By the Cabin Crew door?

[type1]

training while working as cabin crew??

hey,

i've wanted to be a pilot since forever - like everyone else - and have about 120 hours + mod 1 of ground school. however it's happening very slowly mainly due to cost and amount of time available.

i recently met someone who is cabin crew and i suddenly saw it as a quick way into the industry while i could carry on training - so I applied to BA and here I am with a job offer waiting for a training date.

i have a few concerns about it though, which i was hoping some other people might be able to help me out on.

Firstly, is the wage enough to pay my way through training? I know it's pretty good with BA and with my current job (web design) I take home about £1200 per month.

Secondly, everyone thinks I'm mad for giving up a potentially good career job for cabin crew, but I look at it more like having a fun job while training and then going into my 'serious' life career as a pilot......

Finally, it would be great to hear from anyone else currently doing the same thing or from pilots who did it previously.

Cheers everyone!

type1

[Aerioplanino]

Why not a loan from a company.
No, it's great working like cabin crew and collecting money for better job. But if you get a loan is easier, perhaps...

[First.officer]

I did exactly the same as you for approx. 4 years with a charter airline, although the money wasn't perhaps as good as your currently earning, the advice, contacts and great people you'll meet and the fun you'll have along the way will make it all worth while - in fact, once i've finished my IR, if i can't get a job on the flight deck, i'll quite happily be going back to a position as cabin crew until i can get a job up at the pointy end !! be prepared, although its fun, it can also be damned hard work at times (at least it was for charter, i'm pretty sure its the same elsewhere). Good luck with your career, i personally think it's a great way to start in the business, if nothing else you get to see the operation of the aircraft from both sides of the cockpit door eventually.

[Barcadi]

hello guys
am now a cabin crew n' looking to b a pilot also....after 4 yrs i can see that if u put yr mind right into it from the beginning saving here really can b good!
also the insight info into the aviaton world.....u might see if u still want to b a pilot after continuous 6 months of bad roster!!
good luck

[davewhiteside]

Would cabin crew be a good start to making contacts (merged)

Hi there,
im currently taking my PPL and afterwards hope to go on to train towards my commercial licence. After all the training etc i hope to become an airline pilot. My question is as follows.
There is are job vacancy's that have come up as cabin crew working for one of the new budget airlines, and I was wondering that if I applied and got the job this may be a step in the right direction as I may make some contacts. What are anyone's views on this, do you think this would be a good thing to do or not. Im currrently employed elsewhere in a slightly better paid job but would be prepared to take a pay cut if this job would help in the long run. Any views?

[scroggs]

Cabin crew can certainly be a good place to be to make contacts, and it can be valuable experience. You should also look at dispatch, ramp work and operations as other possible contact-making opportunities.

Several ex-Virgin CC have made the transition to the flight deck with other airlines, and the contacts they've made within VS have often been able to help with introductions and so forth.

However, the pay's rubbish and it's bloody hard and generally thankless work, so be sure you're ready for what you're letting yourself in for!

Scroggs

[Nimbus5]

Contacts are important, but they don't get you the job and frankly, you probably won't make the right ones as Cabin Crew anyway. There are better paying jobs to fund your training. That said, if being Cabin Crew doesn't put you off the industry and the career then doing it for a while might be useful and it just might give you a valuable perspective one day when you're sitting at the pointy end.

[davewhiteside]

Cheers for your input

Thanks for your comments everyone! Very much appreciate it!
Scroggs, as for the other jobs you have mentioned, how do you go about finding out about these jobs, only I have always got my eyes pealed for jobs airport related and cabin crew and and resturant staff are the main ones that pop up. I live round the corner from Blackpool Airport and as its a bit smaller I guess these other jobs only come up on the odd occasion (with it being only a small airport).
What do you recommend?
Thanks again!

[fastjet2k]

Contacts are important, but they don't get you the job and frankly, you probably won't make the right ones as Cabin Crew anyway.

Maybe for many... However I know of a number of people down here at FTE who have made the transition to Flight Crew from Cabin Crew (often with the same airline) and, put it this way, I wouldn't be embarking on an Airbus course in April if it wasn't for my 2 years as Cabin Crew.

It is hard work... If your dream is to be a pilot then working as Cabin Crew can become downright tedious at times (trust me!)... However, it does provide experience that will no doubt stand you in good stead CRMwise when you do sit in the pointy end. I do, however, totally stand by what Scroggs said - if you want to finance your own flight training then I can think of better paid jobs to finance it if you're not on good terms with a bank! Again, the point has also been made that there are other jobs within the industry that you can do which will also provide you with valuable experience/contacts.

Above all, if you're going to work somewhere before you go and train then it may as well be within the industry unless you need something thats going to pay you super-bucks. If you don't mind the financial opportunity cost then you'll have a lot of fun!

