Will the US Government Shutdown Impact Your Flight Training?

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!

Student Spotlight – Australian Fast-Tracks His Airline Career at AeroStar!

Aussie Chris Cain recently earned his A320 Type Rating at AeroStar, and talks about his experience here.
Australian A320 Pilot Chris CainI started my flight training at Lilydale Flight School approx. 40km out of Melbourne city in the state of Victoria, Australia back in 2007. I gained my student pilot license and was able to fly solo one week prior to my 17th birthday. After working as an avionics technician on helicopters for the army for 6 years, I continued with my pilot training in Darwin in the Northern Territory. I completed my commercial pilots license over 2015-2017 and gained a lot of exposure to outback charter flying during my time there. The aircraft I predominantly flew were the Cessna models 172, 182 and 210. I completed a multi engine endorsement and instrument rating back down in Melbourne as necessary to advance my career towards the end of 2017, flying a Beechcraft Travel Air. Soon after completing this training I also finished all Airline Transport Pilot License exams and I was looking at completing a type rating course on a heavy jet aircraft soon after to gain a further advancement of being hired by an airline in a first officer position. 
 
I looked around online for several type rating courses overseas due to the high pricing of Type Ratings in Australia and decided on AeroStar after taking a friends advice due to his good experience and recommendation of AeroStar. I decided on the Airbus A320 aircraft as I wanted to work in an airline in south east Asia where Airbus aircraft are more dominant. AeroStar also offered a very fast paced and inexpensive type rating which suited both my financial and time limited situation. 
 
My experience with AeroStar was very positive as the focus was learning all the systems of the aircraft whilst at the same time understanding the operations required by both the First Officer and Captain positions, which allowed a faster paced training period. I also got the chance to meet many captains and first officer pilots that were already operating the Airbus A320 or similar Heavy Jet aircraft, allowing a better insight into how different Airlines in different parts of the world operate. This also provided great contacts for future career opportunities outside my initial choice of south east Asia as a starting location for airline employment. The instructors at AeroStar had a wealth of experience both on the Airbus A320 and also other heavy jet aircraft including many Boeing models. I found that a large majority of the staff were currently working for airlines in the USA and had also previously worked overseas. I got to experience training with 6 different instructors, both during the ground school and simulator components, which offered different tips and training styles allowing me to choose an operating style which best suited my learning abilities, being a more practical and hands on method.
 
In total I spent 26 days studying the Airbus a320 type rating and came out with a very good understanding of the aircraft which will be built upon when employed by an airline. Three weeks after finishing with AeroStar I moved to Phnom Penh, Cambodia as my first destination for seeking employment and currently have an interview set up  next week in Vietnam with a flagship airline there.
In all, AeroStar has greatly increased my employment opportunities and has furthered my professional development as a pilot. 

Stories from Our Students and Graduates – First Officer Kenian Jabbour

Graduate Stories: As the Admissions Director of AeroStar, I learn a lot about our students and their careers.

The career path for pilots has changed in the last few years.  The career path used to be something like this:

  1. Get your multi-engine and commercial license
  2. Become a CFI
  3. Build time as an instructor
  4. Work for a Regional Airline or 121 to build more time
  5. Apply to a major airline or for a corporate flight department

Airlines were also willing to pay for type rating training for new hires.

A more typical (and better!) career path for today’s pilots goes like this:

  1. Get your multi-engine and commercial license
  2. Get your A320 or b737 type rating from AeroStar
  3. Get hired by an overseas airline (many of whom are hiring our graduates!)
  4. Get paid while you build time
  5. Apply for a major U.S. airline (if you like.)

Many of our students do exactly this.

It is good to see people who are so excited about their success.

A few months ago, Kenian Jabbour had had his doubts about our program.  His crew partner was getting his flight training at a competing academy (PanAm) and had been quoted a lower price than AeroStar was offering.  But Keenan toured our facility, compared the quality of the program, and started with us.

Kenian spent 10 days on site with us getting his a320 type rating.  He was hired as a first officer for an airline, and recently stopped by our office while his aircraft was being fueled. They had just returned from France and were planning a trip to Casablanca.

