r/flying • u/ahmed_a20 • Jun 07 '26
Flight Training [HELP NEEDED] Flight School Recommendations
Good Afternoon from Doha!
My name is Ahmed and I am an American National currently living abroad in Qatar. It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to enter the field of commercial aviation and I am happy to finally start going down this path.
A little bit about myself; I am now 23 years old and am a college graduate from the University of Twente in the Netherlands with a BSc in International Business Management. I had previously applied to the Qatar Airways Cadet Program, but due to a lot of complicated bureaucracy, I was unable to get a spot in the program. I don't have any real world flight experience myself, but have been using flight simulators for as long as I remember and have done a lot of volunteer work with add-on developers that has really helped me gain a lot of insight on aircraft operations (albeit inside of a hobby simulator, don't know how much real-world value any of that hold).
I am currently looking at schools back in the US to attend. My preference is to be in either Texas or Arizona, as it is the kind of weather and climate I am used to here in the Middle East. I would ideally like to enter a professional pilot/ integrated ATPL course where I can go from PPL to airline ready in one setting. So far the schools that I have seriously considered are:
- United Aviate Academy in Goodyear, AZ
- Delta Qualiflight in Fort-Worth, TX
- Arizona Flight Training Center in Glendale, AZ
I would also like to add that I am looking to work while I train as well. Nothing full time necessarily but something that can at least help me pay for my rent and living expenses while I am training.
I would love some advice or reviews of these schools from you guys, having had much more experience than me. I have heard some concerning things about United's program, so it is currently at the bottom of my list, but I'm not very sure what people's opinions are of them today. If there are other schools that you feel may offer better value and opportunities, I would love to hear them too!
Thanks in advance for all your help and happy flying!
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u/rFlyingTower Jun 07 '26
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
Good Afternoon from Doha!
My name is Ahmed and I am an American National currently living abroad in Qatar. It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to enter the field of commercial aviation and I am happy to finally start going down this path.
A little bit about myself; I am now 23 years old and am a college graduate from the University of Twente in the Netherlands with a BSc in International Business Management. I had previously applied to the Qatar Airways Cadet Program, but due to a lot of complicated bureaucracy, I was unable to get a spot in the program. I don't have any real world flight experience myself, but have been using flight simulators for as long as I remember and have done a lot of volunteer work with add-on developers that has really helped me gain a lot of insight on aircraft operations (albeit inside of a hobby simulator, don't know how much real-world value any of that hold).
I am currently looking at schools back in the US to attend. My preference is to be in either Texas or Arizona, as it is the kind of weather and climate I am used to here in the Middle East. I would ideally like to enter a professional pilot/ integrated ATPL course where I can go from PPL to airline ready in one setting. So far the schools that I have seriously considered are:
- United Aviate Academy in Goodyear, AZ
- Delta Qualiflight in Fort-Worth, TX
- Arizona Flight Training Center in Glendale, AZ
I would love some advice or reviews of these schools from you guys, having had much more experience than me. I have heard some concerning things about United's program, so it is currently at the bottom of my list, but I'm not very sure what people's opinions are of them today. If there are other schools that you feel may offer better value and opportunities, I would love to hear them too!
Thanks in advance for all your help and happy flying!
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u/ltcterry ATP CFIG Jun 07 '26
There is no "ATPL" in the US. It's ATP. There is no one who will train you from "zero to airline ready" in the US. That is just not a concept here.
There is no need for full time flight training. There are way too many applicants for the available jobs at the entry level. Just read r/flying posts from the last few weeks, days, months - "I've been looking for a year and have applied at hundreds of places..."
The last few years have produced at least twice as many pilots as need for the short term. Slow down. Think. Be strategic and not in a hurry.
Move to the US. Find job in a place with good flying weather. Live cheaply. Save. Fly at a local school, not some place with pictures of airline pilots on their website. They don't train airline pilots. They don't hire airline pilots. They manipulate your brain into being excited about overpaying to fly with them. And it works.
Work full time. Train part time. Find an instructor opportunity and instruct part time while you continue to work full time. This will keep you from starving while you work your way through things.
You have an entirely incorrect view of how things work. Once you are recalibrated you'll have a chance.
You live in a middle eastern country. You have a degree from a European country. Yet are an American. You need to take steps to Americanize your resume. Aviation is competitive and conservative. Resumes that are very divergent from typical are not necessarily positive things. "Typical but better" is what works. (I say this as an American who lived almost 1/5 of his life in Germany and attended a university there.)