I wonder why my post has been added/moved to this thread as it had very little to do with "am I too old"... I simply mentioned my age but I had much more than just "am I too old?" in my post... who can I contact about returning this to it's own thread?
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
From reading your post, Im guessing you are originally a Filipino who has immigrated to the UK to work as a nurse.
That is correct!
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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!
Lots of reasons... but here's one that exactly happened to me... I was able to come to the UK because I was in the right place at the right time with the right qualifications. I never wanted to be a nurse when I was younger; I took up Nursing because it was "in demand" at the time I took the course but by the time I finished it (it's a 4-year course), the USA had introduced visa retrogression almost a year prior which resulted in a lot of nurses with licenses and employers in the USA still stuck in the Philippines as the US Embassy would only issue a limited amount of visas per year. There were nurses who finished their courses 2-4 years prior to me, worked alongside me for 2 years, and were still stuck in the Philippines while I moved on to work in the UK. A few of them remained in the Philippines for another 4-6 years after that! So I am very much aware of the idea that hiring practices may change... but if I did not take the risk and study nursing, if I did not apply for a job as a nurse (I almost went for a call center agent job because it paid 20-40% better!), then it would not matter what opportunities arrived as I was not qualified to get it. A comfy call center agent job may be making good money in the Philippine economy, but that is nothing compared to what a "poor" RN is making in the UK today. "You have to be in it to win it," I think is the best phrase.
I would not want to be a pilot if the money is worse than what I'm making now... "childhood dreams" have no place if I cannot fulfill my responsibilities as a father/husband/provider. A "poor pilot" at £30K year is at the start of his career (at least that's what my research shows as a starting FO might make). The basic pay of a "top" Band 5 nurse is £28K, that's after at least 5 years of working as an RN.... whereas the pilot is only at the start of his career. This is one of the reasons I went looking for other jobs in the first place... then thought about "what if I were to make my childhood dream a reality **AND** get a good wage as well?"
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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?
Simply,
THIS! It may be cheap, but like I said, sometimes, if it's too good to be true... my driving test many years ago consisted of me driving my instructor to a party he needed to go to, he then signed my form, then sent me back to the office where I turned in the form and got my official driver's license!
I don't want to be stacking the deck AGAINST me any further than it already is
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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!
That is good to know, thanks! However, my initial point still remains... I cannot afford to drag this out. I've spoken with my manager today and the most I can get is 12 months sabbatical leave... I would rather get training done fast and be looking for jobs earlier rather than stretch out the training and miss out on opportunities for employment along the way. At the most, I could probably do a small part of the training (4-6 month PPL or hour building if following the 2Fly programme or ATPL exams if following other integrated programmes ), go back to work for a few months, then go back on a longer sabbatical to finish off the training and requirements.
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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.
Apparently not as good as I thought! I wonder if that's just for my department though... I'll need to dig into this a bit more as I wouldn't put it past my manager to lie to squeeze me.
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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.
That's exactly the issue. I'm not married into the idea of flying just in Europe. I am in the UK because it's where the job is... my only reason for not going to the Middle Eastern countries was because I knew nurses could work there for 20-30 years but would still have to go home after this time... at least in the UK, we were able to apply for citizenship which opens a lot more doors for me and my family. With that done, I've no qualms of flying for the Middle Eastern countries or even going back to Asia/SE Asia and working there. The obvious advantage of being able to land a job with a European airline is that I may not have to uproot my family in the process, but I think that's about it.
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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.
Thank you for the advice! What I wonder specifically is how much weight should I give to schools that advertise ties to airline companies vs. schools who just offer courses. For example, 2Fly, CTC, and CAE Oxford all advertise their placement programmes, whereas my local flight school also offers CPL(A), Multi Engine Pistion, IR, Ab Inition ATPL, Night rating, FI, and other courses as well, but no mention of airline connections.
Originally Posted by
MaverickPrime
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.
This is very true and is in fact my first stop in this adventure. It will not matter if I am the hottest airline pilot ever born if I can't get a Class 1 Medical. I have a few issues -- contact lenses, gallstones (non symptomatic), asthma (well controlled), and a good belly (comfort eating after a long and stressful shift) -- but from what I've read, they should not be an obstacle, but I never know until I have gone for a medical examination.