Well so many good points!
Where to start???
I am a 29 year old average guy, loved everything about flying from the age of 5/6. Was average at school 10 GCSE (C grades all bar one which was a B) . Decided against going to Uni, whether this was the right choice I will never know. Tried all the sponsorship schemes going but with no luck ( all but one wanted a degree
). Took a job at 18 working offshore, saved enough cash very quickly to pay for my PPL passed it in 23 days start to finish June 1997 at Sibson near Peterborough. Spent a year working hard to save some cash to hour build in the states, West Air in Las Vegas, spent 3 months building 200hrs. Came back saved some more cash then did my ATPL theory in 2000 with Four Forces in London, second JAR course what an experience, Four forces goes Bankrupt and I lost £4000 which I had on account. ( Career Development loan which had to be paid directly to the training provider) lesson learnt DON'T pay up front. Big Big thanks to Stuart Smith who helped me to finish the written exams at no extra cost (he was a ground school instructor at Four Forces and subsequently set up CATS at cranfield after Four Forces folded). Went away licked my wounds and saved some more of that aviation friendly stuff called "money". BANG 911 occurs and I thought all my aviation aspirations were over!
A year passed and I couldn't leave it alone so I did my Cpl at Tayside Perth, Di Heather-Hayes your a legend. Great flying in Scoland!!
even in october. Tried loads of air taxi and aerial photography companies but still no joy! Away I went earnt some more cash so I could complete the IR at Bristol, ( my short list was HPG Birmingham, Bristol, Multi-flight and Raven Air, all very good). Completed in six weeks, thankyou Rowan Irvine! found a job flying Yiphee!!! Aerial photograhy based out of Exeter for the summer 2004, probably the worst summer bar this one, only gained another 130hrs, but still hours are hours. Kept applying to the air lines nothing heard back not even a no.
Kept current through 2005 whilst applying for jobs built up my multi time, ever hopeful for an Air Taxi Job Still nothing. Made up a list of operators in the uk and drove to every single one- CV in hand, took me 6 days and 2000 miles From Exeter to Aberdeen. Most of them I couldn't get past the Frumpy
receptionist, still at least I did manage to hand deliver some to the right HR person. 400hrs (inc 110 multi) though isn't regarded as enough!! It was time for a re-think, the feed back I did get from most operators was they would look at my CV once I had a lot more hours or a Type rating with hours on type. It fell to two choices FI or do what I promised myself I would never do - buy a type rating
. I don't have rich parents who can pay for everything, I had been working extremeley hard to pay for all my own flying. So what did I do? I made a very calculated decision to buy a 737 type rating and 100hrs on type with Bond Aviation Solutions. Passed the type rating last June 2006 in Six weeks start to LST, ground school was a bit hit and miss no structure, but the sim sessions were second to none (due to the fact most instructors are ex BA captains)! Sent out my CV again but as expected Type rating with no hours is next to useless so still no job, waited over a year for line training with Bond which still has not materialised ( there is a very good thread on here about Bond Aviation Solutions and peoples
bad experiences so I won't go into it). I am currently in Morocco with Eagle Jet about to start 300hrs line training, fingers crossed this will lead to a job.
Has it been worth yes! would I do it again YES, what have I learnt?
Do your research first and for most.
DON'T pay up front.
Don't wait for the job to come to you, be proactive!
Don't financially stretch your self as I have I am £30+K in debt now and growing every day ( this has been mostly thanks to the incompetence at Bond Aviation though
, I was set to complete debt free)
I will re-post once I get my break hopefully soon!
P.S I was and am willing to fly sheds and piston planes and did not set out to jump straight into a jet, it's just a case that I have never caught a break in flying - the 737 is used more than any other commercial plane for the cost of the Type rateing. My dream job is flying for FRA!! I love flying