Associate Aviation Degree
and US pilot internship

Why enroll with AeroCadet?

• Strategic Approach: AeroCadet understands that simply having the minimum required pilot licenses is not enough to secure a position with top aviation companies. They emphasize the importance of standing out and being unique among other candidates. AeroCadet provides a strategic approach to help pilots differentiate themselves and make a lasting impression on airline recruitment teams.

• Comprehensive Support: AeroCadet offers a personalized team of strategists, career mentors, and airline employment consultants who provide invaluable guidance and support throughout the pilot's career journey. These experts offer insights, advice, and mentoring to help pilots enhance their experience, knowledge, qualifications, and employment references, setting them apart from the competition.

• Industry Knowledge: With their deep understanding of the aviation industry, AeroCadet is equipped to provide pilots with up-to-date information on airline hiring standards and requirements. This knowledge helps pilots align their efforts effectively and efficiently to meet these standards and increase their chances of securing their dream job.

• Career Development: AeroCadet is committed to the long-term success of pilots in the competitive world of commercial aviation. They provide career development resources and assistance to ensure pilots are well-prepared and positioned for growth opportunities in their aviation careers.

• Prestigious Airline Opportunities: By enrolling with AeroCadet and benefiting from their expertise, pilots can increase their chances of receiving job offers from prestigious airlines. AeroCadet's insights and support can help aspiring pilots fulfill their dreams of working for the world's leading aviation companies.

As a leading aviation training and airline pilot career development consulting agent serving the largest international market, AeroCadet offers a tailored approach, expert support, and valuable industry knowledge to help pilots maximize their potential, stand out from the crowd, and achieve their desired career goals in the aviation industry.

Why holding a commercial pilot license will not land you an airline job?

Let's face the truth: the top airlines have high pilot recruitment standards that go beyond the basic qualifications of a newly-graduated commercial pilot. The goal for student pilots is to attain the necessary flight time, licensing, and aeronautical experience to become employable by these airlines, which means gaining an edge over the vast applicant pool competition, not just satisfying the basic legal commercial pilot qualification requirements.

Most international student pilots aim for first officer positions with prestigious passenger carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air, AHK, Fly Dubai, ANA, and more. These airlines hire pilots from diverse citizenship and ethnic backgrounds on multi-year contracts. However, securing these coveted positions requires meeting specific requirements that newly-graduated commercial pilots may not fulfill.

These requirements typically include holding a full, unrestricted Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) issued by a recognized ICAO member state. Preferably, the license should be from a developed, English-speaking country like the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and others. This ensures a high level of English language proficiency, which airlines consider crucial. It also helps verify that the pilot has acquired their qualifications legitimately and not through fraudulent means, which unfortunately can be an issue in some developing countries' flight training industry.

Furthermore, significant aeronautical experience is necessary, usually exceeding 1500 flight hours, with a balanced combination of propeller and turbine/jet flight time. For a newly-graduated CPL holder with only 200 hours of flight time, achieving these qualifications and experiences can be a significant challenge, considering the high cost of acquiring flight hours. This is why many new pilots face the dilemma of gaining the required transitional aeronautical experience, leading them to search for underpaid and potentially risky jobs like bush-flying or banner-towing. Some even give up on their aviation dreams in frustration and let their pilot licenses expire, seeking employment in other industries. However, there are alternatives to this discouraging path.

Aerocadet, with its team of consultants who are experienced current (or retired) airline pilots, has developed fully-integrated flight training and internship programs to address this transitional experience challenge. These programs offer a comprehensive solution, taking students from zero experience or any other level they have already achieved to obtaining a full FAA (United States) and TCCA (Canada) ICAO Airline Transport Pilot Licenses. In the process, students gain valuable propeller and/or turbine experience, meeting the pilot recruitment requirements of major airlines that hire contract pilots for long-term, well-paid positions.

By providing a structured training program and internship opportunities, AeroCadet equips its students with the qualifications and experience necessary to stand out and succeed in the competitive airline job market.

How does this program achieve its objectives?

