Help Finding an economical Flying Training School in USA.

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Rawalpak

New Member
Hi Every Body
This is my first post and i am sure this forum ,ll be much helpful for what i am trying to find.I am a UK based JAR 110 hours Private Pilot.I wanted to continue my further training in US to obtain FAA CPL ME IR.I understood the Procedures from Converting my JAR PPL to FAA and so on TSA,VISA etc.

The only hardship i am having at the moment is finding an Appropriate School.its very hard just to make a decision for a school based on the information provided on the website.Therefore i am here if some one can please share his/her experience with schools over there.I am flexible and can come to any part of states.

Thanks in advance for your time
 
Rawalpak said:
Hi Every Body
This is my first post and i am sure this forum ,ll be much helpful for what i am trying to find.I am a UK based JAR 110 hours Private Pilot.I wanted to continue my further training in US to obtain FAA CPL ME IR.I understood the Procedures from Converting my JAR PPL to FAA and so on TSA,VISA etc.

The only hardship i am having at the moment is finding an Appropriate School.its very hard just to make a decision for a school based on the information provided on the website.Therefore i am here if some one can please share his/her experience with schools over there.I am flexible and can come to any part of states.

Thanks in advance for your time
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I would go to a Part 141 school, Florida, Texas or Arizona. Personally I would go to Florida...I dunno maybe I`m a beach kind of guy, but I have been/flown in all 3 places and I like Florida better for flight training.

What is your budget? Not only for flight training, but for living expenses.

If you are planning to get an FAA CPL, then there is no need to convert your JAR PPL, they will allow you to fly based on your EU license and FAA Medical, the time they give you is well enough to get your first rating and then they will issue an FAA license. Do you have Night time?

I can guide you to best and fastest way, cheapest too to get your FAA into a JAA. Have sent several pilots that route and they got it done in 1/3 of the time/pain 99% of the pilots do.
 
Swiss Pilot,Bless you
Appreciate for you quick reply and offering me your kind help.As i do have JAR PPL with 110 hours .I am believing that i may need less money to complete.My Total Budget is $35000,can do little bit plus,mince.

Waiting for your reply
 
If you don't have a Green Card or a US passport, then you will most likely have to go through a part 141 school which is SEVIS approved. Personally, I recommend Colorado, Arizona, or California. Getting a little bit of high altitude experience and dealing with terrain is good too.

Give us a little more info and we can help guide you.
 
Thanks Zondaracer.
I am not a US citizen,I am flexible to go anywhere in US.My budget upper limit $35000.
How much time ,ll i need to complete FAA CPL and IR ?
 
EFT only provides JAA training, and is extremely expensive.​
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I also recommend the Western US. The flying is far more interesting. $35,000 is possible. Look for a smaller friendly flight school rather than an academy.​
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Take a look at Journey's Aviation in Colorado, and McAir also in Colorado.
http://www.journeysaviation.com/student_visa_aviation.php
http://www.mcairaviation.com/m-1_visa_application.htm
I did some training at Journey's, and what I liked was their online scheduling system. You can go online and schedule yourself for a plane and instructor, no problem, as long as they are both available.

Or take a look at Chandler Air Service in Arizona
http://www.aerobatics.com/visa.htm

You should be able to finish in 4 months or so. That means approximately 10 hours of flying per week, depending on exactly what you need, but of course that depends entirely on your own motivation and work ethic.

I have done some flying in Southern California, but I am not too familiar with the schools down there, so I can't give any info.

There is a popular school in Texas called Skymates, owned by an Italian guy and lots of Italians head out there to do their FAA ratings. I haven't been there but know some guys who have. I am not a big fan of Texas (I have lived there, but being from Colorado, I'm strongly biased). Also, I am not a big fan of the schools that specifically cater to foreign students that have setup programs, but you can check it out. The reason being that these schools seem to have a scheduling person who makes your schedule, and your are at the mercy of the scheduler.
http://www.skymates.com/international/

If you figure in lodging, travel, and additional costs, $36,000 seems to just about get you there, but plan on unforeseen expenditures.

By the way, why don't you want to get JAA ratings back home?
 
