Dear all,
If, like me, you're totally disinterested in this MPL scheme, please ignore this post.
However those of you who are interested in applying, please consider your fellow aviators before you apply - as by showing interest in this scheme, you'll be showing the likes of OAA, CTC and easyJet that wannabe pilots really are stupid enough to pay over the top prices for a professional qualification which is worth so much more to us in terms of decent working conditions, stable rosters, quality crew food and other associated benefits that (used to) come from working for an airline.
Save yourself the bother of circa £110,000 debt by going modular. No seriously, I'm not joking! You know that thing that Oxford and CTC probably told you wouldn't give you a hope in hells chance of getting an airline job? Well the truth is that they just tell you that so you come to them gagging for a position on one of their Top Gun-esque hero pilot courses. The truth is that you've probably got just as much of a chance of getting a pilot job as anyone else.
Why modular? Well there are lots of great reasons why to follow the likes of many captains who are flying for major airlines these days. (Yes, those guys who are taking you on holiday every year probably didn't go to OAA or CTC - they more than likely went modular).
Firstly you're going to save yourself tonnes of money by not paying for the FTOs big flashy sponsored conscription events like the one at Heathrow a few weeks ago. Oxford were giving out branded baseball caps and mugs with logos printed on - yep, thats your money being spent right there - not on your training, on their propaganda.
You'll be able to work whilst training. Who said you have to chuck all your training down on a massive slab of delicious debt? Why not try working for a while before you embark on what will be the most proving and testing few years of your life. Build up a great network of friends in the right places by going to work for an airline for a few years. Most of you are probably just about to finish A Levels. Why not enjoy life a little before haemorrhaging debt like an Icelandic bank?
Thirdly having to organise your own training and working schedule is going to show those future airlines that you're more than able to work to deadlines, to set yourself targets and to think outside the box when the poop hits the fan. I have many friends in the industry who are in influential positions within flight crew recruitment departments. The truth is, and not many people will tell you this, is that they're usually not too keen on those "model pilots" that CTC and OAA produce and that they've generally got more respect for the good guys who have made it on their own, through the highs, the lows and the chipped nails! They like the modular guys because they remind them of themselves when they were starting out - and thats going to work in your favour when the likes of Monarch, Jet 2, BMI regional/baby, BA City Flyer, Ryanair and easyJet inevitably get so desperate for pilots that they welcome invites from low hour lads and lasses.
I work for easyJet - and I talk to CTC/OAA pilots every day. They're up to their eyeballs in debt, some have £80-100K they have to find. For the first 8 months of flying they're being paid a flat £1,200 after tax (yes thats not enough to pay the monthly loan repayments). After that magical 8 months they're then on to a lovely £43 per scheduled block hour. Scheduled NOT actual. What was printed on the roster. If you get stuck in Malaga for 8 hours you're working for free my friend. When you're sitting fat, dumb and happy in the middle of winter with 22 hours on your roster you're only going to be paid £946 for that months work - and thats before tax.
All I'm asking of you is to think about what you're letting yourself in for. If you're not going to think about yourself then please think about us, your fellow aviators. Over the last 10 years airlines have taken advantage of us, they recognised that some of us were happy to settle up with £100K debt. They saw this and ran for miles, which is why we've ended up here with a MPL scheme thats going to cost you £110K all inclusive.
By the way, you're better off getting yourself a real licence for much cheaper. A little birdie told me you can get a CPL ME IR and MCC for half the price (shh it's a secret!).
If that hasn't discouraged you, then I can see what you're thinking. You're sitting there in the right hand seat of an A319 about to push back from Gatwick to head down to Faro. You've got your 2 silver stripes on your shoulders and your RayBans in close range. You're living a dream, and that's all it is. It's not a dream, it's dire, and it's only going to get worse and worse. The reason why? Things like this horrendous scheme brought to you by the bad guys.
They're only interested in your money, they don't care about you - at the end of the day you're just a number to them, if you pass your exams and get a good average you'll be a very good number to them, but that is all.
Don't be that person. Please.