Do many American companies hire Canadian Pilots if they convert Canadian licenses to FAA licenses or is this conversion a waste of time and money. I am looking for my first job and am considering all my options. 300tt, multi-IFR, class 4 instructor(what is the american equvilant?) 50 hours on floats 40 pic.
Thanks in advance.
Canadian Pilots In The USA
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako
You need to have US citizenship or the right to work in the States.
Class 4 is roughly equal to the CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) ticket down in the US.
The hiring at regional airlines is still going on strong, although this has slowed somewhat in the past couple of months.
Better place to ask your question may be Here
Class 4 is roughly equal to the CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) ticket down in the US.
The hiring at regional airlines is still going on strong, although this has slowed somewhat in the past couple of months.
Better place to ask your question may be Here
JUGGS-A waypoint in Idaho too!
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desksgo
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Re: Canadian Pilots In The USA
Without your citizenship or some form of greencard, you haven't got a snowball's chance in hell of flying for hire down here. Pretty much all of the regionals are taking the kids with degrees now also.kamakaze wrote:Do many American companies hire Canadian Pilots if they convert Canadian licenses to FAA licenses or is this conversion a waste of time and money. I am looking for my first job and am considering all my options. 300tt, multi-IFR, class 4 instructor(what is the american equvilant?) 50 hours on floats 40 pic.
Thanks in advance.
Well I left Canada and now I’m working for an airline in the US.
I know if I would have stayed in Canada, id still have 300hours and nothing after a couple of years. I went to the US, converted all my licences and got my CFI licences at a school that uses twins. In 8 months, flew almost a 1000hrs. (all PIC multi)
It’s not hard to get a job here on a Learjet or citation….tons of jobs here in the corporate sector..Did a couple of flights on a Lear 60 and 35 for people. A lot pilots getting jobs in jets (now) with as little as 250tt. And I know people back home don’t want to hear that…and most won’t accept it and talk crap about not being insurable.
DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!!!
Met a lot of Canadians and some stayed and some are around the world flying all kinds of a/c.
Easier to get a job when you have 1500TT and almost 1200 multi PIC.
I’m happy I never worked on a ramp or worked dispatch.
Come south where pilots are now being able to choose their jobs and not feeling like they have to take whatever they can get.
It’s a risk whatever you do. But…believe it or not, having and FAA licence with TC licences open a lot of doors around the world.
Good luck
I know if I would have stayed in Canada, id still have 300hours and nothing after a couple of years. I went to the US, converted all my licences and got my CFI licences at a school that uses twins. In 8 months, flew almost a 1000hrs. (all PIC multi)
It’s not hard to get a job here on a Learjet or citation….tons of jobs here in the corporate sector..Did a couple of flights on a Lear 60 and 35 for people. A lot pilots getting jobs in jets (now) with as little as 250tt. And I know people back home don’t want to hear that…and most won’t accept it and talk crap about not being insurable.
DON’T LISTEN TO THEM!!!
Met a lot of Canadians and some stayed and some are around the world flying all kinds of a/c.
Easier to get a job when you have 1500TT and almost 1200 multi PIC.
I’m happy I never worked on a ramp or worked dispatch.
Come south where pilots are now being able to choose their jobs and not feeling like they have to take whatever they can get.
It’s a risk whatever you do. But…believe it or not, having and FAA licence with TC licences open a lot of doors around the world.
Good luck
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desksgo
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You're good at assumptions so far and that's all. I haven't spent 6 years here waiting to become a glorified bus driver, things have been a little more productive than that. Look, if you're going to offer people advice, get on with it, but you haven't said anything yet.yahooair wrote:. If you didnt find your first job yet and youve been there for 6 years
"Hi I'm looking for advice on how to get into the U.S flying business"
you: "It's easy, come on down"
Yea, well it isn't THAT easy is all I am saying.
I second that - spent 4 years down there, it is NOT easy. Course I don't know, maybe I was doing it wrong! LOL
yahooair congrats - good to hear you're workin
yahooair congrats - good to hear you're workin
Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not,knows no release from the little things; knows not the livid loneliness of fear, nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear the sound of wings.
- Amelia Earhart
- Amelia Earhart
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IflyaSewerpipe
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stuckinthemiddle
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last response...
Well didn’t say it would be easy but then again nothing is…making the decision to move to the US was not easy ,don’t know where you got that impression…too bad if things didn’t work out for you but that’s you.
Thought we were looking for solutions here.
Whatever anyone decides to do is their risk. But so is waiting or dispatching, cleaning planes or working as a rampart. Has nothing with paying your dues…you’ll get a chance to pay them in the air,,,one day or another.
My advice is come down here…work hard and fly hard. A lot of jobs here, just look at the posts.Even with all this chap.11 filings.
