Logical or unrealistic?

[OutLoud767]

How is everyone today :ok:. Basically I have put a plan in place to start my voyage towards a cockpit......but I would like opinions/advice because let's face it, getting an airline job isn't easy and keeping one is just as hard.

First off Im 19 years old living in Ireland. Next week I am starting an apprentiship (spelling) as an Electricion. I decided to do this because if I ever loose my medical I will have something to fall back on and plus the money is very good. 600 euro a week in your third year and 800 in your fourth. The apprentiship will take four years and will get my PPL durring this time.

At the age of 23 I will reach the four year mark with a PPL and whatever money I saved. I will then take out a loan for the remainding amount of money needed and undergo an integerated course @ a good school (mabey flight EFT?).

So is this logical or am I looking up my own a$$? I know this might sound like a stupid question but I want to make sure I am taking a reliable route.

So please any critisism and opinions would be very gratefull. :ok:

[G SXTY]

Your plan sounds very sensible to me, and much better than many young wannabes who seem intent on re-mortgaging their parents’ house and sticking granny on ebay to pay for an integrated course. Not only are you working to finance your PPL, but you’re learning a valuable trade which would come in very handy if the flying doesn’t work out.

At the risk of depressing everyone, a few points which anyone starting out should consider:

(1) You will be spending many thousands of pounds / euros on speculative or self-sponsored training. No-one will guarantee you a job at the end of it, and many, many people fall by the wayside. What will you do if it doesn’t work out?

(2) The airline industry is cyclical and very much ‘boom and bust’. Typically there will be 6-7 years of strong growth, followed by a 2-3 year downturn, triggered by a major economic event. 9/11 was the last one, Gulf War 1 before that. If you time it wrong, through no fault of your own you’ll emerge onto the scene just as an airline collapses and floods the market with experienced pilots. You’ll have no prospect of a decent flying job for several years - what are you going to do?

(3) If you do make it to the right hand seat, remember that your job depends on your next medical. Fail it and your career could be over. What will you do instead?

What I’m getting at is the need to have a plan ‘B’. Something to fall back on in the not unlikely event that - at some stage - fate might throw a giant spanner in your career plans. As you say, training as an electrician fits the bill nicely, and would also allow you to work as and when necessary during your training.

One other point – if you’re planning on doing your PPL, why then go down the integrated route? Particularly if you have a trade behind you, it might make more sense to go modular and combine working, hours-building and ATPL studies, before committing to the CPL/IR. Your financial exposure would be much lower that way, and you have a better chance of matching your timetable to the job-market at the time.

[OutLoud767]

LMAO putting your granny on ebay...priceless :D.

Yeah your right in saying I should go the modular route. I just calcalated my income in any giving year. So for intance the first year = PPL, the second = instrument, 3 year = multi engine and fourth year = CPL. Then I'll hang on another year to save money and ATPLS'.

Wow thats a much better plan, good idea :ok: