Going commercial
PPRuNers,
First of all, an introduction: Some of you will know me from other forums, or from the chat room, but this is my first post in Wannabes. I'm a private pilot - I got my PPL this July, after 10 months, and with 48 hours logged. Since then, I've built my total time up to around 70 hours, I'm 1.5 hours into a tailwheel conversion course - and I'm loving every minute that I spend in or around aeroplanes! But I've always said that I have no intentional of becoming a commercial pilot. After all, I have a perfectly good career in IT, and why ruin a hobby like flying by turning it into work?
However, things change. Due to various personal issues, I've begun to reconsider commercial flying. I have struggled to make the final decision for a short while, but yesterday my mind was made up for me by the possibility of redundancy. I don't believe that I will be forced to take redundancy, although it's a possibility. But I do have an opportunity to apply for voluntary redundancy - and receive a pay-off which would almost cover the cost of getting a frozen ATPL.
I've begun seriously researching what's involved, and after a few more thorough readings of Clive Hughes' book "How to become a commercial pilot" (or something like that) I think I may understand it, but at the moment it's still a bit vague. But I've started to formulate a plan anyway - almost certainly subject to change as I start to understand things a bit better!
I intend to apply for voluntary redundancy. Assuming the application is accepted, I'll then have a fairly large amount of money, and no job - the perfect opportunity to do some hour building. I'll finish off my tailwheel conversion course, and then probably get a night rating, in the UK. While I'm doing that, I'll make arrangements to spend probably 6-8 weeks in the States hour-building on as wide a range of aircraft as possible. I want to stay involved in general aviation and private flying, especially with vintage aircraft, aerobatics and formation/display flying, so I'd like to build up some tailwheel hours at the same time as moving towards the big jets, even if that means it takes more time and more flying hours before potential employers will look at me. I also plan on getting my multi-engine rating in the States.
After that, I'll come back to England and find another job in IT, while making a start on a distance-learning course for the ATPL exams. I'll then complete the rest of the training, as far as possible, part time, which I anticipate will take a couple of years. Hopefully by that time, the aviation industry will start to pick up again, and there'll be a job waiting for me..... (and pigs will fly, too!)
So that's it, in a nutshell. I'm still trying to get my head around exactly what the requirements are, what costs are involved, what's the best order to do things - as well as the chances of getting a job at the end of it, and the chances of finding more short-term work in IT to be able to fund it! And of course none of this will apply if my application for voluntary redundancy is rejected. But I need to make a firm decision soon - the deadline for voluntary redundancy applications is 19th October.
I'm sure I'll be back here with plenty of questions over the coming months and years! In the meantime, I'd welcome any comments, suggestion, encouragement or even discouragement!
Thanks for taking the time to read this,
FFF
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