have i made the right decision?

[equinox_code]

hi all,

i'm almost 24 and currently in my first year of uni taking a degree in international relations. i'm not sure if i'm wasting my time.

as i'm sure many of you know, enthusiasm for the aviation industry can be extremely infectious. it snowballs. ever since my first test flight i've known that i won't be truly happy with any career i find myself following unless i achieve my ambition of becoming a pilot.

i've already tried ctc, but didn't make it past the phase 3 and was told i'm not eligible to reapply. i've also been told i'd not be considered for the RAF because of my age and history of light asthma as a teeneager.

baring in mind that i'm already 3000 pounds in debt through my credit card and studies, i'm not a homeowner, and the fact i'd only be considered for low paid work, should i drop out of uni to follow my dream? as far as i'm aware, the modular route would be my only option, and funding would be extremely difficult. with hard work and perseverance, would i even stand a decent chance of succeeding?

[ukadamwest]

it's difficult to say if you are making the right decision or not. it depends on you and you circumstances entirely.. no one will be able to say in their right mind yes or no. or are you just looking for the answer *you* want to hear ?

you are 24, and have a lot of time ahead of you. the aviation industry is not, and let me repeat that, not, an easy career path.

you mention "since your first test flight" ? do you have a license ? if no, then perhaps first off you should consider if:

a.) you would pass a class 1 medical - no sense in dropping everything to persue a career that you medically cannot have.
b.) perhaps gain a ppl and see how you manage the theory side at ppl level and have the motor skills to fly.
c.) you like a diet of tuna sandwiches and would contemplate sucking d**k in soho for cash. a flying career is not cheap to obtain, there are no guarantees, and gaining and maintaining a license will leave you piss poor.

the modular route is not easy.. that is a commitment in itself. you will be taking on the workload the equivalent of a degree, in 18 months.

personally speaking, i dont know how long you have left to complete your degree in international relations, but i would say continue it.
it will stand you in good stead if:
a.) you decide not to persue a career in the cockpit
b.) you end up employable for a flight deck job but in an industry down turn (approx 5 year cycles between a peak and a trough)
c. you do end up in the cockpit and look to progress to a management position

[equinox_code]

thanks for taking the time to reply

i don't have a license and i've not had many flights. though i don't think that should be too much a discredit to my enthusiasm or desire. and i know it's a job i could do very well. i passed the ctc maths paper, and was told that i passed with exceptionally high marks on the computer/cognitive ability test. so i know that natural ability's not a problem.

i'm fully aware of how much work is required to get there too. i'm also aware that it's very, very expensive, and that investing a huge amount of time, money and effort still may not guarantee that you'll eventually become a pilot. i've looked into the career a lot. i've looked into the pro's and [many] cons that are part and parcel of this industry. if it makes any sense, i'm just slightly unsure as to how much putting in the effort doesn't guarantee you a job.

i'd love to devote the largest loan i can receive and full-time job to funding my pursuit of becoming a pilot. but i'm just not sure if it's too much of a gamble, or what my chances of getting there would be.

regards

e.c.

[lowbypass]

Finish your degree as one has mentioned, will serve as a back up...you will have something in hand

Get a medical check up for class one and carry on from there, you might be able to get 'regional', charters or bush flying in Africa where there is lots of fun

Optimism...:ok:

[shaun ryder]

What have you been doing up until now equinox? You are almost 24, about to embark on a degree for up to three years of which it seems you have no real enthusiasm for? You have to pull yourself together and get a reality check. You say that you can only get low paid work and do not own any property, I say your flight training dreams are very far fetched mate! Remember it will cost you tens of thousands of pounds just for the basics.

I suggest leaving uni now and getting your nose to the grindstone, stop spending money quicksmart and start saving. Then you might be able to pay your credit cards off after 6 months and start focussing on your goal. Other than that stay, get a job and at the end and ask yourself again whether or not it is a viable option.

As for thinking that you are a natural, you can ask yourself after a couple of thousand hours and see if you still think that! A (test) flight in a 152, maths paper or maybe a bit of MS flight sim is no gauge for ability.

[-8AS]

I did my PPL while doing a degree in International Relations and Political Science, have never regretted doing a degree first, in fact I would recommend it. It has served me well during my aviation career, both in keeping a roof over my head during I/R and Instructor Ratings and given me a fall back if the worst were to happen. Also gives you a different perspective on life. Your 24 now, 27 at the end of degree with maybe a PPL and 100hrs ATPL's by 28 and CPL by 29. That only leaves you 36 years of Aviaition. However, as other posters have commented only you know your own situation and will have to make your own path. What worked for me may not work for others.

[cwatters]

I don't think you said which university but have you checked if they have a flying/gliding club or University Air Sq.

[equinox_code]

i'm at leicester university, and although they do have a flying squadron, i am not elligible because of my age. very frustrating

i wish i'd taken a strong interest in this industry sooner. but unfortunately, i've spent most of my time travelling since taking my a-levels. in retrospect, i'd rather have spent my time and money on something more productive, though obviously, there's nothing i can do about that now

anyway, i'll probably stick it out with uni for the next few years. it's not as though i don't have an interest in the course i'm taking. i find it fascinating. it's just a case of wondering whether i'm wasting time, effort and additional debt on pursuing a career that'll never truly satisfy me.

[James D]

I assume you finished your A-Levels at age 18? So it sounds like you have been travelling/racking up credit card debt for nearly 6 years??

