Okay ladies and gentlemen, first of all thank you for taking time to review my options and helping me on my next move. I have 2 conflicts in my head, each with 2 options... please help.
Little background info of myself:
I aspire to be an Airline Pilot, as most here. I have been involved with aviation for the past 4 years. I am 20 years old and a private pilot, and have around 110 hours. I am doing a bachelors degree in Management at University of Puerto Rico and it is currently my third year, simultaneously I keep flying and studying at Isla Grande Flying School which is a Cessna training FBO.
First Conflict:
I live in Puerto Rico, and flying here is quite expensive (as I know it is everywhere nowadays). I have invested arround 13k towards my PPL. I have not takened any loans, therefore, I fly every saturday or every other saturday, and therefore I took 3-4 years to finish my PPL, since im now 20 and soloed at 17 and started my training at 16.
As I wish to finish all my licenses(inluding cfi, II, and MEI), all except for atp, I have two options to consider in my first conflict, and each has its pros and cons.
Conflict # 1
Option 1 :
Stay in PR and finish all my licenses in my local Cessna FBO. Flights here are around the range of $120/h dual C-152, and $140/h Dual C-172, if the C-172 has gps, we can be arround $200/h. The Arrow must be around $200 too, and the multiengines I don't even wish to ask yet.
Pros of staying in Puerto Rico-
-I know that my instructor is good,stable and very experienced.
-Easy flying.("just look for the coast!")
-Easy to read terminal maps.
-I know the inspector and what he expects of my performance.
-I know the operator of the FBO.
-I know how things run and operate.
-I know the mecanics/[personal etc. (Since the FBO is small).
-Familiar with airports and terrains.
Cons of staying in Puerto Rico
-Hell expensive.
-Easy flying might be a disadvantage for me due to lack of diversification.
-Airplanes are not in the bests of conditions. ( I know training airplanes never are, but common, in a solo takeoff pilots door slams open, seriously?)
-No simulators are ever used. (this scares me, since regional airlines require simulator training, such as American Eagle, etc, and ive never even touched a real FAA approved simulator). Not to mention no simulator = + $$$.
Option 2-
I have been considering for some time going to Aviator College in Florida.
This is what they offer, [www.aviator.edu]
Professional Pilot Program
The price above is of course the price of minimum time, and since I am no eagle to do all licenses/endorsements in minimum time, I would get a grant for around 50k and add 4k-6k just to eat those 6 months.
Pros-
-I will live inside the airport in the institutions dorms.
-Considerably less expensive-around 15k less or so.
-Looks more professional.
-I will diversify and learn other airports and approaches.
-I might have an opportunity to stay as a bilingual CFI for them. ( not saying i don't have the opportunity back in PR, but of course, Florida as more populated should have more demand for instructors).
Cons-
-Im going in blinded not knowing anyone.
-I don't know how my experience over there will be.
-I don't know their instructor's competencies.
-I don't know their inspectors.
-Unfamiliar terrain.
Before I do such a huge investment, I am visiting the institution of course. I am familiar with Florida and actually love it so I do not have a problem leaving and living over there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conflict # 2
As I stated above, I am in my third university year and I am 20. I do not wish to enter a regional late in my 20's or early 30's... I want to enter ASAP because I want the low pay while I am young and can afford to get a crappy pay. For me to enter a regional young, I need hours, meaning I need my cfi's.
Note: My university works in two semesters. 1st sem. Aug-Dec, 2nd sem. Jan-May.
Option 1:
I first finish my management bachelors degree ASAP arround 22 years old ( 2 more years or so) and then start getting all my ratings, get a loan and be a cfi then full time. ( the problem with this is that unless the demand is really high, instructors will most likely sit in the sofa of the fbo rather fly in most part of the day).
Option 2: Take a 6 month break from my university, leave or stay in pr whichever but in that time doing Instrument, commercial and cfi and start accumulating hours part time. Then I return to my univ to finish my management degree flying as a CFI and getting PIC time part time simultaneously. Once I finish my univ, i can return and do my ME, MEI, etcs. This option will require me to get a loan too.
Please help me, I will appreciate your thoughts. I will stay very active in this post and refreshing it, so If you need to ask something, please ask.
/Guillermo
Little background info of myself:
I aspire to be an Airline Pilot, as most here. I have been involved with aviation for the past 4 years. I am 20 years old and a private pilot, and have around 110 hours. I am doing a bachelors degree in Management at University of Puerto Rico and it is currently my third year, simultaneously I keep flying and studying at Isla Grande Flying School which is a Cessna training FBO.
