What are my options?

[quaduplex]

Hi all,

I'm currently an airframe technician with the MOD, but due to start an I.T. job in March - again with the MOD. I have about 10 years experience mostly on fast jets and some rotary wing both in airframe and propulsion systems. Before that I was an MOD apprentice straight from school.

I have C&G Level 3 Aero, NVQ Level 3 Engineering Maintenance Mechanical, ECDL, a host of teamworking and supervisory courses and of course my apprenticeship deeds. My I.T./electronics experience goes back further than my aeronautical experience.

It's my intention to take a PPL course 'sometime', probably Florida. I've been studying all the Trevor Thom manuals and carrying out my own ground school.

Please forgive my ramblings, but I'd like to know what opportunities would be open to me and how attractive I'd look to sponsorship schemes.

Thanks for any tips,

Simon

[Pilot Pete]

quaduplex

Firstly welcome.

I think you are going to find sponsorship tricky, merely from the age perspective. You say you have 10 years experience so I am guessing that you are at least 27 years old? Not that many airlines are sponsoring at all at the moment due to market forces, but when they do they tend to have an upper age limit somewhere in the region of 27!

There are other schemes where you pay the cost of training (read the numerous threads on these pages) which I am sure you would still qualify for, but I am guessing you were really talking about airline funded schemes?

Sorry to be the bearer of (possibly) bad news.

Regards and best of luck.

PP

[quaduplex]

Hi PP,

Its worse than that!! I'm 29! :ugh:

I thought that would be the case anyway, after reading through previous posts.

I am concerned that I don't have high enough academic qualifications as most of my experience is hands-on.

I shall look into the self funded route.

Many thanks,

Simon

P.S. I'm also concerned when I do get to do a walk 'round, I'll be snagging every loose rivet and refusing to take the aircraft!! :D

[Bravo73]

(Apologies in advance for popping up on this forum but...)

Quad,

Please don't be concerned about 'snagging every loose rivet and refusing to take the aircraft!!' in the future.

That's exactly what the 'walk-around' is for.


Safe flying, everyone.

B73