Since low interest rate loans became commonplace and house prices have risen the number of people able to pay for their
own PPL IMC Night CPL IR ATPL MCC Type-Rating Line-Training has increased.
We do not know how many people there are at the various stages because that information is not freely available on the CAA web site as it is in the US for instance.
Suffice to say that there are many hundreds of people subsidising their own training and standing in line waiting for the 'call' Many to my knowledge have been waiting for an extremely long time some give up and get other work. Instructing pays around the national minimum wage and can cost you about 20K in all.
Essentially the low-cost sector is benefitting greatly from this pilot subsidy as their training budget is always in surplus. Ryanair etc see pilot training as a revenue generator.
The CAA are keen to get you into the exam system because they get nealy £60 for each mult-choice exam you do - 16 exams are required for the integrated CPL/IR but stangely only 14 for the ATPL/IR. You have cannot fly with the Airlines with a CPL/IR without passing the ATPL exams although you can instruct although GAPAN are planning to do away with the CPL for instructing so that may change again soon.
In the US from the year 2007 one will go straight from PPL stage into the RHS of an airliner and the expensive Single Crew non glass cockpit IR training will be avoided (cost £6/minute) that sim training no doubt paid for by the student if the trends of the past are maintained
Helicopter instructors are paid a lot more than their fixed wing brethren 2 or 3 times as much.
Last edited by RVR800; 6th Jan 2005 at 12:50.