Since then, his crew partner has actually spent MORE money on additional training and was still working on his type rating.

Why do AeroStar students get hired?

  1. Our students stand out from the pack by showing that they’ve made a smart investment in their career.
  2. Our students save time for the airlines because they are already fluent and proficient and no additional training is needed.

A big thank you to Sunrise Aviation for helping students like Kenian get started and referring them to AeroStar for advanced flight training. Together we help aviation career dreams take flight!

Coming to America . . . Helping International Students Navigate Entry into the United States

coming to americaTraveling to a new country can be daunting. Foreign flight students coming to America may experience some culture shock and might even feel a bit homesick. It’s an advantage to stay with someone who strives to make things easier and feel welcome by providing the caring support and services you need. The same holds true when choosing your flight training organization.

Good judgment when it comes to training means you pick the best value not the lowest price. You cannot rely on the price of your training alone. You need to look at your school of your choice to see what is provided in their total package. Look for a school that takes great pride in being a full-service Flight School. A school that considers not only the training event, but the student’s total training experience. A school that will help you navigate through the many checkpoints of entry into the United States.

At AeroStar, we welcome customers from all over the globe. Our typical international student is an aviation student who desires to become a pilot flying large jet aircraft. The AeroStar distinction is that we know what is required when it comes to visa and immigration issues to achieve this dream by attending training in the United States. AeroStar recognizes that these requirements to enter the United States are extensive and time consuming to you. We are there when you need that extra lift.

To ensure that international students are well equipped, AeroStar puts in the extra effort in assisting you through this demanding task and aids you in expediting processing. We have done this in part by generating an informational “flight plan.” This flight plan is specifically for foreign students attending AeroStar to successfully navigate the required course for entry into the United States for training at the AeroStar training center. This “flight plan” was developed by the experiences and suggestions of students who have attended AeroStar before you and now are flying jet aircraft for airlines around the world.

The flight plan has several “checkpoints” that each student must complete to begin their training at AeroStar. These checkpoints are required by the United States government to ensure that the student is properly vetted and meets the requirements set forth by United States laws and regulations. These checkpoints are cumbersome and confusing if you do not choose a training school that has the first hand experience and is highly qualified in dealing with the different government departments of the United States. It is so important to select a school that is committed to helping you complete these requirements in a timely and acceptable manner to prevent being denied entry in the United States.

Some of these checkpoints are items such as being processed to receive an I-20 document to begin the visa application process. AeroStar is one of the few advanced aircraft training organizations approved to provide you with this document. Another checkpoint is the process of receiving approval through the Alien Flight Student Program administered by the Transportation Security Administration. Other checkpoints deal with how to properly contact and schedule an interview at an US embassy or consulate in your home country. Several more checkpoints deal directly with entering the US and what to expect in this process. Finally, what to do when you have arrived in the United States to begin your jet training. In addition, throughout the “flight plan” AeroStar will provide you with more detailed information as necessary and be there to answer the hard questions that arise by working closely with all the Federal agencies involved to ensure that your interests are represented.

This flight plan is one of the many ways AeroStar is there for you along the journey to your aviation career. Just remember the team members here at AeroStar take great pride in providing you the best training experience in the world and the benchmark for which you will measure all of your future training events in your aviation career. The training you will receive from AeroStar will lay a foundation for building a successful career.

We look forward to helping your aviation dreams become a reality!

Join us for an Airline Pilot Career Workshop online!

Airline Career Workshop
Join us for a Webinar on Wednesday, November 12, 2014
airline pilot career
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar Seat Now at:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/318422695

Questions and Answers about airline pilot careers for future captains and first officers.We’ll be asking questions about career opportunities.Featuring Captain David Santo, airbus a320 Captain for Jetblue Airways and President of AeroStar Training Services and guests.This session is free to attend, but seating is limited, so register today! Sponsored by AeroStar Training Services, LLC

Title: Airline Career Workshop
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 AM MST

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 8, 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.6 or newer

Mobile attendees
Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

Ab Initio Training: Self-Sponsored and Airline Sponsored Options

Paula Williams: Just to get started, maybe you can tell us more about ab initio training. What does that even mean?

