Qatar Airways 2017 MPL
 

Looks like Qatar have just opened up a fully MENTORED training scheme up with L3 by the looks of it.

Doesn't appear to be any nationality restrictions but you have to be under 33 by the time you start training. For me this is just too late as I doubt that I will be able to start training in the next month :(

Edited to remove my misinterpretation of this being a fully sponsored scheme

The website is saying a MENTORED scheme with £109k paid over five instalments . That is purely for the training.
Additional costs down to you. As with all schemes, you must read the small print very carefully, and seek appropriate advice.

So issued with a Qatar MPL. In time, with 1500 hours, Qatar ATPL issued.

Question: how convertible to an EASA licence is this national licence when you wish to move on.......
Perhaps PACO will have the answer for us.

Looks like I misunderstood and to be honest, makes me feel a little less irritated by the age thing! (Will edit my op)

For TK, if it is an ICAO licence and you have the hours, self-certify for the exams.

I think they sit the UK CAA exams during the initial training at L3.

It would be somewhat harsh if 10 years down the line, they had to be sat again.

My friends who got into the Qatar MPL at STAA Singapore take the QCAA (Qatar) ATPL Exams not the CAAS (Singapore) one. Oh if you don't pass one of the exams like one of my friends did, you have to go to Doha to retake the exams at your own cost. So you really have to have A LOT of money.

Problem would be if you fail or they kick you in the middle , your mpl hours are useless

The flying (airborne) hours acquired during training still count. There would however be a shortfall for normal CPL/IR licence issue, and these remaining hours would need to be flown plus the skill tests for CPL -and IR.

The initial flying is common. So a wise decision is needed before the paths separate.

May I know where will the ground school training and flying be done at?

Groundschool is either Coventry / Southampton in the UK or out at the Hamilton training centre in NZ. The flight training component has historically been completed in Hamilton also.

Anyone want to lend me £109k? Or point me in the direction of a bank who'll give it to me unsecured... :ok:

Let me rephrase , your MPL license is useless if you get kicked out in the middle , yes perhaps 70 hours of core flying in a single engine Piston will count

What is the "middle"? Middle of training or middle of the 1500hrs to go in unfreezing it? If it is the latter then that is wrong, there are and have been many cases where people got the MPL license converted before reaching the 1500hrs. If you mean half way through training, well the ground school is the exact same at least so if anything happens during that you can still change, I know a person who changed even during his flying phase from MPL to ATPL.

This MPL license is made out to be a big bad evil license that traps people when the reality and facts from what is really happening out there show the opposite.

I am starting the Qatar MPL COURSE next year and have been told our group will do both ground school and flight training in Hamilton.

It is different for every course though, I guess it depends on the availability at the time. I know some people starting In November and they are doing ground school in Southampton.

pvfspnf

Let us get this clear, until you have completed the course and been issued with a licence, you operate on a students licence.
Remain under the ATO control until the type rating and the base training is complete. At present 12 take-off and landings, although there are moves a foot to reduce this to the normal six.
Once you have satisfied the base training, the MPL is applied for.

For the normal CPL/IR route once the course is completed, which is usually passing the IRST and course hours satisfied, you apply for licence issue.

Multi crew aspirations require the MCC certificate, followed by successful type rating issue.

The two routes are now at the same point, ready to start the line training.
Given the multi crew training etc already provided through the MPL route, then they have the clear advantage over the "normal route" with only the MCC experience (+any JOC). Probably different (subtle) SOPs as well to unlearn.

I am assuming two guys of equal competency. So there is catch up required, and in time, it should be difficult to spot the difference.

There are critics of the MPL route. I would speculate that if they actually spoke to someone who delivers the training, it would ease their mind considerably.

Burning holes in the sky to satisfy some historical rule of 100 hours P1 prior to CPL issue simply has no merit these days.

Thank you everyone for the detailed information. I am considering applying for the cadet pilot program offered by Qatar Airways and L3 Aviation Academy. Only issue is, of course, the 109,000 pounds.

But it seems a better deal than most cadetship that accepts international students, as it includes accommodation. Fingers crossed.

It is clearly a departure as historically only nationals, or those closely associated with Qatar could apply.
Clearly market forces are driving the situation, and Qatar recognise the need to produce pilots from the grass roots.

Perhaps in time they will recognise the merits of the funding deal offered to trainees with Aer Lingus

rustydusty is there still a substantial gap between acceptance onto the MPL scheme and commencing training? You mentioned 2018 for yourself.

Speedbird148,

There's a substantial amount of trainees coming through this place right now and any delays are not only attributed to start dates, but other phases in addition to type ratings. As an example, Whitetail cadets coming out the end and securing jobs at easyJet are being told to expect Type Ratings in the Spring. Demand, which we know is high, and associated capacity for the deliverance aren't totally marrying at the moment. L3 has brick and mortar expansion plans both in Hamilton and back in the UK over the next 12 months so that may well go a way to reducing the initial wait. For example, the new type rating centre in London.

MPL delays however could be attributed to an airline spacing out the dates trainees would eventually be line ready.

Type ratings in the spring? I presume a lot of the cadets will have to go back and live with their parents until their TR training starts, unless of course Easyjet or whoever offer them a temp gig somewhere else in the company. 6 months (possibly longer) is a long time for currency to lapse.

At my place (outside of aviation), we had some people wait for three months to get an instructor after completing theoretical training. They were sent to shadow some fully qualified folks and grossed over £7k during those three months, most of them were bored out of their minds by the end of it but £7k for doing very little is decent enough if you ask me.

You'd think their airline employer-to-be could at least stick them on a jumpseat for a few months to get them used to the SOPs and the nature of random-ish shift work, pay them subsistence and give them a couple of days of GA flying per month to keep current. At least if they want good pilots anyway...