To all pinoy pilots, advise po

[klintph]

Want to become a pilot sa pinas but the problem is Im wearing a correctible glasses, I've called PAL AV school and they said student trainee must have a vision of 20/20 no correctible lenses. so does that mean forget about the dream? advise please

[Cessna1052]

I dont think a corrective lense will stop you from getting a pilots license, but color blindness will surely stop you from dreaming. If you haven't done an Eye test that includes a color blindness test, better do so. PAL Av is basically strict on the initial requirements, of course they want you to come in clean, specially you're coming in as a Cadet(the paying cadet...) You can try other Flying schools, as I remember I have a friend flying for Cebu Pacific whom had since started his flying lessons has been wearing glasses(not even a corrective lense) until now. So, there are ways. You just need to find the easiest for you. Goodluck !

[klintph]

Thanks cessna1052, youve lifted my spirits, Im pretty sure Im not color blinded though Ive to test it to be sure. Would you mind sharing to me where your friend took flying lessons? because Pal av is the only reputable school I know which provide flight training locally dont want to go abroad yet for training. Did Cebu Pac took your friend immediately upon completion of flight training? Dont know how the industry works here in the Philippines? really need advise what to do next. Im 28 dont know if thats already old for flight training. salamat po:cool:

[kontra]

Have you tried asking them if laser surgery on your eyes to correct your vision wont be allowed? It might be risky, though

If you can still wait, I heard that there will be another flying school in Clark, not sure if its for ab initio or some "type rating" flying school.

All the best

[Cessna1052]

My Friend was never given a chance in the Philippines, in his case it was ATO who doesnt want to issue him a license because he was wearing a lense. So he went to the states for it, everything didnt happened overnight. After his schooling he went back to the Philippines and converted his FAA to Phil license, this time ATO can't say No. He then started flying for some Fixed base operators around Manila(He's quite talented...), and if my memory serves me right He worked for at least two companies before he joined Cebu Pacific. I would say, it took him around 5 to 6 years til the airline doors opened up for him.
PALAV is a quick way to an Airline Career, with the massive need for pilots Im sure theres plenty of space for you. Try to consider Kontras suggestion(Laser eye treatment).

[klintph]

kontra, i read about that flying school in the newspaper its suppose to be operational this may or june, anyway I think Im getting my training in Canada, Harvs air in Winnipeg to be exact then maybe try to be an instructor pilot to build time then head back sa pinas to try my luck on airlines. Its hard to enter the airline industry in Canada with so many 250-hour-wonder pilots around, you have to pay your "dues" or be a ramp king for 1-2 years before you could be on the right seat of not even a jet but a propeller powered narrow body aircraft (and theres no even guarantee that they will hire you to be one of thier pilots after youve paid your "dues"). But if I try the airline industry in pinas and gain experience and type rating maybe on airbus or boeing then I think Im in a better position to apply with Air Canada. I heard that there are side effects on laser surgery and also still not advisable to get it cause both my eyes are not very malabo I think both are 75 or 100 I guess.

cessna thanks for sharing your friends story, You know what, its a bit weird, FAA or Transport Canada will give you a category 1 medical certificate(thats the highest) even if youre wearing a lense thicker than a glass of coke well as long as its correctible to 20/20 while in pinas as you mentioned in your friends story ATO wont issue licenses for the mere fact that youre wearing a correctible lenses. but then again you could convert FAA or TC licenses to ATOs, full of crap.

Thanks cessna and kontra for the advise :ok:

[planestupid]

klintph,

I really pity you because it is a stupid rule. Eyesight to a correctable 20/20 should be fine to pass a medical because more than 1/2 the captains and many of the FOs have them. So the 20/20 rule before entering AV school is dumb. The main reason for it is coz the military use it as a culling tool to choose pilots due to the high number of applicants. In the old days PAL also had a lot of applicants coz PAL paid for the training. Now, they would be lucky to get enough applicants to fill a batch. So what does that say about the quality of applicants?? Previously, Av school got the best graduates from UP, La Salle, Ateneo.... Now you get halfwit kids with rich parents that can afford the P1.9 mill!! PAL has to find a better way of getting applicants. Correctable eyesight should not be one of them.
Cessna1052 is right about the color test, although the theory behind that is also a bit stupid. Has something to do with reading lights from the tower in a communications emergency. Again antiquated coz in a real emergency there are so many ways to deal with this problem before resorting to tower signals. Runway lights are not too much of a problem, although in rare circumstances maybe. Maybe the best solution is the laser surgery! I welcome any MDs out there that disagree, however please give us a reference to the research. My reference is my own case, I've been flying for 25 years, 10 of those with glasses and I cannot recall one instance where I thought I couldn't do my job because of glasses. Its a BS rule!!
Remember don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it!! If you have the brain, the motivation and lastly the money, following your dream is not unattainable. Pare... good luck!

