Originally Posted by
Iflyplainplanes
Lots of the discussion for fATPLs are centred around spending 100k and getting a job after 2 years.
It’s pretty much the discussion here. But then we walk that back and say well actually no.
well the actually no is a pretty big part of that. And we shouldn’t be encouraging people to spend the best part of 100k to turn around and tell them, oh no you don’t actually get an airline job? Oh you can’t get one, tough, try harder.
You might know dozens but again, confirmation and survivorship bias.
For those working in Tesco I don’t doubt their ability but I would guess it’s a job of expedience. I can’t exactly share a huge data set here but I can see from a quick recruiter search at least a type of profile of a seeking work fATPL holder.
combine that with the journeys that people have shared and those that did not make it and moved in, it seems reckless to me to tell people to just spend 100k and you’ll be fine.
That is just an absurd amount of money to be telling a stranger to spend.
At best the responsible thing to share is your own story, maybe an anecdote on someone else but that it may take many many years and you will spend many many more thousands then quoted and yes you may have to work other jobs. To dismiss that experience is irresponsible.
It might come across a little reckless suggesting to spend 100k on a fATPL and it doesn't guarantee a job, but neither does going modular. Getting the first job ultimately rests with the individual and their personal attributes. The point is only if someone is able to afford 100k, start younger and get their foot in the door it might actually be more beneficial, than biding time and going modular. Working jobs just to get life experience and then realising late on they don't interview as well as they'd hoped or due to other factors (Covid?), could set someone back even more. Remember, there's never really a good time to start.
I personally couldn't afford flight training when I was 18, so I went into aviation working other jobs to save the cash and 10 years later started modular. Took exactly 3 years to finish and 6 months later I'm waiting to start flying Airbuses. Maybe a bit of luck involved, but I know for sure I worked my a$$ off for this. Got my life experience, but would I rather have started 10 years ago and dropped 100k? Absolutely. Difference is, I couldn't afford to.
I agree, the state of the industry at the time is important, but overall it's still down to the individual to get hired. 100k or modular is irrelevant.