In order to meet the requirements to commence Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training, modular students are required to build up a certain amount of flight experience.
In order to meet the requirements to commence Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training, modular students are required to build up a certain amount of flight experience. This is commonly referred to as “hour building”. With weather and fuel prices in Europe, this can prove to be costly and take significantly longer than is necessary.
In order to assist our ATPL theory students, we have established a partnership with an Irish-owned Flight School in Florida (USA) in order to make the process as efficient, fun, easy, and inexpensive as possible. Our partners will guide you through the processes and provide local training in order to get you in the air to build your hours as quickly and as safely as possible.
The weather, the flying experience, the speed, and the cost! Beautiful Southwest Florida enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine per year, making it the perfect location for your hour building. Our local partner, Global Flight Training Solutions (GFTS), is based at the 24hr Immokalee Regional Airport which boasts two 5000ft (1500m) runways. Landing fees at our 24hr homebase are included and you will find that many airports in Florida do not charge for visiting aircraft!
As an EASA or ICAO PPL holder, you will need to convert your foreign license to an USA-Restricted License (PPL) first. This licence will permit you to build your flight time on a US (N-registered) aircraft for your visit to the US.
We will guide you through the simple process in advance of your visit to sunny Florida. There are no visa requirements, you must be in possession of:
Our team will guide you through the process including the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) verification process which will be completed prior to your trip.
Upon arrival, the GFTS team will welcome you and you will receive our Safety Policies and Procedures and meet your FAA Certified Flight Instructor. He will set you up in IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating application) and schedule the appointment with the FAA examiner who will then issue you with your US restricted Private Pilot License.
You will complete a course with our team locally which includes both ground and flight instructions (a total of 15hrs). This course activates your US-restricted Private Pilot License and familiarizes you with the FAA requirements, flight procedures, as well as flying in different airspace. You will also receive some hints and tips for the best airports to fly in to for lunch and dinner!
Our team’s goal is to:
The Cessna 172S and SP, is the safest, most reliable trainer in the world. The 172 has been in continuous production since 1956 and is the most successful aircraft in history. Powered by a Lycoming 180hp engine, it is both a workhorse and economical. GFTS time-building aircraft are all late model, well equipped with “round-dials,” GPS, autopilot and dual nav/coms.
Included in their rates are:
While many hour building packages are offered across the US, few are Irish owned and designed specifically for visiting European students. Quite often the rates that are quoted involve no training or administrative support and are simply aircraft rates with fuel. This is not practicable for a European student given the nuances of the FAA system and the local regulatory requirements.
Due to currency fluctuations, our partner’s hour building rates can change, please fill out the contact form below and we will make the necessary arrangements for you to provide you with an accurate price.
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Contact us now to take your first step towards aviation training excellence. Your journey starts here!
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