrecian]

First of all good luck.

I think your time frame will be longer than one year especially with the introduction of EASA due.

Also the J1 isn't available for aviation anymore, and the H1 is so tight on requirements it's very rare for aviation H1s to be issued - so the biggest problem will be getting EASA qualified staff legally - there are plenty of other schools which operate in the grey/dark side of the law and have been doing so for a while as immigration complicates the issue.

The price you seem to be suggesting also seems a little high if it is just shy of CTC's prices and has FAA instructors - why not go elsewhere for cheaper? Unless you can provide the direct airline connection your looking at being at least half the cost of CTC if not lower to compete.

[Coraghessan]

Thanks for the reply.

Not to start an endless discussion on the how's, where's and when's, but it occurred to me that there are more possibilities than I originally thought.

The H1 will still be available if I can prove that the EASA instructor is a position that needs to be filled by a foreigner, since they are simply not available in the US and are necessary for the school.

Second, the final price has not been decided on, but will depend on whether or not the student wants to include an FAA CFI, CFII and MEI.
It will include everything, including travel, pick-up from the airport, hotels, through all licensing in the US as well as the UK and might even include a courtesy car for the student should this be required.
Also, it includes 20 hours dual Multi Turbine (Probably in a Commander 690B) which doesn't come cheap.
This also offers opportunities for CFI's wanting to build better time.

Indeed, I can not offer guaranteed jobs afterward, but nobody can.
A full application course and interview training course will be included as well as references from the school.

I can for now break even at 2.7 students per month, but the bank requires a guaranteed 4 p/m in order to provide the funds, which is why I am looking for the amount of interest.
The more students I get, the lower the price I can offer, since in the end the only variable will be my salary and not a large overhead of staff.

Again, thanks for the input.

[Whirlygig]

You can't have got through 12,000 hours experience without hearing the adage,

How do you make a small fortune in aviation?
Start off with a large one.

Good luck.

Not wishing to put a dampener on your plans, here's a few things you may not have considered.

and have very close cooperation with ..., the CAA

This made I laugh ... you do know they are called the Campaign Against Aviation? They are a very different animal to the FAA.

You may need to consider links with a JAA/EASA flying school for the IR part as that has to be conducted in JAA/EASA airspace.

Advertising and marketing will need to be targetted carefully; website, attendance at careers fairs, as well as traditional ads in mags.

I hope you've got good business acumen and a lots of cash behind you.

As a matter of interest, what is your instructor experience as to begin with you may also have to do the teaching as well.

Cheers

Whirls

[BitMoreRightRudder]

Hi, first of all good luck with your venture.

I trained at CTC a few years ago and I now work for a UK airline. It is interesting you mention the cost will be less than CTC. As was mentioned the cost of training with them is offset by their airline links. Your course sounds like it will offer a good number of hours in a well structured manner but you seem to have a focus on preparing people for an instructor rating.

Second, the final price has not been decided on, but will depend on whether or not the student wants to include an FAA CFI, CFII and MEI.
It will include everything, including travel, pick-up from the airport, hotels, through all licensing in the US as well as the UK and might even include a courtesy car for the student should this be required.
Also, it includes 20 hours dual Multi Turbine (Probably in a Commander 690B) which doesn't come cheap.
This also offers opportunities for CFI's wanting to build better time

To be honest this sounds expensive. Including things like travel and hotels will push up the price. Keep in mind that obtaining an instructors ticket in the UK can be done on a part time modular basis and with a budget of around Ģ35,000-40,000. Would your course be priced a great deal higher?

Also will you require the entire fee for the course up front? If you can accept payment in installments as a student progresses through each stage it would be more attractive. As a new set up people will be wary about handing over large chunks of finance prior to starting with you.

It does sound like a well designed course. Attracting people from this side of the Pond will depend very much on the price you set and the payment options you would provide.

[punk666]

Also the burden you have is the money! To start this business you would need at least $1,000,000 (ball park figure) to buy the newish planes, have pick up, staff members, administration fee's, rental fees such as buildings, hangers etc.

Then on top as some has already mentioned you have to hype this school up so another few $$$$$ for marketing.

To get CAA/JAA approval in another country I was told you have to be linked to a JAA school, so the IR/MCC would solve that problem but the CAA is the one to please.

I like the idea though as I was planning on doing this later on in time.

[Piltdown Man]

May I also suggest the following, in no particular order...

1. Make sure you have a sim.
2. Have space for "cardboard bombers."
3. Include an MCC course
4. Don't forget to bolt-on "English" and have available English tuition for non-native speakers. A nice little earner!
5. Don't be the cheapest.

PM

Oh, and listen hard to Bristol. They appear to know what they are doing.

[zondaracer]

Iīm American with FAA certs, and about 4 months away from getting my JAA licenses. If I hadnīt just moved to Europe and my wife hadnīt just started her own business, Iīd ask you for a job. Good luck.

By the way, it says your down in Carlsbad. Thereīs a FAA/JAA outfit down there at Gillespie. Scandinavian Aviation Academy, scanavia.com . It says their JAA program takes 18 months. 10 months sounds pretty tight, but I think doable if you really develop the program well.

[Airbus Girl]

Good luck, but I think comparing prices with CTC isn't the only one to compare with - many students from the UK, when looking for a cheaper course, will consider FTE in Jerez. (ftejerez.com). As it is a) closer to home for European students b) has reasonable weather and c) has the "European ATC environment" that some people get so excited about (OK, it is useful for doing the IR), many will prefer this option unless you can really beat them on price or content.

[TARA REDWOOD]

HELP

PLEASE...could you tell me about that school offering fully integrated training for both FAA and JAA licenses you are talking about? Iīve been looking for centuries in CA and the only one Iīve found is UKFT ( UK Flight Training )...
Thanks a lot

[potkettleblack]

Iīve been looking for centuries in CA....

If you really did spend a lifetime looking into UKFT and came to the conclusion that you CAN get a JAR licence from that outfit then you should check your research methodology. When they say JAR "COMPLIANT" warning bells should start ringing. Have you seen any reputable school use the word compliant in their advertising???

The list of approved FTO's is on the UK CAA website. If a school ain't on the list then it ain't approved, simples.

[captainsuperstorm]

bullock, try to open a school with 1 plane and 1 instructor... then if it works, get 2 planes, then 3,...

majority of pilots have big dreams to fill their big EGO. get real...your pilot penis will stay small whatever you do.

[B2N2]

majority of pilots have big dreams to fill their big EGO. get real...your pilot penis will stay small whatever you do.

I would say that is a little uncalled for capt superstorm.
Other than that Socal pretty much hits the nail on the head.
You'll be at least 3-4 years down the road before this starts to pan out.
H1b visa for one are like only issued in april and the quota runs out in weeks if not days. If you miss out you have to try again next year.
And you should know the FAA, they may not deny an aplication but they sure can delay it indefinitely.

[zondaracer]

SoCal App, if you look at superstormīs posting history, they are all very negative. must be very disillusioned

[zondaracer]

ah i see, I read one thing but understood another (not enough sleep i suppose)

I donīt know if the OP was necessarily a troll, but maybe put off once he saw that there are already JAA schools in his area. I dont know.

[NW1]

I would find it difficult to trust someone who thinks the plural of "visa" is "visa's" and wants to start a school teaching anything.