Wanabee looking for advice

[pilotdreamz]

Hi guys!
I am planning to be a pilot and study in South Africa for a PPL,CPL and frozen ATPL........Can you recommend me the best schools in South Africa please?:ok:
I was not lucky to get through the cadet pilot program and I am deciding to go through at my own expenses.:oh:
I was told that the fellow candidates who succeeded the cadet selection (which I failed after the 3rd stage:( ) are going to start a 'TEST FLIGHT EXAM':confused:
Will I have to go through this if I take admission in a school in South Africa???????
Can any of you guys help me as I am looking to study and make my own way to be a pilot.
Thank you for your replies.:p :p

[Airforce1]

Welcome, to the most cruelest industry in the world, Hope you ready since starting at such a late age but never too late! Do not feel that you were unlucky to not make the cadet scheme, just read through some latest threads especially on SAA to put you in the limelight. You might be glad in the long run despite the extra costs.
Well not to be too negative, only advice is do a fulltime course somewhere 43 Air School, Progress, Cape Flying, APTC, Bluechip. Take your pick of the sausage factorys, personally I would recommend 43 Air School from PPL to Single Com licence, and then head to JHB to do a twin conversion and get experience of JHB airspace (Also cos some schools on the coast try to write in 30 hrs of twin training into their syllabus-which is a waste of cash,less than 10hrs is all you need;besides as a new COM pilot whats 30hrs or 10hrs ?)
Be ready to spend much money even after you have qualified....but I am sure you no the ins & outs, so won't go into it.
No test exam that I know of???just be ok at basic math,but normal entry to a training school is a $ deposit!
Good luck:ok:

[pilotdreamz]

Very much appreciated my dear friend.
Thank you.

[Propellerpilot]

I am at a similar age as you and maybe I can also give some more or less useful information or even mindsets.

I do not know your financial stats - if you have a lot of cash stacked up in the bank I would do exactly what Airforce1 suggested. If you have cash but not enough to pull through in one go, then different rules apply. I started flying when I was 26 - but it has taken me virtually 6 years to get CP/IR so now I am already 32 and just finishing off.
So I adopted to go the step by step way and was prepared to pull out at any stage if things would turn out to become impossible. So when I had the cash to go PPL (see that you can pull it through as you want to maintain a good learning curve - go flying at least once or twice a week, there will be times where you will not fly because of the weather...) which is the first important step - do this for the fun and joy of flying - it allows YOU to go up whenever cash and weather permits as long as you are medically fit to do so. I did my PPL and most post PPL flying in Germany - one of the reasons it took me so long because flying is quite expensive out there - so coming to Cape Town to carry on here was an advantage and speeded me up again.

Concerning flying schools and clubs, it is hard to make any suggestions 43 Air School (since it was mentioned) is probably qualitywise excellent but I could not afford them and I personally think they are a rip off. Also when communicating, I felt they where also not interested in me as an individual - not so at the flying club in Cape Town where I chose to become a member - I actually also made a couple of friends there and also got my current Job at a local FBO through "hear-say" at the club. Here it is important to find the right instructor, which can become a mission - go to social evenings and talk to the other guys about the pros and cons of instructors and decide on that, get a few opinions - it is important you find someone that will get you to you goal as effectivly and practically as possible. As these guys are usually freelance, some few of them have set finacial goals to make say R1000 a day - if he is short of his days goal, because another student cancelled or whatever, he'll make you fly some extra so he can get his days pay. I would also stay away from guys who are just instructing just to get the hours, might be ok for PPL to get going but as you go for the IR it is different. Go with someone fulltime and does this as his lifes calling. However I found the best guys were usually the ones that don't need money or hours but just do it for the passion of flying and teaching someone new to fly and are instructing part time - the only setback with this is that they are not always as frequently availiable - but I have chosen to go with that, as therefore an SA-Airlink training Capt is now my instructor, who has many small extras through thousands of hours experience to pass on.

After PPL it means hour building for the CPL - have fun, I personally chose to use this as a means to see other parts of the country and experience different airfields and have a holiday at the same time - go to Namibia. Get another conversion - I did not do this stuff in the cheapest plane availiable, but started to get some retractible and variable pitch prop experince from early on. It is really a pity that these types are so hard to find for hire and fly for people on low hours, I had the chance in Germany to fly Mooney straight after PPL (which was great experience. I really miss this... anyone have a Mooney for hire in CT??).

During Hourbuidling also study for those written exams. I went to a course because it helps me to listen to things explained in different words to the books - when pro's do the lecture they very often also tell you useful information which is not in the books but increase your general knowledge of that subject and aviation in general - that really made it worth the money. Some people never get past these exams for some reason - for them that is the end of that road and they will remain VFR PPL pilots, very frustrating for someone dreaming of the big aviation carreer. IFR for PPL still requires 7 of the 8 subjects to be passed at 75% or more.
After hourbuilding be sure to have enough to get you through IR and the Comprep and do both at once if you can - a lot goes hand in hand and compliments each other. After that you might be ready to be trusted with a first time job, if it does not happen straight away, I think it is important not to get rusty.

