What do you think of my plans to be a pilot?

[Effee]

Hey guys, want to know your opinion on this. I'm 18 years old from Singapore. Currently awaiting my National Service. So anyway, when I finish it after 2 years. I will be close to 21.

Planning to go study in Canada for a year to get my the equivalent of A levels here.

Will be 22 by then, after that plan to head to the states to get my degree in aeronautics and pilot ratings.

Should finish everything by 26, which is the right hiring age for SQ. After that, go for LASIK. and apply to as many airlines as I can :)

What do you think? Or should I go for Lasik before I start my university degree.

[freaktrimmer]

u seem like a very dedicated 18 yr old singaporean ...
ur plans look good, but if it were up to me i wud start flying ASAP without the hassle of collecting degree after degree before stepping into flying.
but in singapore, u kinda have limited but good options. SIA is great to work for but then they have age restrictions for u fellas.
but it wud still be great to get an Airline job at 26 yrs old. pilots out here in the "western" world would die to get that. i have friends who at 35+ havent yet made it to airlines, but also some who are Captains on the 737 NGs with 5000+ hrs on type, and are only 25 yrs old !
anyway u can decide for urself, we can just share info !
cheers,

FT

[Thermal Image]

Let's take your plans stage by stage.

Hey guys, want to know your opinion on this. I'm 18 years old from Singapore. Currently awaiting my National Service. So anyway, when I finish it after 2 years. I will be close to 21.
1. Do you want to fly for SIA or any airline under the purview of CAAS (ie any airline using aircraft registered in Singapore):

a. Yes: Do you have O levels? What are your results? Please go to the SIA website and check that your results tally with what is required. If not, retake your O-Levels in ONE SITTING to satisfy the stated requirements. The O Level requirements are not set by SIA but by CAAS.

b. No: If not, then disregard this step.
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Planning to go study in Canada for a year to get my the equivalent of A levels here.
2. Irrelevant to CAAS as far as academic requirements are concerned.
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Will be 22 by then, after that plan to head to the states to get my degree in aeronautics and pilot ratings.
3. Do you want to fly for SIA or any airline under the purview of CAAS (ie any airline using aircraft registered in Singapore):

a. Yes. An FAA licence is not of much use unless you have an FAA ATPL with thousands of hours and a P1 heavy jet wide body rating / experience (747, 340 etc), so forget the idea of getting an FAA licence if you want to come back immediately with that licence and look for a job. It won't work. If you want to come back in 10 years, they might take a look at you. Or you can start from zero as a cadet after spending all that money.

b. No: If not, then disregard this step.
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Should finish everything by 26, which is the right hiring age for SQ. After that, go for LASIK. and apply to as many airlines as I can
4. OK, the age bit is correct at the moment. And it's been that way for maybe 20 years. So do you want to work for SIA, or other airlines? Do you know that LASIK is not yet an acceptable form of eyesight correction to the CAAS? Maybe in time it will change. So how many hours will you have at this point, with your FAA licence? What are the statistics for fresh CPL IR FAA licence holders getting into major airlines?
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What do you think? Or should I go for Lasik before I start my university degree.
5. Or should you wait until LASIK is an approved form of eyesight correction to the CAAS?

[herz22]

That is really good planning. Just to share something with you on CAAS regulation on LASIK. You have to have 100 or below for astic. Even though you have 6/12 or 6/6 after operation, you may not see clearly at night.

Cheers

[fhchiang]

if i'm not mistaken...

in Singapore, there is no need to undergo lasik.


In singapore,

they don't impose Correction Limit. as long as corrected sight is 6/6, then u are fit.

however, if uncorrected sight is worse than 6/60, a full-opthalmology report is required to ensure no pathological ... bla bla ba. A response via-email from CAAS

[billkill]

Lasik is accepted now. But there are lots of stringent rules to follow. You need to get an opthamologist to clear you every year after yyour operation. You need 1 year to stabilize your eyesight. You need to have degree below 500 before your operation and have 6/6 vision after operation. And lastly, Lasik is not always successful. I have several friends that went through it and now they have to wear glasses for life but they ain't pilots. So don't bank on Lasik.