The AAS-US program is unique: a very few flight training facilities in the World offer a full Airline Transport Pilot License program because it requires at least 1500 hours of flight time in various flight regimes. However, we are able to offer you this program because our FTP is an accredited by the FAA flight academy which has a special permission from the USCIS to issue our students not just a regular flight training visa (M-1) but a full academic visa (F-1). Such visa allows our students to study and, after the achievement of CPL and CFI licenses, undergo structured pilot internships as certified flight instructors in the United States, regardless of their country of citizenship. In contrast, a regular flight student M-1 visa does not effort any internship opportunities. The F-1 visa internships allow our graduates to build enough flight time to qualify for a full, unrestricted FAA/ICAO Airline transport Pilot License. Yes, a real deal. Not a "Frozen" ATPL (which is just another form of a basic 200-hour CPL), not a "Restricted" ATPL (again it's just a fancy name for a basic CPL), but a full, unrestricted ATPL. The one that the World airlines actually want their pilots to have at the recruitment events and career fares. The one that comes with the real-life employment experience, employer recommendation letters, safety records, etc - all serving as proof that some other companies have already entrusted this pilot with expensive airplanes and priceless lives and he or she did not disappoint. This is the assurance that the world-class airlines want from the resumes of the pilots they are looking to hire.

More and over, our advanced pilot internship partners are able to conditionally offer U.S. and international commercial pilot internship options to all our graduates in order to ensure that students continue developing their aviation careers and widen their aeronautical experience thus becoming more competitive on the current airline employment market. This is why, upon completion of all the internships offered to our students, our company guarantees comprehensive airline employment placement program for pilots who want to work in the leading airlines based in the Middle East, South-East Asia, Central America and Europe.

This program is structured in such a way that every segment leads our students to the ultimate goal: employment in the l;eading airlines. The program is divided into the following stages:

Total approximate duration of the program is four (2.5) years, including flight instructor pilot internships. All stages of flight training are conducted in the United States to a very high standard by an accredited aeronautical college (Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology).

Detailed explanation of the program outline and its segments:

At this stage, student will be required to complete enrollment application form (here >>>) and provide documents for initial consideration by our company. After application details and document screening, student will be contacted for the initial interview to check his knowledge of English. our requirements are simple: high school diploma (or higher), English knowledge on upper-intermediate level or better, international passport and good health with no disqualifying conditions (see full list of enrollment requirements here >>>) Once all requirements are satisfied, the student will be furnished with the flight training agreement, visa support paperwork, preliminary aviation training study materials and TSA security clearance. 

After arrival in the United States at our flight training center, a student will undergo a short FAA pilot medical. After this, student will start his/her theoretical and practical training: ground school and flying. We aim to conduct at least 3-4 hours of ground school every day and 2-3 hours of flight training together with the ground school. The flight training segment will be subdivided into Private, Instrument, Commercial courses, each giving the student a higher aeronautical license and grade. After completion of this phase, the student will be fully certified Commercial Pilots with FAA/ICAO licenses, rated to operate single-engine, multi-engine aircraft both in normal (VMC) and limited visibility (IMC) conditions. It takes 200 flight hours to complete this stage

Students will then proceed to obtaining their Certified Flight Instructor license with instrument and multi-engine instructor ratings. This is necessary to facilitate the internship phase of our program which allows students to work as commercial pilot flight instructors and start building valuable flight time, as well as getting paid for their work. It takes 25 flight hours to complete this stage

Student, or at this point, a fully-qualified FAA commercial pilot and a flight instructor, will be offered opportunity to work as a flight instructor in our academy under the CPT (Curricular Practical Training) program on their F-1 visa. During this period, student may obtain up to 500 hours of additional total flight time. Approximately 25% of this flight time will be conducted on multi-engine aircraft. All of the flight time will be logged as PIC (Pilot-In-Command) and in multi-crew environment. In addition, student will also start his academic phase of the degree program, taking classes in non-aviation related electives. It takes 500 flight hours and 6 months to complete this stage.

The student's F-1 visa also offers a unique opportunity to continie working as flight instructors under the OPT (Optional Practical Training) program inside or outside of the college campus. Such program allows pilots to build additional piston time, up to 1500 hours total. It takes additional 750 flight hours and 12 months to complete this stage.

