Foreign Flight Students - Get Your TSA- AFSP
by admin -

Flight Training for Foreign Students – Apply for your TSA AFSP!

Flight Training for Foreign Students

Hello and welcome.

My name is Mark Andrews, and I’m the Pilot Services Coordinator for AeroStar Training Services. Today, I’d like to talk with you guys about our TSA AFSP for our foreign students. TSA AFSP is Transportation Security Administration Alien Flight Student Program.

This is designed to facilitate our foreign students with their training here at AeroStar, and it’s also required by the FAA.

The first thing is to go to the website, which is FlightSchoolCandidates.gov and make a profile. This is where you can upload all of your pertinent documentation in order to facilitate your training here at AeroStar.

Whereas our US students will just use their passport and their driver’s license.

In any case, we’re looking forward to working with you!  See you in the cockpit!

Ready to apply to AeroStar?

Find our Application here.

by admin -

AeroStar Named One of 50 Florida Companies to Watch

August 4, 2019
News Release
For Immediate Release

50 FLORIDA COMPANIES YOU WILL WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO

— Entrepreneurial styles, corporate cultures give these second-stage companies competitive advantages—

KISSIMMEE, Florida, August 4, 2019— AeroStar Training Services is pleased to announce 50 statewide companies expected to see significant growth over the next several years. AeroStar was selected to be included on this list from more than 500 nominees for Florida Companies to WatchSM, a statewide program managed by economic development group GrowFL, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation.  

AeroStar’s management team, competitive market position, and strong community involvement were among several factors that put them in contention for the award.   

“These stand-out companies are all led by entrepreneurs, and have demonstrated their capacity and intent to grow,” said Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director. “They also all have critical intellectual property or a niche position that gives them a competitive edge in their markets,” he said. 

Deidra Toye, AeroStar’s owner and CEO said, “We are grateful for this opportunity to be recognized by GrowFL for our contribution to the aviation industry and to Central Florida’s economy. We look forward to continuing to partner with the community and other aviation organizations to train world-class pilots and overcome the existing pilot shortage.” 

Joining AeroStar on the Florida Companies to Watch list are the following Florida-based businesses:

Company Name City County Primary Business
Accelirate, Inc. Sunrise Broward Information Technology
ADVOS Legal, PLLC Ponte Vedra Beach St. Johns Legal Services
AeroStar Training Services, LLC Kissimmee Osceola  Transportation and Warehousing
Align Business Advisory Services Winter Park Orange Finance and Insurance
Beryl Project Engineering Tampa Hillsborough Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
BioDerm, Inc. Largo Pinellas Manufacturing
Centerline Brackets St. Augustine St. Johns Manufacturing 
Cottrell Title & Escrow Naples Collier Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Crevalle Boats Wildwood Sumter Manufacturing
Davis Industrial Tampa  Hillsborough Manufacturing
Dedicated IT Riviera Beach Palm Beach Information Technology 
EarthBalance North Port Sarasota Other Services (except Public Administration) 
ECHO UES, Inc. Tampa Hillsborough Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
Express Freight, Inc. Orlando Orange Transportation and Warehousing 
FLYMOTION Tampa Hillsborough Information Technology 
FutureCow Sanford Seminole Manufacturing
Global Jetcare, Inc. Brooksville Hernando Health Care and Social Assistance
Kira Labs, Inc. Pompano Beach Broward Manufacturing 
MagicalButter.com Port Richey Pasco Manufacturing
MAS Environmental, LLC Tampa Hillsborough Waste Management and Remediation Services 
McCormick Stevenson Corporation Clearwater Pinellas Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
Mettauer Environmental Alva Lee Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 
Mother Kombucha St. Petersburg Pinellas Manufacturing
National Drug Screening, Inc. Melbourne Brevard Other Services (except Public Administration) 
Neobroadband, Inc. Doral Miami-Dade Telecommunications
OCULUS Surgical, Inc. Port St. Lucie St. Lucie Manufacturing 
OIT, LLC Miami Lakes Miami-Dade Telecommunications
OnMed, LLC Clearwater Pinellas Health Care and Social Assistance
OnPay Solutions, Inc. Jacksonville  Duval Information Technology 
PeakActivity Boynton Beach Palm Beach Computer Systems Design and Related Services
Pepine Realty Gainesville Alachua Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
Powerful Foods, LLC Miami Miami-Dade Retail Trade
Probability and Statistics, Inc. Palm Bay Brevard Information Technology
Raider Outboards, Inc. Titusville Brevard Scientific Research and Development 
Rudram Engineering, Inc. Rockledge Brevard Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 
SiteREADY Tampa Hillsborough Information Technology
Smart Baking Company Sanford Seminole Accommodation and Food Services
Solar Stik, Inc. St. Augustine St. Johns Scientific Research and Development 
Steamroller Studios  Mount Dora Lake Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 
StrataPT, LLC Osprey Sarasota Administrative and Support Services 
TeleVoIPs Brandon Hillsborough Telecommunications
The Lunz Group Lakeland Polk Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 
TheraPeeds Family Center Davie Broward Health Care and Social Assistance
Tomahawk Robotics Melbourne Brevard Computer Systems Design and Related Services
Total Nutrition Technology Leesburg Lake Manufacturing 
VeraData Fort Myers Lee Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
Vistra Communications Lutz Hillsborough Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
Waypoint Contracting, Inc. Miami Miami-Dade Construction
WestCMR, LLC Clearwater Pinellas Other Services (except Public Administration) 
Wild Florida Kenansville Osceola Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