David Santo: Ab initio is a … I believe it’s a Latin word that stands for from the beginning. What we’re talking about here is how do we develop enough of future aviators, future pilots to meet the global demand. First, let’s talk for a second if I can about the global demand. The numbers that are being put out there by Boeing, they’ve been validated by Airbus industries, they’ve been validated by the US Accounting Office, they’ve appeared in front page news, periodicals like the Wall Street Journal and the USA Today. It talks about needing nearly a half a million new pilots in our industry over the next 20 years.
 Ab initio is an old concept but it’s a concept of we may have to start training pilots from zero time to get them qualified to be airline pilots because they’re not coming through the ranks organically, naturally fast enough on their own. Ab initio is a way to streamline the pipeline of people coming into the industry all the way into the front seats of the airliners.

Paula Williams: That makes perfect sense. In a sense that means taking people from their very first lesson. Maybe people who are … You’re looking for high school or community college graduates or anybody in particular? Are there any qualifications to start an ab initio?
I know it says from the beginning but there has to be something at the beginning, right?

David Santo: That really is dependent on the airline and the individual. You really have two types of ab initios. You have the self-sponsored ab initio. This is somebody who is looking to start maybe fresh out of high school or somewhere in the early stages of college. Honestly, nowadays it could be anywhere in their career. We have a lot of people that get into aviation late as a second or third career but they make the conscientious decision that they’re pursuing aviation as a job, as a career field. Really, they are ab initio students. It’s how quickly they dedicate themselves to accomplishing that task and some people will use schools like Cochise College, FIT, the 141 schools. They’ll go there to accelerate either their education or their time building to get done quicker so they can get into the job market.
The other type of ab initio is somebody who’s being sponsored by an airline. Lufthansa has done this for many, many years. Lufthansa hired nationals from Germany. They sent them over to Arizona and they sent them to Flight School really with zero flight experience.
 Now there is an advantage to hiring somebody with zero flight experience for the airlines and that is that you screen them not on their skill, you screen them on their aptitude. You’re screening them on are they a good cultural fit to your organization and then you train them to be the airline pilot that you want them to be. There are some benefits there.
 United Airlines did this in the ‘60s. Due to the Vietnam War there just wasn’t enough pilots available and they had to recruit people. At that time, Paula Williams, they were using people with private pilot licenses as a prerequisite. It really depends on the airline whether it’s self-sponsored, whether it’s sponsored what that starting point is. The end game is still the same and that is creating a pipeline that is a clear beginning, a gateway, all the way through a career preparation and hopefully placement.

Paula Williams: That makes perfect sense. If I’m going into an ab initio program as a self-sponsored student just to get an idea of what I’m in for, what kind of time and money requirements are we looking at? I know we’re going to talk about this in more detail later but just to get a broad picture of what that would look like.

David Santo: Some of the programs that we’ve worked with can accomplish zero time all the way through the commercial multiengine instrument and a type rating within as little as 12 months. This is based on the student being full time, fully engaged in the ab initio course. If we go through that pipeline they would come into the program having been pre-screened. We’ve seen screening tools like COMPASS which are aptitude tests that help identify before you spend the money whether you have the right stuff, if you will, to make it through the program. Then they complete their private pilot license, they complete their instrument license, they complete their time building for their commercial, complete their commercial license, their multi-engine.
 Then they come to AeroStar for that finishing school, if you will. We do jet transition training. We do the high altitude, high speed aerodynamics and theory training. We can do CRM. We can do the new ATP CTP course which is a requirement for the ATP written. Ultimately, our final stage of training of the pipeline is completing the type rating or A320, b737 crew qualification training.

Ab Initio Training: Self-Sponsored and Airline Sponsored Options

 

Paula Williams: Just to get started, maybe you can tell us more about ab initio training. What does that even mean?

