Alright ,this will be a long ,long ,long road that I am prepared to take but it will be worth it and that feeling of doing it all through hard work will be much sweeter.Fast forward 7-8 years from today ,I see my self with my fATPL.
At 21 years old ,I have 3 kids a,3 step sons and a very supportive other half all in one roof.
I am currently working full time ,self employed doing security work and furniture delivery.I literally have no off days which means I end up with just over 2k a month. Some bills paid ,cash saved and reduced family time is the result.
No holidays ,fancy clothes or other treats that can all always come later in life.
I have around 30 hours of PPL training ,solo done and savings of 5k to get me through my PPL with the 6 exams left .I am hoping to be done by February - April depending on the weather and aiming to fly 10 hours a month.I think it is achievable.
Ideally by April I would like to have my PPL with me .In the meantime I will be saving £500+ a month until June to fund the Bristol ground school package which will cost around £3500 (test fees included)
After my PPL ,it is the ATPL theory and hour building to keep current .2 years from June 2017 I hope to have ATPL done and the 100+ hours needed to start CPL. This time frame will give me time to also put some money away for the CPL £7k at PTT Aviation which is where I intend to finish all my training.
N/B: It will probably be wise to also listen out on any fully sponsored cadet schemes such as the Aer lingus,BA ones etc.
I am estimating the CPL course to take me 3 - 4 months to complete subject to my availability and weather.By this time ,it will be nearing the end of 2019.
After CPL I will get my ME then carry on working for the next 3 years to save up for the expensive IR.
IR done ,on to the MCC and JOC.
If no opportunities come up after this then I will save again to get my instructor rating and enjoy being a pilot and a teacher till bigger doors open.
I believe it is one of the best ways to do it if you are not blessed with rich parents or other quick access avenues .
My jobs are secured as the companies I work for are very established and we are currently expanding
My advice to fellow inspiring pilots is do not get pressured when you see 18/19 year olds being offered jobs at various airlines through such and such ATO. You simply do not have to sell your grandma to become a pilot .Keep your head up ,work hard and remember if it is your ultimate dream then you will achieve it !
I am not experienced enough but I have spoken to a lot of people in the industry and as you probably already know ,it mostly about who you know.It is a small world. A close relative who is a captain could not stress how many CV`s literally end up in the bin .
Point is ,have an open mind ,train ,build your network and keep your log book clean. At least that is what I intend to do.
I will post back in April to update on my training
