Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Career Builder > Flight Schools and Training
How to get a CFI job for a french guy? >

How to get a CFI job for a french guy?

Notices
Flight Schools and Training Ratings, building hours, airmanship, CFI topics

How to get a CFI job for a french guy?

Old 07-07-2009, 12:49 PM
  #1  
New Hire
Thread Starter
 
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 1
Default How to get a CFI job for a french guy?

Hello all! I'd like to introduce myself before starting anything else:
I'm 22 years of age, french, currently a JAA license holder, with 200 hours, CPL IR-ME and MCC. I just finished my course last month..

The situation is very simple here, no jobs, and no CFI job opportunities back in France. I'd like to do some instructing in the US..For that I need to convert my JAA CPL licence at least, and go on written and flying tests if I'm not wrong.. From a french point of view it's hard to figure out whether CFI jobs are available in the US or not..But the amount of N planes registered and fields all over the country make me say CFI jobs must be available..
I'd be glad to be given some useful pieces of advise from you guys flying over there..
1) are there CFI jobs remaining out there? if so, is there any useful websites to get in touch with flying schools recruiting?
2) would a flying school be ok with recruiting a french guy when I believe that many US guys might be available on the market?
3) if anybody knows somebody from abroad that went through that path, how did it go? is the right and ability to work in the US the biggest barrier for me?
Cisbour is offline  
Old 07-07-2009, 01:43 PM
  #2  
Prime Minister/Moderator
 
rickair7777's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,100
Default

1) I think there are probably still CFI jobs available, but there might be a lot of applicants so it would be helpful to have instructor experience (not necessarily FAA experience). In the longer run, yes there are still jobs and will always be a demand here due to the large general aviation sector which includes many non-professional pilots and wannabes.

2) My experience has been that flight schools here love foreigners because they are less likely to leave for the airlines as quickly. They could care less about who is on the street. This may be due to the fact that an H1B visa holder cannot switch jobs as easily as a citizen or green card holder.

3) Yes, you need right to work. In the past I knew many "illegal" CFI's who were on a tourist visa, but 9/11 pretty much put an end to that. they will heavily scrutinize a non-citizen who wants to fly airplanes here.

The US government determines that there are shortages of skilled labor in certain specialties (mostly technical things like engineer, doctor, etc) and allows special work visas for people with those skills. In the past, flight instruction has been considered a shortage skill due to high turnover (nlot sure where that stands right now).

The H-1B visa is what pilots normally get I think, but there are disadvantages...

- You cannot work in a different field from the visa was issued for.
- The employer may need to sponsor the visa, in which case you may not be able to change employers without getting a new visa.
- If the shortage is instructors, you might not be able to get an actual pilot job (charter, airlines etc)...that might be considered a different field.

As for your ratings, you might be able to convert the commercial by passing a written, but you might need to take the checkride too. You will need to take all CFI writtens and checkrides.

That's about all I know.
rickair7777 is offline  
Old 07-07-2009, 02:43 PM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jun 2009
Posts: 317
Default

Originally Posted by Cisbour View Post
The situation is very simple here, no jobs, and no CFI job opportunities back in France.
Repeat your statement and replace France with USA. Maybe you will have more luck with our neighbors in Canada or Mexico.
shdw is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FlyingPirate
Flight Schools and Training
2
06-25-2009 06:14 PM
almadadavid
Flight Schools and Training
9
06-03-2009 09:55 AM
snippercr
Flight Schools and Training
15
04-19-2009 04:05 AM
RomeoSierra
Flight Schools and Training
17
10-16-2008 11:12 AM
jelloy683
Flight Schools and Training
14
09-03-2008 03:03 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices