Flight School

Dreithan

Dreithan

New Member
Heya Guys & Gals

im from Trinidad & Tobago and have wanted to become a pilot since i was 5, as of this year i have realized that it is an accomplish-able dream. i am planning on beginning in Jan 2011. i am looking for a good academy to take me from zero flight time to Airline Transport Professional, and take me there affordadly. ive searched a couple schools in miami (being the closest to me) Pheonix east Aviation caught my attention, but the reviews were not good, i would be spending alot of money to do this and i wish to be given value for it. I have no problem with the industry's pilot requirements of long hrs, away time and low startup salary. i just would like an honest opinion on a good school to give me this training.
 
There are a TON on schools out there the best advice I can give is becareful what you get yourself into. Usually academies and schools that have expanded across the United States will promise so much if you do their training and pay their prices. These are the places you have to becareful about. If it sounds too good to be true then it probly is. Schools will advertise Zero to CFI or Commercial in 6 months, how confident will someone be flying with only 6 months worth of training? Take your training at a steady pace look at smaller FBO's to do training, its alot cheaper and they usually have instructors who teach because they have a passion about teaching aviation. If you go to some academy chances are you are going to have someone teaching you who's only concern in life is gaining hours to make it in the airline business.
 
No matter what you do don't pay up front for anything EVER. There is probably 8 million threads on this forum alone citing reasons why it is a bad idea. Finding a place that can offer a visa and that is high quality might take a bit of patients! Best of luck to you!
 
If you are looking for a school which is sponsoring F-1 visa, then you don't have much choice (only Phoenix East Aviation, Aviator, Pelican Flight Training Center or Hillsboro Aviation). I know there are many people from your area working and training at Pelican. However the school is not a good place if you're hoping to get a job there. Their Norwegian parner went bankrupt, so there aren't many students at the moment and I would be very careful paying them anything upfront.

I was very close to enrol on a professional program at PEA. However, I found out they want $10,000 upfront and their refund policy is really bad - they will take 15% of the whole program price if you choose not to start or continue your training for any reason. That's why I think I will choose Hillsboro Aviation. I'm a bit concerned about the weather in the Pacific Northwest, so I haven't made the final decision yet. It's not Florida but at least you "pay as you go".

Are you sure you want F-1 visa, not just M-1?
 
Aviator College has a good two year degree program and offers F-1 visas. I think the college program goes from zero to CFI/II/MEI and an instructor internship as part of the program for a grand total of 350 hrs when you're done.

I didn't do the college program there but I did do the Pro Course. I finished about three months ago. Couple of Trini's there.

www.aviator.edu
 
guys, thanx alot for all the info, im not sure about the fine print of the F1 & M1 visa, but from what ive read, the F1 seems the better of the two, i do have at least 4 months to make my final decision and all the information is greatly appreciated.
 
Basicly, F-1 visa allows you to work as an instructor for 12 months after finishing training. If you're only interested in commercial licence then you should go for M-1.
 
well actually i intend to be an instructor (for a couple years), because;

i like to teach people.
it gives me opportunity to understand aviation in a different perspective, thus gaining ideas of my own.
 
Dreithan, I want to correct Krasnall last posted response. The F-1 Visa is only a student visa and doesn't allow you to work. The M-1 visa is a type of student visa for vocational or technical schools and after completing your training you are permitted to work for at most one year on a student visa. I don't know how old are you and what your expectations are, but if you are a young man, you be better of going to college get your bachelors degree and get flying training at the same time. My nephew is from Venezuela and he attended Embry-Riddle University in Florida. He got with BS in Aeronautical Science and his commercial pilot license. Then he worked for a corporate firm that has its own airplane and instructed on weekends until he accumulated 1300 hours TT as PIC. Now he is back home training for a major airline job in Venezuela. If one of your goals in the future is to work for a major airline, you will need a Bachelors degree as long as all the ratings. Otherwise get your training in a local FBO or a recognize school. Look thru Jetcareers page and you will find tons of them. Good luck in your search! :beer:
 
My nephew is from Venezuela and he attended Embry-Riddle University in Florida. He got with BS in Aeronautical Science and his commercial pilot license.
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He also spent 150K+ doing it.....just saying:D

If one of your goals in the future is to work for a major airline, you will need a Bachelors degree as long as all the ratings. Otherwise get your training in a local FBO or a recognize school. Look thru Jetcareers page and you will find tons of them. Good luck in your search! :beer:
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+1
 
Dreithan said:
hey bill thanx for that info, how are there prices though?
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More than competitive. In my opinion the best price overall out there.

Make sure you check housing prices and if they are included in the price, Aviator includes part of the housing costs in the price. Most other schools don't, you're on your own for rent. Plus, look at hours in the logbook when your done.

Aviator has two housing areas, the houses in Vero Beach and quads on campus at the Ft Pierce Airport. I personally recommend the quads, you can walk to classrooms and the operations building, you don't spend money on gas and you're not at the mercy of the shuttle.
 
BillErvin said:
More than competitive. In my opinion the best price overall out there.

Make sure you check housing prices and if they are included in the price, Aviator includes part of the housing costs in the price. Most other schools don't, you're on your own for rent. Plus, look at hours in the logbook when your done.

Aviator has two housing areas, the houses in Vero Beach and quads on campus at the Ft Pierce Airport. I personally recommend the quads, you can walk to classrooms and the operations building, you don't spend money on gas and you're not at the mercy of the shuttle.
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Not to mention living that close to (at) an airport (for just a little bit of time of course) sounds fantastic!
 
Turpial said:
Dreithan, I want to correct Krasnall last posted response. The F-1 Visa is only a student visa and doesn't allow you to work. The M-1 visa is a type of student visa for vocational or technical schools and after completing your training you are permitted to work for at most one year on a student visa.
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Here's the way it works: F-1 students are generally not permitted to work in the US without prior authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). However, the USCIS may grant work authorization for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT). Students are permitted to work for a total of 40 months towards practical training (eg. internship), which can be distributed between Curricular Practical Training and Optional Practical Training.

CPT is an Internship. OPT is working as a CFI after you finish school. USCIS hardly ever denies students from working for a College or University flight program.

(With the exception of a few schools that used to do J-1 visas, the F-1 Visa applies only to Degree seeking flight programs.)
 
Turpial said:
The F-1 Visa is only a student visa and doesn't allow you to work. The M-1 visa is a type of student visa for vocational or technical schools and after completing your training you are permitted to work for at most one year on a student visa.
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I don't know how college visas work, but I'm pretty sure that you are not allowed to work on M-1 visa when doing flight training. In fact, both F-1 and M-1 are student visas only, but the F-1 allows you to apply for Optional Practical Training (12 months of work).
 
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