Pilot Fighter
Well-Known Member
It's too bad. Imagine how much more they could get for their money if they were street-wise and waving cash around an FBO.
Comical/Sickening Pheonix East Aviation Video
- Thread starter M20B_pilot
- Start date
CoffeeIcePapers
Well-Hung Member
His best option is to try to get a job in his home country. I hear there is a pilot shortage in Zimbabwe.
Hahaha. More like a money shortage. No jobs there.
CirrusMonkey
No Real Usefulness
If he trained at Phoenix and obtained his certs, wouldn't he have to convert them in order to fly for BA (which would cost the other arm and the other leg)? Plus get authorization to work in the Britain?
SeanD
Well-Known Member
Whats wrong with him looking into ATP? Heck, the small place I worked and did some of my training at does 141 and has a lot of foreign students. The only difference is the absence of pilot shirts with epaulets, which in my opinion, look goofy as hell on anyone putt'n around in piston GA airplanes.
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CoffeeIcePapers
Well-Hung Member
It's much cheaper to do the training in the US and convert. I think PEA might also have EASA approval, but I don't know.
Zondaracer
Well-Known Member
There are several issues at play that need to be worked out:
1. Licensing; to work at a company such as British Airways, an FAA certificate is not sufficient. He would have to also go through the EASA conversion which is neither quick nor cheap. For a low experienced pilot fresh out of flight school, you can estimate costs upwards of $20,000 (including travel and lodging) and a time frame close to a year.
2. Immigration; If he does not have European citizenship, chances of getting a job at British Airways is next to zero. If he acquires residency through legitimate process, such as marriage to an EU citizen, there is still little chance of obtaining a job at any European carrier. It is possible but not a lot of overwhelming possibility. To work at an airline in the US, he would need to obtain a greencard most likely. Very little to no chance of getting sponsored by an airline. If he goes to a flying school on an F-1 or M-1 visa, there is the possibility to stay after training and work as an instructor for a limited time period.
3. Experience requirements; Emirates requires several thousand hours of jet time for expats (think 2500 hours of jet time). Emirates hires fresh CPL holders if they are citizens. British Airways will hire guys with 0 time... but they have to be European citizens. Ready entry first officers at British Airways will typically have extensive flying experience (military, prior airline, etc)
I don't know the situation in Zimbabwe, but if he thinks that he can go to PEA and get hired straight into US carrier, Emirates or British Airways, he is going to be very disappointed.
Zondaracer
Well-Known Member
PEA does not have EASA approval.
http://www.easa.europa.eu/approvals..._previously_JAR_FCL_approved_PTO-29012014.pdf
PEA has a partner in Europe, where they send their graduates to go and do a conversion. I am not sure who the current partner is. Having done the conversion myself, it isn't necessarily cheaper, but you end up with an FAA certificate and EASA license for the same price as having done it all in Europe for just the EASA license.
That's kinda what I figured. Thanks.
touch-n-go
Well-Known Member
Being originally from Zimbabwe myself I can tell you that he is pretty much limited to a school that can offer him a Visa. This makes places like Phoenix East pretty attractive. I do also know that there are different kinds of Visas that flight school can offer. M-1, J-1 or even F-1. Depending on the kind of Visa the school is approved to issue as well as what program he wants to get into, it is possible to get ratings up to CFI and instruct for pay after he gets his ratings. This provided he has a Visa that allows for that.
The whole working for an airline in the States is pretty much off the table unless he was a US permanent resident. With regards to Emirates and other carrier overseas, I know some guys from Zimbabwe who have gone to places like Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific with about a 1000 hours of flight time aquired through instructing here in the states.
The whole working for an airline in the States is pretty much off the table unless he was a US permanent resident. With regards to Emirates and other carrier overseas, I know some guys from Zimbabwe who have gone to places like Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific with about a 1000 hours of flight time aquired through instructing here in the states.
Pépé le Pilot
Well-Known Member
This video is not aimed at a US prospective client, plain and simple. It is aimed at its primary target, second and third world countries students where flight training is either prohibitively expensive and/or incredibly mediocre. Funny thing I used to be a CFI at PEA before attending ERAU and it was incredibly poor. Chief pilot was drunk most of the time, assistant chief (French dude) got deported (imagine that pre-9/11 
) and maintenance was inexistent. I lost an alternator at PBI and got fired because I didn't want to go back with my student at night.... Good memories...!
) and maintenance was inexistent. I lost an alternator at PBI and got fired because I didn't want to go back with my student at night.... Good memories...!