“This list recognizes second-stage Florida companies with passionate leaders who are making a difference in growing and diversifying our economy,” said Jennifer Barrows, GrowFL Chairman of the GrowFL Advisory Board and Business Development Executive with WithumSmith+Brown, PC.  Second-stage companies are defined as those with 6 to 150 full-time employees and between $750,000 and $100 million in annual revenue. There are many programs and incubators promoting start-up businesses; GrowFL is the only Florida program that focuses exclusively on second-stage companies.

From 2015 through 2018, these companies generated $923 million in revenue and added 935 employees, reflecting a 123.9% increase in revenue and 131% increase in jobs for the four-year period. That translates into a 31% average annual revenue growth and 32.2% average annual growth in employees.

These companies projected continued growth in 2019, with a 34.8% revenue increase and 36.8% growth in employees compared to 2018. If their projections hold, these companies will have generated $1.38 billion in revenue and added 1,541 employees over the last five years — a 201.9% increase in revenue and 216% increase in jobs since 2015.

Companies named to the list will be officially recognized at the 9th Annual Florida Companies to Watch Celebration on November 14, 2019 at the Hard Rock Live, Universal City Walk in Orlando, FL.  Tickets are on sale now for the awards ceremony.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.growfl.com/flctw19/about-flctw/

###

About AeroStar Training Services:

AeroStar Training Services is located in the Greater Orlando area, in the heart of Kissimmee, Florida. AeroStar provides the highest quality initial pilot training, ATP-CTP, Airbus & Boeing Type Ratings for the global aviation industry by delivering tangible, timely, and cost effective results. AeroStar was founded by a team of experienced aviation professionals in 2008 with a vision that aviation training should be affordable, state-of-the-art, and provide an enjoyable learning experience for all students. We focus on the highest quality training, yet making it affordable and flexible, to meet the needs of our customers’ busy schedules.

AeroStar Training Services
Media Contact: Robin Frey, Director of Marketing

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (407) 888-9011  

AboutGrowFL:

GrowFL is dedicated to support and accelerate the growth of second-stage companies throughout Florida, by providing their leaders focused, efficient, and timely access to resources they deem important, such as connections with other second-stage company leaders, and to professional organizations whose expertise, experience, and products lead to the second-stage company’s continued growth and prosperity resulting in diversification and growth of Florida’s economy.  Second-stage growth companies have at least 10 employees and a $1 million in revenue and possess an intent and desire to grow beyond second-stage.  Website: growfl.com https://www.growfl.com/flctw19/about-flctw/

About the Edward Lowe Foundation: 

Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). The foundation focuses on second-stage companies — those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. In addition, the foundation has a second mission of land stewardship and is committed to preserving the natural resources and historically significant structures at Big Rock Valley, its 2,000-acre home in southwest Michigan.

by admin -

Summer Flight Training Special Offers

Summer is a great time to jump start your career with flight training! AeroStar will reward a few hardy souls who take the initiative to sign up early!

Flight Training Special Offers –

ATP CTP and A320 upgrade/conversion $9,200 for July classes only.

Only limited seats available in each class date. This special can not be used for any other months or reschedules

Enroll Today!

A320 Upgrade/Foreign License Conversion

Approximately 8-9 days

  • 3.5 days of ground – includes a blend of lecture, virtual flight, and CBT
  • 3 level D full flight sim sessions including a LOFT (12 hrs per crew)
  • 1 oral & practical exam in a level D sim by an in-house evaluator (5 hrs per crew)
  •  Starts July 11th & 26th

A320 atp ctp Certification Course

Approximately 7-9 days

  • 4 days of ground – includes blend of lecture, virtual flight, and CBT
  • 6 hrs of level D full flight sim per multi-crew in A320
  • Starts July 3rd, 11th, 15th, 21st, and 27th

Note – The Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program is an FAA mandated prerequisite prior to accomplishing the ATP written Exam.

*All Type Rating Courses Require an iPad. All courses are expected to fill quickly, so complete the application to reserve your seat today!

by admin -

Five Reasons to Get a Boeing 737 Type Rating

The decision to become an airline pilot is a great one, especially at this time in history.

Many more pilots will be needed to replace retiring pilots, and to fly people in parts of the world that are enjoying air travel at unprecedented levels.

Getting your initial pilot training and good fundamentals is a solid first step. Getting your private rating, instrument, commercial and multi-engine can all serve well for a variety of jobs in aviation.

But to fly an airline, you’ll need a type rating. This is a special certificate that provides the education and tests your knowledge to be sure you are a safe pilot.

The decision to get a type rating in a Boeing 737 is a great one, for five reasons:

  1. You’ll have lots of options of airlines to work for!
  2. There are a LOT of 737 aircraft being flown in different places around the world.
  3. A VERY large number of 737s are still being manufactured, which indicates it has a long future ahead of it.
  4. It’s in very wide usage in a variety of different locations, routes and airlines.
  5. Pilots love the 737.

1. Lots of Airlines.

The 737 series is the highest-selling commercial jetliner in history.

Kingsley-Jones, Max. “6,000 and counting for Boeing’s popular little twinjet.”Flight International, Reed Business Information, April 22, 2009. Retrieved: April 22, 2009.

2. Lots of Airplanes in Use

The 10,000th 737 was rolled out on March 13, 2018. This series has been continuously manufactured since 1967.

Max Kingsley-Jones (March 13, 2018). “How Boeing built 10,000 737s”. Flightglobal.

3. Lots of Orders Being Built

Over 4,600 orders are being built in the Boeing Renton Factory in Washington State, USA.

Airbus A320 Aircraft Facts, Dates and History.”Archived January 19, 2013, at the Wayback MachineFlightlevel350.com. Retrieved: May 12, 2010.

4. Wide Usage

There are an average of 1,250 Boeing 737s airborne at any given time, with two either departing or landing somewhere every five seconds.

5. Pilots Love Them

Boeing designs its jets with an autothrottle.

With Boeing’s autothrottle system, the thrust levers are “back-driven,” constantly adjusted by motors changing the levers’ position based on the system’s commands.

“With the Boeing, I see the throttles moving and it gives me that feedback. It improves my situational awareness to no end because I know what the airplane is trying to do to the engines,” said Captain Rory King in an interview TPG.

He should know. He’s flown them all. Early in his airline career, Kay flew the Boeing 727 and the 737s that entered service in the late 1980s, now known as 737 Classic. He went on to be First Officer on the larger Boeing 757 and the twin-aisle 767, before making captain on the Airbus A320, which he flew for years. With over 24,000 hours in the air, Kay is a training and check pilot on the 757 and 767 and will soon move to captaining the Boeing 777, the biggest passenger plane flying for any US airline. He’s also former Air Safety Chairman for the Air Line Pilots Association.

Is Boeing or Airbus Better? We Asked an Airline Pilot- by Howard Slutsken, TPG

AeroStar-Boeing-737-Infographic2

Click here to see our A320 Type Rating Course Options here.

by admin -

Use Your Veteran’s Education Benefits for Flight Training!

Did you know that AeroStar is one of few flight schools with a 100% approved Veterans program?

veterans flight training

Use your benefits to earn your ATP CTP certification or a type rating today!

Who’s covered?

Anyone who qualifies for any of the GI Bill programs, with the exception of Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance recipients.

What benefits can I use?

If you use the Post-9/11 GI Bill, your reimbursement payment depends on the program and the type of school you’re going to:

  • If you’re enrolled in a degree program that consists of flight training at a public college or university, we’ll pay back the school for the net cost of tuition and fees.*
  • If you’re enrolled in a degree program that consists of flight training at a private college or university, we’ll pay back the school for the net cost of tuition and fees up to a yearly limit.*

Find out more about the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Can I use benefits for flight training if I have remaining entitlement under the GI Bill?

You can use benefits for flight training if you meet both requirements listed below:

  • Have a commercial license, and
  • Have a valid first-class medical certificate

Your level of eligibility and/or your remaining entitlement determines the payment amount.

