Originally Posted by
Fly_Pips
Hi all,
Forgive me if some/all of this information has already been discussed before.
I am 31 from London (UK), and have deiced I want to learn how to fly.
I'm aware it costs a fair amount to train, and that to be a commercial pilot is much more expensive than just the standard PPL.
So, what I wanted to ask is, if one had only the PPL, is it possible to earn an income with this level? If not, what is the minimum requirement to be able to earn from this skill? Do you have to have the full ATPL (which seems to cost a crazy amount of money, even through a modular route, with no guarantee of a job after).
My questions are based around being able to recover the costs of training, and actually being able to enjoy this without it draining a hole in my pocket continuously. So it appears the only way to do that, is to be employed as a pilot.
Does anyone know the most cost effective way to become a pilot and earn an income from it? Wether that be training in different countries etc.
And at what level can someone start to earn?
Sorry if these questions are quite broad, I'm new to this.
Thanks for reading.
To earn a salary from flying you need to have a minimum of a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL). This can then be teamed with other ratings to be able to earn money. A good example of an ‘entry level’ job would be a Flight Instructor for which you just need the CPL and to meet hours requirements. Flight instructing can be done part time and indeed many do part time instructing as a hobby job.
I’m judging by your post is that you already have a career and are looking to do this as a hobby. My advice would be to get your PPL first and then worry about whether you want to earn a living from it. Aviation is something you need to love, and a quick scan around this forum will show that earning a living from flying aeroplanes comes with a great deal of work and personal sacrifice, so you need to know that it is definitely something you would give everything for.
Its spring now, so you should be able to get a good few hours under your belt before the weather turns bad again. You mentioned other countries; there are hundreds of flying schools in the US and the med that benefit from year round weather and cheaper hourly rates. Perhaps taking a month off work and doing an intensive PPL course would work for you. The more you fly, the better you will be able to answer your own question. Whichever way you cut it, flying is always going to burn a hole in your pockets so you need to be prepared for that reality. Only when you have a secure flying job will the tide of cash start to turn the other way.