PPL what next

[barrywhite]

Hi,


I have a PPL and as much as I would like to think I can change careers and get a jet job in my 30s, its highly unlikely so I am sticking with the day job and will have fun and try and get my CPL etc on the side over the next few years and see what comes of it.....


I hear so many reports and am a bit confused on the best way to complete your licence.


Does the IMC Rating on a PPL carry over on to an IR Rating on a CPL, are they the same or 2 totally different things?


Would it be best to 1) Hr Build (quality hours) 2) Night Rating 3) IMC 4) ME 5) Exams 6) CPL, whats the realistic and best chance of success of getting my licence.


I may never use it commercially but would like to set a plan in action so can work towards it over the next few years.


Any help much appreciated!

[CISTRS]

It seems to me that you don't have the necessary shiny jet fever to sacrifice the rest of your life to aviation. Why do you need a CPL, etc?
Why don't you enjoy your stick & rudder flying. Learn aeros, tailwheel, try gliding.
Keep your day job.

[paco]

The IMC rating is not the same as the IR at all - it's purpose is to allow you to get down out of the clag safely, within 1800 m vis, off the top of my head. You could also do the Enroute IR which allows you to do enroute stuff without being allowed to come down (!), but you must take off and land under VFR in VMC - the two complement each other nicely. A little more training will get you the full IR in a less formal manner.

The M/E would be a good next step.

[barrywhite]

Thanks for the info, yes, join a group and have some fun I think, saw too many instructors while training who were well over flying with many many hours in small planes, broke and seemed a bit beat up waiting for that elusive jet job......


So can you do an full IR on a PPL?


I just like a challenge so the aim will be a CPL but I might not get through it, I am thinking (maybe incorrectly) if I had a full licence on the side by the time I am late 30s or 40, I could possibly keep my regular work and just do summer work for an airline or smaller place if that came up, so don't have to sacrifice everything just to fly a plane.


Was even thinking parachute drops at the weekend, that could be more fun....

[CISTRS]

Glider towing....

You really should try gliding, and tailwheel. Sounds like you would enjoy that sort of thing.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Originally Posted by barrywhite

Hi,


I have a PPL and as much as I would like to think I can change careers and get a jet job in my 30s, its highly unlikely so I am sticking with the day job and will have fun and try and get my CPL etc on the side over the next few years and see what comes of it.....


I hear so many reports and am a bit confused on the best way to complete your licence.


Does the IMC Rating on a PPL carry over on to an IR Rating on a CPL, are they the same or 2 totally different things?


Would it be best to 1) Hr Build (quality hours) 2) Night Rating 3) IMC 4) ME 5) Exams 6) CPL, whats the realistic and best chance of success of getting my licence.


I may never use it commercially but would like to set a plan in action so can work towards it over the next few years.


Any help much appreciated!

I did something along those lines, but do work full time on the technical side of aviation, so use all the qualifications all the time - or more accurately the knowledge that sits behind them. I do get paid to fly often enough to scratch the itch, but it's probably never going to let me jump ship into being a full time pilot - I'm not even sure that I would want to.

The order I took was PPL-night-CPL-IMC-CRI, next on the list one of these days are IR and FI, in whatever order makes sense at the time.

You can do an IR on a PPL. Nowadays, you can effectively upgrade from IMCR to IR so long as you have reasonable hours IFR. Also worth noting that if you hold a CPL you don't need to take the written exam for IMCR, and then will only have to take 4 writtens for IR. Steer clear of any school for IMCR which tells you that it's really just a "get out of gaol" rating - IMCR (more properly called IR(R) nowadays) within UK airspace can be used for all reasonable purposes as a full IR - you can't fly in class A, and there's an advisory higher decision height, neither of which has any real impact on operations.

Add other differences (tailwheel, VP, glass...) when you want them, although you'll do VP and retractable as a matter of course within CPL anyhow.

Hours build themselves if you aren't in a hurry and enjoy flying. The advice to join a syndicate is sound, but look at the huge amount of advice about that on Pprune and Flyer before making a decision as joining the wrong syndicate can be painful.

[LostYetAgain]

The only thing I would add is that if you are going to do the IR(R), and plan to subsequently upgrade to an IR, then it would be worth getting someone to teach you who has actually done an IR (or preferably teaches for the IR). Get them to teach you to "initial" IR standard. Your initial single pilot Multi IR exam will be one of the hardest exams you will sit, and getting a good grounding in the IMC will be very valuable.