David Santo: Ab initio is a … I believe it’s a Latin word that stands for from the beginning. What we’re talking about here is how do we develop enough of future aviators, future pilots to meet the global demand. First, let’s talk for a second if I can about the global demand. The numbers that are being put out there by Boeing, they’ve been validated by Airbus industries, they’ve been validated by the US Accounting Office, they’ve appeared in front page news, periodicals like the Wall Street Journal and the USA Today. It talks about needing nearly a half a million new pilots in our industry over the next 20 years.
Ab initio is an old concept but it’s a concept of we may have to start training pilots from zero time to get them qualified to be airline pilots because they’re not coming through the ranks organically, naturally fast enough on their own. Ab initio is a way to streamline the pipeline of people coming into the industry all the way into the front seats of the airliners.

Paula Williams: That makes perfect sense. In a sense that means taking people from their very first lesson. Maybe people who are … You’re looking for high school or community college graduates or anybody in particular? Are there any qualifications to start an ab initio?
I know it says from the beginning but there has to be something at the beginning, right?

David Santo: That really is dependent on the airline and the individual. You really have two types of ab initios. You have the self-sponsored ab initio. This is somebody who is looking to start maybe fresh out of high school or somewhere in the early stages of college. Honestly, nowadays it could be anywhere in their career. We have a lot of people that get into aviation late as a second or third career but they make the conscientious decision that they’re pursuing aviation as a job, as a career field. Really, they are ab initio students. It’s how quickly they dedicate themselves to accomplishing that task and some people will use schools like Cochise College, FIT, the 141 schools. They’ll go there to accelerate either their education or their time building to get done quicker so they can get into the job market.
The other type of ab initio is somebody who’s being sponsored by an airline. Lufthansa has done this for many, many years. Lufthansa hired nationals from Germany. They sent them over to Arizona and they sent them to Flight School really with zero flight experience.
Now there is an advantage to hiring somebody with zero flight experience for the airlines and that is that you screen them not on their skill, you screen them on their aptitude. You’re screening them on are they a good cultural fit to your organization and then you train them to be the airline pilot that you want them to be. There are some benefits there.
United Airlines did this in the ‘60s. Due to the Vietnam War there just wasn’t enough pilots available and they had to recruit people. At that time, Paula Williams, they were using people with private pilot licenses as a prerequisite. It really depends on the airline whether it’s self-sponsored, whether it’s sponsored what that starting point is. The end game is still the same and that is creating a pipeline that is a clear beginning, a gateway, all the way through a career preparation and hopefully placement.

Paula Williams: That makes perfect sense. If I’m going into an ab initio program as a self-sponsored student just to get an idea of what I’m in for, what kind of time and money requirements are we looking at? I know we’re going to talk about this in more detail later but just to get a broad picture of what that would look like.

David Santo: Some of the programs that we’ve worked with can accomplish zero time all the way through the commercial multiengine instrument and a type rating within as little as 12 months. This is based on the student being full time, fully engaged in the ab initio course. If we go through that pipeline they would come into the program having been pre-screened. We’ve seen screening tools like COMPASS which are aptitude tests that help identify before you spend the money whether you have the right stuff, if you will, to make it through the program. Then they complete their private pilot license, they complete their instrument license, they complete their time building for their commercial, complete their commercial license, their multiengine.
Then they come to AeroStar for that finishing school, if you will. We do jet transition training. We do the high altitude, high speed aerodynamics and theory training. We can do CRM. We can do the new ATP/CTP course which is a requirement for the ATP written. Ultimately, our final stage of training of the pipeline is completing the type rating or A320, b737 crew qualification training.

 

Want to see the whole recording & transcript?

Coming to America . . .Helping Foreign Flight Students Navigate Entry into the United States

By Kim Jones

Foreign Flight StudentsTraveling to a new country can be daunting. Foreign flight students travel from their country to the United States, and  will experience some culture shock and might even feel a bit homesick. It’s an advantage to stay with someone who strives to make things easier and feel welcome by providing the caring support and services you need. The same holds true when choosing your flight training organization.

Good judgment when it comes to training means you pick the best value not the lowest price. You cannot rely on the price of your training alone. You need to look at your school of your choice to see what is provided in their total package. Look for a school that takes great pride in being a full-service Flight School. A school that considers not only the training event, but the student’s total training experience. A school that will help you navigate through the many checkpoints of entry into the United States.

