What avenue to take ab-initio?

[Mase_00_7]

Hey guys,

I needn't tell you that I want to be a pilot but after having trawled through this site and a few others I really don't know which avenue to take, and I am being bamboozled by all the bloody acronyms hanging around in aviation!

Firstly, I have zero experience but was contemplating spending some hard-saved cash on a PPL. For career progression, is it a good idea to get some flight time and a PPL under my belt? I cannot afford to take the PPL just for fun and I would need to progress to be able to earn money from aviation...

Assuming it is a good idea to take my PPL, would I then need to go modular with regards to training for an fATPL, or is the option of going integrated still open to PPL holders? Would it even be a good idea to go integrated after achieving the PPL?

What are career prospects like for newly licensed ATPL holders? I have no A-Level's at grade C+ and therefore no University degrees so is this likely to hold me back from becoming an airline pilot?

Apologies for all the questions and I am sure that some have been asked before, so if you could point me in the direction of the answers at least then that would be great. Also, if there are any must read websites detailing the whole process from nil to fATPL including courses/flight hours needed/acronyms and what they mean/etc etc then that would be really cool too.

[average-punter]

I like BALPA publication BALPA - How To Become A Pilot (http://www.balpa.org/Become-A-Pilot/How-To-Become-A-Pilot.aspx)

If you do plan to do your PPL I guess Blackbushe would be an option? If so get down to the RedAir flight school and enquire. One of most helpful and friendliest group of people around :ok:

[pudoc]

What are career prospects like for newly licensed ATPL holders? I have no A-Level's at grade C+ and therefore no University degrees so is this likely to hold me back from becoming an airline pilot?

I wouldn't worry, I hold crap qualifications. Absolutely failed all my a-levels with big fat Us and my GCSEs are mediocre. I'm not a pilot (one day hopefully) so I can't say for sure but it's more about networking in this day and age rather than a-levels...and expect to pay your own type rating, which can be as high as 30k.

[Mase_00_7]

Blackbushe is pretty close, I was also considering West London Aero Club as White Waltham is not far.

I have done a lot more reading tonight and I think that the modular approach is going to suit me more. My question is can you hold down a full time job whilst successfully studying, and if so what is a reasonable timeframe with regards to completing each section of the course?

[pudoc]

Definitely! That's one of the beauties and probably the main reason why people go modular, it's all done at your own time. Take as long as you want, work when you want, fly and study when you want to. 16-18 months is an estimate full time modular but you can space it out over many years.

When ever I asked my school for a time frame I'd always get the same response, nobody knows. Weather is the reason why. Done my PPL in 6 weeks start to finish, took other's on my course 4 months and probably had about a month of no flying in between due weather. So it depends on you - the effort you put in, you're ability and weather.

[CAT3C AUTOLAND]

The first thing you must do, especially if you want to fly professionally, is get a medical.

For a professional licence you will need a class one. This can only be issued at the CAA Gatwick and its worth spending the money to make sure you are medically fit, before you start investing money in your career.