Failed final exam in last valid month. What now?

[yossarian78]

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Gent's,

The short story is, after unavoidably extending the ATPL's out to 18 months I've failed Gnav (passed the others) and will have to do all 14 all again should I want to continue. I am contacting the CAA to recheck it (for £26 :eek: what do I have to lose) but am not hopeful.

The thing is, now I have a wife and kids and a decent job, I'm not sure that I'd want to drop significant amounts of money working towards an increasingly elusive airline job. Things have moved on from when I started, both in terms of the industry and my personal circumstances.

I could spend another £3000+ redoing the exams for the chance of an airline job or, and this is the bit I'd like your help with, am I correct in thinking that come April, EASA will allow PPL's to instruct after completing the FI course?

If so, and I could get a school to take me, that would be ideal as I'd be able to get my flying fix at weekends instructing others which is the limit of my goals now that airlines are not what I want to do, tbh even if I'd passed all 14 I don't think I could cause the upheaval and hardship to my family going down the CPL/IR, fulltime FI route.

Anyway, the question is, is FI really an option without the ATPL box ticked?

Comments or thoughts welcome, especially from those who also had to resit some / all their exams and what they did in the end.

[The500man]

Are you certain it's 18 months? I'm pretty sure it is counted from the date you sit the first exam and not when you start the course. Which gives you around 2 years. Have you checked to see whether you can get an extension? There may be certain conditions under which yu can get the extra 2 months to resit. If you can't you will have to do all exams again but you shouldn't need to retake the course. Your training provider should be able to give you additional brush-ups so you can just revise the subjects and then take the exams again. I've seen some students doing the whole lot again just recently.

[Aware]

Hello I feel for you. Check with CAA and ask if they will give you a last chance sitting its possible and check dates, validity.

Its pleasing that you are thinking of your family. The airline world is difficult at the mom but may change. But what wont change is how much you will have to spend to get there. I am an examiner and have recently signed sep for ex cabair intergrated student he told me out of his course of 12 2009 all got through it all he is only one still flying all walked away to do something else. 80K poorer.

I think retaking the exams is possible but I would ask myself how much trouble it was first time round if it wasnt too stressful for you go for it again but if it caused you stress first time round wouldnt do it again lifes too short. Go to plan b and use your PPL and and gain FI rating, and develop present career, I still think you have to prove CPL knowledge to be paid for fi ing so what you have done to date may count but you will still have to pass nav. Speak to caa they can be helpful.

Instructing is fine run along side another job that pays bills, but your family is the most important part the equation especially in these difficult times.

[BillieBob]

Anyway, the question is, is FI really an option without the ATPL box ticked?Whilst it is true that the new Regulation will allow PPL holders to instruct for remuneration, they will still be required to have 'met the requirements for CPL theoretical knowledge'. It will not be necessary to have the ATPL box ticked but it will be necessary to have at least the CPL box ticked, unless you want to instruct only for the LAPL.

[yossarian78]

Gent's, thanks for the replies. I've contacted the CAA for a recheck of my exam as I really can't understand how my mark was so low (been doing mock tests and passing with fairly high marks). They said that as it was the holidays it'll be 10 days after they come back in the New Year, so I'm hoping for some sort of Christmas administrative error miracle.

The more I think about it, the airline route would upset family life too much for me. I have 2 kids now under 3 years old and I don't want to be away for periods of time, not seeing them and leaving my wife to deal with bringing up children. Smash Bugger is right that flying gets in the blood but realistically what do I want more; to fly for a living or see and take part in my family growing up? I think the latter, it's cheaper and the industry is too volatile and pilot saturated for someone like me. Had I been single and childless however......

G-RICH, that's an interesting point with regard to commercial level exams. I sat my first exam in June 10 so my 18 months has really gone. Instructing (though not full time, I still have a mortgage and nursery fees to pay!) would be a way to continue flying and something that I think I'd enjoy and hopefully be good at. Once I get the recheck results back I'll give the CAA a call and see what their take on a GNav resit for an Instructors rating would be and let you know how I got on.

Once again, thanks for all your replies and help.