Is this flight school good? Is this path right?

[sobokow]

So like many I don't have the money to go through with the integrated courses and being in the UK, the courses held by CTC and CAE are insanely expensive.

I considered doing it in a different country. I came across a Latvian flight school based in Riga.

They have a 0-PPL and PPL-fATPL program, in total costing 27895 euros, however they make this slightly unclear for beginners to all of this so could somebody clear it up? From PPL to (f)ATPL | EASA Flight School since 2008. For many years leader in quantity of graduated pilots (http://avioservice.eu/en/flight-school/s-ppl-do-atpl/)
Is the theory cost included in that 21,900 euros?

The ATPL theory is held by CAE Oxford and flying training by Pakker Avio, an Estonian school.

However I'm also slightly confused as to whether or not you can be employable with the license they give, from what I gathered you get your fATPL and build your hours as an F/O to 1500 to become a captain?

Also, are you employable with the license they give at all? I can't see any MCC or Type Ratings (any other qualifications needed?), or are they meant to be learnt separately? How are Type Ratings supposed to be learnt?

Anyway, once you get this license, how long do you expect to get a job after applying for various European airlines (including the UK)? Am I able to simply pack up and move to the Middle East as I've heard they have a booming airline market.

[Bearcat F8F]

I think you need to do a fair amount of research on the structure of the fATPL and the modules which make it up.

Once you understand that, you will understand how it all works and what you may or may not need to apply for work.

Searching through recent job postings on the net for low hour pilots is also a good start.

Explaining every aspect of what you just asked would take ages.

Good luck :ok:

[doc5]

That price cannot possibly include everything for your fatpl.it must not include the theory.

Also, I don't think it as simple as just going over to the middle east and picking up a job there. Far from it intact.

[JB007]

Start asking these sort of questions to the school in question, be prepared to go visiting, you need to be comfortable with your chosen environment of learning. And that includes flying to Riga!!!! In summer I'd recommend! Look at what you're spending...

I certainly wouldn't rule out the Modular route in the UK, not sure of your age, but you're joining a loooooong list of people who are rushing through this "zero to hero" stage in an effort to get to something that doesn't exist -I.e Employment! Slow down, research thoroughly...and forget the Middle East, 5 years of heavy jet experience you may be getting close to be able to apply!

I instruct PPL's at a wonderful grass strip in North Yorkshire, this environment should be your starting point - Not a CTC assessment...and we might actually have some joy and passion in the crew rooms!

[OhNoCB]

I don't know the school so can't comment on them. All I want to say is that I did go to another country (outside the UK) to do my training to get a better price, but even with that I would be quite wary of a price being TOO good. Research required.

To give you a very basic idea of how things work (doesn't always work exactly this way but it's rough), this is what you will do in training:

PPL
Night Rating
Hour building
ATPL Theory
CPL
Multi Engine IR
(MCC)

Not all flight schools include / can do an MCC, mine didn't so I did it elsewhere. Certain elements above can be done together and others need to be done on there own, whether through legislation (if you don't have the requirements to do another part of the course yet) or through it needing to be focused on more (I know some school that do the CPL and IR together and others that advise against it).

This will leave you with a CPL and ATPL theory completed, commonly referred to as a Frozen ATPL (which is NOT a licence itself, just common used terminology).

Once you get 1500 hours including a certain amount of night hours and other things, you can do a test for your ATPL (or to 'unfreeze' the fATPL).

I would not call this time hour building as such, and would not say that you build to 1500h to "become a captain". It depends on what you are flying of course but as most people will be looking towards flying jets in airlines, you are probably looking at closer to 3000h in most airlines before they would start considering you for an upgrade, and in bigger airlines that use a seniority system (longer in the company gets you more 'benefits' or options so to speak) then you might be looking at over 10 years and have many thousands of hours (perhaps more than 10000h) before being upgraded.

[appleACE]

It says on that website that the theory is separate:

"Cost of the ATPL theory program: 1500GBP and 300GBP per week of “brush up” course (in total four weeks).
Cost includes: OAA books of ATPL subjects, distant access to Oxford Aviation Academy ATPL distant training course and mentoring while in OAA for brush-up courses."

I would recommend getting an MCC somewhere though. I talked to a pilot at Emirates a while ago and he says that nowadays an MCC is quite important, and looks good in the interview.