Good luck! FJ2k

[hedges81]

Nimbus 5, what are you talking about?

How do you, someone who has not even started training as a pilot yet, got the faintest idea about what you posted above.

"Contacts are important, but they don't get you the job and frankly, you probably won't make the right ones as Cabin Crew anyway. There are better paying jobs to fund your training. That said, if being Cabin Crew doesn't put you off the industry and the career then doing it for a while might be useful and it just might give you a valuable perspective one day when you're sitting at the pointy end."

This comes from someone who by the looks of it has no experience of the aviation industry whatsoever. Stop talking out of ur a--se!

[Send Clowns]

Contacts are important, but they don't get you the job and frankly, you probably won't make the right ones as Cabin Crew anyway.

Sorry, Nimbus, but more bull****. I know many people who have made the right contacts through all sorts of aviation-related work. And contacts do get you the interview, which will get you the job if you are any good. If you don't get an interview you'll never get a job, and if you're noi good then you'll never get a job anyway! So yes, contacts do get you the job.

I have taught a lot of ex-cabin crew in groundschool. All did well, had the right attitude and were well-motivated.

[scroggs]

Nimbus5 sit down and give your mouth a rest. You're going to need a JCB if you want to dig your hole any deeper!

I have just returned from Mumbai after a trip with an FO who was Virgin cabin crew for several years. The FSM (chief steward) had also gone down the pilot route but decided, in the end, that his talents were best used elsewhere. On the trip, the three of us discussed somewhere around 20 ex-Virgin CC who have recently made the transition to pilot successfully. Almost all of them capitalised on the contacts they made while working for Virgin - a place where CC are not treated as second-class citizens, and where they feel totally comfortable talking with flight crew about this kind of stuff.

Dave you're going to have to spread your net to include Liverpool and Manchester. Don't ignore Blackpool, but its small size does limit your prospects there.

Scroggs

[MrHorgy]

Originally Posted by fastjet2k

However I know of a number of people down here at FTE who have made the transition to Flight Crew from Cabin Crew (often with the same airline) and, put it this way, I wouldn't be embarking on an Airbus course in April if it wasn't for my 2 years as Cabin Crew.

Your not friends with name deleted are you?

Seriously, i'm walking this path at the moment, i've just done a season with TFly and i'm going to MyTravel next week. Not only is it great fun but you do make contacts, hell TFly even have a Flying Club with aircraft rental at cost to do your hour building / PPL in!

Horgy

Sorry, but you don't mention names on here (that aren't already in the public domain) while you remain anonymous.

Scroggs

[ItsAjob]

Just a quick one,
About the Virgin CC becoming flight deck, were they low houred guys because I thought Virgin was 2500 hrs min?

[scroggs]

No, they weren't low-houred. They did their apprenticeship in other airlines, same as everyone else. That's where the contacts came in to it.

Scroggs

[ItsAjob]

I cant understand why someone would give up there flight deck position to work as cabin crew.
Oh well it just proves the many weird and wonderful ways there are!

[Richard Spandit]

Originally Posted by ItsAjob

I cant understand why someone would give up there flight deck position to work as cabin crew.
Oh well it just proves the many weird and wonderful ways there are!

I think someone has misunderstood the thread...

Working as Cabin Crew, I imagine, must have pros and cons. Being in the aviation industry gives you a chance to talk to pilots, many of whom have their ear to the ground as regards recruitment in various airlines. There are other jobs besides C/C, though - working in ops, crewing, dispatch etc. If you are qualified for another more lucrative job, then a potential employer might ask why you didn't work in that field before trying to become a pilot.

Good luck!

[Continental Drifter]

Worked as cabin crew for over 5 years at Virgin - now working on private jets and studying through bristol ground school for my atpl exams.
Seems a few people like to comment on a subject of which they have no experience of.
I personally found flying as cabin crew to be invaluable as far as making contacts went. Gained a lot of advice and realized what it was like to fly for an airline. Virgin was definately work hard and play hard. Even led to flying in a A340 sim with an initially self sponsored training capt. who remembered the position he was once in.
The money is not great but the opportunity to work in the aviation industry whilst you're studying, building hours and having drinks with saucy stewardesses makes up for it (!)

[lummie37]

Cabin Crew - A Good Grounding ??

Hi

I'm aiming to start studying for my ATPL exams in the summer & am thinking of working as cabin crew to try and gain some useful experience & contacts at the same time.
I know this has probably been done before, but if you could give me any opinions or advice, on whether this is a good idea, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

[MrHorgy]

Take a look here:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=208787

The general thinking is yes, it's the way i'm doing it! Feel free to PM with Q's.

Horgy