On Sep 12, 8:22 pm, wrote:
training in India. I have done a little "googleing", and of course
there is training available. What I= am wondering is if anyone here
has any understanding of the cost vis-a-vis instruction in the U.S.
If the economics are right, I am considering going to India for
concentrated training (private - commercial). I am also wondering
about the potential market that might support operation of a small
aircraft in India, carrying newly affluent Indians from point A to
Point B.

I can't imagine the economics would be right. Flight training and
flying infrastructure in third world countries are usually monopolized
by governments and tend to be horrendously expensive. I noticed that
in Brazil, the local FBO in Sao Paulo charged something like $400 per
hr for an hr's dual in a Piper, I didnt even dare to ask about landing
fees. Can't imagine a place better than the US for flight training.

South Africa. If not better, pretty good. The flying itself is
equivalent in cost or slightly less expensive than the U.S., and the
other costs of living are drastically less. The airspace is still
free, lots of places with no landing fees, fewer restricted areas than
we have here (you can circle over the presidential residence and
parliment building at 2000 feet all you want, no problem). Oh, and
good weather most of the time.

I went on a flight there with a local instructor who trains a lot of
foreigners for bush excursions and he told me that the best pilots
were, in order, Americans, South Africans, and Australians. When he
told me I flew like a typical American, it was a compliment. Not often
is "you do x like a typical American" a compliment overseas. His
theory was that it's directly related to how easy and inexpensive it
is to fly GA in those countries compared to others.

He told me was what when he learns someone wants to come and get a
checkout on one his planes, he asks their nationality. If it's an
American, he can plan on doing it in half a day. A European, all
weekend and some of Monday. The problem with European pilots, he
said, is that their training is geared toward turning out airline or
military pilots who are then clueless on flying a piston single out of
primitive airports.

On that same trip, I flew the airlines all over the eastern
hemisphere, and the vast majority of the pilots were Australian (and
I'm not just talking Qantas here, Chinese and middle eastern airlines
too).