Please participate!

[Ethansa]

I know that alot of questions are being asked about whether the flight trainning and costs of trainning and where to go and which course and and and etc etc etc.... are all worth it at the end of the day.

No one can predict nor can anyone state the current position the aviation job market at the moment or in the future.(I presume)

so lets see how many 'yes' and 'no' answers we can get on
" Is it worth the effort and cost to pursue a career as an airline pilot?"

[Obs cop]

No one can predict nor can anyone state the current position the aviation job market at the moment or in the future.(I presume)

I fear you have answered your own question.

Fundamentally, only you know what risks you are willing to take, how much desire you have for the job and what the job really means to you. So I would suggest only you know the answer.

People can elaborate on if they feel they have achieved and are happy with their situation working for airline x or flying school y. But this will not tell you if it is worth your efforts pursuing an airline career.

Its probably not the kind of answer you were after, but if you base your decisions on the emotions and feeling of other people, you stand to lose a lot of money.

The best I could say is if you can't afford to lose the money you spend in training, don't bother because despite all the licences you achieve, there is a chance you may never get the returns your investment deserves.

[ecj]

As ever, a personnel choice. This is, in essence, the acid test.

However, if you are funding yourself, don't do it unless you can afford to lose the money. A bit like investing in high risk shares on the stock market.

[FlyingForFun]

I'd guess this is the wrong place to be asking this question. Most of those on this board would answer Yes. That's because most of those who would answer No will not be browsing this board.

FFF
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[Ethansa]

you make it sound as though you have a better chance at loosing the money.... but how do you loose money if what trainning you have gainned cant be taken away?

I dont fully understand what is ment by risks that you propose.

yes its gonna get me out of pocket but ; for a good cause?

[TheHustler]

I would go against what most will say in here, I'd say..........NO!

As someone mentioned, most will say yes in here, but of those who say 'yes' i suspect they fall into three groups of people:

1. Those who are very well off and can afford to 'toss away' 50K if the training/jobs market goes belly up,

2. Those who will work/struggle/scrimp and save for a few years risking everything to get there, and................

3. those who are "dreaming" and will ignore all the possible pitfalls and just agree with most points people make in thses forums.

Depends which category you fall into!
If you fall into category 1 id say Yes! as there is less pressure on you to pay back huge loans and find a job when qualified.
If you fall into category 2, id say NO! for definate (ie, how can you be so sure you will actually find employment when you have a licence, after taking out large loans, re-mortgaged a house sold up etc) one hell of a commitment! and very risky.
Category 3. dont bother! you are aboviously dis-illusioned! they should become professional forum posters instead!

hope this helps!

[FlyingForFun]

Hustler,

Are you studying for a fATPL? Your profile doesn't give any clues, but I'd guess No, since you've just said it's not worth it.

I guess I fall half way between category 1 and 2. I will work hard/struggle/scrimp and save for a few years doing a job which I am thoroughly bored of so that I can get an fATPL without having to take any serious financial risks.

Of course I'm still taking a risk - £50k is a lot of money to "loose" whether it's come from your bank account after many years of hard work, or whether it's come from the bank manager and needs to be paid back in the future. But it's not possible to compare it to how much you'd loose if you decided not to give it a go - spending the rest of your life not knowing whether you could have achieved the dream or not. For some, that's a much higher price to pay than £50k, for others it's not.

FFF
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[Obs cop]

Ethansa,

the risks are quite clear and if you need them pointing out then might I suggest you have not done enough work investigating the whole flying training/employment situation.

Gapan do a very good document about becoming an airline pilot (many factors obviously apply to other professional flying careers).

Their website is www.gapan.org and it is a very good read.

Bluntly the risk is sinking £55k to £70k (assuming you pass all the hurdles at the first attempt) on the hope of beating thousands of more qualified individuals to the few right hand seat airline jobs available. This debt is nearly always a personal burden and it is very risky to place all of this on a qualification with no definate job (only about £25k if you do get a good one). For the lucky few who do get jobs, it will then take them years to reap the rewards of their labours.

Tread carefully and think about your circumstances and your desires. Only you know what you are willing to try to achieve come what may.

Obs cop