By the way, FAA is not recognised by CAAS. If you take it for interest is alright, but having an FAA license does not give you a headstart.

[Effee]

So what do you suggest I do about my eyesight? Its about 280 now in both eyes? I am not colorblind, just cant see far stuff.


So would studying in New Zealand be a better place than the US for my licence?

Also, 2 other questions, if I have a FAA licence, I could convert it to a singapore licence right? according to this



i) obtain employment as a pilot with a Singapore airline

ii) pass a Singapore Class 1 initial medical with a CAAS DME

iii) pass the Aviation Law, Flight Rules & Procedures paper

iv) pass the Human Performance & Limitations paper if you have not sat for the examination before (applicable to applicants for conversion to Singapore CPL only)

v) pass the initial aircraft type paper vi) pass the initial aircraft rating flight test with a CAAS flight examiner

vii) pass the initial instrument rating flight test with a CAAS flight examiner



------------------------------------


2nd question. If I do not have the 5 GCE O level credits required, could I then study overseas in, say Canada and do the O level equivalent there? Would I legally be needed to disclose that I have taken O levels and the Canadian GR12 exams. Or can i just say that I went overseas to study and have just taken Canadian Grade 12 and have the canadian equivalent of O levels.

[Thermal Image]

So would studying in New Zealand be a better place than the US for my licence?

Yes. But don't do it just for the licence. Do it for the value of the degree so that you spread your risk over 2 options.

Also, 2 other questions, if I have a FAA licence, I could convert it to a singapore licence right? according to this

i) obtain employment as a pilot with a Singapore airline

This is the most serious stumbling block.

Yes, you are absolutely correct, you CAN convert your FAA licence to a Singapore licence, subject to a few conditions.

I'm sure you also CAN get a Nobel prize. Similarly, you CAN also win the lottery. It's not impossible. But likely? You decide.

But let's look at historical data. Of course, historical data CANNOT predict the future.

AFAIK no one with a low time FAA licence has been hired by a Singapore airline direct into type rating ground school (ie straight into the airline).

Those who have been accepted, perhaps fewer than 10 such cases, agreed to SIA's condition that they do the cadetship from zero, with a token recognition of their flying hours at the twin engine stage. At least one was chopped for a bad attitude before he got to the twins.

In other words, their FAA / Canadian CPL investment has yielded basically nothing from a time saving viewpoint. So why even bother?

Realistically speaking, if you have no real airline experience to speak of (meaning 3000 hours or so), then SIA is your ONLY bet if you want to be an airline pilot, via their sponsored cadetship path.

Why bother investing your own money in a CPL when you will be asked to redo it? Such cases include even CPLs from Australia.

Other successful methods of entry into include getting a self funded CPL, instructing in Singapore Flying College to build hours because of being below the age requirements, then joining SilkAir at 26, then later transferring into SIA. But that was an extremely well connected special case. Do you have similar ties?

As for your questions on the O levels, please check with CAAS themselves.

[Effee]

ps. thermal imaging, I Pmed u a few days ago, dont know if you saw it.

Ok..so if I get a FAA licence it will not be recognised by any Singapore airline correct? will it be recognised by say..Thai airways? MAS? or Cathay?

[winglet_fever]

Hi there,

to wat i know, most airliner will only take in locals if they have low hours.

anyway, there is a way to get round the min 26yrs requirement set by CAAS. Just go and apply for Singapore airforce pilot selection. If and when you get chopped, reqest a letter from them to state that you have gone thru their selection but didnt make it thru.

with that letter, you can actually apply with SIA at < 26.

Just my 5 cents... people have done it and it works.

good luck!

[Thermal Image]

Sorry I missed your PMs and kept you waiting.

Thanks for the alert; replies sent.

[fhchiang]

sorry if i made a mistake..

but i think FAA license won't do you any good outside US