Canada Vs Us Training

[gli77]

I am glad I came across this forum. I've been looking for some time at doing my commercial rotary and lately have been leaning toward HAI in Florida simply because you can get an FAA/JAA at the same time. I have been working in maintenance internationally for 5 years, and if I had it to do all over again I would definetly get the JAA licence first, since it seems to be the benchmark for international work.

 

So here is my question for the international guys. Is going to a training school that offers more than one licence program, JAA, FAA or TC, valuable? As opposed to going to one of the great established schools in Canada that only offer a TC licence.

 

Is there any importance put on the JAA licence in places like Asia, and the Mid East? For maintenance it is always the first licence listed.

 

How recognized is a Canadian commercial rotary?

 

Thanks

[Flinger]

Ryan and Volition,

 

421.77 Class 4 - Helicopter - Requirement

 

(1) Prerequisites

 

Before commencing training for the Class 4 Instructor Rating, an applicant shall hold a Commercial Pilot Licence - Helicopter have completed a minimum of 250 hours pilot-in-command flight time in helicopters, and have completed a minimum of 15 hours instrument time of which a maximum of 10 hours may have been completed in approved instrument ground trainers.

[Ryan]

You guys are saying it's a bad thing to require 250 hours PIC time to instruct?

 

Not at all. In fact 250 hours is on the low side I should think. I myself wouldn't want an instructor with less than 1000 hours, not that air time guarantees a great pilot and instructor though... but it helps.

[Cole]

... On the other end of the spectrum here. After seeing what instructors can do at like 175-200 hours, and it seems like a good way to burst into the industry.

 

However, I have flown with pilots that are still green in the seat, you have to be pretty knowledgeable to instruct, BUT ,and its a big but, students must be confident in thier instructors, so a pilot at 150 might be less than confidence inspiring.

 

Cole

[volition]

My instructor only had over 300 hours, and she was very safe. If one thing, she was safer then the 1000 hours insructors i had.

[PapaVictor]

The problem with a lot of low-time instructors is, they don't want to be instructors. There are a lot of low-time instructors who really like instructing have the right attitude and consider it a real job (as it should).

 

What I saw in the US (trained at HAI) people having a lot of problems with the basic maneuvers during CPL Checkrides but going straight on for the CFI having the same problems again and then finally after a couple of re-takes passing. That's quite scary. I managed to get an old and high time instructor 33.000 hours (for my CFI), but that was an exception.

 

But if the school has good standards and keep training instructors after being hired, there should be nothing wrong. There are not a lot of these schools around, who work on instructor development. Simply because as soon as the instructor get their 1000 or even before they move on to a 'real' job.

 

I'm afraid you can't change the US system, but what I've seen in Canada and the approach I think the quality of instruction is very good, I also think you'r better prepared for the real world.

 

In Canada a 1000 hrs pilot has flown 1000 hours, in the US he has given 800 hours of instruction around practice areas.