Rawalpak said:
Swiss Pilot,Bless you
Appreciate for you quick reply and offering me your kind help.As i do have JAR PPL with 110 hours .I am believing that i may need less money to complete.My Total Budget is $35000,can do little bit plus,mince.

Waiting for your reply
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Are the 35K for the FAA ratings only, or are those for FAA + JAA?

If you go to an Academy, you can choose between 141 and 61. You already have a good amount of hours, some 141 may allow you to skip the time building pahse if you already have a good amount of XC, that will save you a ton of money. If you are planning to go back and fly in Europe then Multi engine time doesn`t matter much, just get the min to take the ME rating and do your IFR all in singles.

Best advice: not necessary becasue one school is cheaper then an other that you will end up paying what they say or save money. Some of those quotes don`t take in consideration failed lessons (part 141), fuel surcharges,....

To meet does numbers you gotta work hard, be lucky to have a good CFI and good WX. Total living expenses gonna raise pretty fast if you take longer to get your ratings.

The US are not EU, so in most places you will need a Car, and unless you will find someone to split with it will cost a lot, but there are few flight school were you can stay, where you are not gonna need one. I lived 5 months in the US while going to fligth school and had no car, but I have been in places in TX and California were it was not possible.

Flights to Florida from Europe are also cheaper, Virign has good deals to Orlando.

Don`t go to California, everything is more expensive, and in many places too many distractions.

Doing your training in the mountains or in flat Florida won`t make a big differnce, you have challenging tasks in both places ...

I will send you some names of schools in PM
 
Zondaracer said:
Good to know. I won't throw their name around again. Thanks swisspilot
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I can PM you details if you like, had two school mates that went there and have a good friend who is a CFI there.

I`m gonna answer you here regarding the JAA conversion matter:

Most Europeans that go to the US to get their FAAs are spoiled rich kids and don`t care much about costs, schools know that, that`s why all those JAA programs are a rip off. This kids care even less when they go back home and go to an EU flight school to convert, schools know that and you get ripped off twice...they still don`t care.

For the few that go to the US to save money, like I was, then you should read the regs. I met very few European pilots that had an idea of what it takes to go to the US get the FAA ratings go back and get things done without spending a fortune. Getting the FAA ratings cheap can be done easy, but you go home and then you just show up at a flight school with a "?" on your face and of course they will take every $$$$ from you. I was lucky enough that the school I ended up asking info in Europe, was a public flight school, it was run by the city and all the employers were not paid from the school funds but straight from the city, nice peoples too, all career CFIs that didn`t care about my $$. The guy I talked too didn`t showed me a quote with 10 lines of tasks to do with many $$$$ in order to get my JAA, or a course. He showed me the regs!! Nowhere it said I need to take ground school, spend a fortune in on-line classes, or buy overpriced jeppesen books, filled with knowledge I don`t need to have. It said what exams I had to pass and what flying exp was I required to have. The regs do say I need to be signed up by a flight school in order to take the writtens, most schools will send you to their year long ground school, while you can just do the question banks for free online! You are already a CPL and you already have the knowledge required trust me, the school will make you take a progress test and send you to take the writtens, wich btw are only 12 if you hold a CPL with IFR. After the writtens are done, and you meet the hours requirmeent all you really need to do is fly to proficiency, I never heard anybody failing a fligth test, there isn`t really a PTS like in the US, just get the stuff done properly and safe and you pass...

yes it`s that easy.
 
Roger Roger said:
Huh, that's odd. The Chief CFI there and one other check instructor (I think) post here and seem like pretty legit dudes.
ryanmickG
mojo6911
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For them it`s a job, I worked in places I didn`t liked. Here we are talking about giving a big chunk of your money to somebody to get a service done properly and legally.

Wonder how many of you would support a school, that leaves American CFIs at home to use loop holes and get European Instrcutors that all they want is TT time and little care about their students.

Why would you go to an Academy to study from Cessna Pilot Center stuff??
 
