Shall I start with the "ad nauseam" as well...?
Sorry, I slept through my classes of Latin and Greek...
Talking about the favorite subject voiced by our wannabees -
"Which school", or "where do I train" and "what licence"...?
xxx
As a recently retired pilot, many years with the airlines, the above never crossed my mind.
Oh, true, many kids asked me "Sir, how do I become an airline pilot...?" -
My answer always was -
(1) Finish school and get a good education, with sciences and math subjects.
(2) Become a military pilot for a few years and get their excellent (and free) training.
(3) Get accepted as a cadet, sponsored by an airline. At worst, a training bond.
(4) And if that does not work - last choice... pay (a fortune) for your training...
xxx
The last few years of my career, I was often behind a desk in the training department.
I was at times asked to sit with HR manager and/or chief pilot to select new hires.
At the interviews, we never asked much about "which school" did you go to.
A licence is a licence. Each airline has minimum standards and qualifications.
To be a first officer, you need a CPL/IR/ME...
And of course, the ATPL written exams or a type rating is nice to have, or required.
Some airlines could take you with as little as 300 hours, some 1,500 or 2,000.
xxx
A log book with hours in a C-152, or C-172, or PA-28 is fine. Pardon me, you have C-206 time too...!
Fact is, some of us do not even know the difference between a 152 and a 172.
Certainly, the airline HR managers do not even have a clue.
For us, it is all "single engine light aircraft" time... period.
xxx
I never had the situation of a candidate who "bought" 100 hrs of line training in a 320/737.
I believe that "buying experience" is NOT a yardstick for qualifications.
You are rich, fine - but I prefer an applicant who made other types of effort to qualify.
Licences required, yes... education, yes... money does not impress me.
You can have a BMW or a Mercedes. I just have an old Peugeot 205...
So with me, you would not stand a single chance to be considered.
Nor if you offer yourself as "free F/O current 320 on Ebay".
xxx
If you went to Oxford University, or Pasadena City College does not matter much.
Same for the "Aviation Academy" you attended for your licence.
Podunk Aeroclub can get you the same licence for the fraction of the cost.
All CPL/IR/ME licences are... the same. Your ticket to the RHS of an airliner.
Modular or integrated...? What is that animal... Which one teaches ILS proficiency better...?
xxx
My advice as former airline captain is simple -
(1) Do your training in your country, for licences issued by your country's CAA.
(2) Do it near home, to save on travel and living expenses, for 1 year or longer.
(3) If you are, say from UK, i.e. why in hell do a US/FAA licence training...?
(4) Try by all means to join an airline in your home country.
(5) If necessary, study the English language. Aymara or Guarani is not needed for ICAO R/T.
Sorry if my English spelling is "favorite" for 'favourite' and "program" for 'programme'.
That is the way I learned your language in one of your ex-colonies.
xxx
With current worldwide economic problems, there are 100 applicants for very few openings.
And sorry to be nasty, but I have thrown CVs in the "circular file" under my desk... poor spelling.
Old farts like me are the people who select you at the job interviews.
Sorry if our older generation attach importance to education and culture...
That is the way it was in the past century, and will remain so for the next few years.
xxx
You all want to be A-380 captain in 2020... right... salary will be better.
But many will have to settle to be flight instructor, part time or full time.
Or a career to fly little boxes at night in a Skyvan.
Or do "sightseeing flights" on sundays in summer, or tow banners and gliders.
No need to mortgage a house and spend €75,000 in training for that.
And a job with Air Baluchistan based in Quetta as ATR F/O is not my idea of a career.
xxx
On the roads, there are cars, taxis, limousines, buses, trucks to drive, if you love motoring.
Same in aviation... we all are pilots, from the Cessna/Pipers to the Airbus/Boeings.
We all claim "to love aviation"... ok then. Get in the air.
xxx
Good luck to all -
And as usual, disregard the above, as it comes from an experienced pilot.
All I paid (actually my mother paid) was a PPL... to end as a 747 TRE/TRI.
Happy contrails