Advise on 'Where to start'?
Hey guys I have a couple of questions that I’d like answering/a bit of direction. I have been on this forum so much in the evenings and even during my work time (not that the boss knows).
I don’t want to be the typical guy you get on here asking questions that get answered day after day after day but I feel that some things are not so clear or people differ in opinions.
My ideal job is to be an Airline Pilot - Infact I’d settle for anything so long as I can fly for a living (FI). I have looked at the good points and the bad points and I still think the airline job is my one big goal in life than needs to be achieved.
My background;
21/01/82 making me 24 at the moment.
6’2” and confident I’d pass the Class 1 Medical.
Was in the ATC at 13 and 3 months and left when I was 17 and clocked only 7.5 hours in a Chipmunk/Bulldog/Viking Glider.
I just about passed my A’level Maths(F) after moving from a Welsh school to an English school and also had a Merit in my GNVQ IT. (I am fluent in both English and Welsh).
I studied Multimedia Tech at Uni and passed my BSc with a 2:2
I currently work as a Web Designer / IT Advisor / IT Teacher for a local company for about £20k per year.
I have £10k for my training so far.
I was looking to do my PPL but after finding out more on this forum I am going to go all the way if funds/ability allows it. But I am stuck between Integrated and Modular course?
I am I right in thinking the following;
Integrated with OAT/CabAir/FTE will give me a better chance of landing my 1st RHS job quicker and I’ll have an advantage due to being Integrated?
If I did a Modular with OAT/CabAir/FTE would the Airline look at me as being trained to the same standard as the Integrated students at OAT/CabAir/FTE?
Am I better off getting my PPL and applying for a sponsorship with e.g. Flybe or leaving my hours blank so CabAir can mold me into exactly what Flybe want with no bad habits to correct? Would a PPL really show I am a dedicated applicant and serious about flying?
Try and keep to no more than 2/3 flight schools?
The fAPTL expires after 3 years? Does this mean if I self fund myself through £70k of training I might loose a lot of it if I don’t get a job within 3 years? (I don’t understand).
I read a forum user stating an airline don’t care if you are integrated/modular – They would prefer a applicant who has an fATPL / Type Rating / Many hours in the big blue sky?
These are my ideas so far –
- Apply to Flybe when they reopen the application for training in Jan 2008 saving money in the process toward my share.
- Quit/Take time off work (60 days) do the ‘ATPL Prep’ at Ormond Beach for £10k. Come back find another job and start studying for my ATPL exams at Bristol ground school. When I finish them go to OAT/CabAir/FTE to do my CPL/IR/MCC/JOC.
- Wait a while (build up some money for another 18 months) and self-fund myself through the 0-ATPL at egnatia aviation for £30k, and when I get home to a MCC with a local flight school which will cost another £2,500 or £5k with a JOC.
- Get a £50,000 HSBC Loan and go with OAP/CabAir in a hope that their reputation will get me on the flight deck. (Secured on my parents home – which is not what I want to do).
- Get my PPL and Night Rating done and build up 150 hours and apply for the ‘WayPoint Pilot Program’ at OAT at a cost of £5/6k for the PPL & Night Rating and another £25/30k for WayPoint.
- Re-sit my A-level Maths and take up a Physics A-level in a local collage, in a hope of getting a good grade. Pick up an additional language like Spanish to make my CV look a little better to an airline before I do one of the above (all the while saving money for the training).
I know of 6 people who have self funded themselves through Pilot training and all have landed Pilot jobs with good airlines (BA/GB/easyjet etc). To my knowledge 5 of them did Integrated and 1 of them took 4 years to complete the modular route and clocked up 1,000+ hours (apparently at a cost of £70k+) and will be starting a job with easyjet within a month or two.
Sorry for the long post 
Regards
Andrew