Best way to become a pilot?

[liam548]

Hello everyone.
I have been a police officer for the past 5 or so years and am 25 years old.
All I ever wanted to do was become a pilot and somehow ended up where I am now.

I have decided to try and do something about this and thought it would be a good idea to find out your thoughts on the best way of "swapping careers". I realise there are several routes in but would be interested to know which routes you have taken and which you would recommend for someone in my position.

A sergeant who I know of has recently left the police to become a pilot for Jet2 and this has sparked me into following my dream job.
Many thanks in advance for your thoughts/opinions.
Regards
Liam

(I realise there are other similar threads about which I have been reading, some many years old now)

[PPL152]

Hello there!

If it's your dream job then follow it without hesitation!

This (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131649) thread will help you

Best of luck

[UncleNobby]

Don't go all in to start, as you know training is very expensive! Maybe get your Private flying weekends or days off, pay as you go, and see how you like it and take it from there.

[MIKECR]

Plenty ex Cops out there now flying for a living. Myself and 2 ex colleagues all did our CPL/IR's within the last couple of years.

[adsSW]

I'm in the same boat, I'm 20 and have been a police officer for 1 1/2 years. But no matter how much I enjoy policing, being a pilot has always been my number 1 job.

I have applied to Flight Training Europe as they were recommended to me by two mates who recently graduated from there.

[liam548]

Thanks for the replies. Nice to know there are others out there in the same boat!

Makes sense to use the security of the police to my advantage...

[maxdrypower]

I have emailed Liam with some gen but I am the 6th filth I know in as many years to do the atpls from my force alone . They all have jobs from dash 8's to A320's . So hopefully when I start in april I will follow suit . I agree though use the cops to gain a but of security , in my area you have to have five years service to qaulify for a career break which is the best option but this is not across the board from what i understand .Use the security of the cops to do your PPL and hour building and even DL GS . Else take your career break and do the atpls CPL/ME/IR/MCC over a 9-12 month period then go back whilst job hunting . Makes perfect sense

[MIKECR]

maxdry,

Be careful, a lot of Forces now are beginning to put more and more restrictions on people taking career break's. I know of several Forces who have now stipulated that you cannot train/study whilst on a career break for an alternative job. The system has been used and abused by too many people now and the Police are beginning to clamp down.

I was lucky, i managed to negotiate a break and got my cpl/ir/mcc finished. Literaly finished on the Friday and started my old job again on the Monday. With new policies recently introduced in my Force, anyone trying to follow in my footsteps would probably be denied the break.

[heli_spy]

Re Career Breaks and the Police.

I had twelve years in the Met and wanted a two year career break to do my CPL.

"NO" they said !!!

So I resigned.

Any regrets?

None whatsoever. There is life outside the job.

GO FOR IT !!!

[MIKECR]

Your absolutely right, thats always the other option! Erect middle finger and advise your leaving!! :E

[maxdrypower]

Yeh my circumstances are slighly different than others but at present our force doesnt really give a crap what your doing outside the job whilst out so long as you dont become a drug dealer etc etc. I have no qualms with resigning , if everything works out perfectly and im extremely lucky I will get some sort of a job an not have to go back . This however is unlikely and having the security of top hack bobbies pay is nice whilst I look .
T.J.F