Easy way to become a profi pilot.

[Downburst]

Learning to become a professional pilot is expensive. However we numbercrunched a few ways and found there is a less expensive and financially less imposing way.

Now watch it - flying schools HATE this idea! It costs them Dollars in flying hours!

Focus on the 200 hours training. From the 200 hours set aside 30 hours of dedicated commercial training.

At first you do a PPL which, realistically, will take some 55 to 60 hours for the average person. Use the day VFR syllbus (free on the net on the CASA website) study the whole syllabus item by item. Sit the exams at your leasure.

You may even start studying the complete syllabus before you go flying and keep studying it. For your PPL you coiuld already sit for the CPL exams. You must note that you may sit your CPL exams without firstly passing PPL exams! If you passed your CPL exams you will have satisfied the PPL requirements and obtain a PPL. Check with CASA.

When you have your PPL (say in 50 hours) then do your flying as a holder of a PPL taking family and friends on trips under the legal cost sharing arrangement until you have accululated enough hour to have only 30 hours left to 200.

Take dedicated CPL training for 30 hours and then do your CPL.

Note that aircrfat hire rates are lower than solo training rates. The cost sharing means you get you flying on the cheap. According to some numbercrunching that could save up to $ 4,000 compared to a 150 hour course.

More important, you would have accumulated hours without supervision (training and you have experience carrying passengers who are not pilots. That makes you more attractive to employers.

However, there is not much time left. The proposed new CASR 141 and CASR 61 will put a stop to it. They are designed to force you into the big expensive pilot training saussage machines.

Check out yourself, get some aircraft solo rates and hire rates and some formulae in a speadsheet will surprise you.

Cheers

[Non Normal]

While you're at it, as soon as you get the CPL exams + PPL, study for and take the ATPL exams. From what I believe, you do not need to have the CPL issued, only the full CPL exam pass, to sit the ATPL exams.

[Squawk7700]

Better still... why waste all that money in the first place?

Get your unrestricted Recreational Aircraft licence for around $3,500, then do total of 45 hours (only 20 more than the licence), bypass GFPT COMPLETELY, do your PPL in as little as a few hours, pass all the CPL exams whilst you're doing it. Then private fly to your heart's content in U/L or GA, then do the CPL training and flight test.

[scrambler]

30 Hours CPL training?
From the day you get your PPL do as much in controlled airspace as you can and fly at the CPL standard whilst you accumulate solo time.
If your flying school requires you to complete 30 hours of extra flying when you already meet the standard for a CPL test you should move on to the next school.
BTW when I did my CPL (400 hrs) it was a couple of navs to check that I was at the required standard and then I did the test.
I did have offers from several “professional” flying schools of a syllabus of a minimum of seven dual navs with some solo consolidation. (Though they say most need more than that).

[Downburst]

Non Normal is correct. You do not have to hold a CPL to be permitted to sit for the ATP exams, you only need to have the CPL exams passed.

I know a lot of people who studied all the theory and passed all the exams. After that they undertook flight training, flew their arse off and got the CPL pretty fast.

Squak7700 idea is terrific! Never though about that one.

Scrambler, you are absolutely right. However, some are not as fast and some need guidance. The suggested 30 hours usually suit most. If someone like you knows what is required and operates the aircraft accordingly every time he flies a lot less than 30 hours of CPL training will be necessary.

[locusthunter]

1. Buy pants, tie, shirt, four gold bars, wings and Microsoft flight sim, so you are a real pilot.
2. Go down to the pub and blow $40K on all the drinks you want for anyone who takes ya fancy.
3. Get the crappiest car you can find, drive all over the country in the heat and offer to work for someone who only pays you for the hours you piss.
4. Maintain hope that you will one day get a decent job, but make sure that this employer asks you for another $40K first so that you can operate the flush button.

[Ash767]

Ah ah, well said locusthunter.

I like your bit about 1. Buy pants, tie, shirt, four gold bars, wings etc. I can recall when a mate and I were in Qld doing our ATPL subjects. There was an instructor dressed to the nines, we regularly saw him climbing into a C152. He hence got the nick name Capt 152.

Ash:ok:

[Centaurus]

While building up training hours toward the CPL, there is nothing to stop you using those hours toward an instrument rating. While flying dual CPL cross-country simply go under the hood for part way on each leg and log instrument flight hours toward the instrument rating. Saves you a couple of thousand dollars if you intend to progress eventually to a command instrument rating. Most light aircraft used for PPL and CPL training have an ADF and VOR/ILS so conduct one of those approaches during each flight, where practicable.

Also don't be conned into using written checklists. At anything from four dollars to eight dollars a minute on the ground engines running VDO time, reading and answering a checklist will add at least $40 per flight.

[Reverseflowkeroburna]

Yeah, don't be conned into using checklists.................They might make you more professional!!!! Let's face it, none of the airlines use them do they?

Ash, what's your point re: Capt 152? :confused:

[carro]

All good saving this money, in flying less hours, but has anyone thought that operators want more hours not less.

But i do wish i had thought of these money savers before but meh i'm happy doing what i'm doing... even if it is costing an arm and a leg!

[Mr.Buzzy]

Centaurus,
Im very much with you on this one!

Some of the items that are on a C152 checklist used by some flying schools are ridiculous! ie "Throttle ------ Forward" when a takeoff clearance is issued. And on downwind.."Landing gear----- Down" in a fixed gear aeroplane!

Some of these joints are there to scam as much money from people as possible and some of the crazy ideas that are being taught is plain old hat!

Why not check the controls thoroughly while the engine is not running? you're not paying for it then and you are more likely to hear a problem!

Sure use a checklist, just keep it to items that are going to kill you!

Reverseflowkeroburner - there's nothing professional about teaching students to taxi around at night, head down reading a stupid item from a stupid checklist ie. taxi light!

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[Reverseflowkeroburna]

Mr. B.........Agreed. Maybe some of those advocating the use of checks are doing so as a dollar spinner. Those using them correctly.....ie. As a "Check" list and not as a "Do" list, would find that they add little time to getting airborne.

I am equally in agreeance to the undoubtable fact that handling the aircraft has priority. If this means one has to stop.......then so be it!

On the topic of money spinners that I've seen used over the years, one of the more subtle but effective, was that of offering a cheaper hourly rate, but also teaching the students and hirers to use a very low power setting. It always took that particular operator an extra 0.2 to/from the local training area, and the "poor" cash cows in the left seat were none the wiser after their lesson! :ouch: