Originally Posted by
Nurse2Pilot
I am considering a career in one of my childhood dreams even at the "late" age of 35.
From reading your post, Im guessing you are originally a Filipino who has immigrated to the UK to work as a nurse. If so, I understand why you probably ended up becoming a nurse, as my lady is also a filipino nurse moving to the UK to work. I would suggest that you list the reasons why becoming a pilot is your dream, and then assess if they are really good enough reasons to put yourself through the long and risky process of becoming a pilot!
Originally Posted by
Nurse2Pilot
guessing this issue has been done to death, but I, too, am having issues with financing. While I am currently a British Citizen and living in the UK with my wife and two sons, the rest of our families are back "home" in the Philippines and thus, most of the financing options (secured against property in the UK) are unavailable to me. I'll have to find another way to raise the funds for this new "adventure."
Have you ever thought of training back ph, its a lot cheaper and you might be able to get your first gig in PAL, Cebu Pacific, air asia etc. It maybe worthwhile checking this out?
Originally Posted by
Nurse2Pilot
I've heard/read that airlines prefer Integrated as opposed to Modular so I'd like to stack that in my favor.
Completely wrong I'm afraid. Maybe 5 or 6 years ago you could have argued that integrated was the best option, but not now. There are a lot more viable alternatives available out there for modular trained pilots. Look into, FTE Jerez and L3s modular route, the Wings Alliance, Kura aviation and even Ryanair's APC through CAE aviation. Also, speak to modular pilots who have got jobs, don't believe all the glossy
PR nonsense from the big schools!
Originally Posted by
Nurse2Pilot
also currently employed full-time and I believe I can take an 18-24 month sabbatical and return to my current job while waiting for an airline offer; I'd rather do this than stretch out the training over several years. I don't mind job-hunting for a year or two as I continue working in the healthcare sector; I don't want to be juggling work and study for a year or two. With my current job, I can afford a reasonable loan on a 12-15 year payment term if I do end up with a CPL/fATPL but no airline job.
The career breaks available in the NHS are fantastic, I suggest you take full advantage of it. perhaps you could get your PPL and hour building done in your spare time and when you are ready to do the ATPLs and CPL/MEIR you could take your career break. It would allow you the necessary time to focus on your training plus you can always return to nursing when your done. It would also give you the peace of mind that you have a job to return to in order to service any loans payments you might have as a result of your training.
Originally Posted by
Nurse2Pilot
next hurdle is the training itself. UK and EASA or USA and FAA? I don't understand either EASA or FAA enough to appreciate the difference.
If you want to work for a European airline you will absolutely need an EASA fATPL licence. You can train in the USA and then convert to EASA at a later stage. I'm not an expert on how to do this, but there are plenty of people and threads on this forum who can explain the process.
I would also add, there are benefits to training at the big schools like FTE or CTC, but there is increasingly a lot more modular outfits who can offer the same benefits. Where, when and how much money you want to spend on your training will be down to you. All I can suggest is to do lots and lots of research and take your time before making any decisions.
Also, get your class 1 medical booked, I'm sure as a nurse you will know if your healthy, but you can't fly professionally as a pilot without a class 1.