With 110 hours you almost certainly will want to do your training Pt61. Part 141 requires a minimum of 35 hours for the IR, and 120 for the commercial putting you over the 250 total required for a Part 61 commercial. It also assumes you get the IR done in the minimum time; say it takes you 50 hours to get your IR, the extra 15 cannot be 'borrowed' from the 120 for the Commercial. I've seen schools claim that students were 'dual enrolled in both IR and CSEL courses' to make the numbers work, seems like BS to me.

I had a mediocre experience at Skymates when I did my private there, scheduling and dispatch was terrible, but I did have a cool instructor (he's long gone though). At the time, the place was overrun with Indian and Maldivian students and there weren't nearly enough airplanes, maybe things are better now.

Unfortunately you are forced to attend a school that is SEVIS approved to issue student visas, which means a 141 school, which usually means $$$$. You are not required to train 141, and don't let them try to tell you that you are.

As for recommendations as to where to go, realistically the instructor is much more important than the school in terms of the quality of the experience, good weather helps if you are in a rush.

If I were you, I would find a good, cheap Part 61 school or even a flying club, enter the US on a tourist Visa and just time build your way the meeting the Part 61 requirements for IR and CSEL. Take a look at the FAR/AIM and see what boxes you need to check off (50hr XC PIC, 40hr Hood, 10hr night etc etc) and get yourself close to 250 (maybe 220ish) and then return to Blighty. You then could apply to a SEVIS approved 141 school for a visa to finish up both the IR and CSEL really quickly. You can do this without falling foul of US Immegration as long as you do not receive any training towards a certificate or rating whilst on the tourist visa. Clearly the school/FBO/flying club has to be on board, and will want to give you a thorough checkout before setting you loose. You could find a buddy and split time and fly all round the country in a month or two and probably spend less than $60/hr. Even if you do most of it solo, there are plenty of decent planes to be had for roughly $100/hr.

Best of British
 
Hubbs said:
With 110 hours you almost certainly will want to do your training Pt61. Part 141 requires a minimum of 35 hours for the IR, and 120 for the commercial putting you over the 250 total required for a Part 61 commercial. It also assumes you get the IR done in the minimum time; say it takes you 50 hours to get your IR, the extra 15 cannot be 'borrowed' from the 120 for the Commercial. I've seen schools claim that students were 'dual enrolled in both IR and CSEL courses' to make the numbers work, seems like BS to me.

I had a mediocre experience at Skymates when I did my private there, scheduling and dispatch was terrible, but I did have a cool instructor (he's long gone though). At the time, the place was overrun with Indian and Maldivian students and there weren't nearly enough airplanes, maybe things are better now.

Unfortunately you are forced to attend a school that is SEVIS approved to issue student visas, which means a 141 school, which usually means $$$$. You are not required to train 141, and don't let them try to tell you that you are.

As for recommendations as to where to go, realistically the instructor is much more important than the school in terms of the quality of the experience, good weather helps if you are in a rush.

If I were you, I would find a good, cheap Part 61 school or even a flying club, enter the US on a tourist Visa and just time build your way the meeting the Part 61 requirements for IR and CSEL. Take a look at the FAR/AIM and see what boxes you need to check off (50hr XC PIC, 40hr Hood, 10hr night etc etc) and get yourself close to 250 (maybe 220ish) and then return to Blighty. You then could apply to a SEVIS approved 141 school for a visa to finish up both the IR and CSEL really quickly. You can do this without falling foul of US Immegration as long as you do not receive any training towards a certificate or rating whilst on the tourist visa. Clearly the school/FBO/flying club has to be on board, and will want to give you a thorough checkout before setting you loose. You could find a buddy and split time and fly all round the country in a month or two and probably spend less than $60/hr. Even if you do most of it solo, there are plenty of decent planes to be had for roughly $100/hr.

Best of British
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A Part 141 school can waive the timebuilding if you meet already a good chunk of the hours required, my school use to do it all the time. you will end up with less then 250 and get done a lot faster. Going back and forth will cost him as much as the extra hours of a 141 course anyway.

I agree that the part 61 would be the bets route for most peoples.

The problem here is that he does not hold an FAA PPL, unless he is working towards a rating they won`t give him a letter of approval to fly on his EU PPL, and the FSDO don`t give them to any part 61 FBO or Buddy with a plane to rent.
 
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