PPL to ATPL advice...

[FTD-Bender]

Hi there,

Well, I am looking for some advice... In short, I am looking at doing my CPL/ATPL. I have held a PPL since 1994 on completion of my RAF Flying Scholarship. Since the RAF turned me down for pilot on the basis that I went to a German school because my father was in the Army posted out in Germany, I have never really thought about flying Commercial till now; 12yrs down the line. Now 29, I want to get back into the flying side of things... I am an IT Technician/Programmer, who is bloody bored with computing. (Trust me computing isn't its all cracked up to be)... Now the questions are as follows...

Is it worth while going for it, know that there is a very slim chance of getting a job out of it with airlines (but to be honest, I don't really care who or what I fly as long as I get something big'ish/big and get paid for it).

Once on the road of no return, so to speak, I am looking at getting the hour building done in Oz. and try getting the exams done there as well, through distance learning from Oxford Flying Training. How much will I be looking at to get to a frozen ATPL, even though I already have a PPL?

Knowing that it won't be cheap, I am looking at asking my bank manager for the funds to further my training. Now would this simply be like asking for a mortgage or just a simple case of a business plan as such...

I know that 29 is a bit late to leave it, but to be frank, I am doing this as I have had a long hard look at my life from the last 12yrs. Found myself seriously bored and just going through the, every day routine of doing the same thing, day in and day out... So time for the change, as the clock stops for no one.

Thnx in advance...

[scroggs]

Since the RAF turned me down for pilot on the basis that I went to a German school because my father was in the Army posted out in Germany,

What? I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem right. I, and several of my RAF and Army 'brat' friends - and my brother - joined from BAOR/RAFG families, and the fact that we had been born, educated and/or employed in Germany was never an issue. Nor was it for those born etc in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malta or any of the dozens of other places Service families found, and still find, themselves.

Anyway, your age: read this thread. (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=51690)

Money: you will need something over £40,000 - and possibly up to £100,000 if you go for an intergrated course followed by a jet type rating. A bank will not lend you the money in the same way as a mortgage; you will need security for anything significantly over £10,000. If you own a house in which you have a decent amount of equity, you may well be able to either release that equity (and thus pay for your training over 25 years - expensive!) or secure a bank loan on the house. If you go for a loan you will need a business plan to convince the bank you're serious and that you've researched your choices thoroughly.

Your best start is the sticky thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131649) at the top of this forum. It's called ARCHIVE REFERENCE THREADS - Read Before You Post A Question. Try it.

Scroggs

[Fancy Navigator]

Hi,
Well, unless you have the money, I would not personally encourage you to become a professional pilot. Why? Because initial training will cost you about £30-40k, and with a CPL/IR/MCC and 250-300 hours, your chances to get a decent enough job are very, very slim. Do you want to bet such a big amount of money on a "maybe" or on luck? What will you do to pay your loan back if you do not have a job? Worth thinking about it.
FNav ;)

[FTD-Bender]

Scroggs,

Maybe I didn't put myself across quite right. Yes, I went to a school in Germany, and yes my father was in Army; but I didn't go the local BAOR (English) school found on camp...

I went to the local German School, and being the only Brit in the place, was at times a bit discomforting. So being able to speak fluent German, etc... I thought would help me join, but it didn't, hence the reject. It’s a long story, in the past, and something I don’t want to get into… :)

Anyway, thanks for your response. Much appreciated.

[scroggs]

I'd be interested to hear the story, though, as you say, it's too late to do anything about it now. I suspect that someone got the wrong end of the stick, and/or gave you some incorrect information, and that your rejection could have been appealed if it was justified on the grounds of where you went to school. If you think about it, there are tens of thousands of HMG employees worldwide who have to send their kids to a whole variety of schools, many of them local nationality schools, and the idea that their kids could not be employed by HMG because of a situation forced on them by HMG is laughable! Anyway, as you say, it's history so I shall vacate that particular soap-box! Suffice to say it didn't affect me or any of my mates, thank goodness. Good luck on your second try at a flying career!

Scroggs