Advice for beginning career

[McCabyBaby]

Hi I'm an Irish 19 year old and I'm want to pursue a career as an airline pilot. I'm currently studying aeronautical engineering at the University of Limerick and have nearly finished first year. I intend to finish my four years here and get a PPL while I'm at it. I intend to go the modular route, take lessons at the National Flight Centre in Weston (supposedly very good) and go from there, hopefully becoming a pilot with Ryanair.
My query is to current ryanair pilots or any irish pilots who have taken this route also (or one like it) and do you have any information or advice for me?

I would like to know about:
where to get the best and cheapest flight lessons
what qualifications I need after the PPL before getting the CPL and then after that again?
whats the starting pay at ryanair for FO
will there be more jobs in 2013?

I heard that ryanair anf flybe is stopping its expansion in 2013. Does that mean I wont be able to apply even if I'm qualified by then?
And will be degree help with my application in any way? could a degree in arts be just as good?

Thanks
Any help will be appreciated :)

[FlyingStone]

Hi!

First of all, congratulations on deciding to stick with the university during your flight training since everybody nowadays is just "I'm 18, let's go to integrated fast course and get on the RHS of jet by 19th birthday" and it makes me wanna throw up...

In order to qualify for issue of JAA CPL(A) licence, you need a total time of 200 hours, which include 100 hours as PIC (Pilot in command) and must complete a 300NM cross-coutry flight between at least three airports. Of course, this requirements are only valid if you decide to take the modular route. However, if you change your mind and do integrated route to CPL/IR, the total hour requirement will be lower for cca. 50 hours (but expect to be more expensive).

I would strongly recommend you to go the route you've planned - university, do PPL and hour building during second and third year and maybe CPL and IR during fourth year if free time during study permits it. The best argument when discussing modular vs. integrated is that modular is MUCH MUCH more fun! On most of integrated courses most of your flying will be with instructor, but when doing modular hour-building you can do hour building with your buddies, you can gain more experience by flying different types of aircraft, you can take your girlfriend/family flying and show them what you've learned and give them experience of a lifetime, .... :)

However, the most important thing: medical licence. You SHOULD (or since it's a strong advice, I could simpy write shall) get your Class 1 medical certificate before starting flight training, just to see if everything is OK - and it's also a great ego booster, seeing that everything is OK from the start :ok:

[Poeli]

I'm doing kinda the same thing as you, I will finish my 2nd year of engineering this year, i can go working and fly or i can study another 2 years. I will take the last option and go for it the modular way earning a lot as engineer:ok: Great idea your route;)

[Aerouk]

Tayside aviation have a great guide on becoming an airline pilot, it's available here (http://www.taysideaviation.co.uk/flying/learning/index/trainingairlinepilot.html)

I've always said for a long time that if I was ever an airline pilot you wouldn't catch me with Ryanair, but it seems that those that are flying for Ryanair seem to love it but those that don't fly for them hate them.

I fly with a Training Captain from Ryanair and he's a cracking bloke, I know a lot of FOs there as well and they all seem to have no problems, in fact one of them left the AAC to go fly with them.

Keep an open mind, but keep yourself safe there is no point gambling your life over a career.

[McCabyBaby]

Great link Aerouk! lots of helpful info there.
I say ryanair as the next step because of how close it is to home plus I heard Weston have great contacts there which makes getting a job there my best bet.
I'd like to know what you meant by -
"keep yourself safe there is no point gambling your life over a career."

I am weary of the the airline industry at the moment and I've read countless threads about the industry not being what it used to regarding pay and opportunities so it does make me think about actually making a career out of it, hence the degree first as a fallback option. However I love seeing posts from people enjoying the life as a pilot and I want that too! Flying is awesome so why not make a living from it is what I think!

Regarding funding, should I raise the money through part-time work which would be slow or should I look for a loan to fund everything at once?

