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Navegando por Internet me encontré este artículo, muy interesante que espero a muchos de ustedes les ayude a hacer la decisión correcta.
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Pilot Training in Mexico: A Reality Show
Let me write a story about two guys: Bob and John.
They finished highschool in Mexico the same year and wanted to become professional pilots. Bob decided he would do his PPL/CPL flight training in Mexico and John in the United States. Bob and John did some research about flight schools, fleet, training programs, housing and costs, to make a good decision of what school to choose.
John found out there are two kinds of flight schools in the US. They operate under Part 61 or Part 141 training requirements, both of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). You can read about them in this site.
John began to read flight school articles in pilot maganzines and the internet. He also found out there are 'flight academys' operating under Part 141 training requirements and it was structured with an airline training style program with Standard Operating Procedures, excellent ground school, simulators and a modern single and multiengine fleet. He also found a Part 61 flight school with a good fleet of airplanes, a self-study program with little ground school. It was also cheaper than the flight academy. He decided he would enter a Part 61 flightschool because he would also have to pay for housing and he would also have to pay a license conversion course in Mexico. John had many schools to choose from and after making a good list with pro and cons, he finally chose one. Let's name the flight school: "Flying Circus Training Centre".
It had four Cessna 172s, four Piper Archers and two Piper Seminoles. The installations were ok and there was a great pilot shop nearby where he could buy all his charts, books, a training kit with pilot bag and of course, a cool uniform. He also had to buy a good headset for his flights.
After waiting two weeks for his Visa (TSA has to approve flight school training for foreign students), John flew to the city where the flight school was and as soon as he got to the flight school, he got his training schedule and began studying for his Private Pilot License training. John also had to make an appointment with an Aviation Medical Examiner to get his Class 3 medical certificate. It took no more than a three days to get an appointment and undergo the medical examination. The Class 3 medical certificate is 5 years valid.
He studied hard, completed ground school, his 40 hours in the 172, passed the knowledge test and checkride in five months. The FAA Designated Pilot Examiner made sure John had all his papers needed for his PPL and gave him a temporary license right after the checkride. John received his license within two weeks of passing his checkride. Flying Circus had a good schedule for its flight students so that they could fly with continuity. The majority of the flight instructors cared about the students excecuting all tasks, maneuvers and procedures with excellence and professionalism. Flying Circus also rented its airplanes so that John could fly anywhere he wanted to. John found out there are good services for pilots and he could get any information for his flights pretty quick. If a chart wasn't valid anymore, he could go to the pilot shop and buy the current chart. That way, he would always fly with updated information. John continued his Commercial Pilot License training; getting a new Class 2 medical certificate, which is 1 year valid and after completing the course, requierements and tests, he got the Multi-engine Commercial Pilot License with an Instrument Rating. It took no more than 10 months to complete it. He liked the way Flying Circus prepared its students with a good training syllabus and encouraging them to complete tasks with excellent skills. He also was happy with the maintenance of the aircraft in which he flew, knowing that his school would always comply with the mandatory inspections established by the FAA and in case he had any unforecasted situation he had been trained to deal with it properly.
John flew back to Mexico, satisfied with what he had experienced and more important than that, confident of his abilities as a commercial pilot.
Bob began his research by reading mexican aviation magazines and on the internet in aviation forums. He found out there are only two or three flight schools with a good number of aircraft (2 Cessna 152, a Cessna 172 and a rented Piper Aztec), good facilities, simulators and instructors. He made a list and chose "Triple Ace Flight School".
Before he could begin with his flight training, he had to make an appointment for his medical examination. He called the SCT (Mexico's transport authorities) and got an appointment in one month. After getting the unnecesary paperwork for the medical examination, he underwent it and got his Class 2 medical certificate with a validity of 1 year. He also had 90 days to get his training permit. Triple Ace Flight School did all the paperwork for the permit, but it took Bob a month and a half to finally get it. He could now begin with his flight lessons. Ground school went pretty good and he got all his books and training equipment from a exaggeratedly expensive pilot shop in another city. The charts were outdated and he couldn't get any information from flight services in Mexico on the internet.
