Jam yesterday Jam tomorrow
Training to become an airline pilot at your age is possible
However, I know many who started late that have never
done anything more than instructing (as yet) They have
mortgaged themselves into middle age and beyond....
Even though everybody says recruitment will pick up
There has never been a shortage of pilots with the minimum fATPL qualification to start the multicrew type rating courses that the airlines provide.
Unfortunately when the airline do recruit they tend to prefer
1. Selected, not self-selected candidates
2. Age commensurate with experience (High hours)
3. The youger the better >40 is 'iffy'
4. Integrated Approved not Modular
Simply put there have and I suspect there always will be too many pilots chasing too few jobs and too many airline seats chasing too few passengers. This is not opinion look at the
adverts in the papers the airlines are cutting each others throats
MyTravel (ex Airtours) is on the verge of something bad
its share price has plummeted BAs are around a quid - below its
asset value!!
A lot of consolidation will need to take place in Europe before all this is settled and it wont be pretty.
Add on the fact that the JAA have increased the cost and difficulty
of the exams and flight tests and simultaneously opened up the flood gates to all of Europes redundant pilots to take the few jobs remaining and it becomes even less pretty.
On the positive side recruitment is up and many of the 1134 pilots
in the UK pilots that lost their jobs after 9/11 are in work again
Some have retired.
Of course there is the small matter of the Gulf War II that will push up oil prices and reduce peoples travel aspirations but that
may pass quickly.
Its high risk taking up this game and many of the 10,000 UK ATPL holders and UL 4,000 CPL holders with IR will continue to exist at the bottom of the food chain....
Give consideration to using the money for buying a part share in a C172 and flying your family round Europe as another option...
Mind you it wont be as cheap as flying them Ryanair but it may be more fun..
On the other hand if you have a lot of time and money at your disposal go for it ..... ie if it goes pair shaped you can put it down to experience...
Last edited by RVR800; 31st Oct 2002 at 13:39.