PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Modular V Integrated (Merged) - Look here before starting a new thread!
Old 14th Mar 2011, 14:21
  #188 (permalink)  
Pelikanpete
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
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£65K for an integrated course seems like a very, very low estimate. A quick look at OAA prices showes £75K for the basic course and exam fees. Once you include the extra costs - food, accommodation, travel and also medicals, the OAA skills assessment etc. and you will have little change left over from £90K. Lets not forget that the majority of integrated OAA students who are lucky enough to get a job with an airline still go to Ryan Air meaning they will have to pay for a type rating, just like the modular students do.

The prices and need to pay for a type rating are similar for all the other integrated schools, some are in fact much higher. Also integrated schools would have to work very hard to convince airlines to take integrated students and give them a free type rating when that airline could instead take a modular student who is willing to pay for a TR. Ultimately the airlines are interested in reducing their costs rather than having the very best first officers - otherwise they would just ignore cadets and pay more to employ more experienced pilots who already hold type ratings.

A £50K budget for modular training is reasonable if you are including living expenses and exam fees etc. Meaning a total of about £80K for modular with a type rating and £120K integrated with a type rating. Whether you work whilst doing modular training part time or just do full time modular training, the difference is still huge.

If you're funding the training with borrowed money, the extra interest alone would make a very significant difference. Paying back £120K plus interest over the years would probably total more than £200K and have a significant impact on life, mortgages, children etc.

For the lucky ones who get a job, flying is one of the better jobs out there but I would be inclined to say its definitely not worth doing integrated training and actually not really worth doing modular either because the career offers little job security and rapidly deteriorating pay and conditions. Worst case scenario might be £90K or even £120K debt and no flying job ever - a nightmare that has and is coming true for many. The more people who ignore the warnings, the worse it is for those already qualified but unable to find work.

There will never be a shortage of inexperienced pilots - only a shortage of experienced ones willing to work for peanuts. Anyone who tells you otherwise should be regarded with suspicion.
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