Triple Ace had only two flight instructors and because there were too many students, they couldn't fly continuously. After completing his "checkride" with the instructor he had flown with many hours before, Bob now had everything for his PPL. Well, no. He had to undergo medical examination once more, because there's a 90 day limit to do all the paperwork required for the Mexican aviation authorities. It took him more than a 14 months to get his PPL. Triple Ace didn't rent its airplanes and Bob couldn't find any flight school to rent a plane and fly with his friends and more important than that, to gain self confidence.
He continued his CPL training at Triple Ace and went through the same process of unnecesary number of medical examinations and paperwork. Bob completed his CPL course after 16 months without having a good training program and syllabus. The Mexican Civil Aviation Authorities (DGAC) don't provide Practical Test Standards, nor training/education materials. The only thing Bob has to do now is the International Center of Civil Aviation Training (CIAAC) professional exam to get a professional pilot's diploma. When he passes the exam, he will get his CPL. It's a new requirement to get a CPL in Mexico.
What John has to do now, is a license conversion course. Before November 2009, a pilot with an FAA CPL could convert his license in two months. John must choose one of three flight schools to complete the course. The required ground school lessons are based on what type of flight school, Part 61 or 141, John had attended. In John's case, Part 61, or approximately 300 hours of ground school. 120 ground lesson hours for Part 141 schools. The required flight lessons are randomly told by the subdirector of pilot licensing: "Ehmmm... you need 13". After completing the conversion course, John must do the CIAAC's professional exam.
The conversion course is known to be unnecesary and it's said it works to "compensate" the bad ground school teaching in the United States. The majority of peolpe that passed the professional exam (24 out of 200 passed the exam) did their flight training in the United States. So, what do they mean by 'bad ground school teaching' in the US? Basically, it's a waste of time and money. The problems will indeed continue if there's no change in the mexican aviation regulations and laws. Especially the pilot's licensing and certification regulations. How do they want to improve the aviation if they don't change regulations and don't make things more efficient? They haven't changed since the 1970s. The FAA downgraded Mexico to category 2 and the DGAC cheated the FAA to regain the category 1. What did the DGAC change? Nothing. They just showed irrelevant and false documents of "improvements" made in the mexican aviation.
There's tons more to be said, but I'll end this here.
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Saludos
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Pilot Training in Mexico: A Reality Show
Let me write a story about two guys: Bob and John.
They finished highschool in Mexico the same year and wanted to become professional pilots. Bob decided he would do his PPL/CPL flight training in Mexico and John in the United States. Bob and John did some research about flight schools, fleet, training programs, housing and costs, to make a good decision of what school to choose.
John found out there are two kinds of flight schools in the US. They operate under Part 61 or Part 141 training requirements, both of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). You can read about them in this site.
John began to read flight school articles in pilot maganzines and the internet. He also found out there are 'flight academys' operating under Part 141 training requirements and it was structured with an airline training style program with Standard Operating Procedures, excellent ground school, simulators and a modern single and multiengine fleet. He also found a Part 61 flight school with a good fleet of airplanes, a self-study program with little ground school. It was also cheaper than the flight academy. He decided he would enter a Part 61 flightschool because he would also have to pay for housing and he would also have to pay a license conversion course in Mexico. John had many schools to choose from and after making a good list with pro and cons, he finally chose one. Let's name the flight school: "Flying Circus Training Centre".
It had four Cessna 172s, four Piper Archers and two Piper Seminoles. The installations were ok and there was a great pilot shop nearby where he could buy all his charts, books, a training kit with pilot bag and of course, a cool uniform. He also had to buy a good headset for his flights.
After waiting two weeks for his Visa (TSA has to approve flight school training for foreign students), John flew to the city where the flight school was and as soon as he got to the flight school, he got his training schedule and began studying for his Private Pilot License training. John also had to make an appointment with an Aviation Medical Examiner to get his Class 3 medical certificate. It took no more than a three days to get an appointment and undergo the medical examination. The Class 3 medical certificate is 5 years valid.
