The way I see it !
Please excuse my ramblings but have been deep in conversation with people in the industry earlier and some conclusions follow: . .. .I will have soon saved enough money to commence training for the cpl/ir atpl etc, and I plan to start early next year to earn my wings. . .I have travelled to many a flight training show,spoke to people from each school and visited some of the schools and of course kept my foot in the door in my local flying club just to know the score all in an attempt to choose both the right school and course (mod/int)to achieve my dream.. .My decision had settled on an intergrated course with one of the larger fto's of which at the end of it I would be completely broke with slim pickings for a job in an airline let alone an instructors job,I would not even have the cash to gain my instructors rating anyway.My situation would be placing me alongside hundreds of others and my license from a flash fto would lose its gloss and I would struggle to stay current unless I was extreemely lucky in employment.. .I feel been financially sound not just for the full course but also be comfortable after training to stay current or apply for the likes of ryanair or ctc's scheme is of utmost importance.I do not mean to sound pessimistic or miserable but I like most of you's have wanted this all my life and feel the most important step is the one you make in choosing what route to follow.If there is one thing I have learned over ten or fifteen years of bumming around the airfield its that those who planned better and especially in regard to cash were the sucessful ones, I have seen countless people blow there cash leaving them with no choice but to return to boring job/college.. .Even before sept 11 when industry was good I saw a few people coming back from intergrated course's broke and no job,Granted the likes of Aer lingus and BA would favour those from oats or bae and only intergrated cadets,but there was equally alot of intergrated cadets not finding employment aswell,on the other side modular students were finishing courses and some were finding jobs maybe not as many as the intergrated students but it certainly was not a dead end.. .Now with the lack of hiring it seems cadets from both mod/int courses are on an equal footing,. .the extra cash you may save on a modular route could pay for your instructors rating or hour building and generally staying in the industry, This I think tips the balance back for modular students.. .As far as quality of training goes well it depends on the individual and the will to suceed not entirely on where or how you did the course. Out of all the pilots flying, how many do you think actually went intergrated at a large fto.. .I have seen a hugh majority of instructors and students who went through my local flying club join the airlines. . .As you may have quessed I have re-thought my plan and now consider modular on a full time basis as a secure route,I would have the cash for the intergrated course but like I said probably shoot myself in the foot financially.Since I believe I will make the grade not the fto I feel going modular to be a more prudent choice,plus I will have 20 to 30 thousand extra in my pocket after for nothing but what I should be doing "flying".. .I decided to post this not to reassure myself of my decision but just to air my view. . .I have heard all the sucess stories of intergrated students but they were just stories,I had no proof, The proof I have seen is plenty of lad's/lassies from local who went modular or instructed and now fly with carriers.. .The industry of course will pick up but not in the same way, the larger cariers will probably favour the larger fto's again but if the market is good enough for that the modular student with more experience is just as good a bet. So which way should you go, well like me I think you will feel whats best for yourself but don't let the fto's decide for you, I got caught up in all there hype for ages, until the last few weeks or so when an increase in intergrated course prices went up and I sat down and addressed it all from another angle. I honestly do not feel I would be in any disadvantaged situation if I went modular,If I went intergrated I would have paid 20 or 30 grand more for a name and assured method of training now seems to me to be less important and equally balanced by twin hour building or instructing. . .Anyway thats all for now, good night and happy flying. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="redface.gif" />