If some people think all were doing is driving a bus, maybe they should get out of this and do something else, maybe drive a cab?
Again, my advice is to come down here, build your time asap, meet as many people as you can and look what you’ll have at the end.
-Licences in 2 countries
-a lot more hours
-experiencing flying in another country
-making new contacts
-flying different airplanes
-getting paid to teach so it actually brings the initial costs of moving down and converting down
This goes on and on…….
Thought we were looking for solutions here.
Whatever anyone decides to do is their risk. But so is waiting or dispatching, cleaning planes or working as a rampart. Has nothing with paying your dues…you’ll get a chance to pay them in the air,,,one day or another.
My advice is come down here…work hard and fly hard. A lot of jobs here, just look at the posts.Even with all this chap.11 filings.
If some people think all were doing is driving a bus, maybe they should get out of this and do something else, maybe drive a cab?
Again, my advice is to come down here, build your time asap, meet as many people as you can and look what you’ll have at the end.
-Licences in 2 countries
-a lot more hours
-experiencing flying in another country
-making new contacts
-flying different airplanes
-getting paid to teach so it actually brings the initial costs of moving down and converting down
This goes on and on…….
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scubasteve
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look what you’ll have at the end.
-Licences in 2 countries
-a lot more hours
-experiencing flying in another country
-making new contacts
-flying different airplanes
-getting paid to teach so it actually brings the initial costs of moving down and converting down
This goes on and on…….
But how do you get all that?? To get licences in 2 countries you have to spend more - sorta like buying a PPC?? I can agree with the making new contacts but I dont understand how getting paid to teach brings down the initial cost of moving and converting. In my opinion its up to the individual who has already invested 10s of thousands of dollars to decide whether to spend more for the small chance they may get a job. The citizenship is the biggest hurdle I think. I have an EU passport and with it the opportunity to work in Europe but I am already so dirt poor that I've flown only twice in the past 2 years and both times were checkouts.
-Licences in 2 countries
-a lot more hours
-experiencing flying in another country
-making new contacts
-flying different airplanes
-getting paid to teach so it actually brings the initial costs of moving down and converting down
This goes on and on…….
But how do you get all that?? To get licences in 2 countries you have to spend more - sorta like buying a PPC?? I can agree with the making new contacts but I dont understand how getting paid to teach brings down the initial cost of moving and converting. In my opinion its up to the individual who has already invested 10s of thousands of dollars to decide whether to spend more for the small chance they may get a job. The citizenship is the biggest hurdle I think. I have an EU passport and with it the opportunity to work in Europe but I am already so dirt poor that I've flown only twice in the past 2 years and both times were checkouts.
thats a good point, i had the choice to make, get my canadian CFI, buying a PPC or converting and getting my faa cfi's.
did some research and since ive been flying since 92, saw alot of the same faces at local flight schools for years, didnt want to go that route.
not many jobs in canada then and cant say for tomorrow.
buy a ppc. no way!
going to the US was the best choice.
how do you pay for all that? that has to be the strangest question ive ever been asked... i dont know...how did you pay for trainning?
why didnt you get a job at mcdees??? i cant answer your excuses.
i did what i had to do and if you want, youll find a way.
i knew i had to invest in myself and i did.
nothing more to it,
good luck
did some research and since ive been flying since 92, saw alot of the same faces at local flight schools for years, didnt want to go that route.
not many jobs in canada then and cant say for tomorrow.
buy a ppc. no way!
going to the US was the best choice.
how do you pay for all that? that has to be the strangest question ive ever been asked... i dont know...how did you pay for trainning?
why didnt you get a job at mcdees??? i cant answer your excuses.
i did what i had to do and if you want, youll find a way.
i knew i had to invest in myself and i did.
nothing more to it,
good luck
Yeah but Yahoo, doesn't the US company that sponsors you have to first demonstrate that they can't find a person in the whole country that has the requirements before they can sponsor you (like displaying an ad country-wide)? I read that somewhere...
I'm just wondering how I could get a US company to sponsor me...
I'm just wondering how I could get a US company to sponsor me...
Another couple questions for you Yahoo, with all the banter aside.
How do you go about getting your FAA license, assuming you have a Canadian CPL or ATPL?
How do you get sponsored by an airline?(Assuming you have no US citizenship, etc) Do you just apply to them once you have your FAA license, and they worry about the rest?
Is there any chance of getting hired down there with only a Canadian license, but under the condition that you obtain an FAA license?
Cheers
How do you go about getting your FAA license, assuming you have a Canadian CPL or ATPL?
How do you get sponsored by an airline?(Assuming you have no US citizenship, etc) Do you just apply to them once you have your FAA license, and they worry about the rest?
Is there any chance of getting hired down there with only a Canadian license, but under the condition that you obtain an FAA license?
