CPL IR what jobs can you do with it?
 

Hi all!
Can somebody please help. I am very keen to start a career in aviation however the initial cost of ATPL courses are quite frightning. Is it possible to start flying for a living with a CPL IR or do you need to take the ATPL exams as well, if it is what jobs can you do. Also to what would you need to apply for co-pilot jobs in the corporate world?
many thanks

AP:confused:

Just about everybody takes the ATPL exams rather than the CPL exams. After that you do the hours building, CPL flight training, the IR training, a muti crew course then go job hunting.

This gives you the theoretical minimum to apply for a first officer job in an airline although some companies require you to have a type rating as well before applying.

With a CPL/IR you can take single pilot jobs but you will need 700 hours to do so.

Apacheboy,

The basic licence of a CPL is all you need to start earning money from flying. However, on its own, you won't get much of job. You would be looking at banner towing, aerial photography or following an FI's course, instruction (albeit a worthy career for many).

The main thing is that before you get your CPL you must have completed either CPL exams (I believe there are 9) or the ATPL exams (14 of them). There is no easy upgrade from the CPL's to the ATPL's without sitting all again. More importantly, there is only £300 or so difference if done by distance learning.

A CPL is better if allied to an Instrument Rating since you can then do jobs which require you to fly IFR in controlled airspace. However, you need to have more than the basic CPL exams. ATPL's wil cover this although you could just do IR exams (about £1100 distance learning). Again, this leans towards completing the ATPL's.

In short, do the ATPL's. It is cheaper than piecemeal exams and more importantly, covers all eventualities.

You could follow this route if you wanted:

PPL
Night Rating
Distance Learning ATPL's
CPL

Then you have the choice of straight into an IR and MCC course, or working as a FI/ banner tower etc. What I would stress is that there is minimal difference in cost between a frozen ATPL and a CPL/IR, but CPL/IR won't open many (if any doors!). Most single pilot operations eg. air taxi, glider towing have stipulated minimum hours that would cost you a lot of money to get to.

Obs cop