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Old 12th April 2008 | 14:51
  #8 (permalink)  
mikehammer
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 387
Likes: 1
From: Scotland mainly, rather than at home.
As something towards an answer to the original question, I was told early in my training by a more experienced student that it always costs more than you think. At the time I thought he was just having a bad day, but it turned out that he was more right than I thought possible.

I reckon the total cost in hard cash was probably closer to £55,000 including accommodation, books, travel, resits (JAA was new and there were NO question banks, is my excuse). Also an astute Gill Airways pilot (they are no longer operating unfortunately - I wonder where he is now, Danny, is all I can remember of his name) told me to allow for a fail or two in flight tests, to be on the safe side. Good advice, and if you don't need it, well it's a bonus.

The cost is far larger if you take into consideration the real costs of selling a house (and losing the increase in its value during training), lost income if you leave a good job, not being able to keep up any pension policies you may have started, and interest on your professional studies loan, which I am still paying off - and which saw me to the end when the money ran out.

It's all worth it in the end, when going to work no longer seems like work.

Good luck.
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