He studied hard, completed ground school, his 40 hours in the 172, passed the knowledge test and checkride in five months. The FAA Designated Pilot Examiner made sure John had all his papers needed for his PPL and gave him a temporary license right after the checkride. John received his license within two weeks of passing his checkride. Flying Circus had a good schedule for its flight students so that they could fly with continuity. The majority of the flight instructors cared about the students excecuting all tasks, maneuvers and procedures with excellence and professionalism. Flying Circus also rented its airplanes so that John could fly anywhere he wanted to. John found out there are good services for pilots and he could get any information for his flights pretty quick. If a chart wasn't valid anymore, he could go to the pilot shop and buy the current chart. That way, he would always fly with updated information. John continued his Commercial Pilot License training; getting a new Class 2 medical certificate, which is 1 year valid and after completing the course, requierements and tests, he got the Multi-engine Commercial Pilot License with an Instrument Rating. It took no more than 10 months to complete it. He liked the way Flying Circus prepared its students with a good training syllabus and encouraging them to complete tasks with excellent skills. He also was happy with the maintenance of the aircraft in which he flew, knowing that his school would always comply with the mandatory inspections established by the FAA and in case he had any unforecasted situation he had been trained to deal with it properly.
John flew back to Mexico, satisfied with what he had experienced and more important than that, confident of his abilities as a commercial pilot.
Bob began his research by reading mexican aviation magazines and on the internet in aviation forums. He found out there are only two or three flight schools with a good number of aircraft (2 Cessna 152, a Cessna 172 and a rented Piper Aztec), good facilities, simulators and instructors. He made a list and chose "Triple Ace Flight School".
Before he could begin with his flight training, he had to make an appointment for his medical examination. He called the SCT (Mexico's transport authorities) and got an appointment in one month. After getting the unnecesary paperwork for the medical examination, he underwent it and got his Class 2 medical certificate with a validity of 1 year. He also had 90 days to get his training permit. Triple Ace Flight School did all the paperwork for the permit, but it took Bob a month and a half to finally get it. He could now begin with his flight lessons. Ground school went pretty good and he got all his books and training equipment from a exaggeratedly expensive pilot shop in another city. The charts were outdated and he couldn't get any information from flight services in Mexico on the internet.
Triple Ace had only two flight instructors and because there were too many students, they couldn't fly continuously. After completing his "checkride" with the instructor he had flown with many hours before, Bob now had everything for his PPL. Well, no. He had to undergo medical examination once more, because there's a 90 day limit to do all the paperwork required for the Mexican aviation authorities. It took him more than a 14 months to get his PPL. Triple Ace didn't rent its airplanes and Bob couldn't find any flight school to rent a plane and fly with his friends and more important than that, to gain self confidence.
He continued his CPL training at Triple Ace and went through the same process of unnecesary number of medical examinations and paperwork. Bob completed his CPL course after 16 months without having a good training program and syllabus. The Mexican Civil Aviation Authorities (DGAC) don't provide Practical Test Standards, nor training/education materials. The only thing Bob has to do now is the International Center of Civil Aviation Training (CIAAC) professional exam to get a professional pilot's diploma. When he passes the exam, he will get his CPL. It's a new requirement to get a CPL in Mexico.
What John has to do now, is a license conversion course. Before November 2009, a pilot with an FAA CPL could convert his license in two months. John must choose one of three flight schools to complete the course. The required ground school lessons are based on what type of flight school, Part 61 or 141, John had attended. In John's case, Part 61, or approximately 300 hours of ground school. 120 ground lesson hours for Part 141 schools. The required flight lessons are randomly told by the subdirector of pilot licensing: "Ehmmm... you need 13". After completing the conversion course, John must do the CIAAC's professional exam.
The conversion course is known to be unnecesary and it's said it works to "compensate" the bad ground school teaching in the United States. The majority of peolpe that passed the professional exam (24 out of 200 passed the exam) did their flight training in the United States. So, what do they mean by 'bad ground school teaching' in the US? Basically, it's a waste of time and money. The problems will indeed continue if there's no change in the mexican aviation regulations and laws. Especially the pilot's licensing and certification regulations. How do they want to improve the aviation if they don't change regulations and don't make things more efficient? They haven't changed since the 1970s. The FAA downgraded Mexico to category 2 and the DGAC cheated the FAA to regain the category 1. What did the DGAC change? Nothing. They just showed irrelevant and false documents of "improvements" made in the mexican aviation.
There's tons more to be said, but I'll end this here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Saludos
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