[Aerouk]

You'll be amazed at the guys you'll meet at flying clubs, a friend of mine was talking to an instructor at a flying club last year not knowing that the guy was an examiner for a huge airline.

Following week he got an invite to the Sim and got the job the following week, so networking is the best way to grab yourself a good job!

Ryanair can and will send you far away from home if they want to by the way, so again keep an open mind about where you want to be based especially when you're starting off.


Regarding funding, should I raise the money through part-time work which would be slow or should I look for a loan to fund everything at once?

It depends on a number of things, but the way I look at it.

If you pay, say £50-60k for flying modular imagine in a couple of years time you meet a pretty girl and you and her decide you would like to move in together. Do you honestly think a bank is going to give you a mortgage if you have a huge loan sitting behind you?

Get yourself a job in something you enjoy and work full time while doing the flying, there is nothing wrong with a bit of debt but £50-60k is a lot!

However! If in the years to come there are loads and loads of jobs, it might be worth taking the risk but again it's far too hard to tell. It's something you will need to have a good hard look at.

Just remember, it's a job at the end of the day don't just think of it as a dream there are plenty of airline captains out there that get no greater pleasure than flying a C152 around with a student under their wing.

[McCabyBaby]

I get ya now yeah. Ryanair I think was always gonna be a stepping stone to greater things. I don't mind not being based in Ireland if it comes down to a better job.
My friend is 19 with a PPL. He went through Weston and he has made a few contacts already with Ryanair so I think I'm gonna start heading over there, lesson or no lesson, and just talk to some people. you always see people on here giving out about guys getting jobs because of who they know while they are left standing. They should be doing the same!! :)
I know I will be!
Thanks again Aerouk

[potkettleblack]

Ryanair I think was always gonna be a stepping stone to greater things.

Bear in mind that if you are successful and land a job with FR that there are at least a couple of thousand pilots ahead of you who may well have the same idea. There are not and will never be enough jobs around for them all to jump ship.

You would be better doing your financial planning on the basis that you are stuck at FR for your career. Have a good read through the T&E forums where you will get a flavour for the average hours flown pa and how this might drop once your fully right seat qualified.

[lander66]

Some good points, although looking at it another way, being stuck at Ryanair for a career isn't necessarily a bad thing. One of the main problems with Ryanair is said to be job security, if you can manage to hold your job with them you are likely to get paid relatively well, get your preferred base (eventually) and get command earlier in your career than at other carriers. I think Ryanair is a great first airline job for any pilot, especially if you are young and single, willing to work anywhere in Europe which many young people would love to do.

[CaptainBloggs]

The name of degree you ultimately gain is probably not significant to an airline. A degree in modern history requires just as sufficiently high level of academic ability as aeronautics. Similarly, you can be interested in English literature whilst dream of a career as a pilot.

People from all sorts of backgrounds are now flying airliners - doctors, teachers, chemists, manual workers, stockbrokers, geoligists, the list is endless.

The important thing is to reach as high an educational standard as you can - without delaying your career too much! This is important for a number of reasons: to avoid being overshadowed by the hundreds of other graduates that may apply for the same opportunities; to show a training organisation (such as CTC) that you have the brains and academic determination to get through the course; and perhaps most importantly, you have something to fall back on if you plans don't work out.

All the very best.

Captain Bloggs

[G SXTY]

Wanting to be based close to home is understandable, but it's unwise to base your career plans on one employer, even one as sought-after as Ryanair. ;)

Trust me, by the time you've got the CPL/IR, you'll be prepared to go anywhere, do anything to get a first job. And that's when times are good. Tis the way of the industry I'm afraid.

As for Ryanair and/or Flybe's plans for 2013, you're a better man than me if you know anything about that – I'm lucky if I know what's going on next month. Regarding the degree, it won't do your application any harm, but nor is it a great advantage to a piloting career. However, a degree - particularly a marketable one such as engineering – is extremely useful as a back-up 'plan B' in case the flying does not work out for any reason.