Need some advise. PPL or Integrated?

[Pilot16]

Hi

I need a little help, and I would appreciate your advise :) I was planning to go through the integrated method of flight training after I finish college in two years time (2004). I am at school at the moment. I have two options and I would like to know which would be better.

1) As I am so passionate in learning to fly, I can do my Private Pilot License course next year in the summer of 2003. Finance should not be a problem here. This is one year into college and I will do it in the summer holidays. This means I will have to wait another year to finish A Levels and then gain the rest of the licenses for the cpl.
(this is not integrated is it??!!)

2) Or I can begin all the training after college the integrated way.

Could there be any advantages in doing the PPL one year early?? Or could option 2 be better.

thanks in advance for your help :)

PS, and also I would appreciate if someone could clarify me on this matter...I know that with a JAA cpl license you are elligable for employment in any JAA member countries as a pilot. Does this mean it is NOT possible to gain employment with airlines in the middle east such as Emirates, GulfAir etc. with a JAA license ?

[VFE]

Hi Pilot16,

I don´t think there are many advantages to be gained in doing a PPL before integrated training apart from you will at least know if you have the basic chops to fly the aircraft. A few hours down the local flying club should sort out wether you will blow chunks every time you go up! Believe me, some people go integrated when they have not even had an hour in a light aircraft only to get on the course and quit as they don´t like flying. It´ll be a few years before you get onto something nice and big so check it out first if only for a couple of hours.

There are obvious gains in doing the PPL prior to going integrated, you´ll at least have a head start once you get onto the flying part of the training. We had a guy through here who had 160 hours PPL and quit recently as he realised commercial flying wasn´t for him. Granted there were other reasons behind his departure but the fact remains he hated the whole thing and having 160 hours made not a scrap of difference. One should remember that there is alot of groundschool to wade through as well as flying and that is the area that causes most problems.

If you have the cash on the hip ready for a PPL by all means do it as it can only help but it is not the huge deal one may think it is, in fact some with PPLs on integrated courses would argue that you´re better off without it!

The choice as they say, is yours!

Cheers,

VFE. :cool:

PS: Can´t help with the licencing part of your question.

[Pilot16]

Thankyou very much for your help.
As for me, I am deffinately sure fying is the thing for me. Being honest, I have literally lost all interest in any other cereer paths.

However I have taken a trial lesson and am sure I want to go ahead with this. As you say, gaining the PPL a year early wont make a huge difference, so I guess I will start flight training after college.

cheers!

[FlyingForFun]

Hopefully I won't confuse the issue by giving contradictory advice:

Pilot16, you didn't say exactly what your financial situation is, but you did say that "Finance should not be a problem". If you've got the money, why not do your PPL part time, while you're studying, purely for your own enjoyment?

It may not give you any long-term advantage, but flying is fun, so enjoy it! :D There'll come a time when you've got your head in the ATPL study material, and the fun element seems very distant, so enjoy it while you can!

FFF
--------------

[MikeSamuel]

I'm with FFF, there is no disadvantage to doing the PPL separately, and if finance is not a problem you are going to have a year or two in which to enjoy leisurely flying before getting into the schedule of an integrated course. I would contact the FTO's and see what kind of discount is available to you if you don't do your PPL with them. Ask if Oxford or Cabair etc... are running seminars, as these are very informative as regards integrated/modular options.
By flying with a smaller local club you can get involved in the social side of flying too...

Good luck,

MS :cool:

[PilotOnline]

If money is no problem why not do it. Training for the PPL is great fun and very rewarding as an introduction to flying and will give you the opportunity to build your skills as a pilot when you come to the integrated course.

Flying experience cannot be substituted, especially when learning in the UK. (although other countries are just as good to train in.) IU know it is a cliche but having a pilots licence whether PPL or ATPL is a licence to learn!

I am about to pursue the integrated route as of next year when I can get the finances in hand and currently have a PPL, training for this was fantastic fun and although I will be re-capping the PPL syllabus I wouldn't trade it in for anything!! Any ideas on where you want to take the integrated course?

Good luck!

[Pilot16]

So many enthusiastic replies! Thanks!

Well I live at the very heart of London, which means travelling to an from an FTO is a disadvantage (I have stapleford in mind). Because flight training is such an expensive issue, I would like to participate as much as I can myself with my own earnings and then loans etc. as you all would do. And at the moment, I'm penny-less with GCSE exams comming. But I am looking for a job for the holiday and part time during college so I can efford my own PPL and any donation my father would like to make can go toward the other licenses after college.
I am not quite sure about studying for PPL part-time because I also need money for the driving lessons and for life at 17 :D

After much thinking, I think I will be going for the integrated route. I'll see what happens anyway, I am not too motivated and need deciplined environment if I am to learn and be a successful pilot, so the integrted should be the way. :)

Anyways thanks for your very helpful replies!

[VFE]

Don´t get the idea that at an integrated school you´ll get a kick up the jacksee if you start to slack. The majority of schools will take your money and laugh if you don´t do the work. You are left to your own devices at the end of each day to do the study and believe me there´s alot so be prepared for a hard slog once you start. I am sure you´ll be fine as the thought of ones spondoo´s being flushed down the Kermit is usually enough to motivate a student!

All the best and good luck mate.

VFE. :cool:

[PilotOnline]

I live in central London, did my PPL at Denham, easy to get to either by train or car and a testing little runway to boot!! especially with a 13 kt crosswind!! Anyhow, I did my PPL through Cabair at Denham and got a lot out of it. Stapleford looks a good prospect for the ATPL but be aware that their cost does not include approach fees etc which can bump the cost up considerably!!!! Anyhow, good luck with the selection process, just make sure you know what is and is not included in the cost of the integrated package you go for!! £22500 may sound good but if approaches into Coventry at £75 a go as well as certain exam fees aren't included your budget you could well end up being blown out of the water!!!!!

Once again,

Good Luck!!!

PilotOnline!!

[Troy McClure]

Any commercial course will involve some degree of hour building and as hours don't expire, doing a PPL now will still count later, even if the licence itself's lapsed by then.

You can see if flying's for you, and once the ab-initio sponsorships start again (which they will eventually), you'll look better in the interview than the guy with no more than a trial flight when you have to persuade the airline that this is the only life for you.

TMC