Christ this thread makes me weep! I only qualified in 2007 and even back then things weren't this bad in terms of P2F. In fact only Ryanair and Astraeus charged for ratings. The fact is, as someone else said earlier, 737s and A320s are not entry level aircraft.
I was modular, throughout my training I kept in contact with many of those who were also doing ATPL writtens, IRs etc. out of those guys, probably around 20, I know of three, including myself that have jobs. One paid to go to Ryanair, he is now desperately trying to get out. One bought an instructors rating, instructed for about a year and by the end of the year had offers from both Eastern Airways and bmi regional. He chose bmi and is still there and the last I heard was about a year away from a command on the ERJ-145.
As for me, I networked like hell and travelled all over Europe during my hour building knocking on doors. I managed to get a job offer on a 19 seat turboprop with a small regional airline. The Chief Pilot who hired me said that he was impressed with my initiative to use my hour building wisely, flying to smaller companies and making contacts. He said he never hires people who just send in a CV or cover letter starting 'To whom it may concern' or 'Dear Sir/Madam'. He liked to see that people did their research on a company and really wanted to work there. Two days after finishing my CPL (I did my IR prior to my CPL), I was in ground school for my type rating.
After a year on the turboprop I applied via an agency for an 'exciting opportunity for low hour pilots'. The job was for a start up flying the A320. The only downside was that you had to pay way over the odds (£30k) for the rating, but it would be paid back to you over three years. I jumped at the chance, but in retrospect I realise now that the interview and 'selection' day was based purely on my ability to pay. I took out a loan, handed in my notice and started my rating. The company that I was supposed to be joining went out of business before it even started flying just as I was finishing my rating. That was four and a half years ago. Today I still have only 1 hour on the Airbus!
However, I had my turboprop experience to fall back on and was lucky to get a job 3000 miles away from home flying the same old piece of tin that I had started on at my first airline. I did that for another year and shortly after getting married I was lucky enough to get a job on the ERJ-145 in my wife's home country.
That A320 rating that I paid for has been nothing but a drain on me. I am still paying it off and I have to pay to get it renewed every three years or risk losing it under EASA. The small turboprop rating that my first company paid for for me kept me in work when the shiny jet thing didn't work out. It led me to my current shiny jet, albeit a 50 seat jet. I love the ERJ-145, it's a fantastic little aircraft. I still envy the bigger boys sometimes, but I know my turn will come, just like it did moving from the 19 seat turboprop on to the ERJ. The A320 rating which I thought would accelerate my career has been nothing but a pain. I need never have done it and I'd probably still have been able to make it to where I am today.
Today I am happy. My turn will come for the 737 or the A320 and then maybe in years to come a 777 or A380. Who knows? But enjoy the journey, that's what it's really about. I love my job. I love the 5am sunrises and flying over mountains on crisp sunny days at FL370, but it has still become a job. A job I love, but still just a job. When all is said and done I look forward to my time off, coming home to my wife and dog and spending time with family and friends.
Network, do your time, put in the hard work and in time it will happen if its meant to. I consider myself very lucky to have had a relatively easy path to where I am now. Many others have to instruct for years, and many will never even make it.
I do not know of one guy who started out in GA or Turboprops that didn't make it to where they wanted to go. I have friends at BA, Emirates and Virgin, all started at the bottom.
Last edited by EMB-145LR; 9th Feb 2013 at 11:41.