Look. Its so simple a monkey from the Indus could grasp it - yet Wannabes never seem able.
Both routes teach you the same stuff so as to pass the same test.
As an OATS graduate or Integrated student there is not magic moment where you are taken into the chapel and shown the magic fountain.
Trust me - I've taught student to fly for their CPL IR under the modular and the integrated paths and ** major shock alert ** the lessons were the same, only the fees varied..
Now.
In a booming marker of international airline expansion it CAN be worth going Integrated because *** and I have been in the room when this happened *** an airline Head of Flight Ops will just call up and ask for ten guys by a fortnight on Wednesday.
The Head of Flight Ops was in a meeting and it was agreed there, quite out of the blue, that Commercial see a profit in establishing 4 flights a day to Oasis. So an extra aircraft is ordered, in fact two and thus Head of Flight Ops now needs to put 12 Senior FO's on Command courses and recruit 12 new First Officers.
The quickest and easiest way to do this (assuming you are not Virgin who need thousands of hours as a minimum) is to pick up the phone and call OATS Cabair Jerez and speak to the Head of Training.
You say:
"I need 12 guys for the second week of Jan who are OK to take a type rating, give me a list of 24 by next Thursday and we'll interview them all and pick half, cheers, thanks for the Golf weekend last month by the way..".
the HoT says:
"No problem, we have loads of excellent young thrusters and we'll pick the best 24 this afternoon for you to interview and don't worry about the golf weekend, we'll do it again soon and this time we'll go somewhere REALLY exotic..".
HoT then calls the CFI who then gather together his instructors. He then huddles up nd decided who are the best 24 students graduating in late Dec to late Jan. This list is then sent to the Head of Training.
The HoT then takes this list and alters it so that the premium customers who paid most for their training are put forward. After all, we have to protect the revenue stream that pays all the mortgages.
And SO. It is worth going Integrated at a time of airline hiring boom. Because you are in the place where names go on lists who go into airlines. Your premium buys you that POSSIBILITY.
Me. The odds are too long on a £30k bet for my liking. You can do a Modular course for £40k and you'd be lucky not to spend £70k on some of the Oxford courses.
As airline hiring crashes to a halt (as it is doing) the odds only get longer.
But you go on and persuade yourself that you are older or more suited or whatever and go and spend the money.
WWW