Hi Everyone my name is Waqar Ahmed, I am from Pakistan and I am a US permanent residence I am thinking to take a pilot course to start a career as a pilot my question is what kind of course it is is it hard for a foreign language speaker to take this class. what kind of subject they teach I am curious to start I don’t want to set up for failure.
I know its 9 months how long it takes to get a job after that what is the passing ratio for this course and is it worth it to spend 90K in 9 months.
Means I am so excited and nervous i need some honest opinions if there is anyone willing to help.
To be honest learning to fly is very challenging whether you speak English or not. There is in fact an English Proficiency requirement and I’m afraid if you don’t speak much better than you write it will be very difficult. Also know that to be successful in this industry you also need a 4yr degree which if you don’t have one, would give you the opportunity to improve your English.
I recommend you take a look at our FAQ section as we outline the process, timeline and other common questions.
ATP is very fast paced and the price per flight hour is steep (Every second in the air is precious time and money). It is a sink or swim program and a language barrier adds 1 more hurdle.
After training and teaching at ATP, I taught South American, European and Chinese students at Wayman Aviation in South FL. The key is to always practice English and learn / understand all the words and phrases related to aviation.
I saw students who had questionable english skills have to work 10x harder to understand everything and become proficient on radios. Many of them became proficient and now have their commercial pilots license (but some didn’t and are not pilots).
I am also first generation American on my fathers side, he came from Colombia knowing broken English and now flies for Fedex.
So I would say ATP might not be the best pathway for you, but at least talk to a recruiter on the phone or go to a location in person and ask questions, they might be able gauge your English better. Other flight schools are also a possibility. Places like Wayman aviation cater to foreign students and there hourly rate is cheaper than ATP (yes there are trade-offs), some schools offer English classes, but do your research and see what will work.
Please always practice your English if its weak. Have conversations with everyone in English, even family and friends. It will absolutely make training easier and could even save your life when flying.
Flight training is very difficult and complex, regardless of how well one speaks English. Not knowing the language well makes it even harder. I would suggest that you call ATP’s Admission Department and speak to them to get a better feel for your English skills.
Typically after completing the program one works as a flight instructor to build flight hours, so employment can begin immediately. It takes about two years then to build enough time to get to the majors.
I believe the completion ratio is around 90%. As for if it is worth it or not, that is the path I took and I cannot imagine doing anything else.