Cheers
"Yeah. There is a problem. You...because you're dangerous. You're dangerous and foolish - and that makes you dangerous! Now, let's cut the...crap. We've got a plane to fly. Let's try to be on time, okay?"
~Val Kilmer, Saturday Night Live
~Val Kilmer, Saturday Night Live
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wallypilot
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getting your FAA license is actually quite easy. It's just a matter of writing the exams and passing a flight test or two, depending on what cdn license you have. For the written (assuming it's ATPL), just write the exam(s). I am not exatly sure if there is more than one exam, but i am sure someone on this board will be able to give specifics on what I have mentioned here.
then do a Multi IFR flight test. That's it. Now this only ceritifes you for multi engine a/c. if you want to be able to fly singles, you need to do a s/e flight test as well. As for where to go...any flight school in the USA. but make sure you know what you need to do in case the flight school is foggy on the req's.
don't quote me on the above, but it is close to the truth!
then do a Multi IFR flight test. That's it. Now this only ceritifes you for multi engine a/c. if you want to be able to fly singles, you need to do a s/e flight test as well. As for where to go...any flight school in the USA. but make sure you know what you need to do in case the flight school is foggy on the req's.
don't quote me on the above, but it is close to the truth!
It seems to me that yahoo is instructing?? You can get a visa for that, I believe - seems to me some folks have done that.
I have not, however, heard of an AIRLINE that will sponsor a Canadian. They've told me "get your green card and we'll hire you tomorrow".
Again - I could be wrong..
I have not, however, heard of an AIRLINE that will sponsor a Canadian. They've told me "get your green card and we'll hire you tomorrow".
Again - I could be wrong..
Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not,knows no release from the little things; knows not the livid loneliness of fear, nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear the sound of wings.
- Amelia Earhart
- Amelia Earhart
I've heard about this greencard in movies and stuff, but how do you get it? Probably easier said than done for a pure bred Canadian like myself.
"Yeah. There is a problem. You...because you're dangerous. You're dangerous and foolish - and that makes you dangerous! Now, let's cut the...crap. We've got a plane to fly. Let's try to be on time, okay?"
~Val Kilmer, Saturday Night Live
~Val Kilmer, Saturday Night Live
I went to school at UND for a bit (I'm a Canadian with no green card) and although many Canadians were able to get visas to stay and instruct in the US, sponsorship was hard to find. One guy did get sponsored by Piedmont, who said they'd take care of all of his paperwork for the green card. Well, the deadline for the paperwork came, and Piedmont decided it was too much work and too expensive, and let him go... so he had to go back to instructing at the school. Their thought was 'why do all of this extra work when there are tons of equally qualified US pilots?' The only other thing I've heard of (other than a buddy of mine actually getting married to stay and work there!) is there are a couple of summer internships Canadians at UND can apply for that are actually in the US, and a couple of those guys got hired on when they graduated, just because they'd worked there before. Myself - I came back to Canada, built time instructing for 2 years, and am now happily flying turbines...
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IflyaSewerpipe
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After some research and talking to several immigration attorneys, from what I've determined you cannot obtain a work permit for a "Pilot" position in the U.S. even with a company sponsering you.
I was hired by an american company, however, to be based in Canada. They had a run which required a crew to based up here. Now due to certain issues they are no longer flying this run. They've asked me to come fly in the U.S. for them if could be done legally.
The only way to go down there is with a different work title. The attorney gave me examples such as Aviation Inspector, Aviation Engineer, etc. I am almost certain my company won't agree to this because it could eventually get them in trouble.
Most of their flights require clearing customs and immigration. If they start asking questions about a Canadian passport and the work permit, I would have to essentially lie to them.
Anyways, if anyone has another suggestion as how to get around this, any advice is appreciated.
I was hired by an american company, however, to be based in Canada. They had a run which required a crew to based up here. Now due to certain issues they are no longer flying this run. They've asked me to come fly in the U.S. for them if could be done legally.
The only way to go down there is with a different work title. The attorney gave me examples such as Aviation Inspector, Aviation Engineer, etc. I am almost certain my company won't agree to this because it could eventually get them in trouble.
Most of their flights require clearing customs and immigration. If they start asking questions about a Canadian passport and the work permit, I would have to essentially lie to them.
Anyways, if anyone has another suggestion as how to get around this, any advice is appreciated.
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wallypilot
- Rank (9)
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Does your company have an office, or even a po box in canada? If so, maybe ou can get a Visa. The L1-B (intercompany transfer) that you would get can be valid for 3 or possibly more years. Once you have this visa, US immigration never questions you again. I pass over the border frequently, and all they ask is where I am going, and as I tell them, they look at the visa, and say "have a great day". If your company still has offices in Canada, it should be no problem to get this visa. If they don't have an office or po box in canuckland, then it is probably a little trickier, or maybe not possible.