First Conflict:
I live in Puerto Rico, and flying here is quite expensive (as I know it is everywhere nowadays). I have invested arround 13k towards my PPL. I have not takened any loans, therefore, I fly every saturday or every other saturday, and therefore I took 3-4 years to finish my PPL, since im now 20 and soloed at 17 and started my training at 16.
As I wish to finish all my licenses(inluding cfi, II, and MEI), all except for atp, I have two options to consider in my first conflict, and each has its pros and cons.
Conflict # 1
Option 1 :
Stay in PR and finish all my licenses in my local Cessna FBO. Flights here are around the range of $120/h dual C-152, and $140/h Dual C-172, if the C-172 has gps, we can be arround $200/h. The Arrow must be around $200 too, and the multiengines I don't even wish to ask yet.
Pros of staying in Puerto Rico-
-I know that my instructor is good,stable and very experienced.
-Easy flying.("just look for the coast!")
-Easy to read terminal maps.
-I know the inspector and what he expects of my performance.
-I know the operator of the FBO.
-I know how things run and operate.
-I know the mecanics/[personal etc. (Since the FBO is small).
-Familiar with airports and terrains.
Cons of staying in Puerto Rico
-Hell expensive.
-Easy flying might be a disadvantage for me due to lack of diversification.
-Airplanes are not in the bests of conditions. ( I know training airplanes never are, but common, in a solo takeoff pilots door slams open, seriously?)
-No simulators are ever used. (this scares me, since regional airlines require simulator training, such as American Eagle, etc, and ive never even touched a real FAA approved simulator). Not to mention no simulator = + $$$.
Option 2-
I have been considering for some time going to Aviator College in Florida.
This is what they offer, [www.aviator.edu]
Professional Pilot Program
- 259 Flight Hours
- Single Engine Private Pilot
- Private Multi-Engine
- Multi-Engine Instrument
- Multi-Engine Commercial
- Single Engine Commercial
- Multi-Engine Flight Instructor
- Instrument Flight Instructor
- Single Engine Flight Instructor
- 200 hours of Multi-Engine Time
- Aircraft for check rides
- Cross Country flying coast-to-coast
- No FTDs (Simulators) used towards flight time
- Six months housing (one person per bedroom) with Instructor Ratings
$ 40,685.00
The price above is of course the price of minimum time, and since I am no eagle to do all licenses/endorsements in minimum time, I would get a grant for around 50k and add 4k-6k just to eat those 6 months.
Pros-
-I will live inside the airport in the institutions dorms.
-Considerably less expensive-around 15k less or so.
-Looks more professional.
-I will diversify and learn other airports and approaches.
-I might have an opportunity to stay as a bilingual CFI for them. ( not saying i don't have the opportunity back in PR, but of course, Florida as more populated should have more demand for instructors).
Cons-
-Im going in blinded not knowing anyone.
-I don't know how my experience over there will be.
-I don't know their instructor's competencies.
-I don't know their inspectors.
-Unfamiliar terrain.
Before I do such a huge investment, I am visiting the institution of course. I am familiar with Florida and actually love it so I do not have a problem leaving and living over there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conflict # 2
As I stated above, I am in my third university year and I am 20. I do not wish to enter a regional late in my 20's or early 30's... I want to enter ASAP because I want the low pay while I am young and can afford to get a crappy pay. For me to enter a regional young, I need hours, meaning I need my cfi's.
Note: My university works in two semesters. 1st sem. Aug-Dec, 2nd sem. Jan-May.
Option 1:
I first finish my management bachelors degree ASAP arround 22 years old ( 2 more years or so) and then start getting all my ratings, get a loan and be a cfi then full time. ( the problem with this is that unless the demand is really high, instructors will most likely sit in the sofa of the fbo rather fly in most part of the day).
Option 2: Take a 6 month break from my university, leave or stay in pr whichever but in that time doing Instrument, commercial and cfi and start accumulating hours part time. Then I return to my univ to finish my management degree flying as a CFI and getting PIC time part time simultaneously. Once I finish my univ, i can return and do my ME, MEI, etcs. This option will require me to get a loan too.
Please help me, I will appreciate your thoughts. I will stay very active in this post and refreshing it, so If you need to ask something, please ask.
/Guillermo
lol! 
