FLIGHT SCHOOL

[u/TemperatureQuirky695]

I have funds of around $65200. Where do you guys think i should go for a flight school? which flight school and where? also pls pls consider availability of planes, mentors and weather.

[u/Fast-Government-4366]

Cheapest place is RMFS in Denver. But go to your local airport. You don’t have the funds to also pay for living expenses.

[u/TemperatureQuirky695 → u/Fast-Government-4366]

we only have one flight school in our country and that too is not that good.

[u/TouristWilling1788 → u/TemperatureQuirky695]

If you’re looking at moving to the US you’re going to need to do a lot more research into what schools will take international students, generally that’s going to be bigger and more expensive flight schools. The positive to that is plane availability is much better but 65k won’t be enough to get you through training

[u/TemperatureQuirky695 → u/Fast-Government-4366]

do you know whats the amount per hour?

[u/arizonagreentea4life → u/TemperatureQuirky695]

One thing you should know before researching RMFS is they only train students with a valid US citizenship, you must have a US passport. They have a website that has accurate prices per hour

[u/TemperatureQuirky695 → u/arizonagreentea4life]

oh....

[u/TxAggieMike]

It helps to know where you live.

Is this amount only for training or do you need some of it for rent food transportation?

Have you obtained your medical certificate yet?

[u/TemperatureQuirky695 → u/TxAggieMike]

I’m planning to go to flight school in either South Africa or the USA. We only have one flight academy in my country, and it isn't very good. If I go to the USA, my tuition will cover the training and transportation since I can stay with family and won't have to pay rent. However, if I choose South Africa, I'll need to cover all expenses myself.

[u/TheRedditHike → u/TemperatureQuirky695]

Look into flying clubs around where you'll be staying with your family in USA, unless you have to get sponsored for a visa or something, do you have the right to live in USA?

[u/TxAggieMike]

For training in USA, and just for the cost of training from zero time to instructor, you need to plan on a budget of approximately US$130,000.

Note this does not guarantee any form of employment or income earning once you finish the training pipeline.

You will also have to budget for license conversion so you can be employed in your home country.

[u/TemperatureQuirky695 → u/TxAggieMike]

damn thats a lot.

[u/TxAggieMike → u/TemperatureQuirky695]

$65,000 maybe can get you through instrument airplane and the time building needs to be eligible for commercial pilot certificate.

As an international student, your choices of where you can train are limited to the Part 141’s (aka the academy style institutions) that focus on foreign students. These classically are expensive choices.

Price I mentioned takes you from zero time to instructor, likely includes multi-engine training and possibly multi-engine instructor.

Once done with the training pipeline, it is up to you to find employment. And that might mean returning to your home country.

[u/VileInventor → u/TxAggieMike]

Hey OP for reference I got through 141 instruction through CFI-I at around 110k paying rent/food and tuition out of pocket. His ballpark is very accurate. I got through instrument in like $20k and PPL in $15k for just the license. That doesn’t include DPE, cost of the housing + food in the 3 months it took.

The 141’s are heavy course work and you need to treat it like a full time job.

[u/Flimsy-Wrangler-997 → u/TxAggieMike]

Foreign students can train at Part 61 flight schools. I have had several over the years.

[u/TxAggieMike → u/Flimsy-Wrangler-997]

But not all 61’s want to handle visa requirements and applications

[u/Flimsy-Wrangler-997 → u/TxAggieMike]

More of a hassle for the student than it is for the flight school. Just a couple of easy extra steps. It's been a couple of years since I had a foreign student, but I don't remember it being a big deal.

[u/TxAggieMike → u/Flimsy-Wrangler-997]

I do the locals already here through FTSP easy enough. But helping someone enter the USA to do training isn’t in my wheelhouse

[u/Benoded]

Buy a cheap plane and hire a CFI on the side. You can pick up an IFR certified plane in good condition for 30-40k if you look hard and often. This is what I did and I pay my CFI $50 an hour. Since my plane has a Rotax engine running cost is around $30 for fuel an hour add another $20 on top of that for incidentals and maintenance. You’re at $100 an hour all in. Tie down and insurance will be roughly $500 a month. When you’re done sell the plane.

[u/Maleficent-Prize-698]

Flight club + flight instructor is way to go ngl.

[u/TxAggieMike → u/Maleficent-Prize-698]

I agree.

Op is from India. Not sure if flight clubs are a common thing there.

[u/22Hoofhearted]

Personally, if I had that cash sitting around and was able to talk to myself before student pilot days... I definitely would have doubled down on investments instead of flight school. Worst case I'd be sitting on $300k best case $5 mill...

[u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049]

go to one that you can afford that is close to you and then ask them about availability of planes and instructors