[TDF_380]

You can get a job if you require glasses as long as your corrected vision meets the required standard.
Although some airlines will only empoly cadets with perfect vision. This is pointless as most with 20/20 vision at a young age will require reading glasses when in there 40s-50s anyway.

You may have to get your license yourself (self sponsored) rather than start with a cadet program, then apply to airlines

[klintph]

klintph,
The main reason for it is coz the military use it as a culling tool to choose pilots due to the high number of applicants. In the old days PAL also had a lot of applicants coz PAL paid for the training. Now, they would be lucky to get enough applicants to fill a batch.
The Airforce has every right to create strict admission standards simply because they are paying all the cadets flight training while in Lucio Tans AV school the aspiring cadets are the ones whose going to shell out the whole 1.9 million kahit four equal payments pa. :ugh: Comedy talaga tong si Lucio Tan.
Have a question though, are Pal captains or all its pilots or unions (retired or still in service) part owner of PAL I mean Stockholders din ba? maybe they could start buying shares para ma transfer ang PAL to the hands of pinoys, hehehe:O

[FLAPLESS2x]

hello to all members,
im a newbie here.
can you recommend me a flight training school in the phils that do multi-engine,instrument rating, & ATPL training?

mabuhay.

[stork]

Airworks Inc. and Philippine Airlines Aviation School... stay away from the rest.. :ok:

[Cessna1052]

hello to all members,
im a newbie here.
can you recommend me a flight training school in the phils that do multi-engine,instrument rating, & ATPL training?

mabuhay.

Hi,
If you're looking for a twin engine training, i am very sure PAL aviation doesnt offer it anymore, they dont have the Seminoles around, Neither Airworks. nevertheless there is Airlink flying school offering a course for twin engine and instrument rating, and also Capt Halili inside Delta hangar who is also offering an instrument flying course on his Baron. If you don't feel like flying with this kind of fixed base operators, theres nothing else you can find on the Island. Better of, why not go to the states for a well organized training course.(plenty of big schools there)

Goodluck!

[poknut]

still want to be a pilot? stay away from palAv school! i graduated there 2002 and believe me after the training you're still 50-50 on whether you're going to be absorbed in the line or not..

[stork]

Airworks Inc. is at the Delta Hangar right beside the Delta Gate... Meynard Halili runs it. :ok:

[eroplano]

still want to be a pilot? stay away from palAv school! i graduated there 2002 and believe me after the training you're still 50-50 on whether you're going to be absorbed in the line or not..

Are you flying with PAL na?

[RocketQueen]

Airworks Inc. and Philippine Airlines Aviation School... stay away from the rest.. :ok:

Hi guys, I'm new to the aviation scene... :O

Isn't Omni Aviation in Clark the Ab Initio school of PAL? I'm just apprehensive because I'm seriously considering enrolling there (Omni). :uhoh: Don't wanna waste time & money if it ain't worth it.

Anyway, I hope to be flying with you guys soon!

P.S. I'm in my early 30's and seriously considering a career shift to commercial aviation...Any tip on how to break into the scene is most welcome. ;)

[Cessna1052]

Hi guys, I'm new to the aviation scene... :O

Isn't Omni Aviation in Clark the Ab Initio school of PAL? I'm just apprehensive because I'm seriously considering enrolling there (Omni). :uhoh: Don't wanna waste time & money if it ain't worth it.

Anyway, I hope to be flying with you guys soon!

P.S. I'm in my early 30's and seriously considering a career shift to commercial aviation...Any tip on how to break into the scene is most welcome. ;)

Hi,
Omni and PAL Av are two different flight schools, it just happens that PAL is using Omni's grounds for that purpose. Schools aren't just the key to a successful aviation career, its more on who you know, someone to help you jumpstart that career you wish. Commercial flying to begin with isn't just the Airline, you also have the General Aviation comprising of Charter companies, flying schools, Gov't co., Private corps.,and some non-scheduled operators. And lastly, the Military.
It is very easy to get into Flying, as long as you pass the Medical requirement and have the money to finance it, you will find yourself in the sky in no time. Whats tough though, is after the Pay per flight, wherein you start looking for the opposite "Flight for Pay".
Early 30's? you have plenty of time, but for the PAL Av school i believed they have an age limit prior to joining, others may clarify.
Go for it, get the license and time and start looking for that special someone who can help you. Potentials without an external force to push it will have no direction, believed me I've seen a lot.
Goodluck and hopefully to fly with you in the future....:ok:

[RocketQueen]

Hi,
Omni and PAL Av are two different flight schools, it just happens that PAL is using Omni's grounds for that purpose. Schools aren't just the key to a successful aviation career, its more on who you know, someone to help you jumpstart that career you wish. Commercial flying to begin with isn't just the Airline, you also have the General Aviation comprising of Charter companies, flying schools, Gov't co., Private corps.,and some non-scheduled operators. And lastly, the Military.
It is very easy to get into Flying, as long as you pass the Medical requirement and have the money to finance it, you will find yourself in the sky in no time. Whats tough though, is after the Pay per flight, wherein you start looking for the opposite "Flight for Pay".
Early 30's? you have plenty of time, but for the PAL Av school i believed they have an age limit prior to joining, others may clarify.
Go for it, get the license and time and start looking for that special someone who can help you. Potentials without an external force to push it will have no direction, believed me I've seen a lot.
Goodluck and hopefully to fly with you in the future....:ok:

Thanks for the reply Cessna!

Yup the "Flight for Pay" would be the thing to look for...

PAL Av requires the trainee not to be over 30... They said I could train but as far as being absorbed into PAL... That's a different story. Bad thing is, I don't know anyone from PAL management. Or any other airline for that matter. :uhoh: By the way, is it really true that there is a shortage of pilots here in the Phils? If yes, maybe up to when? I'm just basing my assumptions on media reports. Maybe I can ride the hiring wave? Maybe I should just snap out of my stupor? :zzz:

But as far as enthusiasm goes, I wanna be a flyboy like you guys! :D

Rocket Queen

[Cessna1052]

Rocket Queen,
The way Aviation is going, you'll STILL be seeing a big shortage of pilots in the next 5 years or so(worldwide), Airbus 380's are just entering the service by early 2007, new designs like the A350s, 787s etc are on the race. As long as theres production of airplanes there'll always be a need for pilots.(they haven't started designing Pilotless cockpit).
You can gamble on your assumptions, anyway flying is one exciting thing to do(sports or professionally). PAL surely need pilots, and a little bit of experience is needed like a minimum time of 1200hrs with an a/c engine rating of not less than 500Hp, and a Commercial pilot lic. with Instrument rating.
If only PAL Av school can assure you of an employment after undergoing the training, well that will be a different and better story.
But again, theres plenty of ways that leads to the Major airline. Start on the smaller ones, as a Flight instructor, cargo pilot(Lapu2,sugpo etc.), Corporates and or charter pilot. And for an Airline, theres SEAIR, ASIAN SPIRIT,AIRPHIL and CEBUPAC. Theres plenty of options really.
Your initial Flight training will be the most enjoyable part of your soon to be Aviation career, so enjoy every minute of it and its also where you spend lots of money, so make sure you'll learn what you have to.
Goodluck to you !

[RocketQueen]

Thanks so much for the advice Cessna! It's very much welcome. I hope you don't give up on me because of too many questions. :confused: I know I'm going to make a big gamble if ever I start flying. It's a pretty big investment. I want to be careful because I'll be spending my hard-earned money and I want something out of it. If I was born rich I wouldn't be thinking twice but it took me years to amass enough just to even consider having a PPL.

I'm really wondering, how can I earn those flying hours if no one one's gonna hire a very low-time newbie pilot? Maybe apply as a plane sweeper during flight? :rolleyes: Anyway, my interest has not waned and is in fact being fanned.:8 I heard there are like SOs and limited FOs? Can a low-time pilot apply to those positions? Sorry too many questions and probably more in the future... :uhoh:

Rocket Queen

[Cessna1052]

S/O's- only in PAL, Limited FO's-no idea if there is any with PAL right now, but maybe with the smaller airlines.
As you go through your training, im sure you'll bump into someone along the way; probably during one of those Beer sessions or blowouts you will do during your checkrides, you'll never know....and this might be the same people who'll someday help you.
It really takes a lot of Courage to jump into the Unknown, no Pain no Gain, but once you're there the self satisfaction is awesome.
"I'm happy to be of Help"...this words always reminds me of my Former Cheap Pilots Famous phrase, but the thing is, Mine is Sincere. I'm happy to be of help, Goodluck to you RQ!


P.S.
spelling intentional