Originally Posted by
Modular Halil
Where is this 40k gig then...?
In the UK? Wherever you want it to be, within reason. Abroad, much less. It all boils down to understanding the modular system, which probably 80% don't.
When I started, I thought you had to get a PPL, night rating, hour build - then do a CPL and IR. A lot of people still believe that, and most flight schools perpetuate the myth because it makes then more money.
There are loads of different options, but if you want to stay in the UK then the optimum is:
PPL, NR, hours, IMC, hours, CBIR, CPL
The #1 cost saver is doing the IR before the CPL - because those hours count towards the CPL requirement of 200. It stands to reason that an IR AFTER the CPL will require a lot more hours in total. And you do not need to do the CPL in a multi..!
The #2 cost saver is avoiding expensive simulators. Simulators are a great tool for teaching - because you can stop, rewind, repeat. The problem is, they are rarely used as such. Most SIM sessions are done real time, to tick the box for getting the hours you need. No joke, after 5 hours in the SIM, my instructor said he'd taught me everything I needed - the next 25 would just be practicing. And most SIMS are (a) as expensive as a plane and (b) no better than a £1000 PC based home flight SIM. Basically, get as many hours in the plane as you can, because they also count towards your CPL. An IRR and CBIR done in a single engine plane will cost approximately £2000 - because you're already paying for that plane to hour build.
The #3 cost saver is back seating. Do this and #4 and you will pass every course in minimum times, crucial to saving money. Back seating is obvious: watch someone else pay to **** stuff up, and learn from their mistakes. When it's your turn you'll know what's expected of you. A decent school should allow this for IR training etc. When you come to take the test, you'll have experienced twice the hours and learned 3 times as much (with no pressure in the back seat your capacity to think is much greater)
The #4 cost saver is chair flying. Flying a plane is like learning your lines in a play. You have to practice over and over and over. You can do this in 2 ways: in an airplane at £200 per hour, or on a chair or empty SIM for free. It's your choice. You should aim to never learn anything in the air. It's just a motor skill. Learn it on the ground and practice it in the air. If you're forgetting your downwind checks, it's because you haven't rehearsed it in your mind enough - now it's cost you £50 to do it again. If you get in the cockpit and say "teach me" you're doing it wrong.
The #5 cost saver is the SEIR. If you get an MEIR, you need 15 hours multi on top of an MEP rating. That's roughly 25 hours MEP. If you get an SEIR, it's virtually free as part of your hour building, then after your MEP it's only a few hours to convert that SEIR to an MEIR. Yes, you have to take 2 tests, but guess what? You'll be taking a IR test every year. And it's a myth that they're hard.
So once you understand that the goal is to get 200 hours and 100 PIC, *with all boxes ticked along the way*, you'll realise it's not actually that expensive. If you assume £200 per hour for 200 hours, you'll get £40k. (Bearing in mind 100 are PIC, so you can shop around and pay £75-£100 for those, and the money saved will balance the MEP hours, exam fees and ATPLs)
And that's just the UK options, if you get an FAA PPL and multi IR you can convert via CBIR with zero required minimums and an EASA CPL will cost about £4k.