Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Not in the US, and it's safe to assume you would need right-to-work or maybe citizenship to qualify overseas.
Cathay Pacific is about as close as a US citizen might come to a cadet program. Due to their location and history, they freely hire America, Australian, British, and other ex-pat pilots. They have a program which hires second officers (In-flight Relief Officers) with very low time. But the standards are high and very competitive. You also have to live in Hong Kong for at least three years. The good thing about Cathay is they have US bases on the cargo side, so you can eventually transition to cargo and come home. Might be worth looking into.
I am currently working on my MBA at Champlain College but have visited Embry-Riddel on several occasions. I have considered transferring there, doing my MBA online and flight program, but the cost associated with that is around 120k. As you have mentioned I should avoid paying more than I have too. I have no outstanding debt and have just opened a federal loan but do not want to dig myself into a hole when I would be scrapping by for hours as it is.
Another school I have looked at but was a little disappointed with was Aerosim, formally Delta Connections or Comair at Sanford International Airport, which has a fairly new fleet. An older School I also looked at was Flight Safety in Vero Beach. A few of my fathers but stay current there but the fleet and equipment look extremely out dated, considering they have been around for 45 years now.
If I could get a free ride through Cathay Pacific or ANG I would definitely be on board. I'm approaching the whole deal tentatively and want to avoid any unnecessary cost. I will definitely be looking into Cathay Pacific and any other airline with similar programs. Thank you for your advice.