Any Form of Advantage to ATPL?

[FlyingDan]

OK, so I know that this may not be the most popular question but I've got to ask it!

I'm a qualified accountant and have been accepted onto OAT's APP (please - no discussions re this course in particular as I think this has been well documented elsewhere).

Assuming that I do not walk straight into a job on completion of the course (!), I anticipate having to return for my former life in accountancy in order to pay the bills, whilst pursuing any flight crew positions as they arise.

Firstly, is this a credible option, as opposed to instruction or ops room positions? I'm seriously concerned about a fATPL becoming 'stale'. Secondly, in the longer term at interview stage, will being qualified in another profession provide any form of advantage?

[Number Cruncher]

Guess what I do for a living. You guessed it. The only difference between you and me is I’m more prudent than you and will not be splashing out on an APP.

I don’t know how much your previous live will be an advantage to getting a flying job, but I have 9 years in the a/c industry and if it takes time to get a flying job, I know I can get earn dosh writing up peoples balance sheets and P&L’s for £30 an hour!!! This way I get to keep current and maybe even do some PT instructing whilst not starving! For any potential uni people reading this, forget it. Do what I did (initially) go and get an AAT (doddle). You’ll earn more money sooner and be employable for life and your potential airline employers will think you’re very straight, boring and like nothing more than doing things by the book!

[Straightandlevel80kt]

Hi

I think your plan is eminently sensible, although in your shoes I think I'd do a modular course rather than lose out on the income to be earned in the meantime, not to mention forking out for accommodation. You've drastically reduced the risk by having a back up career option, and there's nothing in it between modular and integrated.

I think you will be considered very employable by an airline with accountancy as a string to your bow. There is nothing airlines love more than money. They're not even that keen on flying or pilots.

Best of luck!

[FlyingForFun]

Dan,

You are concerned about the fATPL becoming 'stale'.

There are two types of 'stale'. First, there's the legal type. Your written exam credits will only be valid for 7 years after the date of your last IR renewal. (At least, that's the way it works for modular, I assume integrated is the same but I don't know that for sure.) In other words, every 6 years or so, you must renew your IR, at the very least, or else you'll have to do the exams again. Other licenses and ratings also have finite shelf-lives if they are not renewed or revalidated, but these can usually be fixed fairly easilly.

Then there's the issue of you staying current. I assume that you would earn enough in your accountancy career to be able to spend some money on flying, in which case this won't be a problem.

And finally, there's the issue of building enough hours to make yourself more attractive to the airlines. Let's say you finish your course with 200 hours and find you're not employable, then go back to work for a year. A year later, you've managed to pay the mortgage, and even put another 50 hours in your logbook. But you will be no more employable with 250 hours than with 200. To make a difference, you will need more hours than you can reasonably manage to build part-time. So your only option would be to keep your fingers crossed and hope to get a shot at one of those few and far between (but not non-existant) jobs where 250 hours is enough to get you a look-in.

Good luck,

FFF
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