Originally Posted by
Chris the Robot
It's good that you have the medical done. Career-wise, the military option may be available but from what I hear, it's military first, flying second. Regarding your current career at a check-in desk, are there options to work towards airside operations, dispatch/refuelling, tug operations etc? With both TUI cadet programme and Jet2's Pilot Apprentice scheme for fATPLs, there is time spent in other operational roles which gives me the impression that it's experience which they consider adds value to their business.
The thing with MPL programmes is that due to the limited nature of the licence in the first 1500 hours, you want the airline to which you're tied to be heavily committed so that they incur a considerable cost if they decide to end the training.
I think the agency that employs me is very check in focussed based on what I recall during my onboarding! That being said the company they employ for obviously has airside ops and I have ingratiated myself with a few people. I imagine the odds of walking into a TR programme as soon as I finish my fATPL will be next to nothing so I'll probably keep myself in their good books whilst I vanish for my training and maybe see if I can get some airside work in, after I finish my studies and flying, to do whilst I apply for FO positions - assuming there will be time for that; as arguably that means the longer I can't find a job, the more experience I get which can't be a bad thing
And I will need money to fund renewals if things go really pear shaped for the industry (or my interview technique), but that is a bridge I'd rather pretend doesn't exist until I have to cross it.
Looked at the RAF but as you say I hear that flying is very much on the backburner and there is a huge training bottleneck from someone I know in there who has been waiting >1 year to even start a training programme!
Plus, I don't like not having the freedom to decide what I fly - despite them looking cool in top-gun whilst using flares to trick radar guided missiles, I would want to be flying C-17s, not fast jets.
I think you alongside everyone else have definitely led me to the conclusion that MPL programs are not the way forward at the moment: some may call me a cynic but I don't believe any company is untouchable when it comes to recessions and my many friends who decided to earn money in finance rather than spend it all flying all say it's going to be a long and big one; so I guess we shall see who is about and hiring in a year or two then apply or hopefully use my days whilst waiting to work airside and pad out the old CV a bit for future applications.
Makes you wonder what it's like to be someone who doesn't have such an awkward dream to pursue and would be happy in an office a couple of miles underneath ours
