California -vs- Florida CFI
 

Hi everyone,

I have a big dilema here so hopefully you'll help me to clarify it.

I'm looking for a place to get my CFI/CFI-I/MEI, and after reading a bunch of information and different forums, my conclussion is that "most" of the opportunities are in these two states, Florida and California, also Texas, but at the moment my research is focused in the other two states.

With opportunities I mean good/healthy schools, with a good flow of local/international students, wich eventually would make easier to stay there as a instructor, at least I'd had an opportunity.

In florida I have "the school", I think it is awesome, the school, the fleet, and the opportunities I could have in there. cons? they can't help me with the financial stuff.

So I guess that what I'm asking for, is a school with any kind of financial aid program. I'll move to US in a couple of months (green card holder), with enough savings to live for a while, but not enough to cover all the courses. I'm assuming that sooner or later I'll find one of these schools, also a financial aid program, and due to my circumstances (no job there, just a bank account with money) I'll face "huge" interest rate, but it's the only way I'll be able to cover my studies right now.

Conclussions:

-Do you guys know any decent school in Florida or California with these financial programs?



Cheers! :D

Cost of living in California is 3 times more then Florida. Go to America Flyers in Pompano Beach. All schools advertise CFI ratings but this is an art and you want a school that specializes in CFI's. If not you will be screwed working 10 times harder. I think another school in Fresno Ca specializes in CFI's. Because of cost I would not go the CA since you are on a budget.

One more point. Getting a loan to fly is almost impossible with no job or credit. You will need a strong co signer here in the USA.

The thing is that I need around 18k dollars to convalidate my ICAO licence + all the instructor stuff. And right now I have exactly those savings in my account, so I'd probably have to live under a bridge if I pay everything without loans :)
So I do need to split the payments or maybe the way to go is getting a job during one year or so, and after that get a personal loan. I don't have any co signer, no friends, nothing hehe, 100% new in the country.

Get your CFI and CFI-II, get an instructing job and worry about your MEI later.

That would be an option too. I would save some money! and I could also add my ME rating later on, with the MEI. Good point dl773

Some places might even give your MEI (or even you CFI-II) for free if you promise to work for so many hours.

Could always go to US Aviation in Denton, TX. Its a fairly large school, part 141, and is always hiring instructors. Cost of living is fairly cheap in Denton too :p

Let me give you my 2 cents.
Is gonna cost you about $8000-$10000 to get your CFI & CFII.
For now forget about MEI or ME add-on.
FL and TX should be in your short list, CA is way too expensive, trust me, I've lived there.
I find that CFI's that come from all these quicky schools tend to have a huge deficiency in knowledge (regulations, aerodynamics, basic principles of aviation), granted they know how to fly and somewhat can get a point across to students. This is an industry where you pay thousands for training, but they pay you pennies on the dollar for employment.
Go out there and read your AIM and FAR, they should be your bible. I recently interviewed a potential CFI, good kid, clean and sharp. The Chief Pilot was about to hire him, when out of the blue I asked him what's IAS, CAS and TAS. This guy received his CFI two months ago from one of those 2 week CFI training courses in FL.....need less to say, hit the books and prepare yourself. You might not need to know those acronyms today because the DPE will not ask you, but trust me you will need to know more stuff than the minimum required to be a CFI.
All in all, find a good school, study and have fun!

I'm curious, did he know the right answer!? :)

Anyways, thanks for the advance!. My first and best option is in Naples, the most professional I have found, JAA courses, wich could be a bonus for me in order to get a job there after the training, and awesome fleet.

Thanks!