Originally Posted by
rudestuff
I'll try to address your points in order - until you have an instrument qualification, all flying is VFR, meaning visual flight rules, you can't fly in clouds. If you are suitably qualified, you can fly IFR - instrument flight rules which means you can fly in the clouds. Hour building is generally done VFR, because normally you need 50 hours PIC XC VFR (pilot in command cross country under visual flight rules) as a prerequisite for getting the IR. You'll usually only have 2 or 3 hours during the PPL training. However in the States there are two types of flight school, part 141 and part 61 which are loosely similar to integrated Vs modular. Part 141 schools are exempt from the 50 hour xc pic requirement meaning you can do a PPL and immediately start the IR course. This is advantageous because any subsequent hour building can be done IFR and as long as you have 50 hours as PIC under IFR - you're exempted both the IR exams and the EASA IR flight training syllabus (theoretically you can just take the test and save your £18k - although the reality is you will need some training in UK airspace)
Your other points:
1. Correct. The medical should always be the first thing you do.
2. Even in the UK, you can still get a PPL for 8k but you will have to take 9(?) Exams, pay loads to the CAA and wait ages for a licence and you'll be at the mercy of the weather. You'll either be sat waiting for decent weather, or fighting for aircraft availability on decent days.
3. That's about right. But if your get an FAA PPL you won't need a night rating
4. 100 hours 'random' flying is exactly what I'm saying NOT to do. But if you want to do it that way for god's sake don't pay £15k. Even in the UK you can hour build for half that.
5. Bristol is great, but you're really only paying for a signature to say you've done a course. CATS is half the price, and you'll end up using Bristol's database anyway.
6. You don't need an MEP. The P stand for piston - airlines fly jets generally.
7. You definitely need one of these: you can pay £18k or follow my advice and spend £5k it's your choice. You get the same qualification.
8. You don't need an ME CPL. Do your CPL in a single it's cheaper.
9. Spend More money here at a reputable company. By the time you get this far you'll know, don't worry.
10. You don't need 1500 hours, that's only in America. In Europe you can get an airline job with 200 hours and an MCC/JOC.
11. If you've got a CPL, MEIR and MCC/JOC - that IS a frozen ATPL. You only 'unfreeze' once you've got an airline job (and 1500 hours, 500 multi crew, 100 hours night etc and a multi pilot aircraft type rating) that might take 2 years or 20 years - it's irrelevant at this point. Basically you need 200 hours to get the job, then you hour build on the job.
You don't know how much you've helped me. Thank you ever so much! For (4), how can I get from 50 to 150 hours without paying that much money? For (7) your idea of doing it under the FAA is great, but I'm working full time in the UK so I'm just not sure if this is realistic for me.. spending several months in the US with unpaid leave might not be possible... but if in the future I find I can do it, can I mix and match with an EASA PPL, UK medical, etc?
Edit: also it looks like for CATS you need to hold an ICAO PPL, which means an EASA PPL here in the UK won't work?