UKFlying recommends Pilots Paradise for the PPL, Night Rating and hours building. The 2 massive advantages are the sunny Florida weather and the excellent continuity that you'll get. This will get you to a higher standard, in a shorter period of time, which in turn will save you money. If your time away is limited then it is worth completing the PPL theory exams at a local flying club before flying out. Here are the details for Pilots Paradise:
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Zero to 150 hours - Private Training Phase - 11 weeks
You can start seeking an airline job with a frozen ATPL and around 220 hours flight training. This is in effect a CPL/Multi/IR with the ATPL exams completed.
It can take around 12 months to complete but often much longer if you get held up on the private pilot phase which is always the slowest element of training. This is for many reasons but most commonly due to poor flying continuity (not flying everyday day).
This can be caused by poor weather, lack of instructor and aircraft availability or just trying to squeeze training in around a day job. The large schools like CAE and L3 (charging around £100,000) know how to get around this well know stumbling block in flight training and that is to send their students to sunnier overseas schools.
We can now offer you this huge advantage at a fraction of the cost of the big schools. You will get all the benefits of great weather that will allow you to fly almost everyday and see you progress through the normally problematic, solo circuit phase and solo nav phase, quickly. Even hour building can take forever in the UK.
Our fleet of PA28 aircraft are perfect for flight training and our world class Academy Training Centre is the ideal learning environment. So if you are stuck at any point in the private phase of training then we can pick up from that point and accelerate you to 150 hours ready for your next phase.
Considering that you require around 220 hours to get the fATPL, completing your first 150 hours in just 11 weeks, is going to put you at a huge advantage. After our course you will be ready to go straight into your ATPL revision and subsequent commercial phase of training. This is exactly how the big schools do it and for good reason. Get that advantage for a fraction of the cost.
On our Private Training Course you will not only get your EASA PPL, night rating and 100 hours PIC required to start your commercial training, you will also receive a bonus stand alone FAA PPL. This has advantages if you ever want to build on your FAA licences in the future. FAA qualifications are very well recognised internationally and have been a stable aviation authority in our ever changing world. Highly paid Middle Eastern carriers will often want to see FAA qualifications.
The first 2-3 weeks will be full-time classroom based ground school training with written exams. The next 4 weeks will be the PPL flight training following the EASA syllabus with the extra FAA elements requirements. With flight tests taken it is onto the fun part…hour building.
So you have worked very hard and it is time to go and enjoy using that licence to its fullest. We set structured yet exciting routes all over Florida to see the sites and rack up those hours quickly towards the all important 100 hours PIC and 150 hours total in the remainder of your time with us.
Anyone who tells you that this flying will not prepare you for UK flying, has clearly never flown in Florida. You have to be a good communicator on the radio and be ready for changeable weather, making sound captaincy decisions. Just like the UK. This is why the big schools use these conditions to their advantage as it is a fantastic training ground to become a pilot.
The adventures you have will also impresses in an airline interview. The fact you have been exposed to multiple countries, airspace, RT procedures and weather patterns is commendable. This all adds to the experience that makes up a well rounded pilot and not to mention that all the airline pilots I know reminisce that their favourite part of flight training was their Florida hour building, if they were lucky enough to experience it.
In this booming pilot job market, where speed to qualification is essential, come to Florida for 11 weeks and progress quickly to your next phase of training.
150 hour 'Private Zero to Hero Package' (11 weeks) - $32,703*
If you are at any stage in your private training phase that we can tailor a package for you to get you quickly to the 150 hour mark. Here are a breakdown of the elements we can provide:
EASA Groundschool (2 weeks) - $2500. Including exam fees and AFE PPL revision pack.
EASA PPL 45 hours (4 weeks) - $12,075. Including examiner fees and aircraft rental for exam.
Night Rating 5 hours - $1240. Can be done at the same time as PPL.
FAA PPL Add on (1 week) - $2638. Including ground school, written exam fee, examiner check flight fee and aircraft rental.
100 hours PIC (4 weeks) - $14,250. Including fuel, taxes, insurance.
*ALL our packages including EVERYTHING you will need as well as accommodation for the period. They do not include flights to and from the USA and food but that's it! Be aware that these total package prices are made up of some fees that will have to be paid directly to separate authorities.
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Contact UKFlying for more details
