Best route to getting a job in aviation.

[MrGren]

Hi, first post here although i've been looking through the forums for a couple of months.

Im 20 years old and i was going to be done with school a year ago but low motivation and personal problems have made it take longer time.
After a year off now im a lot more motivated and im going to get that last part done in a last semester.
I've had a passion for planes and aviation for a pretty long time, not since i was 5 like some i know but its been growing for a couple of years.
My goal has been to become a pilot as a career, and its pretty depressing to see what kind of state the profession is in.
From reading the alot of posts here and just keeping up with whats happening to the airline-industry i understand that there aren't alot of hiring airlines, at least not that are looking for green pilots, I don't want to give up my dream though, but i don't want to be a pay2fly-pilot either.

Although I would like to be a airliner-pilot someday I understand that you have to work hard for a long time and take some not-so glamorous jobs before you reach what you really want to do, but im ok with that.

I've tried to search for similar topics before i posted here and although i have found alot of good info most of the ones i found was more about people trying to justify, to themselves, that its a good idea to borrow 70-90K euros etc.

Sorry im babbling, heres my question: What do you think I should do and how?

I've been thinking about going to university after I'm done with this part of school and getting a 3-4 year degree in something im interested in that could work as a backup. But I don't want to be in school when market is up again and having a 2 year integrated/modular atpl ahead of me.

Do you think its a good plan to study for 3-4 years and doing modular on the side or wait and do an integrated after im done with school?
I heard about someone here that was thinking of learning to fly a glider first, sounds exciting, but is this more just for fun or can it be advantageous?

I live in sweden, but im totally ok with the prospect of having to move to another country, i actually would like that.

Sorry for such a long thread but eventhough i've tried to research as much as i could, it seems like i end up with more questions than answers everytime.

Thanks in advance

Mrgreen

[fly_antonov]

Go to college.
You won' t have time to study modular on the side.

You can go to an aviation engineering course that way you already learn a big part of your ATPL program.

Even if they hire pilots in the next wave, your chances of getting on will be very slim.
Engineering departments need young guys for the future. Jobs are not easy there either but with an aviation related engineering degree you can also get into automotives and other powertrained industries.

Once you got the college done, work several years in engineering, put as much money aside as you can and them attempt to go the pilot route.
Yes, you could be 29 years old by then but you will have a strong basis and something to fall back on. You will have no debt and will enjoy job security for another 35 years.
I know that it sounds crazy but you must think that now is your time to invest and learn something that will put you all the way through to retirement. If the retirement age doesn' t go to 70 by then, you must also think that 45 years from now the airline industry could be a different world.
Pilots can be replaced by machines but engineers can not.

Just if you read through these pages you will see many pilots saying that they temporarily went back to engineering as they were layed-off.

[ShaunLanc]

Im in the exact circumstances your in. Do i go uni or get a job and save up?

Well i've decided to go to uni doing a course i know will get me a good career with travel and nice pay (Geologist incase your wondering.) So in 10years time i can afford to pay for my training without getting into debt, also in 10years time the aviation industry could still be like this, so if you didnt go uni you would just be like all the other 200hour cadet pilots looking for a job. Sure you wouldnt have all the debt they have but my bet is you would be in a crappy job with no pension/benefits or a good wage.

Saying that you dont have to get a degree to get a well paid job (but in most cases you do.) Take AirTrafficControl for example, you can be sponsered for all your training, have a good wage and nice pension. It just depends if that would interest you. For me that would be a killer, talking to pilots knowing that its not me and im 'missing out'.

At the end of the day its up to you. You have to ask yourself:


Is there a degree for me which i would ENJOY for 3/4 years
Would this degree actually get me a well paid career (no good getting a pointless media degree and then going into a crap job)
If you get your degree and then find the aviation sector picks up, would you drop everything to attempt to become a pilot, or would you wait untill all your uni debt is paid and can afford to fund all training without going into debt
You have to be realistic, my dream since the age of 12 was to become a pilot. However at the moment my dream is unrealistic. It means getting into huge amounts of debt which i know i will probably not get a job at the end of it. If im one of the lucky ones and gets a job at the end of training, it will most likely be awful pay, no job security, no pension, rubbish working hours. So instead i've decided to attempt my 'dream' in 10/20years time whenever the time is right.Hope this helps, i know exactly how you feel but remember only you can decide your future.

[glag]

I think there still have to be found THE BEST route to get a job in aviation. Especially nowdays. My suggestion is to go to university and build up a backup career (either aviation related or not). Get a part time job if you can and in the meantime get your PPL licence. Is really helpful to get an idea of how things work in this business.
Once finished your degree get a job and concentrate on saving (or loan) a huge amount money in order to get your ATPL. Roughly 120K euro is now the minimum to get your ATPL/CPL/IR/TR. Age is by your side. SO PLAN IN ADVANCE ! Time is a real capital in this sense. But always maintain a back up door.

[conk757]

Same situation im in....
Im coming to the end of my PPL now and i have to choose weather do a Access course to actually get into uni (so would take another year to get to uni)or do my ATPL's (starting in october).

Tough decisions but im guessing with the current situation Uni will be the better option to get a good back up career!!

Conk757

[ba038]

Exactly the same position!

I’m going to uni.Infact I’m going to CASS business school to study investment and financial risk management to be an investment banker. Just like all other people out there, I too am a dreaming wannabe but after reading and judging the state of the aviation industry, it’s only fair for me to stick to education and wait for so-called EXPERIENCE pilots to get their jobs back.

And about 5 years down the line who knows what the industry forecast is then.

After reading so many, many posts on pprune.I have seen negative as well as positive comments. However i am having doubts about what the job itself really entails.Aswell as terms and conditions being constantly eroding.

As a 19 year old young lad, these are my views so far!

Meanwhile ill study and network network and network!.:ok:

[MrGren]

Yeah, uni seems like the best way. When do you all reckon the industry will be up and back on track? Impossible question, i know...

It's hard to not get influenced by the guys who borrow alot of money and hop on a integrated, logically it's insane but it's hard thinking logically about something you have wanted for so long.

But i think the best plan is as many of you have said, to get an education in uni/college (i always get confused by the difference as in sweden we have a different system) and then work, but maybe fly a little as a hobby and wait

[tigermagicjohn]

MrGren, you are from Sweden, one thing is for sure, there will be loads of jobs available for you within the next 10 years - because SAS average age is early/mid 50's, and these pilots will be retiring soon.

So with your you age, disregard most of the negative crap in PPRUNE, because if you get yourself CPL/IR and do some instructing - there will be plenty of jobs by the time you got your hours + +, even if it at the moment it is very bad, unless SAS goes bankrupt, which they never will because of government interest in the company, just go for it, but slowly!

Men han Gunde Svan er en skikkelig frekking, heia Petter!