Moving to the US from Canada...looking for a first job...any suggestions
 

I will be moving to phoenix arizona from Canada in oct and currently have completed my commercial license with IFR and multi ratings. I graduated Mount Royal College in Calgary AB Canada with a diploma in Commercial Aviation. I will also have a greencard to work/live in the US.
The process to becoming a successful pilot in Canada tends to be, work some time on a ramp and work your way on the flight line eventually (all this usually up north where the sun doesnt come up in the winter). Being a new pilot to the US im curious what people might reccomend I look into for my first "flying" job. I had talked to a captain who reccomended the PACE program with Mesa Airlines. Should I look into such programs to succeed and get into a flying job?? I have also heard alot of people tend to instruct there.
Any help someone could suggest would be fan-tas-tic.
Enjoi!
-Nimrod-

C-F-I rating

That depends on how much flying time and the quality of time you have.
The process for obtaining your FAA certificates is simple compared with Transport Canada. I don't know what class (IV,III,II,I) Flight Instructor Rating you have in Canada, if any. But in the US we have only one (CFI) so you will take two written exams (for CFI-Aeroplane) and one more exam if you add (CFI-Instrument) and a flight test. The flight test is done once (per rating), no annual renewal rides required, like Canada. No instrument rating renewal rides required down here either.
Lots of flying schools are looking for flight instructors. In Phoenix (Goodyear) a suburb of Phoenix, Lufthansa German Airlines is looking for qualified instructors. They pay much more than the typical american flight school. But they expect much more from you involving your teaching skills, than an american flight school.
Make sure you keep your Canadian Licences valid, don't let them expire.

You have a link to the lufthansa page...curious what their requirements are for CFIs..

V/r,
Cajun Fan

http://www.uspa.org/dz/states/AZ.htm

http://www.private2atp.com/fbo/AZ.html

My experience
 

Hiya,

I'm sure you got a bunch of replies already, but thought I'd throw my hat in with some personal experience for a fellow Calgarian.

I made the move to the US on 9/11 of all days. 500 hours total at the time, very little multi but all the other Canadian ratings save the ATPL. So, you'll need to do a few things (sorry if you know this already) commmercial (single and/or multi-engine add-on)written and flight test, instrument rating, to have any hope of any job other than skydiving and flight instructing, regs require it for anything other than a 25 mile flight radius for commercial ops (or something like that) and eventually an ATP, of course.

If you want to flight instruct, there are ton(nes) of jobs, I believe. Largely because people have been sucked up into the regionals so quickly.I'm sure you've seen the ads for 1000 hours and 100 multi for right seat RJ jobs. A CFI is the most prevelant way of doing things stateside. Or, do what I did and head to Alaska, better pay ($36,000/a for a C-172 job), and better experience, in my opinion. Character building is probably what my father would call it, but a lot of fun too. Per the regs, 500 hours min total, 25 night and 100 cross country for a VFR 135 company.

I noticed you posted this back in August, so maybe you know all of this already, but wanted to help out a fellow Canuck, or at least share a perspective. I grew up in Calgary, went to Okotoks for flight training, 1 year at MRC and 3 at UofC. So let me know what you've done.