There seems to be something I notice among many posters here on the forum. At my age many might think I am to old to start going for a CPL, however there is also something else positive for "us", in these credit crunch times. There are not going to be to many youngsters coming trough the next couple years, because they are not going to be able to borrow money on mummies and daddies house. The unlimited credit which has been around the last decade, is going to be gone.
I do see a trend of many people with 40K or more in debts, just finished the CPL, and ready to go. Maybe they are brainwashed by flying schools brain wash machine, to get the students to sign on with them, before it is to late, and they will loose the "last chance" to get a pilot job.
Getting hurried into intergrated courses, because it is the fastest way to get into the airlines jets, makes me wonder why real pilots want the fastest way into airline jets?
Of course I would not want to refuse to get there myself, but it is the journey before the prospecting pilots should enjoy. The airline jets are massive flying oversized buses flown by computers, what would be the major enjoyment of having to do that for the next 45 years, if you finish with ATPL at 20.
Why would you not want to fly more challenging hands on flying? At least withing your career you will have more variation and more challenges.
I am sure if I had done my dream when I started at 18, and finished with CPL and gone to work with airlines, I would probably at the end of my career after 40 years as a pilot been dead bored of life, I know a mate of mine, same age as me, captain for Cathay 747, living in Hong Kong, wife in Brazil, and he is dead bored by the job, he achieved all his dreams, but enjoys more when he takes a glider at his old hometown, once every 6 months.
Point is that experience in life should be variated, and the day you get that dream job, expect that one day that will not be your dream job.
I chose something else 20 years ago, because I did not want my mother to risk her house with a huge mortgage, that was my only way, I could not live that responsability on my back. There are now prospective pilots/students around the world with that exact burden on their back, how does that feel? And is that a safe pilot, who every time goes to work does not know if he can manage his debts then next 12 months? Will such a burden be a pshycological effect on a pilots performance?
I would think it would, and I think youngsters of today should think about this, before they risk to much of "other peoples money"
How easy is it to loose money that you have not worked for yourself, try to save some yourself, and see if you would take the same chances with your own money.
At my present time I am taking everything step by step, I have set out a 5 year plan to get where I want, if faster than great, if not at least I gave it one proper go. Maybe the career advice given at schools are misleading, because it would not be so tempting if you told prospective students you have to battle for the next 3 to 8 years before you stand any decent half chance to get a half decent job, in these years make sure you have a second job, and fly whatever wings you can get into.
Personally I will take modular, because it is the cheapest option for me, already having logged 120 hours from previous life, I will get this towards my CPL, even if it was almost 20 years ago. Being able to pay for IR / CPL/ ME and MCC, without borrowing one single penny is my aim, so even if it takes me 2 - 3 years, I will have a major advantage, as I will not need to worry about debts loaded on me. Many more could do the same, if they could just be a little more patient and build a better strategy for their career, specially in these hard up times for many.
One thing is very clear, all that goes up has to come down, and soon it will change and things will go back up again. Probably it will take another 2 - 4 years, before we will really feel a strong upturn in the travel business and airlines, still believe many airlines still trying to adapt, and thats why we have seen a few failures lately, but more people are flyig all the time. Heatrow another terminal, plans for more Runways, expansions everywhere, so there will be jobs there in the not to distant future.
Of all the pilots I know, all working with major airlines, they all took modular mode, and worked for many years before they got a proper job, they would fly anything that moved, and even one of them after more than 20 years in SAS, refuses to fly any of their jets, he only flys Twins/Turbo props - he was my first school chief already 20 years ago, at my local flying club, and he still is, and he is what I call a real pilot, and not a computer freak designer pilot - who we all want to be of course, but I would not have wanted that to be my first job as newly born CPL pilot.
Not knocking those who have this as their goal, but if you really love flying, than you would see that as required evil to be able to make a decent living, but as a young pilot you would want try something else first.
Credit party is over now, so maybe we get to see better times for everybody than?