At AeroStar we welcome customers from all over the globe. Our typical student is an aviation student who desires to become a pilot flying large jet aircraft. The AeroStar distinction is that we know what is required when it comes to visa and immigration issues to achieve this dream by attending training in the United States. AeroStar recognizes that these requirements to enter the United States are extensive and time consuming to you. We are there when you need that extra lift.

To ensure that international students are well equipped, AeroStar puts in the extra effort in assisting you through this demanding task and aids you in expediting processing. We have done this in part by generating an informational “flight plan.” This flight plan is specifically for foreign students attending AeroStar to successfully navigate the required course for entry into the United States for training at the AeroStar training center. This “flight plan” was developed by the experiences and suggestions of students who have attended AeroStar before you and now are flying jet aircraft for airlines around the world.

The flight plan has several “checkpoints” that each student must complete to begin their training at AeroStar. These checkpoints are required by the United States government to ensure that the student is properly vetted and meets the requirements set forth by United States laws and regulations. These checkpoints are cumbersome and confusing if you do not choose a training school that has the first hand experience and is highly qualified in dealing with the different government departments of the United States. It is so important to select a school that is committed to helping you complete these requirements in a timely and acceptable manner to prevent being denied entry in the United States.

Some of these checkpoints are items such as being processed to receive an I-20 document to begin the visa application process. AeroStar is one of the few advance aircraft training organizations approved to provide you with this document. Another checkpoint is the process of receiving approval through the Alien Flight Student Program administered by the Transportation Security Administration. Other checkpoints deal with how to properly contact and schedule an interview at an US embassy or consulate in your home country. Several more checkpoints deal directly with entering the US and what to expect in this process. Finally, what to do when you have arrived in the United States to begin your jet training. In addition, throughout the “flight plan” AeroStar will provide you with more detailed information as necessary and be there to answer the hard questions that arise by working closely with all the Federal agencies involved to ensure that your interests are represented.

This flight plan is one of the many ways AeroStar is there for you along the journey to your aviation career. Just remember the team members here at AeroStar take great pride in providing you the best training experience in the world and the benchmark for which you will measure all of your future training events in your aviation career. The training you will receive from AeroStar will lay a foundation for building a successful career.

We look forward to helping your aviation dreams become a reality!

Stories from Our Students and Graduates – First Officer Kenian Jabbour

As the Admissions Director of AeroStar, I learn a lot about our students and their careers.

Stories from our students and graduatesThe career path for pilots has changed in the last few years.  The career path used to be something like this:

  1. Get your multi-engine and commercial license
  2. Become a CFI
  3. Build time as an instructor
  4. Work for a Regional Airline or 121 to build more time
  5. Apply to a major airline or for a corporate flight department

Airlines were also willing to pay for type rating training for new hires.

A more typical (and better!) career path for today’s pilots goes like this:

  1. Get your multi-engine and commercial license
  2. Get your A320 or b737 type rating from AeroStar
  3. Get hired by an overseas airline (many of whom are hiring our graduates!)
  4. Get paid while you build time
  5. Apply for a major U.S. airline (if you like.)

Many of our students do exactly this.

It is good to see people who are so excited about their success.

A few months ago, Kenian Jabbour had had his doubts about our program.   His crew partner was getting his flight training at a competing academy (PanAm) and had been quoted a lower price than AeroStar was offering.   But Keenan toured our facility, compared the quality of the program, and started with us.

Kenian spent 10 days on site with us getting his a320 type rating.   He was hired as a first officer for an airline, and recently stopped by our office while his aircraft was being fueled. They had just returned from France and were planning a trip to Casablanca.

Since then, his crew partner has actually spent MORE money on additional training and was still working on his type rating.

Why do AeroStar students get hired?

  1. Our students stand out from the pack by showing that they’ve made a smart investment in their career.
  2. Our students save time for the airlines because they are already fluent and proficient and no additional training is needed.

A big thank you to Sunrise Aviation for helping students like Kenian get started and referring them to AeroStar for advanced flight training. Together we help aviation career dreams take flight!