 1. How long will it take to complete the Private Pilot Licence (PPL)? We recommend four weeks, although it can reasonably be completed in three. 2. Is the licence guaranteed in 45 hours? We do not offer unconditional guarantees, some students may take a little longer thanthe required minimum. The objective is that you leave here a safe and competent pilot. 3. What are the course start dates? We have open start dates for all of our courses. All training is conducted on a one to one basis, all you have to do is tell us when you would like to begin. 4. Is the accommodation shared? The accommodation comprises of one bedroom in a two bedroom apartment. You have your own bedroom but share the living area, kitchen and bathroom. If you wish to rent the whole apartment the extra cost is $600 per month. 5. How will I know that the aircraft are maintained to FAA standards? Our aircraft logbooks are available at any time for inspection. In addition to this, there is a status board showing all the inspections and when they are next due. 6. Will I have numerous flight instructors? No, we think that you should stay with the same instructor throughout the course. The only times you will fly with somebody different is during stage checks (and the flight test!). 7. What will happen if I do not get on with my instructor? Very occasionally there is a personality difference between a particular student and instructor. This is easily resolved, simply a case of talking to an instructor or one of the managers. 8. Will I be able to tour in an aircraft after obtaining my licence? This is no problem at all. Once you have a licence you will be able to visit places such as: The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Santa Monica and Monument Valley (to name but a few). Santa Catalina island or Big Bear are both an hour away. These two destinations both require an instructor checkout of the route and airport (Big Bear because of density altitude, Catalina because of runway location). 9. What is the normal checkout time for someone who just wants to rent the aircraft? If you have flown in the US before and are reasonably current, the normal checkout time is around 1.5 hours. If you do not have a US licence it takes around four hours (1.5 hours checkout, 2.5 hours cross country) and a couple of hours ground instruction. 10. Can I fly to Mexico? We do not allow flights to Mexico because of potential insurance problems. 11. Do I have to pay all my money "up front"? No, all that we ask of you is that you remain in credit with us. If you have any concerns regarding this we will alleviate them. It is best if you concentrate on flight training and not have to worry about finances. 12. Are pilot examiners independant or do they work for the school? All examiners for FAA ratings are independant so that we can ensure continuous monitoring of our training standards. We do have an on staff JAA examiner. 13. Do I need a student visa to fly in the US? For hour building and pleasure flying a visa is not required. Most countries have a courtesy visa waiver scheme meaning that you can go to the US on holiday and simply fill out some forms on the plane over. Check this before travelling! To complete a full time course of study in the US requires an M-1 training visa which we will issue for you. If you have more queries concerning this please telephone our admissions office. 14. Are the aircraft insured? Yes they are, but you are not. We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance which covers you for flying before travelling to the US. The aircraft insurance has a $1000 deductible which can be waived for a premium of $25 per week, irrespective of the number of hours you fly. 15. Will I need to hire a car? This is a personal choice and can be easily arranged. If you are completing a PPL or other course, time for sightseeing may be a little limited. If you are here on holiday it is a good idea to hire one for sightseeing. 16. What will happen if I do not like flying or the school and decide to leave early? We will calculate your balance what you have flown, number of nights accommodation, etc. and work out your account based on this. There are no hidden penalties etc. 17. I have a foreign licence, how should I convert it to an FAA equivalent? To fly solo in the US it is necessary to convert to the FAA. There is no fee for this and it takes around half an hour. Once you have the licence you will need to complete a biennial flight review (one hour ground and one hour flight) to make the FAA licence current. 18. How often will I fly during the PPL course? During the first ten days of the course it is around two hours per day. After this it is one hour per day solo and dual practice before increasing to three hours per day once you are in the cross country phase. 19. What is the best way to pay for the training or aircraft hire? We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, cash, travellers cheques, personal cheques or wire transfer. Travellers cheques are the easiest way. 20. Are the utilities paid for in the accommodation? Gas and electricity included with the accommodation rental. If you wish to install a telephone this is independant of American Aviation Academy. 21. What is the best month to train? It does not make much difference at all which month you come here. The only months which have occasional bad weather are January and February. We fly 350 days per year.   E-MAIL American Aviation Academy2035 North Marshall Avenue, El Cajon, San Diego, California 92020, USA Tel: 619.448.9149  Fax: 619.448.9176 |