Let us help you take the next step toward a high-altitude civilian career.

by admin -

June/July 2019 Specials on 737 Type Ratings

B737NG Simulator

We’re so excited to be have an even more effective way to offer our students the best training opportunities! We can now offer our courses for 737 type ratings completely on-site!

We’re breaking ground in our simulator center in preparation for the Boeing 737NG Level D Simulator!

This offers a unique opportunity for 737 type ratings!

The 737NG sim will be joining our A320 Level D Sim on site at our facility. To celebrate our new sim at our Kissimmee, FL campus, we have some great deals on B737NG courses!

If you’ve been looking at 737NG type rating cost. And if you are interested in the highest quality B737 type rating, but want to get great value for your money, this is a great opportunity!

June and July 737 Type Ratings Specials

B737NG open house specials:
June and July ONLY
Standard dates 1st and 16th for only $11,000
Upgrade dates 9th and 24th for only $9,000
Fast Track dates 8th and 23rd for only $7,000

*Can not be used for any other month and is first come first serve basis until class is full.

Behind The Scenes at our Sim Facility

Here’s what’s happening as our Sim Center!

More About the B737 NG

The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is the −600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 airliner. It is the third generation derivative of the 737, and follows the 737 Classic (−300/-400/-500) series, which began production in the 1980s. They are short to medium range, narrow body jet airliners, powered by two engines. Produced since 1996 by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the 737NG series includes four variants and can seat between 110 and 210 passengers.

Formally launched in 1993, the 737NG is an upgrade of the preceding 737 Classic models featuring a redesigned wing that is larger in area, with a wider wingspan, and greater fuel capacity. It is equipped with CFM56-7 series engines, a glass cockpit, and features upgraded and redesigned interior configurations. Performance and capability upgrades over its predecessor include longer range, greater capacity (in its largest variants), and available higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) specifications.

As of 31 January 2019, a total of 7,089 737NG aircraft have been ordered, of which 6,996 have been delivered. The remaining orders are in the -700 BBJ, -800, -800 BBJ and -900ER variants. The most common variant is the -800, which has had over 5,000 delivered as of 2019 and is the most widely used narrowbody aircraft worldwide. The 737NG’s primary competition is with the airbus a320 family. Upgraded and re-engined models in development as the 737 MAX series is to supplant the 737NG, with the first 737 MAX delivered in 2017.

From Wikipedia


Why become a flight instructor?
by admin -

WHY BECOME A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR?

When you speak with someone who was a flight instructor in the 1990s, you find that their experience was radically different from the experience that an instructor today enjoys.

 

Back in the day, flight instructors often had to sweep the hangar, “sell” prospects on discovery flights, work strange hours, or drive long distances from airport to airport to accommodate the rare student. Today, it’s a different ball game.

This past May, the Washington Post reported that Pilot-Hungry Airlines are Raiding Flight Schools. As more and more senior airline Captains and First Officers retire from major airlines due to the FAA-mandated age limit of 65 years, professional pilots from all walks of life are being recruited to backfill the ranks. Regional airlines often give hiring and retention bonuses of up to $50,000 to new recruits. In years past, a Flight Instructor would often have to work for years in a myriad of flying roles before he or she got the opportunity to fly a turboprop or turbojet powered aircraft for a small airline or freight company. Even when they did land a job with a regional airline, it was at a wage that would surprise most people not familiar with the industry at that time. Today, Instructors are being hired away as soon as their FAA licensing and flight time requirements are met. They are being paid a liveable wage from day one and have bright prospects for their future.

We offer the best CFII and  CFI instruction Florida!

 

CFI instruction Florida

At AeroStar we understand the industry is changing rapidly and accordingly, the value of our flight instructors.

Our culture of high quality training and professional mentorship is how we’ve earned our reputation over the past ten years.

Aspiring pilots can begin their training with Aerostar – from their initial discovery flight through their private pilot rating, instrument, multiengine, commercial, ATP-CTP certification, and of course, type ratings; all at one campus location.

Students who invest in their training with us will be considered to fit our growing family of CFIs.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Invest in initial flight training with AeroStar.
  2. Earn your Private Pilot rating, and continue to earn your instrument, multiengine, commercial and CFI ratings.
  3. Apply, and be selected for, one of our respected CFI positions with a starting salary of $45,000 per year.
  4. Help other students learn as you build loggable flight hours toward your career goals!
  5. After one year of distinguished service, you’ll earn a $5000 retention bonus, plus our world-class Type Rating Training (your choice – A320 or B737)

You’ll leave AeroStar with the best possible training, PLUS valuable job experience working with an amazing team.  