By the time all academics and flight instructor internship phases are completed (see stages 1-5), the student will be able to graduate with an Associateof Aeronautical Science college degree (AAS). Upon completion of this stage, student can re-enroll into the Bachelor's degree program. Graduation takes 1 day.

In order to be eligible for the airline employment in the United States, a pilot must hold an ATP license. The FAA allows students who have earned an AAS degree to take a full Airline Transport Pilot license exam with only 1250 total flight hours (instead of 1500 which are normally required). At this stage, the student will take 1 FAA ATPL (Pt 121) theoretical exam, and 1 FAA ATPL practical check-ride. Upon completion, student will be eligible for airline internship with the regional airlines in the US. It takes 1-2 weeks to complete this phase.

In a competitive airline employment market, any pilot with such high-quality credentials as Associate Degree in Aviation from an accredited U.S. college, a full ICAO/FAA ATP license, over 1500 hours of total time, will have no problems obtaining employment even in the most prestigious airlines. We are certain of that, that Aerocadet guarantees permanent employment placement assistance service with the leading airlines in the Middle East, Asia and South America to any graduating student within 6 months of graduation. Such airlines include, but not limited to: Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, ANA, Eva Air, Cathay Pacific, Peach Air, Lion Air, Copa Airlines, and many more.

Want to expand your internship options and gain not only propeller, but also passenger jet flight time? No problem: just extend your study program for 2 more years to earn a full BSc in Aviation degree and become eligible for the airline pilot internship in the US airlines.

How does this option work? Once a pilot graduates from the BSc program, he/she can renew their OPT internship and work again for up to 18 months in the United States to gain more pilot experience. Since the pilot would already have logged over 1500 hours and gained a full ATPL, he/she can now apply for internship with the regional airlines in the US, such as SkyWest, and work there building valuable jet flight time, until reaching 1000 hours as FO.

The cost of extension is: $21,536.00 USD

For those students who want to continue working in the U.S. airlines, we can assist with the legal representation to apply for the EB1A visa ("extraordinary ability") which has proven to be an effective way of obtaining permanent residency permit in the United States. Such application requires recommendation letters from our company, from the flight training facility, from the internship airlines and some additional professional connections.

Students will receive the following amount of flight training hours during the licensing phases of the program:

Students will receive the following flight crew licenses during this program:

The AAS Degree is centered on the Commercial Pilot certification under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 141 and is designed as a more in depth academic approach to flight training. The AAS degree curriculum permits students to further their subject matter expertise by providing upper level courses in the following subject matter areas:

For students with existing aviation-related knowledge and skills, this degree recognizes and acknowledges a student’s valuable acquired academic experience through the award of advanced standing for prior-learning credit up to and including an accredited Associate degree that encompasses our AS degree content, or the transfer of a comparable set of courses and FAA ratings from an accredited college of university. The curriculum then builds on that coursework and knowledge and becomes a “2 Plus 2” degree program. The combination of robust aviation courses, as well as structured curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and physical sciences will prepare or enhance graduates’ careers as professional pilots.

Students may elect one of the following concentration:

1. Flight Education | 2. EASA Professional Pilot | 3. Airline Pilot

Flight Education: This concentration is designed for students interested in pursuing a career as an aviation educator. This concentration is also best suited for the student new to the aviation industry who need to gain additional flight time while acting as a qualified flight instructor.

EASA Professional Pilot: This concentration has been designed to provide the additional certification requirements to obtain the “frozen” European Airline Pilot License and act as a commercial pilot under the European Aviation Safety Agency regulations.

Airline Pilot: This concentration applies to students with existing aviation-related knowledge and skills, by acknowledging a student’s valuable acquired experience as a Commercial or Military Pilot through the award of advanced standing prior-learning credit. The curriculum then builds on those skills and knowledge. This concentration also provides an opportunity for those students new to the aviation industry to acquire airline-specific knowledge through aviation-related coursework and experience. ​

Core Plan of Study

Optional Concentrations

During the primary stage of training, flight students may elect to stay either on or off-campus.The campus is located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The quality of campus accommodation is comparable to any public American college or university campuses, and includes such amenities as swimming pool, dining hall, air conditioning, cable TV, high speed Internet, pilot shop and access to other student services. Students are offered standard shared room accommodation (two people in one room) and have an upgrade option to a non-shared accommodation. 

