If you have ever been interested in becoming an airline pilot, you have probably heard people talk about The United States of America and how pilot training in USA is your best bet for getting a Commercial Pilot License.
It is not a rumor anymore either, with an estimated 6,91,691 airmen certified under the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the FAA and the US holds the record for the highest number of certified commercial pilots in the world.
So, what is drawing people to leave the comforts of their native countries and travel to the USA to get a CPL (Commercial Pilot License)? And what is so different about the FAA and the American aviation industry that compels people more towards the USA than other nations?
Well to start off, contrary to public belief, getting your Commercial Pilot License from the USA actually saves you a lot of money. How might you ask? As with anything, time costs money, and on average a dedicated student in the USA can complete their commercial pilot’s license training in just 7-8 months saving them a lot of time compared to training from other countries. The time-to-cost factor becomes more apparent for international students who have traveled from their native countries to the UAS to complete their training.
So why does it take less time to get your Commercial Pilot License in the States? Well, compared to other countries, aviation academies in the USA have a larger fleet of training aircraft at their disposal. From single-engine Cessna 172s to multi-engine PA 34s, these large fleets ensure that students don’t have to wait around to log in their flight hours making it more fun in the process. The weather in the States is also more forgiving to learn flying in. Also, academies here don’t just ground their planes every time there’s a light drizzle, trainee pilots in the States are subject to every conceivable scenario so that they can be prepared for everything. This results in less waiting around and a more practical flight experience.
With a curriculum that relies more on practical skill than theoretical knowledge, the FAA opens a gateway to truly passionate airmen who want to hone their skills in the skies and not on paper. With fewer and easier exams, the FAA curriculum focuses more on the pilots completing their 258 hours of practical airtime experience rather than learning them from a book.
Another major factor that pulls people towards America is the FAA license’s reputation for being accepted worldwide. Also, with 258 hours of airtime, an FAA certified Commercial Pilot Licence is also applicable for easy conversions to other certification authorities like India’s DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), Canada’s TCCA (Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation), or the United Kingdom’s CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). As a result, candidates don’t have to start over with their CPL training to get a conversion, just some regulatory tests and they are good to go. For example, if a DGCA certified Commercial Pilot License holder were to apply for conversion, in most countries they would only be given a PPL (Private Pilot Licence) to start with, which means they will have to complete all the additional flying hours and regulatory tests required to get a CPL making the conversion process tedious and time-consuming.
Outfitted with a fleet of technically contemporary aircraft that uphold all safety and airworthiness standards, pilot training in USA ensures you experience the cutting edge of modern flight technologies which are more in line with modern commercial aircraft. With safety being given the utmost priority, the aircraft here go through some of the most stringent quality assurance tests to ensure airworthiness. All of this makes the training aircrafts more confidence-inspiring pushing the young pilots to find the limits of themselves and the aircraft.
Living, studying and pilot training in USA gives students the exposure and the confidence that very few other countries can offer. Living in the USA means you will be able to enjoy interacting and engaging with a huge and diverse population that is a mix of different cultures, nationalities, and people.
The American civil and military aviation industry is home to some of the biggest names in aviation like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, McDonald Douglas, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and Northrop Grumman. The American civil aviation industry gave us iconic aircraft like the DC-3: the world’s first truly long-range aircraft, the Boeing 747: the aircraft that brought international air travel to the masses and kickstarted the term “Jumbo Jet”, the SR-71 Blackbird: the fastest air-breathing manned airplane in history, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress: the bomber that ended World War 2, the McDonald Douglas F-Series fighter jets: the most iconic and best selling fighter jets in the world, and last but not the least, the Wright Flyer: the world’s first controlled aircraft.
So, it is safe to say that training and learning in the US make you a part of a rich, vibrant, and historic aviation industry.
These are just a few of the reasons why the USA is considered to be one of the most premier destinations for young fliers.
Click to learn more about Commercial Pilot Licence Training with SFA&ATP