What should I do?

[Drussjnr]

Hi everyone,
Let me just cut to the chase: currently i am a Part-time PPL student whilst working in the aviation industry (mainly to see if i like flying and want to do it) ; now im looking at further options, i am currently at quite a large school doing the ppl part time and could continue and get a fATPL with them, however they have never had a great record at helping find employment. My other option is to go to CTC or OAA etc. Now i am in the position where i feel that my only option to get a guaranteed job is to do an MPL program (which i dont like, mainly because lack of flying time and it's an MPL licence)

1. how easy is it to convert an MPL to ATPL licence once 1500hr is reached or would you need more hours as you could not use P1.

2. Am i right in thinking that the MPL is bad because of lack of real flying time

3. I would do the ATPL with no sponsorship, however i know friends that are two years after their course and still no employment (they now are a dispatcher whilst they wait for a job)

Please help shed some light and give some advice.

*please note it's a year till i need to do a serious application to somewhere as i still have to save some more money for subsistence living etc

[RichardH]

Please note their is no such thing as a GUARANTEED job, even you if get through selection.

I was instructing at Oxford in September 2001 and within 2 days of the 11th three airline fully sponsored courses(they no longer exist) were cancelled, with something like 60 students with 'guaranteed jobs' up in flames.

Aviation is all about supply, demand & being in the right place at the right time & LUCK. Beware of marketing hype of 'guaranteed jobs and pilot shortage" (the last one was back in 1940!). CURRENTLY there is strong demand and airlines are less selective on who they take on, even BA are looking at direct entry captains, unheard of before - but it won't last forever.

MPL is great if you get selected and you successfully go on to fly for that airline, however left with nothing if you get chopped though. That's why most students (unless MPL 'sponsored') go for the full ATPL (CPL/IR) route as you can potentially go anywhere - assuming the strong demand for ab-inito pilots remain. The MPL courses I am aware of (eg. FlyBe) all do some real flying, including solo & cross-country, though this would be down to each airline.

I would continue down the PPL route and complete it. A few of PPL students who were selected onto a MPL course I instructed on are just finishing their type ratings and should be line flying soon.

[Drussjnr]

Thanks for that and i understand the up in flames aspect as it's always a big risk to take when spending that money and training. However do you know if you can convert MPL to ATPL and how easy is it to do, as a MPL course do ATPL ground school.

[RichardH]

I believe you shall have to complete the 1500 hours within your airline then convert to ATPL with their approval.

[parkfell]

If you hold a MPL as oppose to a CPL/IR, the qualifying criteria for ATPL issue are identical. You can only go down the MPL airline route if you are tied in to a specific airline. Eg. Flybe, BACF etc

So you are now issued with an ATPL, flying for an airline.

If you wanted to revert back to non airline flying, that is where lack of qualifying experience would come into play, as you did not do the Full CPL/IR light aircraft flying in the first place.

[Drussjnr]

Thank you very much, thats cleared most of my questions up