The Long Road Ahead!

Hi All,

I am Luke and am about 6 months into my training with CTC Aviation on the CTC Wings course. I have just recently received my 14 ATPL Exam passes and am about to head to Phoenix, Arizona to complete my basic flight training up to the level of CPL. I am one of the lucky 6 that has been chosen to complete the training at the brand new CTC Airline Training Center Arizona. So, I thought I would write a little bit about it for those who are thinking of following in our footsteps!

We fly to Phoenix tomorrow, 26th March 2014 with British Airways so for now, we don't know too much about what is going on! We know that the centre has had 7 million pounds of investment, and that we should expect a new fleet of Garmin 1000 equipped DA-40 and DA-42 aircraft. Thankfully with air conditioning due to the dessert climate! Also TCAS (traffic collision avoidance system) due to the busy nature of the airspace in the US. But that is all for now! When we know more I will update.

The visa application process for the US is slightly more complex than the process for New Zealand in out experience because you must file all the documentation yourself, normally CTC take care of this for you during a busy exam period, also you must find time to visit the American embassy in London for an interview and to produce every document that proves your existence on the earth! Furthermore you must apply to the Transport Security Administration for permission to train in the US with includes another extremely long form, some fingerprints and of course, a fee payment!

Will post again soon from Arizona!