Modular Route with Loads of Questions!

[princepilot]

Hi,
I am 29 and really have decided that i want a career in aviation.
I cant afford the integrated route , and can only barely afford the modular.
Could anybody answer me these questions?

What is the best order to do things?
I will have the funds when i am 30 , how long would it take to train to get my frozen atpl (full time training is possible)
Would i get an airline job being over 30?
Do i need 5 gcse's grade C or above (like you do for the integrated course?)
After getting my fatpl , would hour building abroad (spain) count towards my flight time so i can build hours?
I know its a few questions, but really have decided its what i want to do

Regards
Princepilot

[garywoodrow]

i'm no expert but im sure you don't need any GCSE's to get a fATPL as long as you have a good knowledge of maths and physics (GCSE Standard) and airlines don't require them if yu have a fATPL. I dont see any reason why you wouldnt get a job being 30 and yes, hour building in spain would count towards you hours after your fATPL and would give you a bettter chance of being employed.

As for the best order to do things, it depends on your situation and preference. i'm doing it in this order:
Jar Class 1 Medical
PPL
Night Rating
ATPL Exams
Hours Building (95hrs PiC)
IMC
CPL & M/E Course
IRAll this amounts to around £34k, but will probly need an extra £3k for other costs.

I think training will last just under 2 years.
Hope this helps.

Gary

[wbryce]

34k is quite optimistic IMO for the UK...40-45k would be a bit more realistic. The ME CPL/IR alone is roughly 23k inclusive. I understand your feeling a bit old but 29-30yrs old is nothing to worry about, if you qualify in 2 years time, then you still have 33 years of flying to look forward to.

[garywoodrow]

i have a friend who is a pilot in the USA who is willing to work something out and ill be able to get 95hrs PiC for 2000 saving 6000. Also i will not be doing all of my training in the UK. :ok:

[dom462]

Don't bother with an IMC if you are certain you will be doing an IR. You can do the night rating and hour building while you are doing your exams. Add MCC to the end of the list as well, with the possibility of a type rating also.

[hollywood285]

23k for the cpl/ir
your going to pay 5k for the cpl
10-12k for the IR
2k for the MCC
2k for the ME
This is the figure for bare minimum hours (which so i'm told is very rare) so 23 k is going to be about right after you have payed tests landing fees blah blah blah.
Dont forget GO FOR THE CLASS 1 MEDICAL FIRST .
just failed mine and im now waiting to be referred.

[princepilot]

Hollywood,

What did you fail on if you dont mind me asking?

And what do you mean referred?


Regards

Princepilot

[greywind]

Have to agree with Hollywood go for your class 1 first. I did my class 2 thinking it would be easier and cheaper (which it was at the time not having to travel to get it done and it costing less) but now I'm looking to get my class 1 done I'm regretting not having got it done in the first place. Would have cost less overall.

[tailwheel76]

My experience for what its worth...

I worked whilst I was training.

I started my PPL before I had a medical then got the medical before my first solo flight for 2 reasons A) Cost (saving for it) B) If after a few hours in the air I realised it wasn't for me the losses were minimal.

One I had the PPL I started hour building and whilst hour building I started the exams distance learning.

Once the exams were out of the way I completed the CPL and ME/IR in the summer. However my CPL couldn't be issued until winter as I couldn't do my night rating until then.

With regards to hour building it makes no difference on paper if you fly a Warrior with all the kit or a basic vintage aircraft. Get the cheapest you can and be disciplined with what you do, ie don't bumble around overhead, go and navigate somewhere. Spanish hours will count, but try and fly in the UK as the weathers always crap and its great experience.

I think, but I could be wrong, that now the retirement age is 65, being 30 when you apply for jobs will not be an issue. Something to consider though is to get an instructors rating and get a few hundred hours. A friend who is over 30 didn't have much luck job hunting so got an instructors rating, had 700 hours then a job on turbo props. He now flys jets 3/4 years after qualifying.

I did an IMC also, but only because I was awarded a bursary by the Air League. Otherwise I couldn't justify the costs. An IMC is great experience and I found it helped with the IR, but only do it if you have spare cash.

GCSE's, A-levels etc will probably not have any impact on your flying and training ability and you'll be just as good as the next person. But you'll be applying to airlines along with hundreds of others with an fATPL and a few hours hour building and the HR dept will find any reason to reduce the number of CV's they have, so try and make yourself as different as possible to everyone else to gain the upper hand. Eg, instructing hours, flying bursary/grant awards, flying something different.

The only other thing I would strongly recommend is to train at a school you feel comfortable at, that way you'll be relaxed and get the most out of your tuition.

You'll need about 32K loan if you work part time and can top it up with these earnings.

Good luck, and enjoy!

[princepilot]

Tailwheel76 ,

Cheers for the reply. I think i am going to get my fatpl then do my instructors rating anyway. Then at least get some hours built up and hopefully when im 35 go to the airlines with my wit, experience and grovelling look on my face:} and ask for a job , haha

Regards

Princepilot

[MIKECR]

wbryce's figure of 23k isn't far off the mark for UK based training rates. I did my CPL/MEIR earlier this year and it cost me just over 20k. The breakdown looks something like this - 6 hours MEP conversion in the Seneca, then 55 hours IR(split between 35 sim and 20 in the seneca), then 15 hours CPL training in the arrow. Also factor in 2 skills test at 712 quid each plus aircraft hire for both tests(another 2 hours seneca and 2 hours arrow). Also factor for extra training hours with the MEIR. I needed an extra 3 hours which at £350 per hour soon mounts up!! As a word of advice dont expect to do any of these courses in minimum hours, rarely does anyone manage that. The package prices you are quoted by FTO's are all for the minimum hours. It is not uncommon for people to need for example 60 - 65 hours for the IR, so the cost soon mounts up. If any of you are thinking of doing your CPL/MEIR here in the UK then seriously budget for over 20k, probably nearer 22k. You'll also need another 3k for the mcc but thats another story.

[hollywood285]

Failed on my eyesight, some thing called Field of vision in my left eye, basically the sight out the corner of my eye, with me holding a class 2 medical(and have done for years) i have to be referred to an Ophthalmologist (eye Doctor) to be checked out to see if there is nothing more underlying AND to get a second opinion to see if i can go for it again if he thinks the condition will not get any worse.