Do NOT Put Down The Dream
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Do NOT Put Down The Dream
Too many negative stories on here giving no positive advice to people starting out. So here is my story to date.
I left school with next to no qualifications. I managed to get into uni but hated every minute. So while i was there, back in 2011, i started to chase my dream of becoming a pilot.
I started my PPL at uni and worked non stop to fund it. I would be in uni 9-5, leave uni to go to work from 6-10pm, then i would leave that job and go work in a night club from 11-3Am. In the house for 4AM and got up to go to uni at 8Am. I did this for three years to fund my flying.
It almost killed me but i was determine.
Just as i finished uni, i managed to finish my PPL and i enrolled in ATPL ground school where i studied non stop for 14 months and continued the work schedule as mentioned above PLUS i was employed by my flying club and worked in Flight Ops on the weekends. Instead of taking payment in cash, i took flying hours and this covered ALL my hour building. It was a great job and i appreciate the opportunity. I learnt lots but more importantly, i met so many good contacts and even better friends!
I was getting closed to death by this point, but i was even more determined. I forgot what sleep was.
When i was finishing my ATPLS and about to start my CPL, MEP/IR, i was offered a job with the airfield that i flew from. I was taken on as Airfield Operations which included Fire Crew and Air/Ground Operator. Another fantastic opportunity. Ive met some fantastic people and contacts and folk on the airfield were so generous in offering me incredibly cheap flying on their aircrafts. I even got some free twin time, more on that later.
I finished my CPL, MEP/IR in the minimum time, all that was left was my MCC which i completed at CRM Aviation in White Waltham. Can't recommend them enough! Fantastic organisation.
So that was me. The very start of 2014 and i had my Frozen ATPL in hand and only just spent over £30,000.
Seriously.
For the last year i have been working at the airfield in my Operations role. Flying regularly with people on the airfield. The fantastic contacts i gained from my aviation jobs led me to fly for a local parachute organisation where i built almost 300 hours over the summer. I also had paid flying jobs doing pipeline survey, aerial mapping, forestry survey and aerial photography and as mentioned before, the twin time. Unbelievably lucky. This took me to just over 500 hours.
My first airline interview finally came along late in 2014. Literally the last week of the year and for a regional turboprop airline. Alas, it wasn't to be. The week following my rejection, i was offered two more interview. One was for one of Europe's largest carriers and the other was for an English cargo company. Would you believe the interviews were to be on the same day?! A tough decision lay ahead but i went with my heart.
One very long interview processes later, i have been offered my dream job with my dream airline flying heavy passenger jets around Europe (not Ryanair) and even better, no type rating cost and i'll be going onto the 737.
Yes, I'm incredibly lucky, but i believe that one thing made me stand out from the crowd. My CV. Everyone has the same little blue book with the same bit of paper inside it. The hardest thing in getting a job is getting the interview and i believe that me working jobs that were the lowest rungs of the ladder made me stand out. My passion for aviation and to fly is put across in my CV.
So if you want to get ahead in this industry and you're just starting out, my advice is to make yourself stand out:
Do jobs that show you're keen. Do flying that is voluntarily and that will build your skill like parachuting, tug flying, ANYTHING!
Get a job that will get you contacts. Meet people, learn the industry. DONT GET A BAD NAME FOR YOURSELF! That interview for the cargo company came about because two pilots for the outfit came to my airport during their rest period. The captain was the fleet manager and he gave me his number and email and told me to email him my cv etc. I did, and i was offered the interview a week later!
SO, if you're starting out, its not as bad as everyone says. True grit and determination will get you where you want to go. If you want it, go get it.
I've been qualified for just over a year. I spent 30K.I have nearly 600 hours and I'm going onto a 737 with NO typerating costs. The jobs are there. You just have to look.
Good luck.
I left school with next to no qualifications. I managed to get into uni but hated every minute. So while i was there, back in 2011, i started to chase my dream of becoming a pilot.
I started my PPL at uni and worked non stop to fund it. I would be in uni 9-5, leave uni to go to work from 6-10pm, then i would leave that job and go work in a night club from 11-3Am. In the house for 4AM and got up to go to uni at 8Am. I did this for three years to fund my flying.
It almost killed me but i was determine.
Just as i finished uni, i managed to finish my PPL and i enrolled in ATPL ground school where i studied non stop for 14 months and continued the work schedule as mentioned above PLUS i was employed by my flying club and worked in Flight Ops on the weekends. Instead of taking payment in cash, i took flying hours and this covered ALL my hour building. It was a great job and i appreciate the opportunity. I learnt lots but more importantly, i met so many good contacts and even better friends!
