"Trentus" wrote:


If I can't then get some extra hours up at someone else's expense, my
current job certainly won't provide for them with a wife, kids, mortgage,
and car loan to feed. I need to be practical about it, cause the other
course of action with $40k would mean, NO car loan, HALF the mortgage, and a
wife who would then be able to quit her job and work part time - which has

Be cautious when partially paying off a mortgage. I have seen some
here that consider extra payments as payments toward interest and not
principal. I suggest that you refinance at a lower principal rather
than try to deal with the current mortgage. To be honest, although I
love helicopters, if I were in your shoes, practicality would make me
choose this option.

Oh well, it's given me food for thought, 45 hours less time to get the
licence, means 45 more lots of $350 in my pocket, which means more than
enough to go to the US, do the licence, come back, and also spend a nice
chunk on the Missus, but I'd need to look into the requirements once I get
back here, regarding changing the licence over.

The time to look into the transferability is before you come over
here. I don't know anything about AU law to help you on that.
Nevertheless, even at a 69 cent conversion, those AU $350 hours are
costing you over US $240. If you get 2 hours a day, that US $80 daily
savings would more than take care of your loging expenses. Also, some
of the heli schools have contracted lodging which brings the cost down
even more. So, like you said, with air fare and lodging, the hourly
cost would be about the same, however, its the total number of hours
required. Also, the FAA has approved certain flight simulators that
some schools have for credit toward your license. Up to 7 hours I
think. The dual sim hours are only about $100.

Just remember, a paycheck in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Dennis.


Dennis Hawkins
n4mwd AT amsat DOT org (humans know what to do)

"A RECESSION is when you know somebody who is out of work.
A DEPRESSION is when YOU are out of work.
A RECOVERY is when all the H-1B's are out of work."
To find out what an H-1B is and how they are putting
Americans out of work, visit the following web site
and click on the "Exporting America" CNN news video:
http://zazona.com/ShameH1B/MediaClips.htm