At this age I am not dreaming of airliners - I will be happy to be a bush driver all my life hopefully one day in a Caravan or if fortunate a PC-12 - if other opportunities arise in future so be it, I'll just let those things approach me. I would not pay for my own twin rating - especially socalled "useless" twin aircraft which in my eyes are a safety hazard - I would rather fly single turbine. I think if I have enough turbine hours I would just get a initial IF twin on a Baron and then go directly King Air as F/O and do it the proper way. The uprise of very light jets for Airtaxi single pilot work is also going to be very interesting. Go with the flow and see opportunities the market presents. Working at an FBO also helps to hear what is going on and who is looking for pilots, also important: it does bring an income to buy some food and pay the rent. If I don't get a job as bush driver straight away, as the job openings there are pretty seasonal, I'll just take the time to get my ATP subjects as well.

Maybe to sum up the whole story: at our age group, do not make yourself solely dependant or desperate on being a pilot until you get the first real paying job - if under pressure or the time is not right I have found things do not happen !(like with women - if your too needy and dependant you'll get none or you'll just get a really bad deal, if you don't care you increase you chances for the good stuff substancially...) :)

[Solid Rust Twotter]

You'll spend your life sucking hind tit because your age is not commensurate with your experience. Bush flying is OK for the first year or so but even though age as a factor has been legislated out of the equation, the deal is that younger guys will be able to spend longer with an airline and thus move on faster. After a few years bush flying becomes a pain in the butt as you're never home, have no life and will probably end up divorced all the while being exploited by the contract companies and earn peanuts for hanging your @rse over the edge in dangerous and uncomfortable situations.:hmm:

Better you spend the money getting a law or medical degree, buy yourself a Bonnie and fly where and when you want, not at the whim of some psycho who would battle to spell aviation on a good day and doesn't see the point in sticking to the rules.:ugh:

[KESHO]

SRT - U are correct in your post, but at the end of the day the job isnt that bad!? Merely cause it isnt a job as such, its a passion. The amount of time off per year that a contract pilot gets is unheard of in any other profession. I do agree that pay isnt what it should be for the job done, and it only gets worse each year. But I would still rather fly whatever where ever on the continent then sit in traffic to get to a mahogany desk and fight with other stressed out individuals. Law degrees and Medical degrees also have to be a passion if one is to succeed. I dont think that one can compare a 8 month CPL course to a 8 year Medical degree.

Pilot dreamz - Go for it! U want it so can make it happen. Yes your scope might be limited, but you can still get on with it and really enjoy what you do. I would personally go through a reputable school that will get the job done in the shortest time, even if it costs a bit more.

[Propellerpilot]

SRT - it is fine if you are talking about your own standards. However I know there are many jobs worse than bush flying - and so far if working for reputable companies it is actually not too bad and times not spent at home are not always that long and there are chances of actually finding a partner that will go along with it.

I did a lot of Safari-Guiding, driving those Overland Trucks and Landrovers and I must say that that job, which is also a profession is a quite deal harder as one not only has to drive, but also has to be the Guide to the Tourists, has to cook their meals three times a day, pitch up tents (!!!) and listen to their lifestories and problems for three and a half weeks from Cape Town to Vic Falls. Flying Bush will be an absolute Jol against that and a good experience. I do like dealing with people and offering Tourists unique experiences, I think being locked up in front in the cockpit of an airliner will be extreamly monotonous and boring - it will be my pax that will make every trip unique. They will not always all be great, some will be a pain, but others will actually be very pleasant. If one becomes an asset to a company they will in time stop exploiting you - if you are just there to collect your hours and leave ASAP, it is understandeble that they will exploit you, because you are doing just the same vice versa.

The more guys here hate bush flying - the better for me ! it is all a matter of personal preference.

I agree that a normal pilot carreer for us will be hard, that's why I made the effort of writing this, to give the original poster an idea to keep his mind open for alternatives, if he does not do so, I would also recommend doing a normal Job and go hire out a Club PA28 or a C172 to go flying. Quite correctly so because a regular airline carreer for us is most probably too late. But you never know - maybe we will spend the last 10 years before pension behind the controls of a GV or a Global or even if it is a HawkerXP - who knows?? Lots of those guys started late and as bush jockeys.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

Fair enough....:hmm:

Please post your comments here in ten years. It would be interesting to see if you still have your youthful optimism...:(

Can't wait to be bored silly on the flight deck of an airliner.:ok:

[FlingWingKing]

I have been involved in aviation for the past 18 years, 12 of those as a pilot. I started my flying career at age 24 and can truely say that I have not worked one day in my life!

This is an AWESOME job and you will enjoy it immensly. It has its ups and downs like any other career, but you will love it!!

Although you are starting your flying career at a fairly late stage, dont let that worry you too much. You still have at least 34 years in the bag......if you stay healthy.

I do not know if you are aware of this, but we are facing a global shortage of pilots...as it was pre-911. Boeing has announced that they forecast a global need of 18000 pilots a year until 2024. ICAO recently ammended their legal flying age from 60 to 65 years of age.

On the issue of picking a flying school: Do your research and dont settle for the cheapest one. A few schools were mentioned, like 43, but also take into account what time of year you plan to start you training. Central Flying Acadamy at Grand Central airport near Johannesburg would be an option if you are planning to come to South Africa during our winter. Cape Town has awesome flying weather in summer, but like someone mentioned, it might me beneficial to do it in Johannesburg. (Better exposure to the industry)

Go get your dream......good luck and safe landings.