I was getting closed to death by this point, but i was even more determined. I forgot what sleep was.
When i was finishing my ATPLS and about to start my CPL, MEP/IR, i was offered a job with the airfield that i flew from. I was taken on as Airfield Operations which included Fire Crew and Air/Ground Operator. Another fantastic opportunity. Ive met some fantastic people and contacts and folk on the airfield were so generous in offering me incredibly cheap flying on their aircrafts. I even got some free twin time, more on that later.
I finished my CPL, MEP/IR in the minimum time, all that was left was my MCC which i completed at CRM Aviation in White Waltham. Can't recommend them enough! Fantastic organisation.
So that was me. The very start of 2014 and i had my Frozen ATPL in hand and only just spent over £30,000.
Seriously.
For the last year i have been working at the airfield in my Operations role. Flying regularly with people on the airfield. The fantastic contacts i gained from my aviation jobs led me to fly for a local parachute organisation where i built almost 300 hours over the summer. I also had paid flying jobs doing pipeline survey, aerial mapping, forestry survey and aerial photography and as mentioned before, the twin time. Unbelievably lucky. This took me to just over 500 hours.
My first airline interview finally came along late in 2014. Literally the last week of the year and for a regional turboprop airline. Alas, it wasn't to be. The week following my rejection, i was offered two more interview. One was for one of Europe's largest carriers and the other was for an English cargo company. Would you believe the interviews were to be on the same day?! A tough decision lay ahead but i went with my heart.
One very long interview processes later, i have been offered my dream job with my dream airline flying heavy passenger jets around Europe (not Ryanair) and even better, no type rating cost and i'll be going onto the 737.
Yes, I'm incredibly lucky, but i believe that one thing made me stand out from the crowd. My CV. Everyone has the same little blue book with the same bit of paper inside it. The hardest thing in getting a job is getting the interview and i believe that me working jobs that were the lowest rungs of the ladder made me stand out. My passion for aviation and to fly is put across in my CV.
So if you want to get ahead in this industry and you're just starting out, my advice is to make yourself stand out:
Do jobs that show you're keen. Do flying that is voluntarily and that will build your skill like parachuting, tug flying, ANYTHING!
Get a job that will get you contacts. Meet people, learn the industry. DONT GET A BAD NAME FOR YOURSELF! That interview for the cargo company came about because two pilots for the outfit came to my airport during their rest period. The captain was the fleet manager and he gave me his number and email and told me to email him my cv etc. I did, and i was offered the interview a week later!
SO, if you're starting out, its not as bad as everyone says. True grit and determination will get you where you want to go. If you want it, go get it.
I've been qualified for just over a year. I spent 30K.I have nearly 600 hours and I'm going onto a 737 with NO typerating costs. The jobs are there. You just have to look.
Good luck.
Join Date: Mar 1999
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Well done Marcus, that's absolutely fantastic. To get where you want to be in that time frame, spending so little money, is an absolutely brilliant result.
It's so great to see someone doing it the old-school way, spending minimum money, working the crappy airfield ops job, making the industry connections and getting such a spectacular payoff so soon.
I only wish everyone who is hell bent on spending £100,000 on training and another £50,000 on pay-to-fly afterwards, would have your attitude and dedication.
I'm going to link this thread for the rest of the year, every time some muppet starts a post asking which is the best pay-to-fly, because waah waah there's no other way to get a job, and the industry demands it, and I have to pay to get ahead, and it's just not possible to do it the old school way any more.
THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE YOU GUYS. Yes it's still possible even in 2015!!
Congrats again Marcus, enjoy the jet. You've made my day with that story
It's so great to see someone doing it the old-school way, spending minimum money, working the crappy airfield ops job, making the industry connections and getting such a spectacular payoff so soon.
I only wish everyone who is hell bent on spending £100,000 on training and another £50,000 on pay-to-fly afterwards, would have your attitude and dedication.
I'm going to link this thread for the rest of the year, every time some muppet starts a post asking which is the best pay-to-fly, because waah waah there's no other way to get a job, and the industry demands it, and I have to pay to get ahead, and it's just not possible to do it the old school way any more.
THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE YOU GUYS. Yes it's still possible even in 2015!!
Congrats again Marcus, enjoy the jet. You've made my day with that story
Join Date: Sep 1998
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well done Marcus, great post, a lesson to all, put in the hard work with determination, opportunities will come your way. I work in the corporate world , these are the people i want in my right seat.
Marcus thanks for sharing your story and well done! You deserve to succeed in the aviation industry and the jobs you have done on the way will have given you knowledge and skills to go far.
