Training
Hi, I thought I might try to answer your queries as a while ago I was in a similar position to you. I left the military in Jan 2007 at 40 years of age after 22 years as an aircraft engineer. I had been offered another 5 years of steady income in the military but I rejected it. I had done enough time to qualify for a big pay off and decent immediate pension deal and during my last couple of years I was spending 7-8 months of each year in Iraq away from my family. If I had stayed in I would now be spending 7-8 months of each year in Afghanistan. The pay off that I got from the military paid my training fees and the pension kept money coming in and late 2006/ early 2007 the employment prospects for newly qualified boys and girls were good.
I trained at a good modular school in the UK and finished everything in May 2008, just as we were entering recession and operators were going bust…..rotten timing. Since then I have had a couple of interviews but no solid job offer, I considered doing an instructors course but the market is full of unemployed instructors chasing no jobs at all. I have since gone back to my original profession as an engineering contractor which keeps a good wage coming in and allows me to keep my MEP and MEIR current while seeking that elusive first flying job.
Before you go committing large sums of money get a Class 1 medical (initial medical has to done with the CAA at Gatwick) you won’t be able to do any commercial training without a class 1 medical.
One thing that you didn’t say in your original post is whether or not you currently have a job, if you do have a job then you can do your PPL, Night Rating, Hours Building and ATPL written study part time while working. As I’m sure you’re aware the employment prospects for freshly qualified frozen ATPL holders are bleak (massive understatement) and even if things improved right now it would take many months (years) for the airlines to hoover up all the qualified, rated and experienced pilots currently on the dole before they look at freshly qualified boys and girls (unless they’re willing to pay to fly which is a different discussion).
Once you’ve got the ‘basics’ done you can get a CPL, MEP and MEIR on a full time basis in about 6 months (allowing for bad weather) and you can start these when you see definite improvements in recruitment. By doing this you will have stayed in employment and bringing in money for the maximum amount of time during training. Please please please do not borrow money to fund your training, no reputable lender will lend big sums of money without risking your family home as security and if you miss a payment on a loan from the type of people who will lend unsecured then you will rapidly end up ‘sleeping with the fishes.’
As far as money goes, choose a reputable school, add up the prices for the courses and add a realistic contingency of 20% (not everyone passes everything 1st time or in the minimum flying hours) the prices that the schools quote are the minimum that you will pay. Do not pay large sums of money up front as even reputable schools can go under with your money (HGFC at Wolverhampton for example).
Try to do your training in the UK rather than abroad and convert over here, I did a JAA PPL in US and was surprised how different and more difficult flying in UK airspace was compared to the states.
Finally make sure that your wife is on side, have a big honest heart to heart with her and discuss the positives and negatives. My wife was extremely supportive and I have not had to borrow money to finance training even so the rigours of training and lack of employment after qualification have caused some massive rows in the past.
I’m now working (albeit not flying) and I’ve probably now made enough money to pay back everything that I spent on training but its not been easy.
The ultimate decision has to be yours but make sure that your family are included at every stage and listen to their fears. Whatever you decide to do I sincerely wish you every success and please feel free to PM me if you want to know more specific stuff.
Cheers
MM