I was tempted to do my PPL in Florida until a fellow student on here who had researched it vigorously sent me a check list of why NOT to travel abroad for the training and everyone of his points was extremely valid.
I'm sure if he sees your post he might send you his findings, money aside, there were no great benefits against training in the UK.
money aside, there were no great benefits against training in the UK.
The Weather?
It's been severe clear for weeks now. The odd gust over 15kts, but nothing too strenuous.
Mind you this is Boston, and Florida is a whole different barrel of thunderstorms and bumpy air. Either way it's got to be better than the July LIFR that hangs over Blighty.
Last edited by mungo5 on Wed Aug 18, 2010 8:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
money aside, there were no great benefits against training in the UK.
The Weather?
It's been severe clear for weeks now. The odd gust over 15kts, but nothing too strenuous.
Mind you this is Boston, and Florida is a whole different barrel of thunderstorms and bumpy air. Either was it got to be better than the July LIFR that hangs over Blighty.
Oh yes, the weather, lovely blue cloudless skies and then you come back to the UK, licence in hand, get into a helicopter here, look up and wonder what that white stuff is!
The best advice I got was that you cannot beat training at the location where you are most likely to fly out of and into having gained your PPL!
I have my Nppl so I know the weather, but thats fixed wing. Its not really an option for me to train in the UK due to cost, I'm thinking US, OZ or Canada are the only options, I'm visiting this School on thursday and I've heard good and bad stuff wanted to see if anyone had first hand expirence.
Joined: Apr 27, 2005 Posts: 518 Location: SE England
Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 4:58 pm Post subject:
The biggest difficulty might be coming back to the UK having trained abroad, knowing next to no-one in the industry here and wondering why nobody then wants to employ you
The helicopter industry is a very small one and there are probably only two degrees of separation between any of us on this forum. If you were a prospective employer with a small company looking to hire a low-time CPL(H) or FI(R), who would you go for, someone you have never heard of who has trained in the US or elsewhere abroad or someone you have trained - or your mate at the next airfield has - who has paid money into the UK helicopter industry and about whom you can say, "yeah, he/she is a reliable/safety conscious pilot (etc.)."
Hmm... for me it's a no-brainer _________________ DBChopper
If you are looking at coming back to the UK to work, you will need to undertake a JAA commercial modular course. You will also need a JAA Instructor's course if you intend to teach.
While that will add to the budget, it does give plenty of opportunity to "network" domestically after having trained abroad.
I watched an incident where an individual did 150+ hours of training with a UK school, then went elsewhere for the CPL course to broaden their horizons. As a result, they were placed at the bottom of the list for subsequent freelance work.
Most likely a rare incident, but I suppose the knife cuts both ways? Certain individuals can perceive training with a competitor as worse than training overseas. Conversely, there are some people entrenched in the view that overseas trained pilots are somehow inferior or less entitled to work than home grown pilots.
I think ultimately you have to plan very carefully, and while staying in the UK suits some, others get on very well going overseas. A huge factor in getting that first break is who has the deepest pockets, or at least who spent their money most wisely. It shouldn't be that way, but frequently it is.
You will be better trained and have more contacts if you stay in the Uk. As an examiner I have had the miss fortube to do check rides on some people from US schools, about says it all.
You will be better trained and have more contacts if you stay in the Uk. As an examiner I have had the miss fortube to do check rides on some people from US schools, about says it all.
I disagree, but I see where you're coming from. I can see that ex-students of the quick and dirty training school in the US may be significantly more rusty than someone who's spent many weeks or months learning slowly in the UK.
However, my view is that US trained students are generally more current than their UK counterparts given the mix/availability of aircraft or favourable weather conditions.
This is of course largely subjective, depending on who's trained you, regardless of where they are in the world.
My view is that PPL and hour building are best done in the US, given the points mentioned above, but if you want to go further in JAA land, best do the CPL and FI in JAA airspace.
There was a great debate on the Scottish forum some years ago about whether the end result for a US trained PPL was better or worse than a UK trained PPL. I think the US won.
You will be better trained and have more contacts if you stay in the Uk. As an examiner I have had the miss fortube to do check rides on some people from US schools, about says it all.
I have flown with newly qualified PPLs from the UK too - that speaks volumes about the (varying) standards of examination and training in the UK. And I am talking basics like W&B, knowledge of the POH and density altitude calculations.
The quality of the (new) pilot depends on the candidate, the CFi and the examiner not the country that you trained in.
Or maybe you are suggesting that all the US pilots should train in the UK due to the 'superior' training offered?!
PW. _________________ In memory of Skippy the Dog - "www.pilotsnpaws.org" - RIP Scruffy.x
PW
I was making an observation on those I have examined who have done their training in the USA. It might well be a difference in sylabus but those from the Western side of the pond ( espically those that have done it in 6 weeks) had difficulty in navigation, radio work, engine off landings and quickstops. Obviously instrument appreciation I know is not taught in the US and frankly shouldnt be taught over here ( but lets not go there).
Perhaps I have been unlucky enough to have had people from the sausage factories !
Hughes500 - I was defending the fact that not all pilots who trained in the USA or anywhere outside the the UK 'must be' poorer pilots, something that seems rife in the UK training industry.
One of the UK trained pilots I flew with (as a safety pilot for area famil.) was a UK FI; his handling skills were fine but he failed his FAA CPL oral, rather badly if I recall. Most of these guys were hour building for CPL/FI with new PPLs which is why the lack of skills - not just inexperience - seemed 'scary', having recently passed a UK checkride.
W. _________________ In memory of Skippy the Dog - "www.pilotsnpaws.org" - RIP Scruffy.x
I will be there tomorrow to check it out, not really sure about coming back to the UK to Fly, the conversion is quite expensive and complicated. I've heard, and correct me if I'm wrong that Canadian and Australian conversions are just a skills check and air law exam? There seems to be more low hour work on toursim, mustering and bush flying out in OZ. I'm young with no ties so I'll pretty much go anywhere if theres work.
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