What to do with ATPLs??

[NickGooseBrady]

Hey All,

So times are tough, I'm skint and the girlfriend keeps making hints about getting married and having sprogs. :eek:

I am very lucky to be in secure, well paid employment but have just finished my ATPL exams. Due to many reasons there is now no way I will be able to do the CPL/IR within the next 36 months. :(

Was there any point to doing these bloody exams? Can I do anything with them after the 36 month period? Do they count for anything? Are they a ticket to anything post 36 months?

Help, I think I may have just blown several hours of my life and a couple of grand for nothing.

Incidentally it's looking far more likely that I will have to stay in the current job (Navy) for another 6 years (pension trap) and that doing a bit of instructing at weekends is the future (on a PPL).

Cheers NGB.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

After 36 months you must have got a CPL AND and Instrument Rating issued. If you have not done so then all your ATPL exam credits lapse.

Your only option then is to resit all the examinations.

The only inch the CAA give you is that they don't force you to do the whole groundschool again. Instead the head of training at the groundschool of your choice gets to decide how many lessons you need before resitting the exam. If over three years has passed by it will be most of them so don't expect a big discount.

You've essentially wasted time and money but you aren't the first and won't be the last.


WWW

[betpump5]

You've essentially wasted time and money but you aren't the first and won't be the last.

Barrel of laughs our WWW. That must have cheered you right up.

[Brian304]

Well I'm sure you can do your CPL/IR or even an FI rating part-time if you become commited to it. The ATPL theory exams only last for 36 months, from then on there worth nothing and you will have to re-do all of the 14 exams...

Goodluck...:)

[Mercenary Pilot]

Try to at least get your CPL, then its not a complete waste.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Due to many reasons there is now no way I will be able to do the CPL/IR within the next 36 months.


Try reading a post before replying.



NickGooseBrady you have my slight sympathy as changed circumstances can scupper any plan. Though I do raise a slight eyebrow that you went so far down a road without a little more planning and preparation. Not knowing that the three year clock starts ticking when you pass the ATPL exams suggests a lack of research if nothing else.

But then some people start flying training as an alternative to climbing Snowdon in flip flops and a tee-shirt it seems to me.


WWW

[NickGooseBrady]

WWW, I have respected the majority of your replies to posts over the years and have 99% of the time agreed wholeheartedly with your arguments, view point and straight talking.

On this occasion I think you have completely missed the mark and am very dissappointed that you feel it necessary to label me as someone who entered this thing with my eyes shut and having done no research. As your cut and paste clearly points out my circumstances have changed considerably from the point when I started the ATPLs over 15 months ago. Sh~t happens believe it or not!

Thanks to all the contributors who have made useful replies.

NGB

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Well you entered this thing without knowing there was a time expiry on the ATPL exams. I'm not labeling you anything. But if your eyes weren't shut nor were they fully open.

You're still in secure well paid employment - all that seems to have happened is you have become skint and your partner wishes to move your relationship on a bit. No asteroids from space then.

Apart from telling you precisely what your situation was and how the rules are written I wanted to make a wider point with my comments about wasting money.

I'm sorry for your loss of time and money. Perhaps its lucky you didn't spend tens of thousands more on training which circumstances will render you unable to use. The worst I ever saw was someone who gave up at the CPL skilltest phase after spending £71,000.



WWW

[NickGooseBrady]

Well you entered this thing without knowing there was a time expiry on the ATPL exams. I'm not labeling you anything. But if your eyes weren't shut nor were they fully open.


Chap, at what point did I say that I didn't know there was a 36 month window? I have read LASORS like anyone else (BEFORE commencing on the path)! RTFQ.

I tried to make the point that during the course of the last 15 months circumstances have changed and that having started on the exams there was little point giving up 3/4 of the way through.

Cheers, NGB

[quant]

Nick i'm going to be as harsh as www and say dump the dizzy bint formally known as your gf. If you really want this then you can achieve it without her dragging you down.

good luck with whatever you decide.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I'm confused why you asked the question if you already knew the answer?

WWW

[GBB]

I dont know where things changed for you and how long you took to complete all the 14 exams, but one option would be to pass 13 and leave one till the end. This might of save you couple of months.
Was your girlfriend with you prior to starting flight training? If yes, she should of told you back then what she thinks about all this. Was she supportive or not?
The other scenario could be that she came into your life at later stage and you might be giving up too much for her, or theres not much understanding from her?
Maybe you didnt make your self clear enough from the begining about your plans for the future?
Anyway... I would guess that she did see how much hard work, sweat, time and money you invested in ATPL studies... and she just want you to "give it up"?

Good Luck

[TheBeak]

she came into your life at later stage and you might be giving up too much for her,

Or you are considering giving up too much for flying. I'd write off the exams and do them when things pick up. I wish I was only 6 months and a couple of grand down.

[bingofuel]

I will try to be constructive.
Assuming you have the hours required, the CPL course is 25 hours or so and then you could add a 'single' engine IR onto it, which I think is 50 hours but 35 in a sim, and you will have 10 hours from the CPL course.
I will admit I may be wrong , and of course a single engine IR has little use BUT this may let you keep the ATPL exam credits at a lesser perhaps more affordable cost.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

It would but the cost of renewing the IR over - say - three years outweighs the cost of doing the groundschool and exams again.

I'd let them lapse and look at the career again in maybe 5 years.


WWW

[Keygrip]

Academic, considering the original post - but there is no *NEED* to renew the I/R every year. Let *THAT* lapse and renew in five years from now.

[Gazeem]

I know of someone from my old flying group who did all the ATPLs and then decided against a flying career.

He claimed he managed to get the civil service to agree to recognise the ATPLs as a HNC(D??) equivalent and that allowed him to get a job there.

So the exams in some circumstances may have an UNOFFICIAL equivalent rating.

BTW what does a Civil Servant and the SA80 got in common?

They both don't work and you can't fire them!:E

[woodcoc2000]

i agree with keygrips post.. get your CPL and IR done in your own time; after all there is no rush these days. Then you could renew in 2-5 years time..
I let my IR/MEP lapse and it cost me £1800 to renew in the aircraft taking up 3 days of my time. at that time i hadnt done a flight in IMC in 2 years but just needed a couple of sim sessions; one session in the plane and then test in the plane.

[Keygrip]

Thank you for the support :) but I didn't advise getting the CPL and I/R - as the original poster had already said that wasn't an option.

What I did say was (effectively) for those that have it you don't have to keep it all current at hundreds of pounds/dollars a year. Let it lapse and catch up later.