Aerostar has long been known as a leading provider for ATP-CTP certification, as well as the popular Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 type ratings.  These two aircraft types are widely used by airlines in the United States as well as international markets.

AeroStar is one of the very first organizations in which a student can travel the whole journey from aspiring pilot taking a discovery flight, to working CFI building time and earning a good salary, to an ATP-CTP rated airline first officer candidate with a A320 or b737 type rating.  

by admin -

Deidra Toye on Mentoring in Flight Training

Did you know that as of 2017 only 7.01% of pilots were women? With such a minimum number of women within the airline industry, AeroStar is a shining exception.

Since 2015, the CEO of AeroStar has been a woman: Deidra Toye. Under her leadership, AeroStar has gained recognition as one of the finest aviation-training providers in the world, by serving the needs of individuals as well as flight schools, colleges/universities, government agencies, and airlines across the globe.

In addition to her success in the flight training industry, she is Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Spectrum Aero Maintenance Services, also located in Kissimmee, FL (KISM). Deidra is not only AeroStar’s CEO, she is also mentoring her former mentor.

Deidra Wilson, CEO and owner of Aerostar Training Services talks about mentoring and flight training

Around 12 years ago, Deidra worked at American Flyers as a Customer Service Rep with Jason Gledhill. Gledhill went above and beyond his boss duties to help mentor Deidra about the aviation industry. When looking back on those days Deidra stated “I was super excited about aviation, and with that excitement, I wanted to learn all I could. Jason never stopped teaching me along the way.” With Gledhill’s invaluable advice, Toye was able accelerate her success advancing within the industry to own and operate a both leading aviation training and an aircraft maintenance organization.

In a twist of fate, Deidra is now mentoring Jason by offering him an a320 type rating course through AeroStar, which he has now successfully completed.  In response to her transforming from the mentee to the mentor, she said “To me, what’s satisfying, and I think Dave (Santo) would say the same, with us at AeroStar where we’re training so many pilots every day, all the time, as we travel across the world and we’re going to trade shows, and we’ll look up in the cockpit as board an airplane and there have been so many times where we’ve been like, hey, we know you; you graduated from AeroStar!” “it’s an amazing experience”. In addition, Toye spoke on the basics of her mentoring relationships. “It takes dedication on both sides. There have been times where “I’ll see a diamond in the rough, and be like, you know what, this person has so much potential, so much raw talent. And I’m just drawn to want to mentor them. But if they’re not a hundred percent into it and they’re not dedicated to it, at the end of the day, no matter how great they could be, if they’re not wanting to apply themselves to do it and they don’t have that passion for it, it’s not going to work out in the long run”.

At AeroStar Deidra has been able to utilize her mentoring expertize to help organize her team into becoming the best mentors for their students. In speaking of what she has learned from her mentor Toye stated “(Gledhill would) show me the fun side of aviation. How he mentors other people and how it’s important to mentor people throughout your aviation career. And from there I just really took it to heart and I adapted and adopted that mentality. And now I am delivering the same kind of message to my team and customers here at AeroStar.” Operating and growing two amazing companies, Deidra is becoming a prominent role model for Women in Aviation.

If you’re at Aerostar’s Kissimmee campus, you may find yourself in a casual conversation Deidra Wilson, having a great conversation about ATP CTP certification, type ratings, mentorship and pilot careers.

Will the US Government Shutdown Impact Your Flight Training?
by admin -

How is the US Government Shutdown Impacting Flight Training?

AeroStar Training Services is open for business during the government shutdown.

Our instructors are holding courses, students are enrolling and graduating, and things are progressing as normal with a few exceptions.

  • Most flight training courses are being held as scheduled!
  • Our instructors are teaching
  • Our Redbird and A320 Sims are available
  • Students are completing lessons and logging time toward their goals!
  • We have an in-house Visa agent that can approve student visas.
  • We can issue FAA temporary licensing on -site so that pilots can start using their new licensing or type ratings right away.

That said, there are a few things that may have temporary delays:

Foreign License Certifications/Conversions – Are currently on hold.

FAA Medical Certificates – for student pilots and others are currently not being issued, although Aviation medical examiners may still issue certificates to qualified pilots at the time of a regular FAA physical exam.

https://aerostartyperatings.com/pilot-training-articles/type-rating/It’s a great time to upgrade your skills, get the credentials you need – everything from initial pilot training, ATP-CTP certification, B737 and A320 type ratings, and advance your career.

Have concerns? Give us a call at 407-888-9011 and let’s get your questions answered!