Private Room off Campus ($750.00/month)- private bedroom, shared bathroom, shared living room and kitchen. Each house is furnished with dishes, glasses, cookware, silverware, microwave oven, furniture, washer/dryer and a television.  Shuttle goes back and forth to the campus/housing every other hour. All utilities included (cable, internet, electricity, etc.).

Shared Room on Campus ($650.00/month)- shared bedroom, shared bathroom, shared living room and kitchen. Each house is furnished with dishes, glasses, cookware, silverware, microwave oven, furniture, washer/dryer and a television. All utilities included (cable, internet, electricity, etc.).

Campus is located only a few minutes walk from the airport and approximately 10-15 minutes from the beach. Students have access to an outdoor pool, tennis and volleyball courts. Please review the campus details here >>>

The initial 12-month cost of accommodation on- or off-campus has to be included in the overall program cost estimation and added to the "Proof of Funds" amount required for the F-1 visa issuance, because students will not be eligible for any type of employment in the United States during the initial 12 months of the F-1 visa study period. After the completion of the initial 12-month period, student who have passed their Commercial and Instructor license and rating will be able to apply for Flight Instructor positions at the college campus, allowing them to work up to 80 hours per month and earn $20 per hour (up to $1600 USD per month, gross), which can be used to pay for living expenses and further accommodation.

Tuition fees:

The full program cost estimate includes: Flight training and Acadmics fees: $98,467.00; on Campus shared room for 12 months: $7,800.00 USD; Instructor Internship I and II: $3605.00; ferry pilot intersnhip: $1,950.00; TSA clearance and US Consulate government fees: $800.00; Class I medical: $150.00; admin and consultaing fees: $1,050.00.

Scholarships:

The college offers academic achievement scholarship of $15,000 USD for students who maintain 3.5 GPA through their flight training and academic program. The scholarship is paid in the following format: $15,000 for the initial two-yeat AAS program (phases 1-6).

*cost with scholarship for students who are able to maintain 3.5 GPA: $97,622.00 USD

So, what is included in the above cost?

Internship earnings:

Flight students are able to work as flight instructors upon completion of their CPL and CFI licenses (phases 4-6). This internship program does not just offer a unique opportunity to gain valuable command flight time, but also give students an ability to earn a small salary. Normally, instructors are able to fly up to 80 hours per month, and get paid at $20 USD per flight hour. This way, flight instructors will earn up to $1600 USD per months, during each month of their 18-month CFI internship.

Additinal Discounts

Also, some students will be eligible to additional discounts. The discounts include the following items:

Required Bank Balance for U.S. Student Visa Approval

Due to Department of State and US Immigration requirements, applicant must demonstrate a balance of approximately $121,822.00 USD on his/her account or a sponsor's account, upon applying for the US Student visa. This is required to ensure that student has sufficient funds to pay for tuition, accommodation, living expenses (food, transport, etc) even if he/she is unable to obtain scholarship. 

Please note: the aforementioned balance may be presented to the United States Consulate as a combination of two or more balances on the applicant's account/s or his/her sponsor's account/s.

Our academy does not require students to pay for the entire flight training program in advance. We have a payment structure that needs to be followed by all students, with some exception. Students must submit the following payments:

Please note: terms and conditions for the security deposit refund are outlined in the flight training agreement, which students are required to sign upon enrollment and before any payments are due. Security deposit is required to ensure that students are sticking with the outlined flight program and do not skip the outlined program to live and work in the U.S. illegally.

Our company can provide administrative support for students to obtain Financial Aid from their respective banks and financial institutions. Such support is offered by providing conditional employment offer letters and training bond contracts. Read the details here >>>

Please note: Aerocadet does not provide flight training sponsorships. Please read the student loan information located via the above link thoroughly before applying for enrollment. 

To enroll into this program, an applicant must have the following documents:

If you need a personal consultation regarding the flight training program, please email one of our highly qualified consultants with a full list of your questions, and receive a structured response within 24 hours.

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