Shouldn't that be the very very lucky very few.
yes! I thought that point was clear when I stated:
I would be astonished if even 1% of anybody who expresses an opinion here or reads these threads were to embark on this route. Of those that do embark upon substantive training towards the goal of a CPL, I would be just as surprised if more than 5% embarked (by choice or selection) to an airline orientated integrated CPL/IR course with one of the major players in this market. However, some will, and it is from this group that the fast track opportunities (however few or many there are at any given point in time,) are likely to be found.
When you say:
And earning 30k with no debt and living near a regional airport will give you loads more disposable income than paying the tax man loads of cash and paying through the nose for accommodation etc.
is why I suggest that your logic may require a little help from
Amnesty International. Where does this "
no debt" come from? Are you seriously suggesting that all of these pilots struggling to raise funding for their training, and selecting modular training courses as a result, have
no debt? Do you think that the majority of
wannabes (with any serious intent) are looking for an income that avoids "
paying the taxman loads of cash"? The vast majority of people would be happy with anything that does indeed keep them flying, and keeps the wolves at bay. I would be very surprised and disappointed if all but a tiny minority wouldn't welcome any "
stepping stone" opportunity with arms open wide. However, if you think this is the end goal for most people borrowing £50K or £90K and looking for a rewarding career in aviation, I think you might be barking up the wrong tree.
I don't doubt there are a few people who would be perfectly happy (initially at least) regarding a job in small regional airlines as a career. For them I would say ignore everything I have written, because you probably would be wasting your money in some cases. I don't doubt there are many more pilots who would be delighted to receive a
stepping stone opportunity with a view to jumping on the next (better)
stepping stone at the first opportunity. May the "
stepping stones" be large, vacant and plentiful, would be my wish, (sadly they aren't.)
Then there are those looking for the
fast track opportunities. Whether this be because they are particularly ambitious, the perceived kudos, or because it is the only direct route to the best levels of remuneration in the industry, or indeed any combination of the above, the choices are simply much more limited. Telling them otherwise is simply untrue. Telling these people to save themselves some "
cash" by taking a route that will largely preclude them from this option, simply serves to hide the reality.
I have said it so many times, but will say it again. This is not a career for the fainthearted. It is an extremely expensive, frustrating and difficult career to break into. The paths to the top are littered with bodies. The pitfalls and traps are many, and a lot of people fall into them. If you are determined, resourceful and have the ability, then research....research....and keep researching, until you are satisfied with the risk that you may be assuming. There are routes to the pinnacle, and there are a few
fast track rides to get there as well. In the case of the latter (and certainly the former) they come with
no guarantees, and an enormous amount of risk.
Mad_Jock states that:
the market you obviously have zero clue about which is normally cruising 10-20,000 ft below you on a different frequency.
From his journey up the pole for the last few years, he might mistakenly think that, but I have been there and done that. Many times I have described the history of the last 30 odd years that has led to the current marketplace for
ab-initio and low hour pilots. The history is there for anybody who wants to read it. Strangely (or perhaps not) that history is never challenged. Todays integrated (CPL/IR) course is comparable to that (approved CPL/IR syllabus) in existence 30 years ago. Todays modular CPL/IR requires about a third of the experience levels of yesterdays (non-approved) CPL/IR course. These changes were brought about in order to align the Uk's licencing system with that in most other ICAO member states, where the CPL was more of an "aerial work" ticket, than an "Airline pilot" passport. Obviously this opened the floodgates to thousands of new pilots aspiring to a Commercial Pilots Licence, but still labouring under the idea that it would be their ticket to a first tier airline seat.
It wasn't 30 years ago, and it generally isn't now either!