Originally Posted by
Derfred
Whilst I don’t disagree with most of what is said in this thread, if I kicked my son out at 18 and told him to:
I’m sorry, but the ship has long sailed since those kind of economics worked for student pilots.
There is absolutely no way that a young kid today can rent a room, eat, and earn a CPL by flipping burgers or pumping gas (we call it petrol), no matter how hard working he is. Have you had a look recently?
These days, there are only 2 ways a young kid can get a CPL.
1. Mum/Dad pays; or
2. Airline/Government pays.
I have to disagree with you on this.
I worked 2 jobs to get my CPL, MEA IFR & FIR.
Threw bags for the red tail carrier during the week & worked as a bouncer on weekends. I would sleep in my car in between the 2 jobs if I had to go straight from one to the other or do a quick sesh at the gym, take a shower & change at the local Anytime Fitness.
It took me 5 years to compete all of it. (Would have been quicker but I decided to go on a few holidays in between, buy a car & of course have some weekends out in town). Sometimes I wouldn't fly for weeks. Took me 6 months to self study CPL theory & IREX in between all that.
The school I trained at would let me fly & I wouldn't have to pay for weeks on end.
The place I did my FIR let me pay as I went & in the end they offered me a job straight away.
Everyone else that is working there has a VET FEE debt in the $120k mark & they are earning $42000 as a full time instructor. They finished their aviation degrees in 4 years & I finished my CPL in 5 years. The difference between us? They have a degree & ATPL's completed & I don't. We're all earning the same & flying the same. I don't have a debt at all. My training cost $80k all up. A bare CPL can be done for around $50k. You don't need to get the MEA IFR & FIR as I did.
My point being is, it is quite possible to self fund it all. Its not easy at all. It requires commitment, time & financial managment. It requires going around to training organistations & telling them what your situation is & what your goal is. Most of the little operators would be pretty willing to help you out in some form to make it a little easier.
People fall for the marketing techniques of the big operators & they sign up for a course of training overinflated in price, where across the airfield you have a smaller operator offering the same qualifications (essentially) for almost half the price.
Just the perspective of another.