Again about HAI and J1 visa
 

I'm a 20 years-old italian wannabe, and I'm very seriously intent upon achieving a JAA CPL(H). At the moment I'm a microlight pilot, so I've got a little flight experience. I've visited several Flight Training Organizations here in Italy and I had a trial flight, but there are basically two problems that are common to all european schools: cost and scarce job opportunity for low tyme pilots.
So, I am going to see with my eyes the famous Helicopter Adventures at the end of the year, and before that I'd like some answer to few of my numerous questions:
1)Regard the professional course FAA CPL+CFI, on the website of HAI there's a costs breakdown of about 41,000 USD for 150 flight hours and other expences (exluded accomodation): are these actual or I have to expect much more time-cost?
2) Once I'm graduated as a CFI with 150 hours logged, will I find a school that hires me to teach on the S300 in a reasonable time (using the J1 visa option)?
3)Is the course duration of about six months or is it longer?
4)As a CFI will I be able to build up the famous 1,000 hrs before visa expiration?
5) Is the average pay of a CFI sufficient to cover living expences (accomodation in a shared appartment, food etc.)?
6) How much money am I spending per month while I'm attending the school?
7) Is the FAA-JAA conversion easy as I've read about (theory+check-ride)
8) Once in Europe with my JAA commercial ticket and (presumably) 1,000 hours on my logbook, will I be hirable or I'll have to do (and pay for it) IR and/or a type rating?
Thanks a lot to anyone who will answer me. At the moment I'm working to save as much money as possible before beginning my training, in addition to the loan I've got asked for. It's a big sacrifice for me and my parents, since we are not so rich to pay an IR+TR in Europe.
Cheers

Nibbio86

1) see 7)
2) probably not, minimum is 200, some even 300, insurance-wise
3) plan on at least 9 to 10 months, you want to take the full monty up to IFR/CFI/CFII - see 7)
4) maybe, I left with just above 750
5) in summer maybe, in winter probably not, depending on location
6) I needed about $1500, shared app., not much beer
7) No, it is not ( read JAR-FCL 2), you want to take their full JAA-course-> one year
8) I hardly was, depends, who you ask and what you want to do, type ratings required are most likely to be Bell206 and/or AS350 and/or EC 120, for starters.
The problem was that since I had done training in the US nobody in the local helicopter industry knew me, nobody had heard my name, no info. So they were careful...
Plan on buying a car, furniture for your appartment, travelling to prospective employers, etc, etc.
Plan on one or two messed up checkrides, examiners are expensive these days.

nibbio86
For you and all others who are considering the HAI route, try checking out the following link. It's from a Danish girl who went the HAI FAA route with complete breakdown of all costs.
http://www.bertha.person.dk/
Happy reading.
dogpaddy

1. Add at least 20% to the cost
2. The chances of getting hired with 150 hours are minimal. As said before insurance companies need at least 200 hours, but a lot are raising the bar to 300 hours.
3. You can do it in 6 months, but it's hard work and the school/instructor has to cooperate. (I did it in 5.5 months)
4. Building up a 1000 hours is possible, but only a very small group makes that. Basically only the people hired by HAI.
5. Don't count on it. As a CFI you make between $15 and $25 an hour. At most schools you won't be flying more than 40-60 hours a month.
6. $1500 as said before
7. There is no conversion, it's doing the JAA ATPL or CPL theoretical knowledge course which takes at least 6 months (usually a year) and then doing a number of hours flight training determined by the head of training of the FTO, usually at least 10. I know of people who needed much more.
8. As the previous poster said it's not easy to get hired because you don't have a network. The helicopter world is very small and people have to know you. If you do a JAA IR then there might be possibilities off-shore, that's probably your best bet.

In short is it worth while going to the US to do your training? Maybe, I think a better way might be to do your JAA training in the UK, and go over to thes States to do some cheap hours building and get a flight instructors rating over here and build up your hours here as an instructor.

I agree - DEFINATELY don't do JAA ATPL at HAI - you'lltake twice as long - which means much less time to instruct. Stick to FAA course, push to get it done and build time. you can do JAA at home without the visa-clock ticking.

I just looked at HAI's website - they charge $52,171 for 135 hours and groundschool. Thier rates are $205/245 in a s300, so 135 should cost no more than $30,000. That means you pay over $20,000 for ATPL groundschool!
In England its about $4,000

Go with the FAA and then you'll have more visa time to work with.

go over on a M-1 visa first and do the FAA ppl and FAA Ir, then come home and get money together and go back on the J-1 visa do the CPL and CFI/CFII and then you'll have lots of time left on the J-1.

most jobs are Robinson schools and for their insurance you will need to have: 50hrs R22,300hrs total time and Robinson factory course attended and maybe some R44 time.

enjoy.

finn