PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - From zero to CPL and FI: Cost in UK (Merged)
Old 22nd Jul 2010, 04:55
  #47 (permalink)  
MartinCh
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: UK, US, now more ɐıןɐɹʇsn∀
Age: 41
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Hi there.

I don't want to discourage you, but without working your ass off for years, making it through to fly/get trained in forces, having luck owning property to be sold/remortgaged, inheriting something of that kind, at your age.. Nigh impossible.

I know how you feel. I've loved flying since I was kid, with special 'zing' whenever a chopper flew past, saw a picture or used to draw crappy pics of Jetranger before I even knew 206. Hot Shotz series with RC heli with camera, OMG. Blue Thunder movie, yay. That poor 'beefed up' Gazelle looked like Apache to me when I was a kid. Well, wasn't born in UK or US to have any luxuries and options in the past.
That's country (after splitting up) with 50 (FIFTY) commercial/ATPL heli pilots, most/all of them trained in forces in the past, old salts, with 1 (ONE) PPL(H) on local CAA register.

It's possible, but very arduous way to get into heli flying for living. Very. Especially as GBP value slumped against USD and not likely to recover to 2:1 or better, to save us few grand, training in the US. I finally 'got lucky', if it could be said, with some money in accounts, from inheritance and land sale (mom's), although due to exchange rates against dollar, it's a disaster of a value now. Still can't reject it.

Problem is, even if you somehow manage to get funding for PPL and finish it, it's just the beginning of long road. It's easier to break into heli in the US thanks to licensing, although jobs were never easy to get, very, very likely as instructor first. The Yanks also had it easier in the past regarding loans for whole training. Nice. Thanks to credit crunch, SilverState collapse, Sallie Mae etc don't do unsecured high loans anymore.

There's lots of resources in Rotorheads if you search and go through FAQs.
European licensing is much tougher, as the hours requirements to finish up FI rating, are higher. Whichever way, heli flying is expensive, even if you just rent/hourbuild.

If you can't get any funding from land/property at all next decade or two, work out back up plan/job/studies, that'd pay well to be able to make it.
Don't forget, flight crew in the UK (RAF/Navy) applications until 24yo, so try it out and see.

There's also no use of scraping years for PPL when you'd have to spend 3-5x more to qualify for job. Don't let the minimum CPL hours mislead you. You could get a job, legally, but insurance, company policies, experience required, all that, no way in hell. Even without European IR(H) - very costly affair, you'd need more hours for a chance to be sponsored by North Sea operators for IR rating and job with them, bonded, but from what I've read, it's less and less frequent and not likely with sub-200hrs.

You'd need to keep current, UK/JAA regulations, to keep the licence. You'd want to. Question is, how often you'd fly.
I've saved for years, slaving off in restaurants, night job, whatever, alongside my studies. I'm not youngest anymore, still studying, but engineering at least now.
Had I known the pain/disenchantment encountered over past years and future, I'd probably just fly gliders/PPL(A) for fun and focus on career that'd allow me to fly for fun.

Spare 50-80k? (GBP, depending on location, hours, luck, exchange rate, etc)
Then go for it. Do you want to save 10 or so years, killing your youth's free time, skimp on leisure expenses, travel, etc? Hmm, doable.
Or get highly paid job pronto and in few years it could be reality.

I'm flying gliders and tailwheel right now for fun, although will continue my rotary training later. If you really, really want it, it's possible. But don't be mad at anyone, especially not yourself if you have to save for years and realise it just may not be worth it, chasing dreams and not living life as it is, when you're young. It s.

Sorry for long-winded post, or own reflective blah blah, but I wanted to give you an idea. Be very aware of all the stuff ahead, read up ANO/LASORS/JAA FCL pertaining to helicopter licensing, check out some big schools in the US. At current rates, Australia, South Africa, NZ, none of them cheaper, their low rates..
Only rich/-ish people fly helicopters as a hobby. Most try to work flying them.
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