Freddles
4th Jun 2013, 20:55
Hello world, I want to become an airline pilot however I'm unsure of the route to go down.
On the one hand I've been looking at the integrated route with CTC, although according to my research this costs approximately 17 million pounds and would mean I would have to get a rather large loan on my mothers house (If she'd let me!) and I am attracted to the fact you either get placed with an airline (if you're lucky) or are put in flexi-crew to fly for Easyjet so as to at least start building up hours on a jet airliner.
however after reading many posts on a particularly long CTC thread last night I am now dubious as to whether this route would allow me to afford the repayments to the initial loan, I have £30000 saved up at the moment so it wouldn't be a loan for the full amount but still would be a large amount.
My second option that attracted me was to go modular as I live in Harrogate just outside of Leeds Bradford where Multi-flight is based and offer the licences for substantially cheaper than CTC are asking for, however my main concern here is that I would have the licences, low hours, not type rated and because of that would be pretty much unemployable. At least with CTC I'd be able to start building up hours on an A320 with Easyjet flexicrew then after a year or 2 start applying for airlines elsewhere to get a permanent secure contract.
The third option I was looking at (mainly for the price) Was Pan Ams international school based in Florida yet at the end of the course holds a conversion in the UK to ensure all licences gained are legit for the EU. However this raises the same worries I have about modular and being unemployable, not type rated etc.
Finally my final option I hope to get on is a cadet scheme, something like BA Future pilot, Virgin australia, Quantas etc. but I understand these are ridiculously competitive, however these at least give an offer of a job at the end of training along with paying back your training payment on top of your pay which would mean the house doesn't get repossessed.
As I said previously I have £30k saved up right now so the loan I get wouldn't be the full amount, but I intend to get a job at Leeds as a baggage handler or something similar come September and save as much as I can so I can at least be around the airport whilst reducing any loan amount I would have to get and thus reduce the payments, probably until I have around £50k. Although I'm 22 now and I don't want to be too old by the time I eventually start training
Essentially my main choice is either: Spend a lot of money and start getting hours on a jet to build up my CV although maybe not be able to afford repayments and lose the house, or spend less and be stuck in unemployment limbo for the forseeable future.
If anybody has any advice from being in a similar position I'd love to hear it! Especially with the choices you took and why?
On the one hand I've been looking at the integrated route with CTC, although according to my research this costs approximately 17 million pounds and would mean I would have to get a rather large loan on my mothers house (If she'd let me!) and I am attracted to the fact you either get placed with an airline (if you're lucky) or are put in flexi-crew to fly for Easyjet so as to at least start building up hours on a jet airliner.
however after reading many posts on a particularly long CTC thread last night I am now dubious as to whether this route would allow me to afford the repayments to the initial loan, I have £30000 saved up at the moment so it wouldn't be a loan for the full amount but still would be a large amount.
My second option that attracted me was to go modular as I live in Harrogate just outside of Leeds Bradford where Multi-flight is based and offer the licences for substantially cheaper than CTC are asking for, however my main concern here is that I would have the licences, low hours, not type rated and because of that would be pretty much unemployable. At least with CTC I'd be able to start building up hours on an A320 with Easyjet flexicrew then after a year or 2 start applying for airlines elsewhere to get a permanent secure contract.
The third option I was looking at (mainly for the price) Was Pan Ams international school based in Florida yet at the end of the course holds a conversion in the UK to ensure all licences gained are legit for the EU. However this raises the same worries I have about modular and being unemployable, not type rated etc.
Finally my final option I hope to get on is a cadet scheme, something like BA Future pilot, Virgin australia, Quantas etc. but I understand these are ridiculously competitive, however these at least give an offer of a job at the end of training along with paying back your training payment on top of your pay which would mean the house doesn't get repossessed.
As I said previously I have £30k saved up right now so the loan I get wouldn't be the full amount, but I intend to get a job at Leeds as a baggage handler or something similar come September and save as much as I can so I can at least be around the airport whilst reducing any loan amount I would have to get and thus reduce the payments, probably until I have around £50k. Although I'm 22 now and I don't want to be too old by the time I eventually start training
Essentially my main choice is either: Spend a lot of money and start getting hours on a jet to build up my CV although maybe not be able to afford repayments and lose the house, or spend less and be stuck in unemployment limbo for the forseeable future.
If anybody has any advice from being in a similar position I'd love to hear it! Especially with the choices you took and why?