Epic Flight Academy › Forums › International Flight School Students › 1. What is the realistic, average total cost…
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Martha – Epic Staff.
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Apex aviator
Participant1. What is the realistic, average total cost for an international student to complete a zero-to-MEI program at your school, and do you offer a pay-as-you-fly structure rather than requiring large upfront block payments?
2. Regarding F-1 visa sponsorship, does your academy hire its own graduates as flight instructors, and is there a defined, reliable pathway for international students to actually build hours working under CPT and OPT?
3. Could you provide details on the specific make, model, and average age of your primary training fleet, as well as whether you handle your aircraft maintenance in-house?
4. When you provide a comprehensive financial quote, does that estimated total accurately reflect external expenses such as FAA written exams, DPE (examiner) checkride fees, and the aircraft rental for the checkrides themselves?
Martha – Epic Staff
KeymasterHello,
1. What is the realistic, average total cost for an international student to complete a zero-to-MEI program at your school, and do you offer a pay-as-you-fly structure rather than requiring large upfront block payments?
– Our Airline Pilot Program for international students takes you through all the training necessary to become a professional pilot under FAA standards. For international students, tuition is $83,866.01, and it takes approximately 7 months to complete the training. https://epicflightacademy.com/international-pilot-pathway/
The program includes Private Pilot Course (3 Months), Instrument Rating (2 Months), Commercial Pilot Single-Engine Course (2 Months) and Commercial Multi-Engine Add On Course (3 weeks). Non-tuition costs like foods and accommodation are not included.
Tuition for your CFI rating costs $11,155 Furthermore, CFII add-on costs $5,860. Finally, the MEI add-on costs $6,488.
We are happy to offer the “pay as you fly” option. You are required to pay at least $10,000 as a down payment before your classes begin. Then, you will start using the funds on your account until you have $2,500 left on your account. Then, you will need to add funds to your account to continue flight training.
2. Regarding F-1 visa sponsorship, does your academy hire its own graduates as flight instructors, and is there a defined, reliable pathway for international students to actually build hours working under CPT and OPT?
– Please note that we offer the M-1 visa, not the F-1 visa. We do offer flight instructor course however, we can’t guarantee a flight instructor job.
M-1 visas do not offer standard CPT or OPT pathways like F-1 programs. Because of this, there is no defined or guaranteed pathway to build hours in the U.S. through CPT/OPT at Epic.3. Could you provide details on the specific make, model, and average age of your primary training fleet, as well as whether you handle your aircraft maintenance in-house?
– Our primary training aircraft consist mainly of the Cessna 172 Skyhawk, which is widely recognized for its reliability, safety, and suitability for student pilots.
Our fleet is modern and well-maintained, with many aircraft equipped with advanced avionics such as Garmin glass cockpit systems (G1000). The average age of our aircraft is relatively low compared to industry standards, as we continuously update and expand our fleet to ensure students train on current technology used in today’s aviation industry.
Regarding maintenance, Yes! we handle aircraft maintenance in-house. We have a dedicated team of certified aircraft maintenance technicians who perform regular inspections, preventative maintenance, and necessary repairs. This allows us to maintain high safety standards and minimize downtime for our students.
4. When you provide a comprehensive financial quote, does that estimated total accurately reflect external expenses such as FAA written exams, DPE (examiner) checkride fees, and the aircraft rental for the checkrides themselves?
– At Epic Flight Academy, our comprehensive financial quote is designed to cover your main training costs such as flight hours, instructor time, and required training materials. However, it does not fully include all external expenses. FAA written exam fees are paid separately to testing centers and are not included in the estimate. DPE (Designated Pilot Examiner) checkride fees are also external and vary depending on the examiner and location. Aircraft rental for the actual checkride is typically included, but the examiner’s fee itself is always separate, so students should budget additional funds for these costs.
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