And now you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you can’t get a well paid job, have no way of affording flight training and the chances of you achieving your dream are looking more remote by the day…

I can understand travelling/dossing about for a year after finishing A-Levels or a Degree, I did that myself and great fun it was too. I just hope the last few years have been worth it, as it’s not looking good from what you describe.
Did it not occur to you that you may need to pull your finger out at some point if you wanted to make something of a career for yourself?

It’s not very hard to see why CTC booted you out after stage 3 and didn’t ask you to reapply is it!!

[speedrestriction]

Bobs-Your-Uncle is right on the money there: don't put yourself in a position financially from which you will not be able to recover. Put yourself too far in debt and you won't be able to afford the other things in life which may not seem all that important now ie. mortgage, family etc.

You could finish your training and be snapped up, or you could finish training and never even get an interview. Nobody owes anything to you or any of the thousand other 200hr CPL/IRs. As always - hope for the best, plan for the worst.

sr

[bluepeely]

hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Very wise words they are on the path to suceed in aviation. If you want something bad enough you'll get it eventually!

[equinox_code]

james d,
don't make assumptions about my character, or how i've got myself into my current situation. you don't know me, or anything about my personal circumstances. and therefore you're in no position to speculate about my past. of course, this is an anonymous forum, so i shouldn't feel obliged to explain my situation. though i'll give you some brief details

i was seriously ill for 6 months. this meant i had to retake my a-levels

i lent my mother 1500 pounds to help with the cost of her fathers funeral

i took several months off work to support my fiance who'd miscarried, and my father who'd suffered a nervous breakdown

i only took 1 year out to travel

my fiance left me after 2 years of being engaged shortly after emptying my bank account of 2000 pounds

[equinox_code]

i might be mistaken, though i seem to recal reading somewhere that nationals of certain countries (france, i tink) may be eligible for sponsorship by the an airline. i have dual south african citizenship. i don't suppose anyone's heard of any sponsorhip schemes running out there?

might be a bit of a long shot, but worth asking, just in case

[Polorutz]

Equinox, don't know at what date you went through CTC but you should be able to get a pretty decent feedback on what went wrong on the phase 3 day, once you know, apply to EPST, if you have the hand eye coordination you say you have and you know what went wrong in phase 3 then you'll be able to get in easily, EPST is the Dutch/European CTC and according to what I've heard they have a 100% placement rate as well.

[Propellerhead]

netjets are sponsoring at Oxford at the moment. why don't you apply? Also, Oxford and Cabair both do assessments that cost just under 200 pounds but would be a good indicator as to whether u have the aptitude to succeed. They can also discuss finance and loans and can put you in touch with hsbc financial advisors who will be able to tell u if u can raise the finances. Oxford also have an open day on nov 17th - why don't you go?

[Re-Heat]

baring in mind that i'm already 3000 pounds in debt through my credit card and studies, i'm not a homeowner, and the fact i'd only be considered for low paid work
Surely motivation enough to stay in the degree is to move to a higher-paying job, however, the attitude that you would "only be considered for low paid work" is not only wrong, but demonstrates to me that you are not really aware of the options available and the opportunities that you can find if you motivate yourself towards a little more saving.

Don't follow this dream without backup and cash - many have worked far harder with more hardship to save up, and have succeeded - motivate yourself to finish what you have started, or aviation will become like your degree - something your once found motivating, but now boring.

[dartagnan]

the french government offers a sponsorship for airline career like type rating,...many guys got free type rating through this system.
but there are some conditions, one is you must have worked in france for 2 years.

[daheri]

Hey equinox_code,

The first step is always the most important step. You know something is not right in your life and now you are planning to do something about it. Thats great!

And the rest is really really simple.
You can be whatever you want, but you will only become what you do. Figure out what you truly want and then figure out how to get there. And then the most difficult thing, do it. One step at the time. Stop living in the fear that you may not make it, live with the knowledge that whatever happens you will be able to handle it. It is vitally important that you stop making excuses and take responsibility for your life. If you let your fears keep you away from your dreams you will never be truly happy. Without risk, there is no reward.

But please be realistic, dont expect to get a high-paid job directly after graduation.

[mightymouse111]

You are going to need at least £30,000 to get your frozen ATPL, plus living expenses for about 18 months. How are you going to save up for this. That equates to a minimum of about £40,000 gross, if you were to earn this. Is anyone going to loan you this?
After qualification you could be unemployed for years before you get a job, how are you going to live/work/repay any debt.
Many airlines insist that you now pay for your type rating, approximately another £20,000 or so. Or if you would like to be a flight instructor this will cost £5-7,000 and the pay is peanuts.

It seems from here that you started your course 5 years after everyone else, why? You have only been doing it a year and dislike it. Do you really know what you want to do? Once you have worked that out, is it achievable, it is realistic, is it obtainable, if so how. Good luck with whatever you decide.

NB; Not all succeed!

[Re-Heat]

You need to take a step back and finish your degree - I notice from your past posts that you discovered the industry only recently, think you have good coordination through gaming, and didn't know whether BA was charter or scheduled.

This tells me that you need to immerse yourself in the industry far more deeply to succeed - there are people who have wanted to do nothing else for 25 years and know not only all about every flying aspect of aviation, but all about the companies, their strategies, and the people at the top of those industries through perseverance and commitment.

Commit yourself to your degree, finish it, and join a uni flying club/gliding club while you are there.

Get off the PS2 - permanently - and integrate with the real world, using that time to find out about the career you think you want.

It is all very well to say that you have waited so long to go to university for personal reasons, but you admit in a previous post that you were unemployed at the time of your CTC application - that does not place you in the best light, despite what you say above.

Everyone is in debt when they do their degree - applying yourself and working in holidays at decent companies (not local temp jobs) will fix your financial situation and help the backup career.